DAYTIME BRIGHT LEDS

[Stephen Cannon]

This may have come up but I will put my props for them. This is the aftermarket LED replacement for the mirror underside approach/courtesy lamps. As you now the OEM lights work but typical yellow incandescent lighting. These replacements are full plug and play literally LED 5500K white. (5500K is Kelvin a measurement of light intensity.) The higher the number the brighter. I am by no means an electrical engineer but basically on light charts 5500K is getting near the limit of natural light. The HID headlights you see on the car with total white are in this range, much beyond that and the lights start taking a blueish/purplish tint.


The brightest I have used was 6000K. That was white and maybe a little on the bright side but not obvious enough to get hassled or stopped by the police. With the Taurus I did subdue with a 5% smoke headlight film. Don't panic remember headlight tine is opposite of window tint. Window Tint at 5% blocks 95% of the light....Think Limo Tint. With headlight tint film just the opposite. a 5% headlight tint will ALLOW 95% of the light projection beam through.

I am probably going to start the obvious engineering discussion about HID reflectors, proper beam pattern diffusion etc...etc..etc....obviously research the topic but also remember these are courtesy lights for the mirrors and project DOWN not forward. Also remember the mirror light should only be illuminated when door is open or unlocked. During the course of normal driving the light should be extinguished.

Dan Smith is a good guy, ships promptly and is available by phone or email with prompt replies. This is a newer version from when he first started where the OEM cores were sent back to do some engineering analysis to build a better lightbulb. The core is no longer required you get to keep the OEM cores in a box for trade in, temporary replacement, etc...

DAYTIME BrightLites - Specialty Automotive Lighting

 

[Odrapnew]

One major correction.
The Kelvin temperature is not brightness, it's the color.

 

[sheltonfilms]

One major correction.
The Kelvin temperature is not brightness, it's the color.

Yep. Brightness is measured in lumens and the max lumens for a given wattage is like 4300-4500K. Anything below or above starts to loose lumens even if your eyes think they look "brighter".

 

[peterk9]

This may have come up but I will put my props for them. This is the aftermarket LED replacement for the mirror underside approach/courtesy lamps. As you now the OEM lights work but typical yellow incandescent lighting. These replacements are full plug and play literally LED 5500K white. (5500K is Kelvin a measurement of light intensity.) The higher the number the brighter. I am by no means an electrical engineer but basically on light charts 5500K is getting near the limit of natural light. The HID headlights you see on the car with total white are in this range, much beyond that and the lights start taking a blueish/purplish tint.

The brightest I have used was 6000K. That was white and maybe a little on the bright side but not obvious enough to get hassled or stopped by the police. With the Taurus I did subdue with a 5% smoke headlight film. Don't panic remember headlight tine is opposite of window tint. Window Tint at 5% blocks 95% of the light....Think Limo Tint. With headlight tint film just the opposite. a 5% headlight tint will ALLOW 95% of the light projection beam through.

I am probably going to start the obvious engineering discussion about HID reflectors, proper beam pattern diffusion etc...etc..etc....obviously research the topic but also remember these are courtesy lights for the mirrors and project DOWN not forward. Also remember the mirror light should only be illuminated when door is open or unlocked. During the course of normal driving the light should be extinguished.

Dan Smith is a good guy, ships promptly and is available by phone or email with prompt replies. This is a newer version from when he first started where the OEM cores were sent back to do some engineering analysis to build a better lightbulb. The core is no longer required you get to keep the OEM cores in a box for trade in, temporary replacement, etc...

DAYTIME BrightLites - Specialty Automotive Lighting

Hi Stephen. I'm not quite sure what it is that this thread should be about. If all you are looking at now is changing out the 'Puddle Lamps" see this thread; Plasti Dip Wheels + Puddle LED Install The site referred to in the thread has a video on the changing out of the lights.
I'm quite sure the HID headlamps on the Explorer were in the 4300k range
There are also several posts that discuss beam patterns, putting HIDs in a Halogen housing etc.

Peter

Peter

 

[Stephen Cannon]

It was about the puddle lamps but added a quick intro to the kelvin measurement rating for those that may not be aware of the different numbers. Sorry got a little off track but tried to stay reasonably focused. Sorry for the slight derail. My train of thought took Amtrak if you will.

 

[CarpeNoctem]

To make a small correction to the correction. And to try to keep it brief...

The temperature (in kelvin) is the color of the light. Lumens (or candlepower with some lamps) is a direct certifiable measurement of the brightness. If a lamp is dimmed, the lumen drops and the color may change but the actual output is not directly related to the color.

Now as to color rendering and perceived brightness (CR index), that is is some psychoanalytical measurement and not really based on power levels but merely how we perceive light and color. Some say that 5500k lamps "appear" brighter when they are not actually brighter but just that our eyes may be more attuned to blue. The CR index is a big thing in retail these days. Higher temp lights usually have a better CR index but only up to a point. As an example, people don't typically find blue food appealing.

And to restate, the higher the temp, the more blue (or less yellow) with 2800k being the old, slightly yellow, incandescent color.

I'm not an engineer either. I just spent many years doing stage lighting as a roadie, grip, lighting director, technical director, etc.

Not to stomp on anyone's toes, just saying...

 

[Toddman41]

Just got theyre Led Puddle Lamps and the license plate leds as well. Very nice improvement over the crumby stock halogens.

I plan on ordering the Interior Led package this coming week, to complete the look. Then adding a led strip in the console and glovebox on a oem style pressure switch for much needed light in both!

I sent them my rear domelights for new white leds

 

[peterk9]

Unable to view the attachments.

Peter

 

[Toddman41]

Unable to view the attachments.

Peter

Now try Peter

 

[MM07]

@Toddman41 it looks like ours Explorers are almost the same. I did a full led upgrade on mine as well. Got all mine on Amazon.

I posted what I did here as well. I can help if you need any.

 

[Toddman41]

@Toddman41 it looks like ours Explorers are almost the same. I did a full led upgrade on mine as well. Got all mine on Amazon.

I posted what I did here as well. I can help if you need any.

Thanks, but I got my Puddle lamps and license plate leds from DriveBright and have the rear dome light upgrade along with map light and cargo leds on the way from Drive bright as well.

I just ordered the reverse lights and sun visor leds from ebay tonight!

The other upgrade I want to do like I did in my previous 2012 F150 into add a light and pressure switch the console and glovebox in my Explorer.

 

[MM07]

Have a link for the sun visor leds?

 

[Toddman41]

Have a link for the sun visor leds?

Here you go...
2Pc T5 2721 74 White LED Instrument Panel Dash Indicator Light Bulb Non Polarity | eBay

Be sure to use a needle nosed plier with some electrical tape on the end to remove the bulb, makes life so much easier....