LED automotive

[s0crates82]

do any of the CPF members from the UK know anything about the lights at the bottom of this page:
http://www.speeding.co.uk/acatalog/S...Fog_Lamps.html

i'd be afraid of glare, but otherwise, [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif[/img]

[iddibhai]

no experience, but LEDs will not have much throw, and i doubt be very useful for frontal lighting unless collimated or reflector mounted. plus there's the glare issue (almost a point source, making them glare regardless of brightness level, and all frontal lighting is directed either by reflector or optics or shields so as to prevent upwards stray lighting, which these don't appear to have), just emitters pointing forward. and being point sources, they WILL appear to be dazzling for oncoming traffic, regardless of how much light they get on the road for you. just my opnion.

[Adrian]

Going cruising then eh? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[s0crates82]

I've got LED lamps for every exterior light on my car besides low beams, high beams, and fog... Those are powered by Sylvania/Osram Silverstars.

But if I could find some LED fogs that are functional and not glaring into other traffic, I'd buy em.

'nuff said.

[Ken_McE]

This listing is for a european style fog light. It is mounted on the rear of the car so other people won't rear end you. North american fog lights are mounted up front so you can (maybe) see where you're going when it's foggy. These would be useless for driving by, that's not what they're for.

I have long thought that the point source problem for car lights could be avoided by having a light that had a large surface area. Instead of having two 3"x4" surfaces with a halogen bulb behind them, why not a 48"x4" surface with several hundred LEDs mounted on it? If the total lumens is the same it should work as good and any one part of the surface would not be dazzlingly bright.

"Mercury" brand automobiles have a lighted strip all along the front of the hood. I was dissapointed when I found out they are just decorations.

[Echo63]

some trucks here in australia have led indicators/brake lights and i find them a little too bright at night
and our police "booze bus" and our ambulance have LED flashers installed - they appear to be brighter than the Incandescent rotating lights - but they dont throw a coloured spot like the incans do
just my .02
oh by the way - the booze bus is a mobile breath testing location - it goes around and stops nearly every car that goes past to see if the driver has been drinking - i dont know any more about what goes on in them because i havent been caught over the limit (and wont be either)

[Christoph]

Did you notice that a lot of other lights on that page said "street legal" and those did not.
Chris [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin07.gif[/img]