Advanced LED lighting for an NA?

[wassup]

Anyone on here have any experience with Truck-Lite LED lighting solutions?

I stumbled upon a new product of theirs, the Phase 7 and discovered that someone on the Miata.net forum has already tried it out with pretty good results:

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?p=5886124

Details off their product page:
- When properly mounted, exceeds FMVSS-108 and CMVSS-108 DOT requirements for low beam and high beam performance
- Excellent option for light, medium and heavy-duty trucks, off-road vehicles, classic cars, motorcycles and more.
- Metalized reflector optics provide a lighting experience that smooth and clean across the driving surface
- Provides a brighter, crisper and whiter light output, closer to the color temperature of daylight, dramatically
- improving light projection distance and overall visibility
- Durability and dependability of LED lighting provides a solid-state, bulb-free headlamp design that impervious to damage from shock and vibration
- Military grade, die-cast aluminum housing and non-yellowing, polycarbonate lens offer optimum protection against damage from impact, roadside debris and other hazards
- Electronics are sealed in epoxy to resist from damage caused by corrosion or moisture
- Advanced circuitry protects against voltage spikes up to 600v
- Drop-in replacement for #6014, 6015, 6016, H6024 and Par 56 headlamp designs
- Uses standard, H4, 3-blade wiring connector
- Equipped with Truck-Lite 3-Year Limited Warranty.

Has a separate Low and high beam and draws half the current of stock hologen.

Somewhat expensive but solves a number of issues NA owners have. Any thoughts before i pull the trigger on a pair?

[wassup]

Image:

[zossy1]

The LHD models will dim the wrong way for our RHD cars so beware of that.

I'd also be willing to bet they are not ADR approved so a sharp-eyed Mr Plod may have words to say.

Otherwise, pull the trigger and take one for the team! I'd certainly be interested in how they perform.

[wassup]

From the reviews - Mostly from Harley & Jeep forums - it doesnt appear to dip left or right and the beauty is they look very stock but perform like proprietary HID systems (beam spread and cut off)

High beam


Low beam


Spread



Installed on a Miata:

[zossy1]

As I say, let us know how they perform - i'd definitely be interested in installing a set on my car if they are worthwhile.

Would be particularly interested in a set with inbuilt parking lights, as I run TSI's

[Mr Morlock]

the history of US lighting is that they lagged decades behind Europe and AU. The lights shown are not assymetric lights.

[wassup]

Trigger pulled.

I'll post the results on my Garage thread.

[hks_kansei]

Just be aware that the flat cutoff will mean you'll need to do one of two things:

1: Adjust them so the cutoff meets the low point of the OEM recommended cutoff.
The problem will be the light will be aimed rather low, maybe not too great for seeing.

2: Adjust them so the cutoff meets the high point of the OEM recommended cutoff.
The problem will be the light will be aimed too high for every oncoming driver making it potentially unsafe for others.


Either way, the flat cutoff won't be ideal.





Here's how they SHOULD work (but of course the other way around for Aust)

Option 1: above will be basically as if the left lane beam were on both sides.
Option 2: above would be as though the right lane beam were on both sides.

[Mr Morlock]

there is no cut off if they are not assymetric lights ie European standard for 40 odd years ie cut off to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers. America loved sealed beams and they just threw a light forward- no control no such thing as light distribution or science. If the lense and reflector set up is not designed for what we now take as standard then it is impossible to adjust light dazzle with any accuracy. The US was the laughing stock of lighting and all the serious lamp makers were based outside North America. There are no magic bullets with lighting - its all about design and standards and good engineering. As others pointed out left and right hand drive traffic require different set ups- with projectors in Eu they sometimes even have a switching mechanism for drivers crossing borders. The vast majority of lighting lets say 99% are set up for "your' driving standard left or right hand and the two are not adjustable and would not be legal if not for the domestic country..

[hks_kansei]

there is no cut off if they are not assymetric lights ie European standard

It may be a terminology difference, but I would have thought a cutoff can exist with any light, be it an asymmetric beam, or a perfectly symmetrical beam.
The image above (the car in the garden) seems to suggest that these LED lights have a perfectly Symmetrical cutoff pattern.

ie: an Asymmetic cutoff would have one horisontal beam higher than the other, with a step between the two where the beams overlap.



a symmetric cutoff would simply form one horisontal line.



Feel free to correct if I"m wrong, but this was my understanding.

[Mr Morlock]

the cut off is achieved by the design of the lamp ie reflector / lenses optics and bulb position - focal length etc. The distribution of light is actually quite critical and a poor quality bulb ie one outside of spec can effect the light distribution. Talking here of headlamps in particular low beam- the euro style light long adopted in Au has a cut off line on the drivers side- extending to the left ie the centre of the road which when correctly aimed allows for visibility forward but control of light to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers. The light to the side stretches to the drivers left hand side and is designed to pick up pedestrians parked car etc further down the road but not to interfere with oncoming vehicles.
I can recall when Ford started using projector lights in the lwb car probably 20 years ago and people did not like them because the cut off was so stark in that it was light one side and dark the other- so tightly controlled thru optic design. Quite often people feel more comfortable with a little light bleed and designers can fiddle to achieve this without producing a 'bad" light. High beams and driving lights are a different ball game- these throw a lot of light a long way - at least that is the intent and it not appreciated by oncoming drivers but it works very well on a country road.
Probably a boring topic for many but good lights on a car are well worth having and a poor low beam is very hard to improve whereas a high beam can easily be supplemented by driving lights.

[ll_spud]

Any updates on this?

[wassup]

Nothing.

Useless Canada post. Parts have been sitting in Montreal for 3weeks and only just started moving. Current in Vancouver....

[Jace]

canaduh is never in a hurry.

[wassup]

canaduh is never in a hurry.

Yup. It's ridiculous. It's a month tomorrow since it was posted.

On a positive note I went for a drive through the royal national park on Sunday and on the way back a Harley followed me using the very same headlight. It was mid afternoon but the light output was awesome and from a distance had more beam control than the BMW motor cycle next to it. I'm excited!