Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: C1xRider on August 11, 2012, 01:58:11 PM
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Received an email that the super bright LED driving lights I'm using are on sale, $162 for a pair. Might have to get me another set.
See them here : http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/cPath/23_45/products_id/170 (http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/cPath/23_45/products_id/170)
And here : http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/cPath/23_45/products_id/94 (http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/cPath/23_45/products_id/94)
They draw about 2.25 amps each (about 25 watts), and come in black or silver. The site is a little confusing because they list both the CREE XML T6, and the CREE XML U2, but both pages say XML U2 in the detailed description. I looked at the data sheet for both LED's, and it looks like the U2's are a little brighter for less current. Also, the color temp of the ones I have (supposed to be the U2s) are very white (not blue).
These things make driving at night a pleasure (until you have to turn them off for oncoming traffic). I have them wired directly to my high beams right now, but still have a side project to revamp a PWM controller to run them on the low beams, and use a relay for highs (when I get some free time, with energy).
They are so bright, the reflections from road signs are almost blinding. When I switch back to low beams, it takes a moment before I can see that my low beam headlights are really working after turning them off. They throw the light pretty far down the road, while still lighting up the shoulders of the road really well too. I'm very happy with them. 8)
They also have some lower output versions on sale too : http://24x7diy.com/index.php/cPath/23_45 (http://24x7diy.com/index.php/cPath/23_45), but why would anyone want less?
Just an F.Y.I. for those that may be interested.
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Yeah some of the new lights are BRIGHT
Last week I was making a lefthand turn in front of two bikes stopped at a light ,
I about got blinded :o
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So... anybody driving with these on during the day? :stirpot:
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Only those running car tires and using synthetic oil.... you know, outlaws.
Brian
So... anybody driving with these on during the day? :stirpot:
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So... anybody driving with these on during the day? :stirpot:
The first day I rode to work with them, I didn't realize I had accidentally connected them to the wrong wire (was in a hurry, installed them that morning). Absolutely everyone got out of my way on the interstate before I got too close to them. Didn't know why, but thought it was great, since I was running late. That evening when I left work I realized they were on with the low beams, off with the high beams.
So yes, but only for one day. ;D
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I've had the earlier (2000 lumen) version of these for about 2 years now. About the only way you can run these during the day is by using a dimmer, with a relay to bypass the dimmer when you hit the bike high beam switch. I have mine wired so they are on when the bike lo-beam is on but running through the dimmer about 50% or less of full bright. So not only are they like a daytime running light, they provide a nice add-in to the bike's standard lo-beam at night without oncoming traffic getting pissed off at you. Same with coming up behind someone. They'll move over for sure, but they are not so blinding that they change their rear view mirror. Once you turn the bike high beam on and these come on at the same time, the dark just goes away. LOVE THEM.
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So... anybody driving with these on during the day? :stirpot:
Don't get me started!!!
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According to their website, those lights put out over 3,000 lumens. If that is true after allowing for sales 'adjustment', then they would be as bright as standard HID lamps. Truly impressive for a solid state light. LED output is increasing almost daily it seems and it looks like the future will be LEDs everywhere.
Brian
Received an email that the super bright LED driving lights I'm using are on sale, $162 for a pair. Might have to get me another set.
<snip>
Just an F.Y.I. for those that may be interested.
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According to their website, those lights put out over 3,000 lumens. If that is true after allowing for sales 'adjustment', then they would be as bright as standard HID lamps. Truly impressive for a solid state light. LED output is increasing almost daily it seems and it looks like the future will be LEDs everywhere.
Brian
I would like to compare them directly to HIDs at night, but haven't had the opportunity yet. My guess would be they are as bright or brighter in the first couple hundred yards, but the HID reflectors might get the light out further after that. However, I doubt I could outrun these things at night, unless I was just being totally stupid.
Another nice thing about the LED lights is they are instant on and at full brightness. No delays like with HIDs.
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Another nice thing about the LED lights is they are instant on and at full brightness. No delays like with HIDs.
They should also have a longer life, be impervious to jarring (no element or glass to break), and use less power.
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Thanks for the info, I just ordered mine. Do you have any install tips? I plan of using an accessory circuit under the glovebox (2011). I guess I have to pick up a weather proof switch of some sort too.
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Thanks for the info, I just ordered mine. Do you have any install tips? I plan of using an accessory circuit under the glovebox (2011). I guess I have to pick up a weather proof switch of some sort too.
Ideally (and legally) you would want to use a relay and wire it to the highbeam circuit to activate the LED's relay so they only come on with high beams. That also means one less switch to worry about or fail or have to constantly mess with. Since they are only 5 amps, it *might* be OK to run them directly to the highbeam circuit WITHOUT a relay, but that is kindy iffy...
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Thanks for the info, I just ordered mine. Do you have any install tips? I plan of using an accessory circuit under the glovebox (2011). I guess I have to pick up a weather proof switch of some sort too.
