Halogen vs led
02-26-2015, 03:25 PM
#1
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 297
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Halogen vs led
I am in the market for some lights ive been researching but cant seem to find a definitive answer for about whcih will put more light down range. I know im looking for spot lights but any help with determing which might be better for light output would be helpfull.
Thanks in advance
Sam
Thanks in advance
Sam
02-27-2015, 02:00 AM
#2
JK Junkie
If your looking for good long distance lighting. HID. Its the best for that. LED gives you a shit load of light in the foreground and casues you not to see as far. I have yet to see LED light bars/cube/etc that do NOT do this. they just flood the forground with light. They do not have the power to get down the road and also don't let the lumens rating sway you. they rate the lumens at 1 m. pretty well right on the bar. The amount of that light that gets down the road is probably 1/1oth of that. The HID lights push light down the road much further .
I have hella 500 driving housings converted to 55w HID in 4300k. They are the best lights I have used, no hot spots just pure nice light from the bumper down the road 1000m. They spread the light wide enough to cover 3 lanes of highway into the ditches. plenty wide for me.
I have hella 500 driving housings converted to 55w HID in 4300k. They are the best lights I have used, no hot spots just pure nice light from the bumper down the road 1000m. They spread the light wide enough to cover 3 lanes of highway into the ditches. plenty wide for me.
02-27-2015, 04:19 AM
#3
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 297
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If your looking for good long distance lighting. HID. Its the best for that. LED gives you a shit load of light in the foreground and casues you not to see as far. I have yet to see LED light bars/cube/etc that do NOT do this. they just flood the forground with light. They do not have the power to get down the road and also don't let the lumens rating sway you. they rate the lumens at 1 m. pretty well right on the bar. The amount of that light that gets down the road is probably 1/1oth of that. The HID lights push light down the road much further . I have hella 500 driving housings converted to 55w HID in 4300k. They are the best lights I have used, no hot spots just pure nice light from the bumper down the road 1000m. They spread the light wide enough to cover 3 lanes of highway into the ditches. plenty wide for me.
Sam
02-27-2015, 05:51 AM
#5
JK Junkie
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: West Richland Washington
Posts: 2,013
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If your looking for good long distance lighting. HID. Its the best for that. LED gives you a shit load of light in the foreground and casues you not to see as far. I have yet to see LED light bars/cube/etc that do NOT do this. they just flood the forground with light. They do not have the power to get down the road and also don't let the lumens rating sway you. they rate the lumens at 1 m. pretty well right on the bar. The amount of that light that gets down the road is probably 1/1oth of that. The HID lights push light down the road much further .
I have hella 500 driving housings converted to 55w HID in 4300k. They are the best lights I have used, no hot spots just pure nice light from the bumper down the road 1000m. They spread the light wide enough to cover 3 lanes of highway into the ditches. plenty wide for me.
I have hella 500 driving housings converted to 55w HID in 4300k. They are the best lights I have used, no hot spots just pure nice light from the bumper down the road 1000m. They spread the light wide enough to cover 3 lanes of highway into the ditches. plenty wide for me.
02-27-2015, 09:43 AM
#7
JK Junkie
FYI most "prerunners" use HID. what HID Lights does your "family" have? If its stock HID lights in a car, that's not what im talking about.
As for the light canon, they are the only LED light that are getting any distance. They are an exception to the rule. Even tho, the 4.5"rs are not as great as I thought they would be. I hope the bigger ones are better.
Trending Topics
02-27-2015, 10:04 AM
#8
JK Super Freak
Both light sources produce plenty of light. The difference is the optics (lenses, reflectors).
I agree that LED light bars are better to light up the campground than the trail. Its cheap and easy to build a bright short-throw LED light bar. Building a long throw light requires some engineering and costlier parts.
If I were buying lights and wanted long-throw, I'd shop around for a proper optical design that uses LED for a light source. Used right, LEDs are a great source of light and they consume MUCH less power.
If a GOOD LED light can't be found, then HID.
I agree that LED light bars are better to light up the campground than the trail. Its cheap and easy to build a bright short-throw LED light bar. Building a long throw light requires some engineering and costlier parts.
If I were buying lights and wanted long-throw, I'd shop around for a proper optical design that uses LED for a light source. Used right, LEDs are a great source of light and they consume MUCH less power.
If a GOOD LED light can't be found, then HID.
02-27-2015, 10:55 AM
#9
Well, Sam, which ‘spot’ are you looking for -- 10 degree spot? 30 degree? 40?
The angle makes a big difference in how far the light gets. A 10deg’ spot will give x4 the light of a 20deg’ one at the same distance.
How far or how wide a light reaches, depends not only on the light source Lumen, but also on how the reflector and/or lens spread the light.
There aren’t LED and Halogen or HID lights that have exactly similar light spreads, so comparisons are usually worthless.
Even relatively small differences in light spread patterns between a Halogen, HID or LED, make meaningful differences in how much light is there at a certain distance.
Comparisons may only tell you which, of 2 specific lights, you prefer. For each of them, there are more alternatives which can reverse the conclusion.
There’s also the difference in light color. I’d rather not have some daylight color mixed with more yellowish lights, I prefer having all the lights in the same color. All my current and future lights are LED.
