Home > Maintenance & Modifications > LED bulbs in spots |
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Dave-H Member Since: 08 Feb 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 1507 |
I tried it a couple of years ago, with a set of H4 LED's in hella spotlights ... complete waste of money.
Gave no real 'beam' just a bright flood light for about 25 yards ahead. Standard bulbs were way better. I don't think LED bulbs get refracted by the light reflectors very well [The reason most reputable places say LED's are no good in lamps designed for bulbs] HTH Guns and Landrovers .... anything else is irrelevant. |
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23rd Oct 2015 9:10am |
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discomog Member Since: 09 May 2015 Location: Notts/Lincs Border Posts: 2526 |
DaveH is absolutely correct. I decided to fit some DRL's to a Morgan and as I didn't want to fit any more lights I used the existing spot lamps but fitted with LED's - great as DRL's but absolutely useless as spots or fogs. The light reflects in all directions and no beam of light whatsoever. My advice is don't waste your time and money trying to convert your spots to LED.
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23rd Oct 2015 10:03am |
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Wangers Member Since: 19 Jan 2013 Location: West London Posts: 265 |
[quote="Dave-H"]The reason most reputable places say LED's are no good in lamps designed for bulbs]
HTH [/quote] Not really, but it is the reason that putting LED bulbs into fillament lenses is illegal. ie take out a clear indicator bulb from amber lense, add white LED bulb and re-fit = illegal. Light waves fro the diode reflect differently to those froma fillament bulb, hance the pattern is all wrong and from what we say "it looks . TY&GN 10 years in a WOLF, WIMIK and Snatch and this is all I have to show! |
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23rd Oct 2015 6:04pm |
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Lost for Words Member Since: 18 Jun 2015 Location: Warminster, Wiltshire Posts: 200 |
No one, to my knowledge, has even been able to manufacture an LED spot lamp, let alone retro fit them... Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver |
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24th Oct 2015 2:14pm |
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Northernremedy Member Since: 18 Aug 2014 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 122 |
Perfect. Well that explains that! I wondered if it was something like that. Cheers
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24th Oct 2015 2:22pm |
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Cupboard Member Since: 21 Mar 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 2971 |
LED spots definitely exist, they're just not identical to incandescent spots. |
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24th Oct 2015 2:38pm |
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Lost for Words Member Since: 18 Jun 2015 Location: Warminster, Wiltshire Posts: 200 |
To clarify further on this matter, light waves of any given wavelength are exactly the same however produced. The problem with LEDs, is that they produce light from a much larger area than a filament, and so will not focus into a spot beam. With a retro fit, this is even worse, as the reflector is not even designed for it, and the LED is unlikely to even be centred at the intended focal point. Even with enough power to counteract the loss of beam, any light scattered away from the intended area will reflect back and reduce visibility into the distance. Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver |
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24th Oct 2015 2:38pm |
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Lost for Words Member Since: 18 Jun 2015 Location: Warminster, Wiltshire Posts: 200 |
They aren't spots though. None of them produces a spot beam, only driving at best. Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver |
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24th Oct 2015 2:39pm |
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custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20359 |
As mentioned LED spots do exist and are designed for purpose not retro fitted to incandescent units.
However, they are extemely good but you need an obese wallet to purchase at the cost they are. Your talking £300 - £600 and then there is theft to consider as always. Myself - I would but the cost is just not justify-able. |
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24th Oct 2015 2:41pm |
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Lost for Words Member Since: 18 Jun 2015 Location: Warminster, Wiltshire Posts: 200 |
LED "spot" lights are common, but not LED spot lights (i.e. beam angle of say 10 degrees or less). There are loads of lamps and bars so named around, particularly on Ebay, but when you look into it you find they then say "30 degree spot" or similar, which is actually a wide driving beam, and knowhere near a spot/pencil. No LED light that I can find makes any testifiable claim to produce a beam of 10 degrees or less (preferably less) without any overspill. Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver |
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24th Oct 2015 3:05pm |
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Cupboard Member Since: 21 Mar 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 2971 |
Vision X claim to. And Brendan can bit quite, erm, probing when it comes to lights so there's a reasonable chance of it being believable.
http://www.4x4overlander.com/product/visionx-led-lights-spot-3/ Intriguingly they (Vision X) claim to have an E marked LED headlight unit on their site, I wonder if it's any good. |
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24th Oct 2015 4:06pm |
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Lost for Words Member Since: 18 Jun 2015 Location: Warminster, Wiltshire Posts: 200 |
Interesting indeed (though not the 5 degrees I'd like to see).
A normal LED headlight is no problem. Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver |
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24th Oct 2015 4:35pm |
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leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8581 |
We have visionx led headlights fitted to the new 110 - the 90 will be having noldens, but I haven't driven it in the dark as yet so I will have to wait till I get home and drive it now the dark nights are upon us. We will see if I like them as much as noldens. Regards Barbara |
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24th Oct 2015 4:45pm |
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Screbble Member Since: 26 Apr 2015 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2102 |
Please do let us know how they perform Barbara
You've got an 'extra hour' to to try them during the evening from tonight |
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24th Oct 2015 6:18pm |
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