Aircraft landing lights, ACLs, yes, another thread.

Gearstix

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I've read a few threads on here and searched around on google and stuff.
I've heard the stories, of somebody with aircraft landing lights on their car/truck/boat and it being extremely bright.

I've got a 2005 Chevy Blazer. Its got the stock headlights, I grounded one yellow wire on the low beam, and it keeps the lows and highs on. (Found a guide on the net for it. It has two bulbs,one for the low and one for highs. We added a fuse in the wire we added.)
However this ain't enough light for me.

I have to drive about a half hour - forty five minutes one way to school every day, and most of it is on the highway. Also, the closest large city is about 5-6 hours away, again highway, although I haven't ventured that far yet.

So I'm tempted to try out these so called aircraft landing lights.
Yes I know theres purpose built lights for this application.. I don't care, haha.
I've found a few different types. There are mainly, from what I can find, 13V ones, like from a Cessna 172.. and 28V, from a B52 Nuclear Bomber, 747s, etc.
I've figured out how to run the 28V ones, well in theory at least.
I think you wire them in series. 4 x 28v gives you 112v. Then I'd get a 120V inverter.
I have an extra battery wired into the blazer, with 1 gauge wiring going from the front to the back battery. (I have a 3000W subwoofer amp, but I won't be using the stereo when the lights are on) I will be getting a larger alternator pretty soon.

The main problem I have, is that I cannot find housings for these lights.
The GE-Q4559X lights, (which I think some of you guys use for handheld spotlights), I can find, and other lights similar to them. These are 8" lights, and I am not able to find a housing for them, other than stage lighting for concerts and stuff.

There are also other sorts of lights, the 13V ones are usually 5.5" or so in diameter, and I can't really find any housings for those either.

I am not sure what sort of connector is on the lamp either...

So if anybody could point me in the right direction..
I think someone on here had 8 on there old car..

Thanks.:popcorn:
 

Alaric Darconville

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I have to drive about a half hour - forty five minutes one way to school every day, and most of it is on the highway. Also, the closest large city is about 5-6 hours away, again highway, although I haven't ventured that far yet.

From this text it sounds like you're a young, inexperienced driver, who doesn't realize why there are certain standards in automobile lighting, and that why putting ACLs on your vehicle doesn't make it safer than other vehicles on the road.

You described a modification that allowed all headlight filaments to remain on when in high beam mode, which is a change to the original design of the vehicle. All this is doing is putting in too much foreground light compared to the original high beam pattern and is actually making things worse for you. While I don't claim to believe that Chevrolet has put the best headlights possible on that vehicle, I'm sure they did a good enough job that the way they designed it is better than your groundwire mod doesn't really improve it.

I can sense another purpose in your want for ACLS. Your factory headlights, even modified, don't seem to put light far enough down the road to support the speeds you're driving at. Don't increase the light to keep from overdriving your headlights -- slow down. Even with ACLs the potential exists to overdrive your headlights, and there are certain hazards (such as animals entering your path from the side, or black ice, or blowouts) against with those lights aren't going to help you with. In that case, all it does is make your impact with that hazard all the more severe-- which could injure you or leave your car undriveable. And as you seem to be describing a remote location, it could mean a long time before you are discovered or before help can arrive after you are discovered.

BTW: Welcome to CPF! Sorry to seem to scold you in your first days here...
 
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-Virgil-

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I've read a few threads on here and searched around on google and stuff.
I've heard the stories, of somebody with aircraft landing lights on their car/truck/boat and it being extremely bright.

Yeah, this is an old idea from back in the '60s. There's an aircraft landing light, a 13v 100w sealed beam number 4509, which can be made to fit in the high beam headlight bucket of a car originally equipped with four round 5¾" sealed beams. The 4509 produces 110,000 candela in a beam 12° wide by 6°*high, and has a lifespan of 25 hours. This is ancient, grossly inefficient technology. Remember, the airworthiness approval process for any/every piece of equipment that goes on an airplane is slow and very expensive, so things like landing lights change very slowly. Nowadays, there are much better choices than a 4509 even if we are sticking to the 5¾" round format. The H7680HIR, for example, is a 12.8v 80w sealed beam that produces 275,000 candela in a 6.5° conical beam and has a lifespan of 100 hours. Much more efficient and effective. But "yeah, man, I put aircraft landing lights on my car!" sounds badazz, so the myth lives on. Keep in mind either of these, and any other spot light or driving lamp, is for use only with the main high beams and only on COMPLETELY EMPTY roads (or off road). Never in traffic, never with the low beams, never by themselves.