As Max said, using a relay that switches power from a fused, battery powered source, where the relay is controlled by the high beam switch. That would be ideal.
Mine are still wired directly to the high beam side of the headlights, but some day when I get more time, they wont be. The power draw is about 2.25 Amps per light, so 4.5 Amps for the pair. That's probably pushing the stock headlight circuit more than I should be, so I don't recommend it.
If I buy a couple more, then it would force me to finish the electrical side of the installation...
As for mounting locations, there are a few threads on this site with pictures showing where you can easily mount them. They are very small and light, so there are a few options. The units I bought are pictured here : http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=207.msg62370#msg62370 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=207.msg62370#msg62370)
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According to their website, those lights put out over 3,000 lumens. If that is true after allowing for sales 'adjustment', then they would be as bright as standard HID lamps. Truly impressive for a solid state light. LED output is increasing almost daily it seems and it looks like the future will be LEDs everywhere.
Brian
I was thinking about this a little more, and remembered some details, but then had to go look them up again to be sure.
The CREE XML T6 and U2 LEDs are rated for 1000 lumens each, at about 3 amps. There are 4 LEDs per light, but they do not run them at max current (a little over half), which will increase the life span of the LEDs. With the exception of the inefficiency loss of the built in power supply, we could calculate the actual output of the LEDs themselves. Not sure if the wimpy little reflector would add much.
The measure of lumens isn't a great way to determine the quality of a driving light, but there doesn't seem to be any other industry standard in use.
Here is a link to the LED data sheet, for those who are curious. www.cree.com/products/pdf/xlampxm-l.pdf (http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/xlampxm-l.pdf)
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Received an email that the super bright LED driving lights I'm using are on sale, $162 for a pair. Might have to get me another set.
is this deal sitll on?
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is this deal sitll on?
Click on the link in the opening post, and see...
Just clicked myself, and the answer is no. They're back to regular price. :(
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is this deal sitll on?
yeah deal is still on
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yeah deal is still on
link or is there a contact?
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link or is there a contact?
here is link
http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/products_id/94 (http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/products_id/94)
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I think the discount is till end of August
and thank to the thread, i placed an order for myself.
at
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Arrg! Couldn't take the peer pressure anymore, so I broke down and bought 2 more sets of these. I'll find somewhere to put them. ::)
Yep, the deal is still on.
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I really wanted these lights and ordered a set. They came out of some place in India. Bottom line is one light did not work. I contacted the place I ordered from. They said to take pictures of the light that did not work and send it back to India with the pictures and an explanation. I did that on 2 Jul 2012 and have not heard a word from them since. I have tried to contact them to no avail. Oh well guess I just have to eat the expense.
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Usually in an international exchange there is a third party involved who handles the money transfer- PayPal, 'plastic money' (Vise, MC, etc.). If there is in this case, file a dispute with that third party and they will usually respond very quickly.
Brian
I really wanted these lights and ordered a set. They came out of some place in India. Bottom line is one light did not work. I contacted the place I ordered from. They said to take pictures of the light that did not work and send it back to India with the pictures and an explanation. I did that on 2 Jul 2012 and have not heard a word from them since. I have tried to contact them to no avail. Oh well guess I just have to eat the expense.
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I really wanted these lights and ordered a set. They came out of some place in India. Bottom line is one light did not work. I contacted the place I ordered from. They said to take pictures of the light that did not work and send it back to India with the pictures and an explanation. I did that on 2 Jul 2012 and have not heard a word from them since. I have tried to contact them to no avail. Oh well guess I just have to eat the expense.
contact Lisa Jackson at lisjackson@gmail.com or info@24x7diy.com
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I really wanted these lights and ordered a set. They came out of some place in India. Bottom line is one light did not work. I contacted the place I ordered from. They said to take pictures of the light that did not work and send it back to India with the pictures and an explanation. I did that on 2 Jul 2012 and have not heard a word from them since. I have tried to contact them to no avail. Oh well guess I just have to eat the expense.
Yes, what BDF and jalthar said.
I've found them to be very responsive to questions, but haven't had a reason to test them on a failed part (warranty claim).
If they don't respond in a reasonable fashion, and they don't offer to pay the return shipping on the D.O.A. light, then I would dispute the payment with your CC company, or Paypal, which ever you used.
Also, let them know you're keeping the forums updated with their progress (and keep us updated too).
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I got a set during this sale for my DR650 (I'm happy with the Denalis on my C14, so far), they arrived quickly
from China (not India) via express mail. I tested them and they are bright and work well but they are pole sensitive
(some LED lights have an internal bridge rectifier so you can hook them up backwards and they still work, these do not).
I also ordered the dimmer which has yet to arrive, I emailed them and they said it shipped separately.
