Author Topic: City Lights? (Read 37077 times)

Tremainiac · « **Reply #80 on:** August 20, 2011, 09:42:10 PM »

Why are the blue bulbs illegal?

Jeremy Mitchell · « **Reply #81 on:** August 20, 2011, 09:50:40 PM »

Quote from: Tremainiac on August 20, 2011, 09:42:10 PM

Why are the blue bulbs illegal?

LEO's don't appreciate it when civilians have blue or red forward facing lights. Something about impersonating an officer.

Conrad · « **Reply #82 on:** August 21, 2011, 07:21:57 AM »

Quote from: ZG on August 20, 2011, 09:13:11 PM

Well based on that I just bought these on ebay, pack of 4 bulbs with 6 LED's on the front face. Tough to go wrong for $8 shipped, I'll keep you guys posted when they arrive...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3984Q2em1439Q2el2649QQitemZ330592877117QQsspagenameZSTRKQ3aMEWNXQ3aIT

Thanks for all the help as always!

Yeah, let us know what you think of these ZG. I might have to get me some.

jjsC6 · « **Reply #83 on:** August 21, 2011, 08:09:16 AM »

Quote from: B.D.F. on August 20, 2011, 08:53:15 PM

I did not mean to say that but I think it probably is a better option on the C-14. I think only front facing LEDs will be effective in the C-14 city light housings and any LEDs mounted sideways will not actually make any useful light.

I am running the ones that came with the HID kit I got from A&R in one of the group buys on the old forum. To be honest, I never even look at them and really only know they are still working because I can see light in front of the bike when I turn the key on at night. But I do not know if any of the LEDs have dimmed or failed as Jeremy mentioned. ??

What I thing would be a better option is LEDs that pulse. Not flash but change light output from, say, 60% to 100% at some high pulse rate that catches the eye's attention. When you look directly at them they appear to put out steady light but the peripheral vision actually sees the pulsing light. I have seen LED strips that do this and was very impressed with them but I think that is really for another thread.

Brian

Brian, I admit to not reading this entire thread or doing my homework. But let me make a comment on your thoughts. If the housing is designed to reflect light - then side mounted LED's will add to the visibility. If it is not designed as a reflector "base", then you are correct. I am heading out to the garage and will take a look at the bike and report back my thoughts.

jjsC6 · « **Reply #84 on:** August 21, 2011, 09:30:12 AM »

Hmmm, been out in the garage changing the oil and drive lube on the Goldwing and forgot to look at the lights on the Concours......I'll be back.

Pokey · « **Reply #85 on:** August 21, 2011, 09:31:55 AM »

I am more than happy with my amber bulbs I got at Advance Auto, they were cheap and look/work great.

jjsC6 · « **Reply #86 on:** August 21, 2011, 11:06:25 AM »

Okay, I just got back in from the garage. I cleaned the Corvette and Concours, and still forgot to look at the lights. I'm whipped. I'll try to remember later $:-\$

jjsC6 · « **Reply #87 on:** August 21, 2011, 01:26:03 PM »

Ok, so I've been sitting out by the pool with my wife for a while now, still have not looked at the lights.......

Just walked out and looked at it. That is a complex looking lens over the lights, but the reflector part behind it looks like a satin silver, so I am inclined to agree with Brian that any LED's bulbs not facing forward are probably not going to do any good.

Jeremy Mitchell · « **Reply #88 on:** August 21, 2011, 01:33:53 PM »

I picked up the Slyvania 168 NAL and I think they look decent. I wish they were brighter but for $5 I am satisfied. I will keep my eyes open for anything that looks like it could work, but these are working for now.

maxtog · « **Reply #89 on:** August 21, 2011, 02:39:33 PM »

Quote from: B.D.F. on August 20, 2011, 08:53:15 PM

What I thing would be a better option is LEDs that pulse. Not flash but change light output from, say, 60% to 100% at some high pulse rate that catches the eye's attention. When you look directly at them they appear to put out steady light but the peripheral vision actually sees the pulsing light. I have seen LED strips that do this and was very impressed with them but I think that is really for another thread.

That is why I put dual xenon strobes in mine (in with the amber incandescents)- same kind of concept. 1 flash per second. They are small xenon so not quite bright enough, but enough to help catch the eye. Ironically, they are just bright enough that I can't use them at night, because the flashing is visible on the pavement and too distracting to me

maxtog · « **Reply #90 on:** August 21, 2011, 02:44:37 PM »

Quote from: Jeremy Mitchell on August 20, 2011, 08:28:31 PM

I have found a light made by Slyvania (168NA) it is supposedly the exact same size as the 194 but produces almost twice the light. It is rated at 38 lumens (most 194 are rated at 20-25 lumens). It is a 4.9 watt bulb compared to the 194's 3.7 watt, so I will pick a set of these up tomorrow and post some pics of the results.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/_/N-5yc1s?itemIdentifier=16909

Those are the exact ones I got. They don't seem any brighter than the stock ones, to me at least. Of course, the amber tint does/will drain some of the total light output. Otherwise, I think their claims are just typical, non-meaningful, marketing stuff.

Quote

I picked up the Slyvania 168 NAL and I think they look decent. I wish they were brighter but for $5 I am satisfied. I will keep my eyes open for anything that looks like it could work, but these are working for now.

