LED DRLs, a thought, maybe.

[The X]

I wa on my way home, drunk, from a BBQ, in a cab, and I saw a Merc E-class coupe with it's DRL running. They were in the fog recess.

I then attempted to construct a thought and relate it my lancer.
I
utterly
failed.
(I am still pissed from NYD drinks)

Anyone want to help my brain.... maybe this is a tmrw thought I should engage in. Just filing this in the forum so i don't forget. Otherwise I'll just think it was another dream about my Lancer. LOLz.

[JaCe]

Overdone now. I think they are a good feature and definitely a positive step for safety since it ensures other drivers (and pedestrians) can always tell when a car is running but then i've seen way too many people attempt to put their own LED strips on and it's becoming a bit tacky.

[tjoz]

Ive seen Lancer's running around with them and no not in the fog light area. In the actual headlights in Audi style yeah its ok but the LED DRL thing has been cheapened.

I think Cold Cathode tubes are the next 'big' thing in fancy flashy stuff. CCFL angel eyes look nice, that solid light look which the 'cheapened' LED DRL look dont achieve (prime example HSV...). LED used sparingly like in the Audi's is a nice look.

But for all safety purposes, just fit the car with rocket launchers.

[Graham]

I've been thinking about doing something like this just with some LED strips.

oznium.org has a great selection which also has side-emitting strips for underneath the headlight but I've yet to do this

I also like how the new HSV GTS has the DRL's near the fogs

[Blakey]

Ive seen Lancer's running around with them and no not in the fog light area. In the actual headlights in Audi style yeah its ok but the LED DRL thing has been cheapened.

I think Cold Cathode tubes are the next 'big' thing in fancy flashy stuff. CCFL angel eyes look nice, that solid light look which the 'cheapened' LED DRL look dont achieve (prime example HSV...). LED used sparingly like in the Audi's is a nice look.

But for all safety purposes, just fit the car with rocket launchers.

on your thought about that only CCFL tubes can have a solid bar of light that is not true there are in fact alot of LED ones exactly like that and they do not break as easy and are flexible tubes. i did have a site that sold them. in a fair about of lengths and piratically every colour even RGB ones.

and ofey is looking in to a GB for led strips. and other LED products. for neons and stuff. they also sell every type of LED, so its possible to make your own stuff.

they have every colour, RGB strips, every type of led from 1.8mm to 10mm, ones,

they sell strip led in rolls of parts of. for less then 1$US per 3led's ect most other places are about 4-5-6$ for the same product lol.

anyway if you are after any just wait a little wile for ofey. to make stuff happen if he does, he just checking up on the place.

[tryg]

I am primed to do this, was speaking with Adrian (SIR-VRX) about this a couple of days ago...

I have 100 x 10mm white LEDs, resisted for 12v. They are a staggering 285,000mcd brightness!

I have ordered some aftermarket fog lamps (keeping my OEM ones) and intend drilling a line of these 10mm LEDs, each side, from the centreline of the fog.

This will be about 14 LEDs per cover... they will be linked into the vehicle using the supplied fog loom and fog switch, relayed to the battery.

Sure, it wont look as finished as the made units but will only cost me the cost of the OEM-style fog kit ($110) and about $25 in these LEDs.

Sounds like a lot, but if you were willing to just use your OEM covers and a simple loom, plus a switch and relay, you're looking at a $40 job total.

[tryg]

moreover, if you just wanted DRLs and not fogs, then you could just dive into your plain covers with the same result, although you could use more area and patterning. I might do a second set now that I thought of it!

[Blakey]

if you want bright small LED's there are brighter then Tryg's but they are more expensive lol. http://www.luxeonstar.com/luxeon-rebel- ... -p-166.php these are 145Lm (Lumens) and they are 3.5x4mm so more then half the size of tryg's but, on that tryg, nice buy for those leds for so cheap.

590 cd (590,000mcd) with a radiation angle of 40° emits about 223Lm

btw tryg your led's are 107Lm at there angle i presume is 40°. also that may seem bright, but the beam they emit is very focused. thats why the Lm is high.

F = Iv × 2π × (1 - cos(A/2)) how to get Lm out of cd

Iv (in candelas) cd
F (flux in Lm)
A(angle of beam)

most LED's with a large viewing angle so lowering there cd, can be fixed with the help of comulators(pretty much a lens or reflector), making its cd higher.

[tryg]

Blakey, thanks for the school lesson... I should have stated that they are only narrow-focussed at 40deg.. but to have them wash broadly would actually be more dangerous that helpful... agreed? Or are we trying to start another 'Why we don't use HIDs in non-projector housings' debate....?

Also, those luxeon star types would be totally crap, how would you install those tightly together? They are generally made for spaced installation. And, worse, they would not be at all weatherproof.

I have Maglite torches with 5w luxeon lamps, so not a stranger to this type of technology. The basis for using the dome or flat head LEDs is weatherproofing the lamp and for asthetics. Unless you're trying to be cop-bait, then stay away from adding Luxeon style LEDs to the front of your vehicle...

Nice black catting Blakey, but your mod would look more like spotlights and therefore, just like having fogs on when there is no weather, just a nuisance to other oncoming motorists.

Have to pick your tool when doing the job right, IMHO.

[Blakey]

well the size of the reble luxon leds is 4mm wide and 3.5 long. they can be tighter packed then 5mm led's. plus yes you are right they have a wide angle light, but as i said they do have comulators, that are small. would size up to about 10mm and would be packed about the same as your 10mm ones.

if you look at the picture of that BMW its using Luxon leds, with lens. there is only about 7 leds in thoes DRL.
and almost all luxon leds have a large viewing angle.thus why they need focusers.

if you get the right setup with the luxon LED's they you can make some very good projection fogs out of the luxons.


but as you are gonna use yours as id presume fog lights or DRL's? caues if you are gonna use them as fogs id suggest you getting some wider angle LED's, unless you are aiming then at reflectors.

anyway if anyone needs any help with any led stuff let me know im always good for helping.

[SIR-VRX]

tryg's are for DRL purposes Blakey.

LEDs are not that good for fog lights. The light is too crisp and white. For proper fog lights, a yellow light, such as 3000K halogen is best. Either by a yellow bulb (like mine) or by yellow lens.

[Blakey]

then you can get yellow LED, lol or get warm white, lol

[SIR-VRX]

True, but LEDs still lack the "warmth" of halogen if you get what I mean...

Like how all globes in homes now must be energy efficient. So fluorescents are replacing a lot of incandescents and halogens, and the "warmth and feel" if a soft halogen or incandescent lights is gone, even with "warm white" fluros.

[tryg]

Blakey, I'd like to see a finished product, using those Luxeons you advocate... I cannot see how you would install it and make it look good...

Why not have a go and we will see your suggestion....

Adrian, agreed, would be shite as fogs, even the warmer colours are still too high in the Kelvin range for efficient use as fogs...

Sure, as DRLs, but they would wash so broadly they would be terrible without focussing..

[jolly_tas]

Found this when looking to do the lights for my cabinet. May be useful.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/EL-Wire-Glow-In- ... 414bccb450