I've got doubts, but I'll post here if it shows up and works.
edit 9-1-12: The dimmer (http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/products_id/196) showed up 8-31-12, shipped from India. It works*, comes with a remote fob which is good because there are no controls on the unit itself. The unit has memory that seems to survive during the power shut off. When the power is restored there is a full bright flash followed by the condition that was present when power was removed, be it dimmed, off, or full bright. The fob was tested at 10 feet and worked well. Most of the testing was done with only one light and the dimmer worked well. When the second unit was added in parallel it worked for a short while then quit*. I measured each LED unit at 2.7 amps so it should have been a total of 5.4 Amps that this 8 amp rated dimmer couldn't handle.(Note: this testing was done with 12v battery power only, the bike was not started) I opened it up and found that a wire near the output transistor had un-soldered itself. I re-soldered the wire and hooked it back up and the LED lights came on at full bright and the unit wouldn't respond to the fob. In short order I could see that the output transistor was getting hot and the solder near it was molten again so I shut it down. The lights are fricking bright and I hope they'll hold up under rough road/trail conditions , but I can't recommend the $14.50 dimmer. (since ordering, I've seen the same dimmer priced from $6.43 to $49.00)
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Interesting info on the dimmer Marty, I looked at that one, but had already bought one from eBay. I'm now making my own, so I'll keep an eye on the operational temps of the FET leads.
I finally installed a second set of these on my C14 yesterday, just to see if 2 sets were better than 1 (also have a third set, but didn't go there, yet).
I mounted the second set to the front fender bolts, using spacers and longer bolts. The mounting seems pretty solid, and I think I'll keep them there. You really get to see every uneven surface, and every piece of gravel on the road with these down low like that.
I went out for a little night ride around the country side last night, and quickly discovered I'll have to retrain myself when riding at night. I found I was riding as fast as I do in the daylight, going a little too hot into corners, etc. With both sets of these on, it really is like riding in daylight. Maybe 12,400 lumens, plus the stock lights, will be enough. ;)
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Just food for thought.... Dramatically increasing the light on the ground just in front of the bike can be counterproductive. We perceive it as 'better lighting' but it is usually the other way- it throws a lot more reflected light into our eyes making it true that it is brighter in front of us but the light is coming from our surroundings much too close to be of any use. Of course forward lighting should illuminate <more or less> everything in front of the vehicle but it is actually an advantage to mute the light that hits the road, say, in the first 100 feet of the vehicle. What we really want to see is further down the road and foreground lighting hurts that in two ways; the first thing is that we are using a great quantity of our light too close to the vehicle and that light is no longer available for downrange lighting. The second problem is that because outside brightness does go up it makes our pupils close so we are even less sensitive to what is much less well lit in the distance. For example, a deer really does not show up very well at night at, say, 1,000 feet even if standing in the road. Over illuminating the paint on the road, road signs, various reflectors on the sides of the road and finally the surrounding plant life immediately in front of us makes seeing that same deer even harder, or outright impossible.
These new and very powerful LED are quite impressive and I am a big fan but so far I have not seen any decent patterns coming from them. A properly controlled beam of HID or even tungsten light still appears (no pun intended) to provide superior lighting even if they are not perceived as being better.
All of this is in reference to high speed highway riding by the way. If traveling at 30 MPH in rural areas than generally ‘blasted’ light is superior to a narrow beam, especially if a lot of turns and the bike leaning is involved.
Brian
Interesting info on the dimmer Marty, I looked at that one, but had already bought one from eBay. I'm now making my own, so I'll keep an eye on the operational temps of the FET leads.
I finally installed a second set of these on my C14 yesterday, just to see if 2 sets were better than 1 (also have a third set, but didn't go there, yet).
I mounted the second set to the front fender bolts, using spacers and longer bolts. The mounting seems pretty solid, and I think I'll keep them there. You really get to see every uneven surface, and every piece of gravel on the road with these down low like that.
I went out for a little night ride around the country side last night, and quickly discovered I'll have to retrain myself when riding at night. I found I was riding as fast as I do in the daylight, going a little too hot into corners, etc. With both sets of these on, it really is like riding in daylight. Maybe 12,400 lumens, plus the stock lights, will be enough. ;)
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Just food for thought.... Dramatically increasing the light on the ground just in front of the bike can be counterproductive. We perceive it as 'better lighting' but it is usually the other way- it throws a lot more reflected light into our eyes making it true that it is brighter in front of us but the light is coming from our surroundings much too close to be of any use. Of course forward lighting should illuminate <more or less> everything in front of the vehicle but it is actually an advantage to mute the light that hits the road, say, in the first 100 feet of the vehicle. What we really want to see is further down the road and foreground lighting hurts that in two ways; the first thing is that we are using a great quantity of our light too close to the vehicle and that light is no longer available for downrange lighting. The second problem is that because outside brightness does go up it makes our pupils close so we are even less sensitive to what is much less well lit in the distance. For example, a deer really does not show up very well at night at, say, 1,000 feet even if standing in the road. Over illuminating the paint on the road, road signs, various reflectors on the sides of the road and finally the surrounding plant life immediately in front of us makes seeing that same deer even harder, or outright impossible.
