Grouped vs Evenly Spaced, 4 Roof Lights

[FLOffroad]

I'm not really planning on adding aux lights anytime soon to my ST, but I remember somewhere (not necessarily here) in the past reading about the "grouped" vs "evenly spaced" argument when putting 4 lights on the roof.

If you need some clarification here's a bit of explanation:
"Grouped" light diagram (with _ as light bar/rack, etc.):

__O_O____O_O__

"Evenly spaced" light diagram:

__O__O__O__O__

What's everyone's viewpoints? (Other than I prefer X because I like how it looks) I'm trying to see if anyone can provide insight as to differences in the end products (pros/cons, etc.).

Thanks.

 

[Alienman8]

I'm not really planning on adding aux lights anytime soon to my ST, but I remember somewhere (not necessarily here) in the past reading about the "grouped" vs "evenly spaced" argument when putting 4 lights on the roof.

If you need some clarification here's a bit of explanation:
"Grouped" light diagram (with _ as light bar/rack, etc.):

__O_O____O_O__

"Evenly spaced" light diagram:

__O__O__O__O__

What's everyone's viewpoints? (Other than I prefer X because I like how it looks) I'm trying to see if anyone can provide insight as to differences in the end products (pros/cons, etc.).

Thanks.

The only thing that comes off the top of my head when thinking about it, is that the grouped version might create more of a "beam" instead of a complete flood that the evenly spaced version would create.

In the end I would be surprised if there is really any difference between the two, all the light is still going in the same direction, unless you were to actually change something else between the two (grouped/even) such as angle of the housing, I wouldn't think there is any noticeable difference, it might just be aesthetics.

 

[FLOffroad]

Thanks for the response. It probably is just aesthetics.

 

[FIND]

One would generally group them in pairs of unmatched lights. You know, if you had a pair of floods and spots, you put a flood and a spot together close to each other on each side, that way you keep the like beams as far apart so you can get the most even illumination. If you just had 4 floods or whatever, just evenly space them to get the it bright and even in the center.

So in other words, you end up with

__F_S_______S_F__

or

__F___F___F___F__

Of course, it is also purely aesthetics, but that is the way I have always done things for stuff like farm equipment.

 

[Backwoods "X"]

I tend to go with the "paired" set up, with the flood type lens on the outside and angled a bit to the side so that I get a "pool" of light to the side/nose of the "X", and spot or long range lights on the inside. This works pretty well out in the tobacco and corn fields for working late, plus I can use the flood lights to light up the inside of the cave without having the majority of the light "aimed" at one particular point.

 

[FLOffroad]

Thanks FIND, that makes a lot of sense actually.