Please do let us know if you ever do. Like you, I would love to have something much, much brighter.

Conrad · « **Reply #91 on:** August 22, 2011, 04:56:57 AM »

Quote from: jjsC6 on August 21, 2011, 09:30:12 AM

Hmmm, been out in the garage changing the oil and drive lube on the Goldwing and forgot to look at the lights on the Concours......I'll be back.

Quote from: jjsC6 on August 21, 2011, 11:06:25 AM

Okay, I just got back in from the garage. I cleaned the Corvette and Concours, and still forgot to look at the lights. I'm whipped. I'll try to remember later $:-\$

You cleaned em both within an hour and a half? You better do it again as I'm sure that you must not have done a thorough job.

jjsC6 · « **Reply #92 on:** August 22, 2011, 05:57:10 AM »

Quote from: Conrad on August 22, 2011, 04:56:57 AM

You cleaned em both within an hour and a half? You better do it again as I'm sure that you must not have done a thorough job.

Trust me, they are clean. But then again, they weren't real dirty when I started. Here in Houston we are in the middle of hottest and dry-est year on record. Everything just gets dusty and grungy - not really dirty. I have an air conditioned garage so I just used a bucket of water and mit to go over them to get the dust off.

Conrad · « **Reply #93 on:** August 22, 2011, 08:50:47 AM »

Quote from: jjsC6 on August 22, 2011, 05:57:10 AM

Trust me, they are clean. But then again, they weren't real dirty when I started. Here in Houston we are in the middle of hottest and dry-est year on record. Everything just gets dusty and grungy - not really dirty. I have an air conditioned garage so I just used a bucket of water and mit to go over them to get the dust off.

Ah, that 'splains it then. Here in Illinois it takes me that long just to get the bug guts off of my bike.

Tom J. · « **Reply #94 on:** August 22, 2011, 10:52:08 AM »

Quote from: Jeremy Mitchell on August 21, 2011, 01:33:53 PM

I picked up the Slyvania 168 NAL and I think they look decent.]
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m245/flygirl5485/IMAG0114.jpg[/img]

Jeremy,
In your night picutre, our bikes look so similar.
I've got the HID Nation bulbs on the main headlights, and left the PIAA Super Plasma GTX Wedge bulbs in for some 'contrast'. Until I find some super cool LED wedge bulbs, I'll just stick with what I have.

ZG · « **Reply #95 on:** August 27, 2011, 04:34:03 PM »

Quote from: ZG on August 20, 2011, 09:13:11 PM

Well based on that I just bought these on ebay, pack of 4 bulbs with 6 LED's on the front face. Tough to go wrong for $8 shipped, I'll keep you guys posted when they arrive...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3984Q2em1439Q2el2649QQitemZ330592877117QQsspagenameZSTRKQ3aMEWNXQ3aIT

Thanks for all the help as always!

Arrived and installed, here's some pics.

I'm undecided, they look plenty white and bright enough, but compared to the H4 extreme-plus bulbs I just got from Murph they almost seem to have a little blue'ish tint to them...

Man it's tough to take good pics of lights on, this is the best I could do with my BB without getting major glare and echo's, they look much brighter in person IMO...

ZG · « **Reply #96 on:** August 27, 2011, 10:17:07 PM »

Ok, now it's dark out and the pics are showing a little better, here's some more shots...

maxtog · « **Reply #97 on:** August 28, 2011, 06:32:18 AM »

Quote from: ZG on August 27, 2011, 04:34:03 PM

I'm undecided, they look plenty white and bright enough, but compared to the H4 extreme-plus bulbs I just got from Murph they almost seem to have a little blue'ish tint to them...

Like I warned you, "white" LED's are typically considerably "blue". At least yours were "cheap" and seem to fill the lens well. It is impossible to judge brightness with a picture, but they also seem considerably brighter than the amber LED's I used (and rejected in favor of amber incandescents).

B.D.F. · « **Reply #98 on:** August 28, 2011, 07:13:04 AM »

The LED vehicle lamps available seem to be in the 7K Kelvin range, which makes them definitely on the blue side of white. Tungsten bulbs are in the 3K Kelvin range, which on the red or orange side of white. You are probably going to have a tough time finding LEDs in the same color range as tungsten lighting and will have to settle for the ones you dislike the least. For what it is worth, 4,100 Kelvin is considered white; anything less is shifted toward the red end, and anything higher is shifted toward the blue side.

Brian

Quote from: ZG on August 27, 2011, 04:34:03 PM

Arrived and installed, here's some pics.

I'm undecided, they look plenty white and bright enough, but compared to the H4 extreme-plus bulbs I just got from Murph they almost seem to have a little blue'ish tint to them...

Man it's tough to take good pics of lights on, this is the best I could do with my BB without getting major glare and echo's, they look much brighter in person IMO...

<snipped photos>

VirginiaJim · « **Reply #99 on:** August 28, 2011, 07:34:04 AM »

Quote from: Conrad on August 22, 2011, 08:50:47 AM

Ah, that 'splains it then. Here in Illinois it takes me that long just to get the bug guts off of my bike.

That about does it for me.... Couple a times a year.

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Author Topic: City Lights? (Read 37077 times)