Best aftermarket DRL

[Blakey]

hey mate here is what you will need, to get it working.

what it basically does it when ever your car is turned on, they will turn on. when the headlights are on, they will turnoff.

if you leave headlights on, and turn car off, the coil is turned off, so you dont flatten your battery,

if you want to change to using a separate switch, just add a switch between the ignition, and where it branches off.

to see how it works see here.



and here is a drawing that will put it in more prospective for you.



Hmm to me they are sideways, but in photobucket they are the right way,

anyway if you need help explaining it. let me know.

but its seems if you want it to work like that you will need 2 relays, unless the headlight switch has a N/C contact on it, if it does, then that can be used instead of a relay.

[Blakey]

well how did that go?

[davmax]

I noticed in an earlier post that a headlight was quoted as 100 Candela and min DRL 400 Candela.

My headlight on high beam is 8000 Candela that seems more realistic and puts the max for a DRL of 1200 Candela in a better context.

[Bandit]

well how did that go?

Sorry Blakey I didn;t see your posts until today. Thanks for the diagrams I will use them when I install sometime in the next few weeks!

[Bandit]

I noticed in an earlier post that a headlight was quoted as 100 Candela and min DRL 400 Candela.

My headlight on high beam is 8000 Candela that seems more realistic and puts the max for a DRL of 1200 Candela in a better context.

I think those numbers refer to the headlight during the day at a distance of x metres at y hiehgt above the ground (simulating a driver's location in an oncoming car). As the headlights are aimed low to light up the road in front at night, they do not work as well as a dedicated day time light, which aims the light higher up.

[Dire]

Good on you if you make the effort. A switch is good enough for me though

[Bandit]

Swtich doesn't comply with ADRs, plus I would be shitty with myself if I went to the trouble of buying and installing them but then forgot to turn them on....!

[davmax]

I noticed in an earlier post that a headlight was quoted as 100 Candela and min DRL 400 Candela.

My headlight on high beam is 8000 Candela that seems more realistic and puts the max for a DRL of 1200 Candela in a better context.

I think those numbers refer to the headlight during the day at a distance of x metres at y hiehgt above the ground (simulating a driver's location in an oncoming car). As the headlights are aimed low to light up the road in front at night, they do not work as well as a dedicated day time light, which aims the light higher up.

Problem is the original comparison. 100 Candela head light versus 400 candela DRL. The later would be measured at 1 metre distance at the position of max brightness. Correct comparison can only be achieved by measuring max headlight brightness at 1 metre also. Remembering that using a Lux meter at 1 metre, 1 Lux = 1 Candela.

[Bandit]

I have been past no less than 10 police cars with my DRLs on a Commodore. This includes 3 highway patrol and none have been interested in me. There was a highway patrol sitting directly across from me at an intersection for a good 3 minutes too and they didn't stop me. My lights are just as bright as HSV and Audi. I notice that new Ambulances in NSW are fitted with similar DRL to mine and also some buses around the Parramatta/Hills district are also now fitted with them.

My install is 100% ADR 76/00 and 13/00 compliant so I have nothing to fear (at least in my mind!).

Remeber though, a side emitting LED strip is not a DRL. I am not sure what if anything they could book you for there, but they would not be countedas a DRL for ADR compliance purposes.

[Bandit]

I noticed in an earlier post that a headlight was quoted as 100 Candela and min DRL 400 Candela.

My headlight on high beam is 8000 Candela that seems more realistic and puts the max for a DRL of 1200 Candela in a better context.

I think those numbers refer to the headlight during the day at a distance of x metres at y hiehgt above the ground (simulating a driver's location in an oncoming car). As the headlights are aimed low to light up the road in front at night, they do not work as well as a dedicated day time light, which aims the light higher up.

Problem is the original comparison. 100 Candela head light versus 400 candela DRL. The later would be measured at 1 metre distance at the position of max brightness. Correct comparison can only be achieved by measuring max headlight brightness at 1 metre also. Remembering that using a Lux meter at 1 metre, 1 Lux = 1 Candela.

I think I was the one that originally quoted the figures. I got them either from a Hella German website or a research paper by a guy called Michael Payne. Sorry I can;t remember where and apologies if I misquoted.

I undertand the measuring process and can see why the figures don't match. Perhaps the figures I found had been simplified to make the point of the author more poignant, regardless of the measurement standard.

[Bandit]

See this link for more info - http://members.optusnet.com.au/carsafet ... _sep03.pdf

[davmax]

Thanks Bandit. That is a good link. I am familiar with that article and have corresponded with the author.

I recently completed a project building my own DRLs. Amazing performance with three CREE XPG R4 Cool LEDS each with Tina optics XP-G-O for an oval beam. Spaced 37mm apart horizontally.
Results. 700mA 2950 Cd. Had th back off to 240mA to get below 1200 Cd @ 1150 Cd. At this level only 2.5Watts into LEDs very cool and easy to control with a linear current regulator (1.4Watts @ 14.5V). All per lamp.

The LED components were purchased from Cutter Electronics. (Google) Not a simple task and not cheap but infomative, will fit my vehicle best and very efficient and cool running.

I have placed a suite of relevant DRL pdf docs on the web. One is simple connection detail for DRLs.
link: http://cid-f83bf1ac32452395.office.live ... 452395!143

These replace my previous doc linked earlier in this thread.

[Blakey]

hey i just realised i forgot to draw in the power for the Light in my drawing, the second one. you need a source from either the battery to the N/O contact, or from after the ignition to the N/O contact. so your light turns on when you set it up. its done right in the first picture but the second one i forgot it.

[Bandit]

Thanks Blakey - I hadn't noticed but would have ended up with a wire needing power!

To davmax - do you have any pictures of your DRLs?

How did you go about fabricating the focal components? I wish I listened more in calculus classes in high school.....

What is the 'DRL controller' you refer to in your DRL connection diagram?

If you fit these DRLs you have made to your car, how will you circumvent the marking requirements of ADR 76/00?