These new and very powerful LED are quite impressive and I am a big fan but so far I have not seen any decent patterns coming from them. A properly controlled beam of HID or even tungsten light still appears (no pun intended) to provide superior lighting even if they are not perceived as being better.
All of this is in reference to high speed highway riding by the way. If traveling at 30 MPH in rural areas than generally ‘blasted’ light is superior to a narrow beam, especially if a lot of turns and the bike leaning is involved.
I agree with everything you just said. I would add that I don't think there is any valid use for most auxiliary bright road lighting unless it is for night-time use, wired with high-beam only, and focused either far down the road or to the distant sides.
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I got a set during this sale for my DR650 (I'm happy with the Denalis on my C14, so far), they arrived quickly
from China (not India) via express mail. I tested them and they are bright and work well but they are pole sensitive
(some LED lights have an internal bridge rectifier so you can hook them up backwards and they still work, these do not).
I also ordered the dimmer which has yet to arrive, I emailed them and they said it shipped separately.
I've got doubts, but I'll post here if it shows up and works.
edit 9-1-12: The dimmer (http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/products_id/196) showed up 8-31-12, shipped from India. It works*, comes with a remote fob which is good because there are no controls on the unit itself. The unit has memory that seems to survive during the power shut off. When the power is restored there is a full bright flash followed by the condition that was present when power was removed, be it dimmed, off, or full bright. The fob was tested at 10 feet and worked well. Most of the testing was done with only one light and the dimmer worked well. When the second unit was added in parallel it worked for a short while then quit*. I measured each LED unit at 2.7 amps so it should have been a total of 5.4 Amps that this 8 amp rated dimmer couldn't handle.(Note: this testing was done with 12v battery power only, the bike was not started) I opened it up and found that a wire near the output transistor had un-soldered itself. I re-soldered the wire and hooked it back up and the LED lights came on at full bright and the unit wouldn't respond to the fob. In short order I could see that the output transistor was getting hot and the solder near it was molten again so I shut it down. The lights are fricking bright and I hope they'll hold up under rough road/trail conditions , but I can't recommend the $14.50 dimmer. (since ordering, I've seen the same dimmer priced from $6.43 to $49.00)
use this dimmer http://www.skenedesign.com/lights/IQ_170.shtml (http://www.skenedesign.com/lights/IQ_170.shtml)
IQ-170 Intelligent Lighting Controller: Operation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3ULkQyBtgU#)
http://www.skenedesign.com/lights/IQ_170_Wiring.html (http://www.skenedesign.com/lights/IQ_170_Wiring.html)
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I ordered a set of these and when they arrived one light did not work. After multiple e-mails with Lisa Jackson I sent pictures to her and she said to send the light with pictures and and an explanation to India. Did that o 2 Jul 2012. Waited and waited, got nothing. Contacted her again. Gave her my USPS tracking number. All I got back from her was that my light must be lost in India somewhere and that she could not help me. Guess my major mistake on this was trusting that their customer service would be better. Expensive lesson to learn. The one light that I received that does work is great. Just don't want my bike to look like a cyclops. Ordered a set of lights from Whitehorse. No problems with their system.
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More options and appear to be very similar lights
http://stores.advmonster.com/-strse-LED-Lights/Categories.bok (http://stores.advmonster.com/-strse-LED-Lights/Categories.bok)
Highly recommended on the ADV forum
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=607184&page=182 (http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=607184&page=182)
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I ordered a set of these and when they arrived one light did not work. After multiple e-mails with Lisa Jackson I sent pictures to her and she said to send the light with pictures and and an explanation to India. Did that o 2 Jul 2012. Waited and waited, got nothing. Contacted her again. Gave her my USPS tracking number. All I got back from her was that my light must be lost in India somewhere and that she could not help me. Guess my major mistake on this was trusting that their customer service would be better. Expensive lesson to learn. The one light that I received that does work is great. Just don't want my bike to look like a cyclops. Ordered a set of lights from Whitehorse. No problems with their system.
Dear you have problem with USPS service.
can you share your tracking number with me may be I am able to help you.
or Contact USPS and ask for Claim
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So jalthar, looking at all your posts here (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?action=profile;u=665;area=showposts;start=0), it appears that you are http://www.24x7diy.com/ (http://www.24x7diy.com/)
RAHUL? (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rahul-jalthar/6/142/316)
If so, why would you sell a dimmer on your website, and then recommend another one at another web site?
I'm just curious.
use this dimmer http://www.skenedesign.com/lights/IQ_170.shtml (http://www.skenedesign.com/lights/IQ_170.shtml)
IQ-170 Intelligent Lighting Controller: Operation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3ULkQyBtgU#)
http://www.skenedesign.com/lights/IQ_170_Wiring.html (http://www.skenedesign.com/lights/IQ_170_Wiring.html)
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So jalthar, looking at all your posts here (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?action=profile;u=665;area=showposts;start=0), it appears that you are http://www.24x7diy.com/ (http://www.24x7diy.com/)
RAHUL? (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rahul-jalthar/6/142/316)
If so, why would you sell a dimmer on your website, and then recommend another one at another web site?
