LED driving lights?

[h22]

I have been pondering using the current crop of high performance LED's (SST 50/90 multi XPG ect.) as driving lights.

One of the things I thought would be neat about this is the high efficiancy they ( especially the XPG's) could offer.

If I am not mistaken, the average incan headlamp puts out about 1700lm?
This is at ~5-6 amp's.
A tripple XPG is capable of 1200+ easy at just 1.5 amps. (think i have that right)
So.... 4 3 emmiter XP-G modules could offer 4800+ Lm of additional light for a low 6 amps of current.
each board could be wired in sieries and regulated to ~12v @ 1.5 amps easy enough.

I have already found a few people doing just this to make very small and efficient light for bicycle use.

Do the XPG modules and optics offer good enough throw to make it worth while?

A second question, How spendy would it be to machine up a small "capsule" to encase the LED board and optics? nothing fancy, just a small round plug that has an o-ring and a place for the power wires to exit?

 

[Justin13]

I just got a car with them OEM. They look and work well for my needs.

I never drove an older model of this car with HID's, so I cant comment on the improvement. But to me, they work as well as my regular cars HID lighting systems (one Infiniti, one Volvo, and one Mercedes)

The only future issue I see is the lack of heat allowing snow and ice to build. Not that ill take this car out in the snow or rain, and it has washers on the lights to mitigate that risk. (I think)

 

[John_Galt]

The problem isn't the output or efficiency.

It's heat-sinking and beam patterns. No commercial optics are available (that I know of) that will provide a DOT/NHTSA approved beam pattern for an LED light source. that is to say, unavailable, unless you have an inside man at Ferrari, Audi, etc...

 

[h22]

It's heat-sinking and beam patterns. No commercial optics are available (that I know of) that will provide a DOT/NHTSA approved beam pattern for an LED light source. that is to say, unavailable, unless you have an inside man at Ferrari, Audi, etc...

Thanks, Indeed it was the optics I was concerned about.

But these will be off road lights, so I do not care at all about DOT/NHTSA aproval. these will be used off road, on a variety of vehicles. I should have stated that from the beginning.
Mostly I was wanting something to put on my 4 wheeler and dirt bike that could offer a ton of light with minimal load on the charging circuit.

Sure, I could bolt up a pair of 65 watt incan driving lights, but that would draw ~10 amps of current from an already small alternator. Or I could go with 35 watt HID, but that is still ~ 6 amps.

However, say 4 XP-G's wired in series driven to 1.5 amps, at 12v, thats roughly 1800 lm per light, or 3600lm with a 3 amp totle draw ( for 2 such lamps ).

What I am wondering is... do the optics currently avalilable offfer enough throw to be usefull, or would something have to be custom made?

 

[tino_ale]

The Prius 3 have LED driving headlights, they work well. Some Lexus have them too. LED healight is available on Audi R8 as well, but it's not the same league...

The beam pattern is excellent except a strong and sudden horizontal cutoff. Below you have plenty of light, right above, nearly none. I wish they made it smoother.

I would be curious to open and explore such a headlight.

 

[TorchBoy]

If this thread had been in the automotive section you may have got a bit more interest. Would you like to ask a moderator to move it?

If I am not mistaken, the average incan headlamp puts out about 1700lm?
This is at ~5-6 amp's.

You appear to be basing that figure on a 65 W bulb. I believe the correct lumens figure is a fair bit less than 1700, but again, the Automotive section is where that question can be answered.

However, say 4 XP-G's wired in series driven to 1.5 amps, at 12v, thats roughly 1800 lm per light, or 3600lm with a 3 amp totle draw ( for 2 such lamps ).

At 12 V you'd need a boost driver for four XP-Gs in series. Forward voltage and all that, you know. Because it would have to step up the voltage the driver input current would be more than 1.5 amps, perhaps as much as 2.1 A. The only boost driver in my list that can do it is expensive - $45 plus shipping. It's simpler and much cheaper to not use a boost driver for that much current at that voltage. How about three XP-Gs in series?

 

[Vortus]

Why not just mount it in a HID type motorcycle lamp? Then you have your lens already, just have to make it fit.

 

[DM51]

h22, as has been pointed out, this belongs in the Automotive section. I'm moving it there now.

 

[John_Galt]

Why not just mount it in a HID type motorcycle lamp? Then you have your lens already, just have to make it fit.

Because, again, heatinking would be an issue, and it would be another headlamp, either low or high beam, and not a n actual "driving" light beam pattern.

 

[RusDyr]

Checkout my topic, it contains all information about [european] regulation of DRL, links to Hella and Philips modules and estimate of hand-mading.

 

[Illum]

I have been pondering using the current crop of high performance LED's (SST 50/90 multi XPG ect.) as driving lights.

The legality of homemade headlights are an essentially contested topic, like John_Galt meltioned, commericial headlights require DOT approval. If you don't want the liability of injuring others will on the road, I suggest that if you must use your own LEDs, use them as auxillaries and not as your primary headlight

 

[RusDyr]

Sorry, I've overlook it.

Well, while intensity of light is quite enough, distribution of driving light is a intricate problem which required optical modelling and so on.
I think work light, offroad light and hi beam a little bit easier.
At least VisionX make this Reflex series for use at automotives.

The legality of homemade headlights are an essentially contested topic, like John_Galt meltioned, commericial headlights require DOT approval

Thanks god, I don't care about DOT since I live in Russia But there are need road policy approval at ANY such changes in vehicle, even for retrofitting.

 

[Phatty McPatty]

Since you stated these are for off road use, I too was going to suggest looking at the Vision-X options. They have a ton of LED light bars and cubes that could be perfect for your needs. Maybe even a combo of the Solstice cubes since they have 3 different lens/beam options; flood, spot and euro.

 

[Hilldweller]

Since you stated these are for off road use, I too was going to suggest looking at the Vision-X options. They have a ton of LED light bars and cubes that could be perfect for your needs. Maybe even a combo of the Solstice cubes since they have 3 different lens/beam options; flood, spot and euro.

I just saw a bunch of these in use in the Sonoran Desert and can vouch that they are impressive.

 

[RusDyr]

Yeah, VisionX has one of the most impressive LED lights that I've ever seen, but it's also really expensive.
Take a look at search, some guys make they own DIY at MC-E with Ledil/Carclo optics far, far cheaper (but in most cases uglier, yeah ).