LED Light bars. Can we do better and cheaper than these..?

[guiri]

Guys, I just found these while looking for vehicle lights and I was wondering if we (or rather, YOU guys) here at CPF can do better (which I'm really sure you can) but also, can you do it at the same prices or less?
http://www.nwtruckandwarninglight.com/offroadLED.html

For instance, let's say I decide to buy something like this and decide to find someone here to make one or mod one for an extreme amount of light, could it be done and what about cost and how much light and so on.

Can we get a discussion going about this? I should hopefully get my truck (Excursion) back soon and money and I wanted to start pimping it with stuff like lots of light. I LOVE driving at night with lots of light. Especially WIDE light patterns so I can see what's on the sides like deer and stuff.

I plan on possibly putting a roof rack on top too with lights. I want a LOT of back up light as it's hard to back up with the big excursion, especially considering the rear window is also tinted and so are the rear view mirrors

I have two backup lights but they sit UNDER the truck and don't help all that much despite being 100 watts each.

I have 4x100 w head lights up front and although they are nice, I"m not all that impressed. My Volvo when I lived in Europe had a total of 670w of brights.

I WAS also going to replace the alternator with a big 200 amp unit which should cover my needs and possibly a second battery just for the hell of it.

I know we've talked vehicle lights before so let's do it again.

George

 

[dano]

This is in the wrong forum...

Audi's new LED headlight system is a $7,000 that is very complicated (incl. LED arrays and a fancy cooling system).

In order to meet DOT requirements, a lot of engineering is needed, and Audi has done it, and this tech. for (legal) automotive lighting is still too new and too expensive, and not worth it as compared to a high quality HID or incan set-up.

 

[guiri]

Wrong forum? Led's?

As for DOT requirements do you need it and is anyone going to check it?

It was meant more for extra lights and such..

 

[dano]

Wrong forum? Led's?

As for DOT requirements do you need it and is anyone going to check it?

It was meant more for extra lights and such..

CPF's Automotive lighting section: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=87

 

[guiri]

Ah, ok

 

[DM51]

Moving this to Automotive...

 

[spencer]

I don't think he meant for onroad use. These kind of things are offroad use only.

Very good thread here. It gets good in the middle.

 

[guiri]

Okie dokie Schmokie, thanks

 

[clint357]

I don't know about "better" because that's pretty broad, but I think that you could get a lot more usefull beam pattern for different situations. All of those light bars output a very floody beam. Insead of using the colimators, which give very smooth but floody light, you could use reflectors with aspherics. IMO, the best would be a nice SST-90 with an aspheric. This would give a square beam that could be stacked up with more square beams so there would be no overlapping light and tight down to a pencil beam depending on the focus.

 

[guiri]

I just saw the thread mentioned above and the guy did a great job but man, it IS expensive. Do you know anyone else that has done this?

 

[LEDobsession]

I just saw the thread mentioned above and the guy did a great job but man, it IS expensive.

I assume thats me, so I must say, Thanks!

Do you know anyone else that has done this?

Not quite sure if anyone else has done an actual high-output offroad LED light. Databank did something similar with 70 Cree's, but not intended for offroad use. There may be others as well, I'm not sure.


From your OP about the Xmitter bars, I have to say, I love my 42" bar. I had originally, before I bought it, contemplated making my own or even buying a smaller one than I got and modifying it. I'm not sure how well the thing would handle the heat if it were to be modified with a P7 or SST-50 though. Vision X does have some newer stuff (patriot, reflex), and I don't want to get in trouble for advertising or anything but, Here is the reflex, which is utilizing any number of SSC P7's for its source of illuminance.

I still need to get on making some more of the one I created and sell a couple of them. I've just been lazy with it. I need to machine a couple of prototypes and perfect some things with it and I'll build and sell a handful of them. Thread is here (looks like you already found it).

Let me know if I can help with anything.

Trevor.

 

[guiri]

Yeah, that's you

..and thanks to the poster that gave me that link. I was really impressed with what you did.

I love the way this technology is going. Less power consumption, longer life, less prone to damage and smaller. LOVE IT! I just hope prices come down soon. Any idea bout Patriot prices? They don't have any on the site that I can see. Cool looking poop though and the reason I posted my question (before you showed me this stuff) was that I figured someone here could/would build something more powerful and your unit is almost as powerful as the Xmitter at a lot smaller size which is exactly what I suspected was possible. Imagine then the 42 inch with what you did?

If you decide to do these commercially and sell say custom builds, let me know and I'll get in as the webdesigner. I can make it look good

Once I get my money, I'll be looking into other projects to start making money or what I'm getting wont last long.

I have already been thinking about a more powerful headlamp and have even paid a show of faith amount to one of the custom builders here and I've had other ideas including dirt bike stuff.

George

PM me if you want my regular contact info for this or other projects. I do plan to get some new camera and studio equipment too in the next year.

George