I'm just curious.
Jalthar sent me an email from the 24x7diy domain, so it looks like you are correct. However, his name is Jim (at least in the email).
If he can help resolve the issues Sinstr is having, that would be nice. ;)
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Just food for thought.... Dramatically increasing the light on the ground just in front of the bike can be counterproductive. We perceive it as 'better lighting' but it is usually the other way- it throws a lot more reflected light into our eyes making it true that it is brighter in front of us but the light is coming from our surroundings much too close to be of any use. Of course forward lighting should illuminate <more or less> everything in front of the vehicle but it is actually an advantage to mute the light that hits the road, say, in the first 100 feet of the vehicle. What we really want to see is further down the road and foreground lighting hurts that in two ways; the first thing is that we are using a great quantity of our light too close to the vehicle and that light is no longer available for downrange lighting. The second problem is that because outside brightness does go up it makes our pupils close so we are even less sensitive to what is much less well lit in the distance. For example, a deer really does not show up very well at night at, say, 1,000 feet even if standing in the road. Over illuminating the paint on the road, road signs, various reflectors on the sides of the road and finally the surrounding plant life immediately in front of us makes seeing that same deer even harder, or outright impossible.
These new and very powerful LED are quite impressive and I am a big fan but so far I have not seen any decent patterns coming from them. A properly controlled beam of HID or even tungsten light still appears (no pun intended) to provide superior lighting even if they are not perceived as being better.
All of this is in reference to high speed highway riding by the way. If traveling at 30 MPH in rural areas than generally ‘blasted’ light is superior to a narrow beam, especially if a lot of turns and the bike leaning is involved.
Brian
You are correct Brian. Too much light too low is distracting. I aimed the lower lights so the center of the beam is horizontal and a little to the outside, but there is more than enough 'spray' from the pattern to light up the road very well up close.
I did do a unplanned extreme road test the other night (i.e. don't try this at home). I tested them in pitch dark, in a driving rain storm, racing across the central Nevada desert, at triple digit speeds, and could still see the road very well. Certainly not a prudent thing to do, but very glad I had them.
Also, the screw pivot hardware setup changed on the newer ones. The first set had a good setup, with a jam nut on each side of the bracket ears. The newer ones have a solid spacer between the ears, and a single nut on the outside. I've been having trouble with the nuts coming loose, and lost one a day after I tightened it as tight as I thought I dared. I bought some more 5mm nuts at a saw shop in central Wyoming (the most expensive nuts I've ever purchased), and double nutted them. If they still come loose, I'll Locktite them when I get home.
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So jalthar, looking at all your posts here (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?action=profile;u=665;area=showposts;start=0), it appears that you are http://www.24x7diy.com/ (http://www.24x7diy.com/)
RAHUL? (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rahul-jalthar/6/142/316)
If so, why would you sell a dimmer on your website, and then recommend another one at another web site?
I'm just curious.
Well maybe it is just me but that seems a little dishonest, a variation of lying by omission. Looking at the post history pretty much confirms this. If you come to a forum to peddle your product then man up and take responsibility or ownership. Then again, maybe that's just me.
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So jalthar, looking at all your posts here (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?action=profile;u=665;area=showposts;start=0), it appears that you are http://www.24x7diy.com/ (http://www.24x7diy.com/)
RAHUL? (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rahul-jalthar/6/142/316)
If so, why would you sell a dimmer on your website, and then recommend another one at another web site?
I'm just curious.
Hello all
I always want to give right guide to my clients.
I am OEM manufacture of these lights and Solar products.
Both Dimmer are made by third party.
some of clients requested to add that dimmer on our store so that they can by product from single sale point.
RF dimmer is cheap and good dimmer as some of my France clients using same dimmer with any problem
http://www.skenedesign.com/lights/IQ_170.shtml (http://www.skenedesign.com/lights/IQ_170.shtml) is advance and expensive dimmer. and made by USA Based company Skene design.
most of our clients are using skene design dimmer without any problem.
Skene design dimmer is expensive.
if I Import and to keep in my stock It will be more expensive due to shipping fee from USA and custom fee / taxes of my country. So its not wise to sell on my site.
My be in future we will sell that when we have warehouse in USA
if any body need any advice regarding my products, wants to give feedback pls feel free to contact me.
I am online very rare. you can email to my Assistant Lisa lisjackson@gmail.com
Special offer for all forum members from my side $5USD additional discount 0n BL3000 and BL1800 Model
During checkout please put your forum username and my name in note field.
within 1-2 days your additional discount will be refunded
Regards
Jalthar
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I’m still going over wiring options for these lights. I don’t want them tied to the hi-beam switch because I want to use them independently of the bikes lighting system (try to refrain from all the legal and ethical lighting discussion please), but I like the idea of a dimmer. I found this, and I was hoping I could use it somehow. It's weather resistant, and it’s an on-off, rheostat type switch (OEM grip heater switch). Do the electrical folks here think this would work?
