eBay LED Light Bar, 30 incher. The stock 60 LED's to 60 Cree XP-G?

sherwind2010

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
30
I put together a little wiring diagram for the XP-G LED's, Now I know it may get hot. But, I only would have it on well I'm driving & only on with the High Beams. I'm going to put ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Compound on all the LED's, Maybe it with help with cooling, by the way it is the BEST Thermal Compound on the Market, I had some left over from a computer build. It says you do not need to apply it a second time as it will last at least for 8 years.

A8uMqzo.png




Here is the Light Bar displaying Voltage & Watts.

en0MB4c.jpg




I partly opened it up & took a look inside to see what I was working with.

OhYemJK.jpg




They have these circuits on the board, I don't want any Voltage or Amp limiters & I'm only going to use it on a 12V system. So connected directly to a power source, 4 LED boards wired in series. With that out of the way, Do I need them circuits and\or resistors?

5GUeU9Y.jpg
 
Last edited:

sherwind2010

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
30
This is for off-road use only, right?

off-road? Come on, It is not going to be that bright. Not even that bright with stock LED, what are them sock LED's called, anyone know? Maybe I should put 60pcs 10W Cree XM-L2 LED's in there? Turn night into day? 60pcs XM-L2 is not going to be kidding around when it comes to light output, But cost would be $108US more.
 
Last edited:

Alaric Darconville

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 2, 2001
Messages
5,377
Location
Stillwater, America
off-road? Come on, It is not going to be that bright.
The distinction between road legal lamps and non-road legal lamps is not a matter of "brightness". It's a matter of controlling the intensity such that certain minima are met at certain points, and certain maxima are not exceeded at certain other points.
 

Steve K

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 10, 2002
Messages
2,786
Location
Peoria, IL
I partly opened it up & took a look inside.


They have these circuit the board, I don't want any Voltage or Amp limiters & I'm only going to use it on a 12V system. So connected directly to a power source, 4 wired in series. With that out of the way, Do I need them circuits and\or resistors?

I'm not exactly sure I understand... is this something you designed or bought? The schematic doesn't show any circuitry other than LEDs, but then there is a photo with what appears to be a switching regulator.

Personally, I think that some sort of current regulation is a fine idea for LEDs. Don't forget that while a battery is nominally 12v, it will be a bit over 13v when charging (i.e. the engine is running). In addition, there are a variety of voltage spikes and other variations in the battery voltage due to other electrical loads being turned on and off. Circuitry, properly used, will help protect your investment in LEDs.
 

sherwind2010

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
30
The distinction between road legal lamps and non-road legal lamps is not a matter of "brightness". It's a matter of controlling the intensity such that certain minima are met at certain points, and certain maxima are not exceeded at certain other points.

Yeah, sorry. I knew that, not sure what I was getting to on that last reply.
 

DIWdiver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
2,725
Location
Connecticut, USA
Yeah, Can't have it on road without it covered up. or get a $160 fine

Good, because the moderators are pretty serious about Rule 11, and will issue warnings, edit posts, or even shut down the thread in a heartbeat if they smell a violation.

You definitely need some sort of current control in order to use LEDs in a vehicle. While the nominal voltages seem compatible, LEDs should not be driven by a voltage source. Not to mention which, the actual voltage in the vehicle fluctuates considerably under various conditions. It isn't likely to be exactly right to get the full performance from your LEDs and not overstress them.

A simple resistor could be used to limit the current, but this is crude and rather imprecise. Both the LED forward voltage and the vehicle system voltage will change with conditions, and this would cause the light output to change considerably.

A current limited power supply or LED driver, better yet one designed for automotive applications, would give you much better control over and protection for the LEDs.
 

sherwind2010

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
30
I'm not exactly sure I understand... is this something you designed or bought? The schematic doesn't show any circuitry other than LEDs, but then there is a photo with what appears to be a switching regulator.

Personally, I think that some sort of current regulation is a fine idea for LEDs. Don't forget that while a battery is nominally 12v, it will be a bit over 13v when charging (i.e. the engine is running). In addition, there are a variety of voltage spikes and other variations in the battery voltage due to other electrical loads being turned on and off. Circuitry, properly used, will help protect your investment in LEDs.

[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I just don't understand c[/FONT]ircuitry stuff. [FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I didn't think I needed them, when I wanted to push the LED's to the MAX. reduce life span but brighter. I'm using 3.6v LED's, 4 LED's wired in series, and pair of banks wire in parallel. all the LED's should be safe to run on a 12v system. (14.4V & 15.0V max)

I got
[/FONT]Cree XP-G LED's for $0.69/ea, okay price? Needed to buy 100pcs free ship.
 

sherwind2010

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
30
Good, because the moderators are pretty serious about Rule 11, and will issue warnings, edit posts, or even shut down the thread in a heartbeat if they smell a violation.

You definitely need some sort of current control in order to use LEDs in a vehicle. While the nominal voltages seem compatible, LEDs should not be driven by a voltage source. Not to mention which, the actual voltage in the vehicle fluctuates considerably under various conditions. It isn't likely to be exactly right to get the full performance from your LEDs and not overstress them.

