Cheapo HID Headlight Efficiency

[Stubby79]

I replaced my motorcycle headlight bulb with an LED. It wasn't any more expensive than an actual incandescent bulb would have been, under $7. It works better/brighter than the weak 30-watt bulb it replaced. The LED points up, so the light hits the reflector and bounces forward and down, rather than all over the place, so it has a nice cut off. Guess that's one benefit of most motorcycles using a similar bulb/reflector?

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

They are too bright to use (in the fog lights) when dark. When I flip them on I see everything light up. Easily 10 times more stray light than my low beams at eye height.

Do you have reflector or projector headlights?

I found that the LEDs I used had acceptable cutoff in a reflector housing, but not projector.

[RedDevil]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Do you have reflector or projector headlights?

I found that the LEDs I used had acceptable cutoff in a reflector housing, but not projector.

They are projectors.
They had a sharp cutoff and almost no stray light at all with the OEM halogens, which was a problem as we don't have side running lights over here. AFAIK they are the same units used for Insights with OEM HIDs.
My aftermarket HIDs have a sharp cutoff and little stray light too.
These oversized LEDs don't. The beam seems less bright than even halogen, but that's 'compensated' by ample stray light.

This morning somebody nearly cut me off. I wasn't using the LEDs in the fogs, just the HID low beams - and he clearly had not seen me...
I will (also) use the LEDs permanently from now on. They seem too bright at night when the low beam HIDs are just on, as those don't have their full brightness at first - especially when it is this cold. But once the HIDs are at full strength the LEDs are just a bit brighter to the eye than the HIDs above the cutoff, so not really blinding.

There is a tiny color difference; my HIDs are 5000K, the LEDs more like 6000K. Apart from each other both look neutral white, but the HIDs lean slightly towards yellow. Most small '6000K' LEDs look blueish white, these don't.

[redpoint5]

As mentioned in post 12, my experience with LEDs in an H11 projector housing was scattered light, and with HID, it cut off correctly.

With my very limited testing, my assumption is that LEDs are generally ok in reflector housings, but not in projector housings.

[RedDevil]

The problem remains that the LEDs are generally bigger than the filament or discharge chamber of a halogen or HID lamp. As reflectors are bigger, the dispersion is less prominent, but it is there.
My fog lights have reflectors, but the dispersion is distinctly different from what it was with the halogens, even though the center of the LEDs is where the filament would be.

I'm tempted to buy another set of LED lamps that have big solid cooling fins and tiny LEDs. €15 now... Never seen them that cheap. Problem is I really don't need them

[sendler]

I like the DDM Tuning kits at around 4500K. They have some of the best engineering of the bulbs to put the "fire" in the same place as the halogen that the reflector/ projector was designed for to get acceptable cut off. They are way brighter that halogens. These kits are also so inexpensive in the USA. A prime example of China's currency manipulation. $35 for all of that hardware? That is less than a good pair of halogens. And they will last 5 times as long.
.
The problem with LED headlight replacements is that in order to make enough light, the emmiter is way bigger than the filiment the housing was designed for. Which usually causes the pattern to spray. And most LED bulbs have a huge heatsink or fan which won't even allow the access cover to be reinstalled so you are stuck with the chance of getting water in the housing.

[RedDevil]

The DDM LED emitters look narrow enough, but like all LEDS the heat sink in between takes up space so they are still 1-2 mm away from the center line.
I like theseas the LEDs are small, seem close to the center, are covered so nothing can damage the emitters and have fanless heat sinks.

My lamp housings don't have a back cover. The engine bay is covered under so not much dirt or moisture finds its way in.

In fact I just ordered them, for the hell of it
I just want to see what they are like, if they are any better than my cheapos or not.

If they really are much better they might replace my HIDs. Then I may buy their H4 counterparts for my wife's car. But they need to be reliable - replacing the lights in a I10 means dismounting the lamp housings themselves...

[sendler]

I think they are still going to spray vertically in most housings. The emitters are in a longitudinal array.

[RedDevil]

The filament of halogen lamps is mounted longitudinally too.
The reflectors reflect this (sorry for the pun) in the spread pattern.

But we'll see. The cheapos were in within 2 weeks of ordering.

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

The reason electrical consumption is of concern to me is that I run a supercap only in my motorcycle. Headlights rapidly deplete my 400f caps connected in series, leaving me with about 10 seconds to start the bike from switching it on. The lower power consumption of the LEDs will double my starting opportunity.

Originally Posted by davis54

The reason electrical utilization is of worry to me is that I run a supercap just in my cruiser. Headlights quickly exhaust my 400f tops associated in arrangement, abandoning me with around 10 seconds to begin the bicycle from exchanging it on. The lower control utilization of the LEDs will twofold my beginning chance.

Voltaic usage doth furrow my brow wherefore I do cause to ambulate a device, viz. "supercap" solely in my motor-driven cycle. Lights of the head do most expeditiously tire themselves of mine 400f upper regions allied in sequence, apportioning my most glorious personage with nigh 10 seconds to engage the motor-driven velocipede from the onset of its genesis. The fractional puissance-drinking of the L.E.D. wilt enlarge magnificently my germinal odds.

Canadian moon lamps suck, buy American.