Thanks!
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For what's it worth, I wrote up a detailed Tech article on the use of a dimmer with LED lights. I run my LEDs at about 1/2 power as auxillary running lights (day and night). When I turn on the bike high beam, the dimmer circuit is bypassed and the LEDs run at full power. I'm (again) providing this write-up.
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I’m still going over wiring options for these lights. I don’t want them tied to the hi-beam switch because I want to use them independently of the bikes lighting system (try to refrain from all the legal and ethical lighting discussion please), but I like the idea of a dimmer. I found this, and I was hoping I could use it somehow. It's weather resistant, and it’s an on-off, rheostat type switch (OEM grip heater switch). Do the electrical folks here think this would work?
Thanks!
I can't technically tell you why, but it is my understanding that a rheostat type switch is not desirable for LED lighting. I think it
may have some effect but not enough for what I assume that you are trying to achieve. Hopefully others will come along with
the technical details. This is why special dimmers are made and sold.
Using an inexpensive diode from Radio Shack you can tie those in to your high beams and still have an independent switch for use without the high beams. I only mention this last because it was my experience that I couldn't dim my lights fast enough when encountering opposing traffic at night when the humidity was low and I didn't get any warning (headlight glow) when they came over the next hill. It sounds like you could hit two switches quickly, and I really tried to do it fast, but alas I still got lots of flashing complaints in between my two switch hits. Just a thought so you don't have to go back and redo it like I did.
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For what's it worth, I wrote up a detailed Tech article on the use of a dimmer with LED lights. I run my LEDs at about 1/2 power as auxillary running lights (day and night). When I turn on the bike high beam, the dimmer circuit is bypassed and the LEDs run at full power. I'm (again) providing this write-up.
That is a great article and very helpful.
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For what's it worth, I wrote up a detailed Tech article on the use of a dimmer with LED lights. I run my LEDs at about 1/2 power as auxillary running lights (day and night). When I turn on the bike high beam, the dimmer circuit is bypassed and the LEDs run at full power. I'm (again) providing this write-up.
I have this downloaded and I look at it frequently, thank you for the time and effort. I am looking for options independent of the bikes lighting system. Your write-up has some ideas that can be used for this.
Thanks for the replies!
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I can't technically tell you why, but it is my understanding that a rheostat type switch is not desirable for LED lighting.
Typical rheostats and variable resistors lower the voltage. LED's have a very narrow voltage range requirement and do not "dim" very much when the voltage drops, they just turn off. Most LED "dimmers" are actually strobe circuits and turn the LED on and off many times a second with a variable amount of "on" vs. "off" time. This makes it appear that it is dimming. The bad part is that if the circuit is not well designed, it will lead to visible "strobing" effects that are very annoying.
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Typical rheostats and variable resistors lower the voltage. LED's have a very narrow voltage range requirement and do not "dim" very much when the voltage drops, they just turn off. Most LED "dimmers" are actually strobe circuits and turn the LED on and off many times a second with a variable amount of "on" vs. "off" time. This makes it appear that it is dimming. The bad part is that if the circuit is not well designed, it will lead to visible "strobing" effects that are very annoying.
Yes, what he said.
Also, these LED lights have a built in power supply that provides a regulated voltage and current to the LEDs, and reduces the current automatically if the temperature of the LEDs themselves gets too hot.
If you reduce the input voltage and/or current to the LED light itself, (which is what a rheostat does) you're going to have a narrow window of adjustment, because you are effectively "browning out" the internal power supply. However, the affect may vary as the temperature of the LEDs themselves change.
So, in short, don't use a rheostat, use a PWM to perform dimming.
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You guys are awesome! Thanks for all the info. What do you guys think about this...
http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-QualiRegResou/-strse-47/Rotary-LED-Dimmer-with/Detail.bok (http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-QualiRegResou/-strse-47/Rotary-LED-Dimmer-with/Detail.bok)
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You guys are awesome! Thanks for all the info. What do you guys think about this...
http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-QualiRegResou/-strse-47/Rotary-LED-Dimmer-with/Detail.bok (http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-QualiRegResou/-strse-47/Rotary-LED-Dimmer-with/Detail.bok)
That does look like the correct thing, plus, it seems like a nice design. You can dim them way down for full-time use, then have it blast them with high-beams at night with no other cars.
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....some of clients requested to add that dimmer on our store so that they can by product from single sale point.
....<snip>...
Skene design dimmer is expensive.
if I Import and to keep in my stock It will be more expensive due to shipping fee from USA and custom fee / taxes of my country. So its not wise to sell on my site.
My be in future we will sell that when we have warehouse in USA
if any body need any advice regarding my products, wants to give feedback pls feel free to contact me.
