340 watt "Budget" light bar using no name 10w leds reflector help. PICS!

The question is the leds i currently have are designed as a flood system with not much throw.

I built a lens holder out of 1'' pvc and 27.7mm convex collimator to focus the light, works great but not thrilled, there is a better Chinese version but is to big at 44mm
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/10w-led-lens

I'm trying to find a reflector or aspheric for more throw and less light loss.
also the collimator i am using is convex, will an Aspheric lens focus the light better and create more "throw"?

Been working on it for a while and only found one other post about a light bar build and he only ran 3 with cree leds and lenses
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/general-4x4-discussion/1073515-diy-hight-powered-led-light-bar.html

30''L
4'' D
4'' W

10 cree xm-l T6@900ma driver lm2596 step down converter for spot
24 ebay/china 10w lights driver lm317 regulator and resistor for medium flood
will be used on a vehicle.
heat is the least of my worries.

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Re: 340 watt "Budget" light bar using no name 10w leds reflector help. PICS!

Hard to make a recommendation when your overall design goals are not clear.

How will you be using this?

You are like wasting your time on throw since you are blowing out the foreground making your eyes incapable of resolving and detail in the distance no matter how "spotty" your optics.

Those cheap EBAY leds are just that. They are pretty much useless with an optic.

Semiman

Re: 340 watt "Budget" light bar using no name 10w leds reflector help. PICS!

I crossed the path of some guy this morning driving in traffic with one of these lights ON! It was mounted to a "Bubba Truck" (lifted F250 4X4). I guess he thought he was 'kewl' having the latest 'gadget' to show off to his laborer buddies at some construction site. Where's the cops when you need them? (And to top it off, he had a "kit" in his HB1 headlights too!) Just awful!

Re: 340 watt "Budget" light bar using no name 10w leds reflector help. PICS!

Lightdoctor said:

I crossed the path of some guy this morning driving in traffic with one of these lights ON! It was mounted to a "Bubba Truck" (lifted F250 4X4). I guess he thought he was 'kewl' having the latest 'gadget' to show off to his laborer buddies at some construction site. Where's the cops when you need them? (And to top it off, he had a "kit" in his HB1 headlights too!) Just awful!

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No way in hell do plan on using this on road and they will not be visible(going to be hidden in the bumper)
The plans for it to be a decent light bar good for logging roads and offroading.
I know i could have gone a much cheaper route with better results but what fun is that? The reason for using the ebay lights is to try something different. they make a great flood light i'm just trying to direct them a little more then they are at the moment, and have already made headway with the optics i chose just seeing if anybody has given them a shot besides me.
Will be giving an aspheric lens a shot, seem like pretty good focusing results with different setups.

Yea i know your not supposed to look into the light nothing new.

Re: 340 watt "Budget" light bar using no name 10w leds reflector help. PICS!

Mounting on the bumper for off road? Makes no sense ...all flood and no throw no matter what you do.

Re: 340 watt "Budget" light bar using no name 10w leds reflector help. PICS!

SemiMan said:

Mounting on the bumper for off road? Makes no sense ...all flood and no throw no matter what you do.

Click to expand...

Lots of offroading, the most serious kind, is done under 3 mph.
Floods are fine.
Most of the offroading I do is 20 mph tops.

Re: 340 watt "Budget" light bar using no name 10w leds reflector help. PICS!

Done offroading and pretty serious too but not in ages. One central bumper mount is pretty useless. Less light and higher up not to mention getting some light out to the sides in the front is nice to take care of errant boulders.

We are talking 30000 lumens here from one point low on the front of the vehicle that is floody. That's going to blow out your vision and make it tough to see detail in less lit areas.

If the vehicle is highly elevated then spots and some flood makes sense. Most bumper mounts tend to be more for some speed on somewhat flat ground.

Re: 340 watt "Budget" light bar using no name 10w leds reflector help. PICS!

