turboIIrotary

iTrader: (9)

Those are the old version I have seen those on a local jeep around here the beam pattern is very uneven, a lot of hot spots in that one. They do have a new version which is a little better but the beam pattern still need some work but I have not seen those in person just pictures.

Scrub

iTrader: (25)

It'll get there I'm sure. I'll stick to HID for now

RotorMotor

iTrader: (5)

Depth depends on connectors. I had some custom d2s bulb connectors produced specifically for the space limitations of the Miata. Space limitations can be dealt with if you're willing to go to an h1 style bulb as the entire assembly does not stick out as far, though you're forced to use aftermarket bulbs. If you want the BEST lighting, OEM d2s bubs will have the best output, though other setups will provide decent lighting (though there's some hot / dark spotting with most of the aftermarket setups I've seen). Depends how deep you want to get into this retrofit stuff...

Regarding LED's... the technology has a long ways to go as far as aftermarket lighting. Go buy a new Mercedes and you'll see what LED's can do, but for the aftermarket it's many years out... the aftermarket is still just getting caught up on HID technology (just look at the crap out there for sale and the amounts of misinformation regarding HID's). Eventually there will be LED lighting retrofits, but the current options are highly lacking. Just look at the pictures in that link... lots of throw, no beam width. There's a ton of hot spotting, lots of long distance and foreground lighting but a lack of mid ground lighting. Really for me the width and evenness is what makes a quality lighting system. I've got some great LED flashlights that do this whole "spot lighting" thing way more effectively but on the road you want to illuminate your whole visual scene (without blinding others)... that's the entire point of headlights.

David Hayes

iTrader: (6)

You might want to read my post and then your article before commenting.

My comment was the LEDs appear to be 1/3 to 1/2 the light output of a "halogen" headlight. You then post up an article comparing the LEDs to "non-halogen" bulbs. From your article:

"With safety and night vision in mind, we tried out the new DOT-legal LED headlights from Truck-Lite (http://www.trucklite.com/), comparing them against a pair of conventional (non-halogen) headlights in a 2006 Peterbilt 379 towing an empty 35-foot Travis Dump trailer."

Note the "non-halogen" part of the article? I am sure those LED units are better than very old non-halogen technology. Apparently tungsten was the product of choice before halogen, but that's not the point here is it? It's a comparison of the LEDs to halogen units, or the standard outside of the HID based units. Read my post again and this time comprehend the "halogen" part.

So what are the average light output of halogen headlights? Of course this varies but in general:

ALI: The XENON Headlight Issue

Older units are around 1,000 lumens and newer units are about 1,500 lumens. So do the math and you'll see (pun intended) that my comment is correct.

And if that is not enough, read this for a review:

Hummer goes for LED headlights!!!!!!

Or the Cliff Notes version:

"are you guys serious? ok, if you can post beamshots to prove me wrong, go ahead, but these things are nothing more than a few LEDs at spot and a few LEDs with a wide-angle optic. Nothing special. You could make one yourself that would perform way better. Does my link not work or something? If you need to register before it will let you view the thread, tell me, I will ask to rehost the pics and post them here when I do, but you can't look at those pictures and say that these things are amazing or anything like that."

Finally, the lumens of the "old" tungsten units were about 1/2 that of the halogen ones. From good old Wiki (always reliable ):

"There was an improvement in seeing distance with U.S. halogen high beams, which were permitted for the first time to produce 150,000 candela (cd) per vehicle, double the nonhalogen limit of 75,000 cd".

So, based on this, the tungsten units produce 500 - 750 lumens, right in the range (550 usable lumens) of the LED truck units. Help understand why they are DOT legal?

David Hayes

iTrader: (6)

^+1 What he said.

Kaaarl12a

iTrader: (6)

Compared to the sealed beam bulbs you can get today they are way better. I never used the halogen housings and bulbs for the soul fact I don't want to have to do the upgrade wiring harness stuff. Course the led is more expensive but if something hapens I don't need to figure out if its the harness upgrade or the oem equipment. Just more of my reasoning.

David Hayes

iTrader: (6)

^ Well all the data and reviews suggest otherwise, but to each his own I guess.

Kaaarl12a

iTrader: (6)

Whic led version are we talking about anyway? Trucklites old version or the new one? The hummer has the old I bought tje new. The old ones are 27250c. The new is 270270c.