I am online very rare. you can email to my Assistant Lisa lisjackson@gmail.com
Jalthar
Thank you Jalthar, that answers my question. :thumbs:
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You guys are awesome! Thanks for all the info. What do you guys think about this...
http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-QualiRegResou/-strse-47/Rotary-LED-Dimmer-with/Detail.bok (http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-QualiRegResou/-strse-47/Rotary-LED-Dimmer-with/Detail.bok)
I just got this switch in the mail. It looks to be of good quality and it has a positive *click* for the “OFF” detent. looks easy enough to wire up, I should have it done this weekend. I’ll post back with how it goes. Oh yeah, it even comes with a wire tap for the high beam tap, I may use something else though, because I’m not familiar with this particular type of tap.
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Ya' know, those lights could be made to fit where the city lights are on a stock C-14. If one was to have a headlight open for other reasons, one might just squeeze them there lights into the housing.... certainly not a 'drop in' but with a little fitting and some relieving of the stock housing I believe they would go. If they were modulated they could still act as city lights and then used as supplemental lights when the high beams were on.
The only thing that is putting me off is the question of quality and perhaps having to return a defective light(s) to India; it is one thing to have an aux. light fail but quite another thing to have part of the internal headlight assembly fail. Then again, those Cree LEDs are available along with the lenses to control the beam.
You people are a bad influence!
Brian
Received an email that the super bright LED driving lights I'm using are on sale, $162 for a pair. Might have to get me another set.
<snip>
Just an F.Y.I. for those that may be interested.
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I have sited a link to a company selling the same type of light with a vendor who has a great reputation from the ADV forum. Seems he does not point the finger to India for problem solving but takes care of it himself. The dimmer indicated above is from the same seller.
http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-QualiRegResou/-strse-47/Rotary-LED-Dimmer-with/Detail.bok (http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-QualiRegResou/-strse-47/Rotary-LED-Dimmer-with/Detail.bok)
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Ya' know, those lights could be made to fit where the city lights are on a stock C-14. If one was to have a headlight open for other reasons, one might just squeeze them there lights into the housing.... certainly not a 'drop in' but with a little fitting and some relieving of the stock housing I believe they would go. If they were modulated they could still act as city lights and then used as supplemental lights when the high beams were on.
The only thing that is putting me off is the question of quality and perhaps having to return a defective light(s) to India; it is one thing to have an aux. light fail but quite another thing to have part of the internal headlight assembly fail. Then again, those Cree LEDs are available along with the lenses to control the beam.
You people are a bad influence!
Brian
I was wondering that exact same thing when I saw your thread about replacing the H4 bulbs and reflectors project. I even thought about asking you for the dimensions of the city lights area, and if there was room behind that area of the housing. However, my project list is already too long, with no free time to do anything, so I didn't.
If your curiosity gets the better of you, and you would like the exact dimensions of these lights, let me know. I think it would be way cool.
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Once the headlight assembly is apart, there is quite a bit of room and a lot of possibility to modify it provided the modifier is willing to
hack mangle neatly trim the housing or remove it entirely and then butcher modify the housing shelf itself.
The City light lens is a small removable molded plastic part; the ID is 39 mm but again, it would be easiest and I think much better looking to just throw that away. That would leave you with the two small chromed projection covers that are wrapped around them. The ID of those is nearly 49 mm but as you can see, it would be easy enough to trim the ID to something like 55 or perhaps even 60 mm so that something else could be installed.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f82/BDF08012008/Citylightlensandhousing_zps587cf88f.jpg)
Once the lenses are gone, and the decorative, inner part of the lens liner is opened up, the only other thing in the way are the original two city light mounts and reflectors. These mount in a rectangular box which is covered from the bottom by a plastic cover held in with four push- rivets so the city lights can be serviced. If that rectangular box was modified or entirely removed, the actual headlight bucket would accommodate a fairly big light, light assembly (such as something like an aux. light or even a flashlight housing / lens / reflector), or independent LED's with reflector and the electronics to drive them. The entire thing could be serviceable from the bottom, which is actually externally available when the headlight ass'y is in the bike, as long as whatever cover is made was made waterproof.
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f82/BDF08012008/Citylightlensandhousing2_zps96be2d81.jpg)
Now if the LEDs were purchased separately, mounted onto a heat sink plate, and reflectors fitted, just about anything could be done inside those headlight buckets. If the diameter or at least the height (for a rectangular reflector) of the entire unit was kept to something like 1" or so, the entire headlight housing could be lined with LEDs such as Audi introduced a few years ago but instead of just bright DRL's, they could actually be spot driving lights and regulated through PWM down to some reasonable DRL simulating level. But if pushed to even 80% of their potential, each diode could easily produce 700 or 800 lumens as long as the heat could be managed- I am thinking of aluminum bars to both mount the LED heat sinks as well as wicking the heat out of and behind the headlight housing. It looks like the diodes, reflectors and current control circuitry are readily available in DIY form although finding drivers for 12 volt diodes as well as the 12 volt LEDs themselves might be a challenge.