Most wheeling is done going slow but its nice to have the extra power when i need it, I would rather over do it and run them under powered then over powered all the time.
Just ordered 4 ultrafire C8 reflectors for the spots and 4 xml-2 u3 leds for them should reach out pretty far the others will just be for flood, gonna have to mod the case for the longer lens but everything's adaptable.
Light bars are nothing new in the off road community i'm just trying my own thing, it's more adjustable to future mods.
If i mounted this on my roof it would create a ton of glare on the windshield and hood it would work, better but whats the point if you cant see? (I will try the roof at some point to test that theory) And as much as i would love 30,000 lums i'm not going to get it out of the 24 Ebay lights or cree's but it wont disappoint either
if i need a tighter beam ill run a aspheric lens on the end of the cree's don't think ill have a problem don't want to tight of a beam.

better idea of my vehicle would be a daily/weekend warrior nothing to crazy when i go out its at night on the logging roads some mild trails.

Re: 340 watt "Budget" light bar using no name 10w leds reflector help. PICS!

ddog1741 said:

Most wheeling is done going slow but its nice to have the extra power when i need it, I would rather over do it and run them under powered then over powered all the time.
Just ordered 4 ultrafire C8 reflectors for the spots and 4 xml-2 u3 leds for them should reach out pretty far the others will just be for flood, gonna have to mod the case for the longer lens but everything's adaptable.
Light bars are nothing new in the off road community i'm just trying my own thing, it's more adjustable to future mods.
If i mounted this on my roof it would create a ton of glare on the windshield and hood it would work, better but whats the point if you cant see? (I will try the roof at some point to test that theory) And as much as i would love 30,000 lums i'm not going to get it out of the 24 Ebay lights or cree's but it wont disappoint either
if i need a tighter beam ill run a aspheric lens on the end of the cree's don't think ill have a problem don't want to tight of a beam.

better idea of my vehicle would be a daily/weekend warrior nothing to crazy when i go out its at night on the logging roads some mild trails.

Click to expand...

- Floods on the bumper, mounted as high as you can, a few thousand lumens preferably mounted towards the sides
- Spots on the roof for long distance
- Directed spots on the roof for medium distance
- Directed sports on the room pointing towards the sides if you are really serious

Its about creating contrast, not just long shadows.


Trying to make one huge light bar, that is mounted in one position, for off-roading, is the equivalent of all-season tires ...... a non-optimum tire for every season.


As opposed to making one huge bar, why not make several small ones, each tuned for the purpose and mounting position?

Semiman

Re: 340 watt "Budget" light bar using no name 10w leds reflector help. PICS!

SemiMan said:

- Floods on the bumper, mounted as high as you can, a few thousand lumens preferably mounted towards the sides
- Spots on the roof for long distance
- Directed spots on the roof for medium distance
- Directed sports on the room pointing towards the sides if you are really serious

Its about creating contrast, not just long shadows.


Trying to make one huge light bar, that is mounted in one position, for off-roading, is the equivalent of all-season tires ...... a non-optimum tire for every season.


As opposed to making one huge bar, why not make several small ones, each tuned for the purpose and mounting position?

Semiman

Click to expand...

This as actually what i plan on doing, the 30 inch bar will be a thrower/flood but ill have other "pods" on either side of it for side light.
I'll look more into mounting it on the roof i already have plans for a roof rack so it would work out and rely on my headlights for For down low and side lighting.
Might even wire a servo onto the mounting bracket and have it adjustable hmmm...
i'm still learning a lot about reflectors/lenses and how they work together directional light in general is pretty crazy. i know a lot more then when i purchased the cheap Ebay lights just glad they where just that.
My goal for throw is between 350m to 400m i know anything over that is pretty useless in a narrow bean and you cant see anyways.
i have everything besides the glass for the aluminum bar fixture just have to get the reflectors and find out where they work best.
any ideas for face glass besides plexi glass that cuts fairly easily? 30''L 4''W 1/4'D

Re: 340 watt "Budget" light bar using no name 10w leds reflector help. PICS!

You want polycarb not plexi. Plexi is too soft. Optically better but soft. Just make it easy to replace. Anything up high use glass.