(One exceptions is the fog lights – for those who need them for fog or thick dust/haze – yellow light penetrates farther and is less reflected.)
The bottom line is that there’s no such thing as “A HID spot would light further than a LED spot” or vice versa.
If a specific HID gives 50% more Lumen than a specific LED, then just use 2 LEDs, and you’ll get more light than the HID.
Whatever lights you chose, they'll perform better and reach farther when mounted high, on a light bar above the windshield.
Two more points:
LED lights work for many years, they don't burn out as often as HID or Halogen.
Otherwise similar LED light sources, can have varying degrees of intensity.
Some manufacturers strain their lights in order to extract the maximum possible light intensity.
Others, such as Truck Lite or Rigid Industries, have a design policy of giving you some less Lumen, in order to increase long-term reliability.
My personal preference is sacrificing some light for gaining reliability. They still emit plenty of light.
The angle makes a big difference in how far the light gets. A 10deg’ spot will give x4 the light of a 20deg’ one at the same distance.
How far or how wide a light reaches, depends not only on the light source Lumen, but also on how the reflector and/or lens spread the light.
There aren’t LED and Halogen or HID lights that have exactly similar light spreads, so comparisons are usually worthless.
Even relatively small differences in light spread patterns between a Halogen, HID or LED, make meaningful differences in how much light is there at a certain distance.
Comparisons may only tell you which, of 2 specific lights, you prefer. For each of them, there are more alternatives which can reverse the conclusion.
There’s also the difference in light color. I’d rather not have some daylight color mixed with more yellowish lights, I prefer having all the lights in the same color. All my current and future lights are LED.
(One exceptions is the fog lights – for those who need them for fog or thick dust/haze – yellow light penetrates farther and is less reflected.)
The bottom line is that there’s no such thing as “A HID spot would light further than a LED spot” or vice versa.
If a specific HID gives 50% more Lumen than a specific LED, then just use 2 LEDs, and you’ll get more light than the HID.
Whatever lights you chose, they'll perform better and reach farther when mounted high, on a light bar above the windshield.
Two more points:
LED lights work for many years, they don't burn out as often as HID or Halogen.
Otherwise similar LED light sources, can have varying degrees of intensity.
Some manufacturers strain their lights in order to extract the maximum possible light intensity.
Others, such as Truck Lite or Rigid Industries, have a design policy of giving you some less Lumen, in order to increase long-term reliability.
My personal preference is sacrificing some light for gaining reliability. They still emit plenty of light.
Last edited by GJeep; 02-27-2015 at 12:51 PM.
02-27-2015, 11:11 AM
#10
Former Vendor
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Northeast Pennsylvania
Posts: 251
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, Sam, which ‘spot’ are you looking for -- 10 degree spot? 30 degree? 40?
The angle makes a big difference in how far the light gets. A 10deg’ spot will give x4 the light of a 20deg’ one at the same distance.
How far or how wide a light reaches, depends not only on the light source Lumen, but also on how the reflector and/or lens spread the light.
There aren’t LED and Halogen or HID lights that have exactly similar light spreads, so comparisons are usually worthless.
Even relatively small differences in light spread patterns between a Halogen, HID or LED, make meaningful differences in how much light is there at a certain distance.
Comparisons may only tell you which, of 2 specific lights, you prefer. For each of them, there are more alternatives which can reverse the conclusion.
There’s also the difference in light color. I’d rather not have some daylight color mixed with more yellowish lights, I prefer having all the lights in the same color. All my current and future lights are LED.
(One exceptions is the fog lights – for those who need them for fog or thick dust/haze – yellow light penetrates farther and is less reflected.)
The bottom line is that there’s no such thing as “A HID spot would light further than a LED spot” or vice versa.
If a specific HID gives 50% more Lumen than a specific LED, then just use 2 LEDs, and you’ll get more light than the HID.
Whatever lights you chose, they'll perform better and reach farther when mounted high, on a light above the windshield.
The angle makes a big difference in how far the light gets. A 10deg’ spot will give x4 the light of a 20deg’ one at the same distance.
How far or how wide a light reaches, depends not only on the light source Lumen, but also on how the reflector and/or lens spread the light.
There aren’t LED and Halogen or HID lights that have exactly similar light spreads, so comparisons are usually worthless.
Even relatively small differences in light spread patterns between a Halogen, HID or LED, make meaningful differences in how much light is there at a certain distance.
Comparisons may only tell you which, of 2 specific lights, you prefer. For each of them, there are more alternatives which can reverse the conclusion.
There’s also the difference in light color. I’d rather not have some daylight color mixed with more yellowish lights, I prefer having all the lights in the same color. All my current and future lights are LED.
(One exceptions is the fog lights – for those who need them for fog or thick dust/haze – yellow light penetrates farther and is less reflected.)
The bottom line is that there’s no such thing as “A HID spot would light further than a LED spot” or vice versa.
If a specific HID gives 50% more Lumen than a specific LED, then just use 2 LEDs, and you’ll get more light than the HID.
Whatever lights you chose, they'll perform better and reach farther when mounted high, on a light above the windshield.