It would appear that if the original city light provisions were removed entirely, some type of new shape, high- power LED and reflectors could be installed in a small group in the original city light area. Sort of like a built- in driving light. The only downside that I can see is that there would not be any practical way to aim / align them other than accurately positioning the reflectors / LEDs in exactly the right orientation when they were installed.
Brian
I was wondering that exact same thing when I saw your thread about replacing the H4 bulbs and reflectors project. I even thought about asking you for the dimensions of the city lights area, and if there was room behind that area of the housing. However, my project list is already too long, with no free time to do anything, so I didn't.
If your curiosity gets the better of you, and you would like the exact dimensions of these lights, let me know. I think it would be way cool.
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Excellent info Brian. The OD of the housing of the lights I bought is exactly 55mm in diameter. The short part of the body with the screw on lense cap but without the heat sink is 45mm long. The heat sink and bracket unscrew from the back, and with them attached, the overall length is 70mm.
These lights have the power supply and thermal safety protection built in, and they are running them pretty conservative as far as output drive goes. I base that on the CREE datasheet for one LED being rated for 3000lm at 3amps, and these lights have 4 LEDs, but draw less than 2.5amps for all of them. In a earlier conversation with jalthar, he said the biggest challenge with designing these lights was dealing with the heat they produce. That's probably why they're running them so low.
An external PWM controller would be simple to add, and if one were going that far, it would be easy to include a flasher mode, like the pulsating headlights option. That would be really nice for those days when slower traffic just won't move over.
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I received some info from 24x7DIY about adding LEDs to the housing, but posted it in Brian's thread about modifying the housing for HID lights, here --> http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=10405.msg132361#msg132361 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=10405.msg132361#msg132361). Pretty good info, and some cool looking units. Check it out if your interested. :)
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You guys are awesome! Thanks for all the info. What do you guys think about this...
http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-QualiRegResou/-strse-47/Rotary-LED-Dimmer-with/Detail.bok (http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-QualiRegResou/-strse-47/Rotary-LED-Dimmer-with/Detail.bok)
Just a little follow up on this switch. It works flawlessly, the best part is there is no need for fuse blocks, relays, and intricate wiring. Just two bullet connectors to the accessory leads up front, one tap to the red and white high beam wire, and connect the lights. I mounted it with a square of velcro on the center panel where the glovebox used to be, couldn’t be easier.
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So... anybody driving with these on during the day? :stirpot:
:rotflmao: :rotflmao:
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I have those lights on my bike:( http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/cPath/23_45/products_id/34 (http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/cPath/23_45/products_id/34)) and they fail after 10 months using them about 20 minutes every morning on my way to work aproximately 73 hours, two leds on each lamp burnout at the same time, i email the company on India where i get them and the say that LED's fail only for overheating, and this is not the case on mine because i mount them under the mirrors , finaly i end having to buy from them the LED's that cost $62.00 and replacing by myself, now they work fine again , when i did the work find that there was not enough heat sink compound betwen the LED's and the heat sink plate to transfer the heat and due to that they overheat and fail, i think that there is not a good customer service from this place so i do not recomend to any body to buy from this place(http://i42.servimg.com/u/f42/12/22/83/92/dscn7815.jpg)
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Received an email that the super bright led lighting (http://www.niceledlights.com) I'm using are on sale, $162 for a pair. Might have to get me another set.
See them here : http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/cPath/23_45/products_id/170 (http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/cPath/23_45/products_id/170)
And here : http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/cPath/23_45/products_id/94 (http://24x7diy.com/product_info.php/cPath/23_45/products_id/94)
They draw about 2.25 amps each (about 25 watts), and come in black or silver. The site is a little confusing because they list both the CREE XML T6, and the CREE XML U2, but both pages say XML U2 in the detailed description. I looked at the data sheet for both LED's, and it looks like the U2's are a little brighter for less current. Also, the color temp of the ones I have (supposed to be the U2s) are very white (not blue).
These things make driving at night a pleasure (until you have to turn them off for oncoming traffic). I have them wired directly to my high beams right now, but still have a side project to revamp a PWM controller to run them on the low beams, and use a relay for highs (when I get some free time, with energy).
They are so bright, the reflections from road signs are almost blinding. When I switch back to low beams, it takes a moment before I can see that my low beam headlights are really working after turning them off. They throw the light pretty far down the road, while still lighting up the shoulders of the road really well too. I'm very happy with them. 8)
They also have some lower output versions on sale too : http://24x7diy.com/index.php/cPath/23_45 (http://24x7diy.com/index.php/cPath/23_45), but why would anyone want less?
Just an F.Y.I. for those that may be interested.
Just awesome man.. I know thread is bit old but these lights looks very bright.. i am searching for these and will try to get them now...