Ever wondered if a Mag85 is as bright as your car headlights?

I've been meaning to take these beamshots for quite a while now, but it has either been snowing, so windy at night that snow is all over the place, or so damn cold that I couldn't convince my Fiance to go with me. :laughing:
I've seen people on here before ask if a Mag85 is as bright as a car's headlights, so I figure I'd take some beamshots to answer that very question.
The first picture is of the car's headlights. It's a 2006 Hyundai Elentra (if that matters) and these are the stock headlights.
The second picture is of the 4C Mag85.





As you can see the headlights are brighter than the Mag85, but I don't think they are twice as bright. It's kinda hard to say, since the Mag85 has much more throw and they have very different style beams.

In case anyone cares here is what my Mag85 consists of and where to buy everything:

4C Maglite (Zbattery.com) = $22 Shipped
Heavy Stipple Cammed Aluminum Reflector (Fivemega in CPFM) = $32.50 shipped
Borofloat Lens 52.1mm x 2.0mm (Flashlightlens.com) = $6.25 Shipped
Potted WA 1185 Bulbs (Litho123 in CPFM) = $8 Each Shipped
3x New AW Nipple Top Protected 18650 (AW in CPFM) $12 Each Shipped
PVC Tubing To Hold Cells In Place (Lowe's/Home Depot) = Unsure Of Cost, but should only be a buck or two. Make sure to buy one that fits protected 18650 cells nicely and is snug inside of a C cell Maglite.
Ultra Fire 139 Charger (AW in CPFM) = $15 Shipped

Wow, that's a great (and stark) comparison between the two. I knew that the Headlights in my vehicle (Audi Quattro with 10w HID's) were nowhere near as bright as my Mac's HID (10w Solarc at 14 W), but I never realized the stark comparison between stock automotive headlights and 1185 Mag Mods. Thanks!

Very interesting pics. You say the headlights are brighter, and it does look to me that they have better flood, but the Mag85 looks much better for throw. Just look at those small trees in the distance, beyond the larger ones - they are lit up far better by the Mag85.

OP,

high beam or dip?

Glad you guys like the pics. I had a hell of a time taking them. Mostly due to the fact that it was absolutely freezing outside and I was trying to be as quiet as possible since I was at a dead end in a residential neighborhood I don't live at.
It's really hard to say how much output the car headlights have, since the beam is so much different from any flashlight. The Mag85 does have quite a bit more throw than the car headlights.
These are the regular beams. I would have done the high beams too, but when they turn on the regular beams stay on too. So it basically doubles the amount of light, which would be unfair to the Mag85. I know in some cars when the high beams turn on the regular beams turn off.
I have a smooth reflector coming for my Mag85 sometime this month (I hope) and I'll retake the pics when it gets here.

Nice pix!

One of the best ways to guage it when you get time is get a couple hundred yards away (or more) away so your headlights almost look like a single light source in the distance. Then have the person turn on brights, and hold Mag85 towards you and see which looks brighter. This is mostly to evaluate throw, but it would give a reasonable comparison. May want to have the car slightly higher than you are in the distance since headlights are focussed down.

On occasion, I have stuck my light out the window on a dark highway and it blows away the headlight illumination hotspot on the road.

Sweet. I've been wondering how car headlights compared to some of the modified lights on this forum. It seems like the headlights would be tough to beat with the high beams: about 13 volts and probably 5(?) amps or so for a 50 to 60W headlight.

Just a couple of things I thought of; was the engine running or off for the photo? The alternator charge makes a pretty big difference. Also, for a fair comparison to a single flashlight, you might put something opaque in front of one of the headlights so it's strictly a one-on-one matchup with the flashlight.

Cool test btw!

Stress_Test said:

Sweet. I've been wondering how car headlights compared to some of the modified lights on this forum. It seems like the headlights would be tough to beat with the high beams: about 13 volts and probably 5(?) amps or so for a 50 to 60W headlight.

Just a couple of things I thought of; was the engine running or off for the photo? The alternator charge makes a pretty big difference. Also, for a fair comparison to a single flashlight, you might put something opaque in front of one of the headlights so it's strictly a one-on-one matchup with the flashlight.

Cool test btw!

Click to expand...

Thanks! I'm glad you like the pics. The engine was running the entire time I was doing the test. When I get the smooth reflector I'll take some more pics and I'll find something to put in front of one of the headlights so it is a 1 on 1 matchup.