A simple resistor could be used to limit the current, but this is crude and rather imprecise. Both the LED forward voltage and the vehicle system voltage will change with conditions, and this would cause the light output to change considerably.

A current limited power supply or LED driver, better yet one designed for automotive applications, would give you much better control over and protection for the LEDs.

I couldn't find anyone on the net swapping out Light Bar LED's with more powerful LED's... I must be doing something wrong here or just paving new road. I'm vary sure I'm not the first one who is attempting this with a LED Light Bar.
 

TEEJ

Flashaholic
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
7,490
Location
NJ
In addition to the electronics....you may get flicker, etc, w/o the regulator...if not damage, but, there's also the optic part of it. The reflector bowl, and the LED's effective emitting surface area, and its depth/position, relative to the bowl, can change too.

For example, if the new LED is larger, you can get less throw/range, even if there are more lumens. If the led or its mount is thicker, or thinner, say because of its design, heatsinking, etc...the light is going to be emitted at a different focus point. YOu may need to experiment with the depth relative to the bowl, etc, to get enough throw out of it.

Most poor designs put a lot of lumens right in front of you where your headlights already illuminated, glaring out your night vision, and making you actually see less at distances beyond the headlight high beams, even though the lights LOOK much brighter, etc.
 

sherwind2010

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
30
In addition to the electronics....you may get flicker, etc, w/o the regulator...if not damage, but, there's also the optic part of it. The reflector bowl, and the LED's effective emitting surface area, and its depth/position, relative to the bowl, can change too.

For example, if the new LED is larger, you can get less throw/range, even if there are more lumens. If the led or its mount is thicker, or thinner, say because of its design, heatsinking, etc...the light is going to be emitted at a different focus point. YOu may need to experiment with the depth relative to the bowl, etc, to get enough throw out of it.

Most poor designs put a lot of lumens right in front of you where your headlights already illuminated, glaring out your night vision, and making you actually see less at distances beyond the headlight high beams, even though the lights LOOK much brighter, etc.

That is really good info! Thanks.

I ordered the the LED's already, Looks like I'm going to make adjustments to the optics & mods to try and make this work now. "feeling determined"

I'm hoping it will be all a big fluke & it will all fall into place like it was meant to be...
p9yxA0w.png
 

DIWdiver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
2,725
Location
Connecticut, USA
I think I know what I am doing...

Now I know you're in trouble!

The trouble with direct drive (connecting the LEDs directly to the power source, usually a battery) is that a fairly small change in voltage can result in a large change in power in the LED. In a vehicle, you can rapidly go from badly underdriven to dangerously overdriven.

If you are determined to try this (and it seems that you are), I would start small. Maybe one string of 4 LEDs wired in a somewhat realistic way, then run the vehicle through some paces and see what happens. I'd definitely do that before spending a lot of time and money building something, just to see it self-destruct.
 

sherwind2010

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
30
Now I know you're in trouble!

The trouble with direct drive (connecting the LEDs directly to the power source, usually a battery) is that a fairly small change in voltage can result in a large change in power in the LED. In a vehicle, you can rapidly go from badly underdriven to dangerously overdriven.

If you are determined to try this (and it seems that you are), I would start small. Maybe one string of 4 LEDs wired in a somewhat realistic way, then run the vehicle through some paces and see what happens. I'd definitely do that before spending a lot of time and money building something, just to see it self-destruct.

Thats what exactly what I was going to do. I wasn't going to just throw it all together & put it in the truck. I'm here to do one thing, Drive them LED's to the MAX!! MAX output MAX brightness. Pics in 2 to 3 weeks.

Edited :whistle:
 
Last edited:

sherwind2010

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
30
Look what I got in the mail today. a 20 incher! I tested power draw too, only 6.14A@14V= true 86 watts. Still a 500W equivalent to halogen, Wait & see when I get them Cree XP-G LED's in there! Est true 200 watts 20" & 1,300W equivalent to halogen!! All talk tell I get LED's in the mail. XD


QK7vkTn.jpg



vKQvn1J.jpg



zeESQ8W.jpg



p0hV70i.jpg
 

sherwind2010

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
30
I got this in the mail today, SMALL!! i knew it was small but once you look at it with your own eyes they are really tiny.


100pcs Cree XP-G LED's on a 20mm board. 3.6v=1.5A/ea


Rx6oLV4.jpg



Pf4FU8d.jpg
 

SemiMan

Banned
Joined
Jan 13, 2005
Messages
3,899
I got this in the mail today, SMALL!! i knew it was small but once you look at it with your own eyes they are really tiny.


100pcs Cree XP-G LED's on a 20mm board. 3.6v=1.5A/ea


Rx6oLV4.jpg



Pf4FU8d.jpg

Maybe if you are lucky, they are not real Cree XPG, because real ones are 3.25V typical at 1.5A

Why not just order one that started out with Cree XPG or similar?
 
Top