I've got a 2005 Chevy Blazer. Its got the stock headlights

Well, they're not awful. They could be better. You can put in better bulbs - use Philips Xtreme Power 9006s in the low beams and Toshiba HIR1s in the high beams.

I grounded one yellow wire on the low beam, and it keeps the lows and highs on. (Found a guide on the net for it. It has two bulbs,one for the low and one for highs. We added a fuse in the wire we added.)

Yeah, careful there. Leaving the lows on with the highs, in a 4-bulb system like yours, isn't unsafe, but it doesn't necessarily improve your ability to see meaningfully. If you do it, you need to make sure you do it in such a way that you don't overload any of the original wires.

However this ain't enough light for me.

You need more light in traffic (low beam situations) or out of traffic (high beam situations)?

I've figured out how to run the 28V ones, well in theory at least.
I think you wire them in series. 4 x 28v gives you 112v. Then I'd get a 120V inverter.

Sorry to be blunt, but this is a dumb idea.

The main problem I have, is that I cannot find housings for these lights.

That's not hard. See here
(replace 64021 by 64011 for silver-grey paint instead of chrome, or you can use Truck-Lite 652H silver-grey, 653H chrome, or 657H black). Grote, Signal-Stat and Truck-Lite are all suppliers in the truck/bus/heavy-duty lighting equipment market. You shouldn't have any trouble tracking down a local supplier who will order these in for you, just look for truck parts in the yellow pages or online.

The GE-Q4559X lights

600,000 candela, but 600 watts. Apiece. There is no way you need anywhere near this amount of light on any public roadway under any circumstances. Bragging rights based on a wattage or candela number are fun, but there are serious public safety issues with this, not to mention the cost and hassle of re-equipping your Blazer to provide enough power to run them.

So if anybody could point me in the right direction

You start by figuring out and expressing exactly where and when you need more light. Looking at wattage is one of the last things you do.
 

Gearstix

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Thanks for the replies guys.
I do like the high beam mod, it does make a difference in my opinion. I did have a relay kit for this modification however it wasn't application specific, for generic GMs. I read about this on an S10 forum and decide it try it out. We used larger gauge wire on the ground wire than what was stock, as the guide said, and also used a 30a fuse, which is what the relay kit came with.

I am not looking to increase my low beam output, as when I'm using my lows I'm in the city, which is pretty well lit.
I don't think I overdrive my headlights. Its winter here in Canada and the road conditions vary, so I'm doing anywhere from 50-80km/h on the highway, depending on the road conditions. (Speed limit is 100km/h)

I've had some friends hit deer and moose on various vehicles aswell, and those animals do some damage, that's for sure.

The 28v lights, I wasn't 100% sure what I had in my head would work. I didn't really need four 8in lights either.
I am not sure if an inverter could handle the draw of the four lights. I'm guessing they draw a lot of amps.

I have been looking at the smaller landing lights such as the ones that came on Cessnas and such. They are 13v which would be easier, but they are somewhat of an odd size.

I will look at the links you guys posted when my internet is up, I'm posting this from my phone.

I don't think you guys have scolded me at all, its all a learning experience.

Oh, my Blazer has Sylvania bulbs in both the highs and lows, I'm not sure whay they are as they were in the truck when we purchased it.

My dad also works at the municipal airport and I have too during the summer and I'm pretty good friends with people in some of the other companies that do aircraft maintanace. However there are a few websites where I can get the lamps from.

Thanks guys.
 

tay

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Oh, my Blazer has Sylvania bulbs in both the highs and lows, I'm not sure whay they are as they were in the truck when we purchased it.

That's your problem right there. They are probably completely stock bulbs, or, even worse, "Long Life" bulbs. Try moving up to better bulbs. 9005/9006 has a lot of options. HIR 9011 bulbs can be modified to fit in both your lows and your highs, and have almost twice the output of a stock 9006. There's also the +90% bulbs like the Xtremepower and Nightbreaker, a wide variety of more affordable +50% bulbs, etc.

Which part of the wiring did your relay replace? Ideally, it would be connected directly to the battery with at least 12ga copper wire, on the positive side as well as on the ground side.

Aside from relay, better bulbs, you can also restore the headlight lenses. They sell a kit for it for about $25, where you can polish out any scratches or yellowing of the polycarbonate. That will help too.

As for 28v lights in series... no. You're not even considering the fact that a 120V inverter is AC, and the lights are probably made for DC, so you'll need either a rectifier or deal with the bulbs flickering on and off at about 30 Hz.
 

Benson

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As for 28v lights in series... no. You're not even considering the fact that a 120V inverter is AC, and the lights are probably made for DC, so you'll need either a rectifier or deal with the bulbs flickering on and off at about 30 Hz.
No, that would be 120 Hz, since they see two pulses of power per cycle (and assuming the inverter is set to generate 60Hz AC), and the thermal inertia of the lights would wipe out the flicker.
 

clint357

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If you want brighter lights, then buy brighter lights. Buy some good bulbs and be done with it. If this is not enough light for you, go buy some Hella rally lights, but DO NOT leave them on when another driver is coming because it will pretty much blind them. I'm not sure why you're hooked on ACL's though when there are plenty of super bright lights which are made for automobile applications.
 

tay

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No, that would be 120 Hz, since they see two pulses of power per cycle (and assuming the inverter is set to generate 60Hz AC), and the thermal inertia of the lights would wipe out the flicker.

Sorry. I knew once rectified it would oscillate twice per wavelength, but somehow I crossed my mental wires and divided where I should have multiplied.
 

Linger

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I don't think I overdrive my headlights. Its winter here in Canada and the road conditions vary, so I'm doing anywhere from 50-80km/h on the highway, depending on the road conditions. (Speed limit is 100km/h)

right but brighter lights doens't help that. Either it's clear and normal, snow's on the ground and it's bright out, or it is snowing and highbeams/higher beams are not indicated. So what's the reason for super bright?

I've had some friends hit deer and moose on various vehicles aswell, and those animals do some damage, that's for sure.

Totally, and after crumpling a car the moose might walk away more or less unfased. Problem is, defense vs. wildlife is slowing down and being in control for evasive manouvers. The animals don't stand on the highway at 2000f waiting for someone with dim stock lights to hit them. It's a lot of bolting out from the side which highbeams will not prevent.

IMHO you should not need extra lighting for highway driving. It will also be illegal, and hazzardous to people unfortunate enough to be around.
 

jeeves

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I had a set (2) of KC off-road lights on my wrangler. Stock bulbs (If you can even exchange them, I'm not sure).

It felt like I could melt trees with those suckers.:twothumbs
I would investigate some more-legal alternatives before going ahead with this mod. I'm pretty sure that here in Fl. USA. It's illegal to drive with off-road lights activated while on-road. Basically, if they see it, you're in trouble. Probably a fine or something. I've never tested it.:laughing:
 

Gearstix

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I will look into the HIR bulbs that tay has mentioned.

I don't drive with my high beams all the time, that is stupid. I never did once say that either.

The power inverter was just an idea, I had read about it on a stage lighting forum, that you could wire 4 28V ACLs together and plug them into the wall. I was not sure if planes were AC or DC, I wasn't really sure if it would work anyhow.

The relay kit I had, it used a relay to turn on the lows when the highs were on, it wasn't really complex we just couldn't get it to work with the Blazer. Instead what I've done is added an extra ground to the headlight wiring, using a larger gauge wire and the added wire is fused with a 30a fuse. No relays.

The headlight lenses themselves are in good shape and they are not faded nor scratched. I keep them clean with glass cleaner.

What I would like to do, no matter what lights I have, is to see a bit more to the sides, and a bit further.

and I will not leave them on when there are oncoming drivers...
 

tay

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Well, ACLs don't have the right beam pattern for driving.

If you get decent foglights (extra up-close width), and replace your bulbs with higher performance ones like HIRs or Philips XP or Osram Nightbreaker, and it's STILL not good enough, then why not just get a standard Hella or KC round driving lamp? It's got a replaceable bulb. It comes in a waterproof automotive housing anyway, and doesn't require any wiring more complex than one relay and a dashboard switch. You can find a pair for $150 easy. IMO that's a lot better than some mashed-together abomination of aircraft lights.
 

DR_DEUCE

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Many years ago I put a set of landing lights on the front of my mustang, right in the center of the grille, Shelby style--- here's some recollections:

I could clear the freeway ahead during the daytime, with a 2 second flash.
The pencil beam went 1.25 miles.
They were 12v, 250 watts each.
I went thru 5 alternators that week.
I used motorcycle headlight assembly to house the bulbs, mounted to a piece of steel strip I had welded across the front radiator support.
I had a great time with them!
 

StarHalo

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As long as you're being courteous to other drivers, a much easier, more efficient, and more all-in-one solution can be had with a GoLight - it's a 35W HID in a proper external housing, with a wide variety of mounting (magnetic, bolted, pole, etc.), power (hard-wired, cigarette plug, etc.), and control options (in-dash, wireless remote, etc.). These lights throw a hotspot about a half mile and have a broad horizontal spill like a good vehicle light. See them over at MagnaLight: http://www.magnalight.com/c-23-remote-spotlights.aspx

golight.jpg
 

clint357

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I used to live out in the country where the nights are dark and other drivers are few and far between. I had a pair of 3" x 5" KC lights on my bumper that I got for $75 online with all the wiring I needed. They made a world of difference for being able to see to the sides more.
 

irsa76

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Best thing to do is this:
Upgrade wireing/add relays to the stock lights. Fit better bulbs, NOT overwattage ones!
Ensure the stock lights are in good condition, replace the lights if required. If possible for your model see if you can get E code lights, other wise use OE replacements. By that I mean genuine chevy ones, aftermarket replacements can be even worse.
Fit proper foglights, Hella make some very good ones, wire them correctly to the lowbeam circuit, if legal in your area, with relays, switches and fuses as required. Ideally the lights should be mounted as low and as wide apart as practicle.
If better long range lighting is required fit proper driving lights, personally I prefer 1 long range "pencil beam" spot light on the driver's side and a spread beam on the passenger side, this give plenty of coverage on the road shoulder to alert you to lurking beasts. If you want to run multiple lights I'd run 1 pair spot and 1 pair spread beam.
Again use quality lights, Hella being a very good choice.
Most importantly, ensure the aim is correct for all lights.

Here is an example of a suitable light setup on my Mazda from 1997.
121auk6.jpg

Quality, osram, bulbs in the headlights, Cibie Oscar SC in spread and pencil beam with 100w bulbs on the bumper and fog lights in the OE cutouts. In this case they were some cheap, but actually effective, lights off a previous car.
Simple, legal and very effective. Only issue was the 100w bulbs in the cibie, they heat damaged the reflector on my early SCs.
 
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coreyhudson2

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I've figured out how to run the 28V ones, well in theory at least.
I think you wire them in series. 4 x 28v gives you 112v. Then I'd get a 120V inverter.

Instead of going though all that hassle driving the 28v ACL in series with an inverter, just wire another LA battery in series with another battery on a separate circuit. Drive in series, charge in parallel.:naughty:

Im just wondering if the other battery was the main battery when the light is connected and the circuit is closed the 24v would go to the ECU and :poof: Right?
 

KD5XB

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If he does try out lighting up that 112VDC circuit with 120VAC he'll know what you mean.

Interesting statement -- are you trying to say a car headlight won't operate on AC?

Now I'm trying to think of a way to come up with ~14 volts AC to give it a try! I have to say, though, that I'm 99 44/100% sure that it really doesn't matter, as all you're doing is heating up a piece of metal so that it glows just about white hot. I've seen lights work on AC, and I've seen lights work on DC, and they all look pretty much the same.
 

-Virgil-

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Filaments will operate on AC or DC just fine. Lifespan will differ, but that's about it.
 
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