LED Headlamps....OEM?

[Spdrcer34]

Lincoln is working on LED Headlamps....anyone have any insight on how this could be accomplished BEFORE they release it in 2007?

Ryan

 

[boominXplorer]

I don't know about LED, they are REALLY bright, but put out no real usable light when shined on something. Ever see a led flashlight? The bulb looks REALLY bright but its alot darker when its shined on something.

 

[Spdrcer34]

Ford/Lincoln Engineers have already DONE it, with output that rivals HID. It it ALSO drawing less power than HID.

Ryan

 

[justin146]

THey are using 5watt Luxeon LEDs I believe. These things put out an amazing amount of light.

 

[94explorer2x4]

I don't know about LED, they are REALLY bright, but put out no real usable light when shined on something. Ever see a led flashlight? The bulb looks REALLY bright but its alot darker when its shined on something.

Take a mag light for instance if you take the REFLECTOR off the bulb is still really bright but it dose not have the same useable light when it is concentrated. Now if you were to take an led and turn it backwards facing into the reflector and make it focus it could be quite bright I have not seen the ones spdrcer34 is talking about but I will be looking it up asap and if I find I will definetly post a link.

Nate

 

[justin146]

do a search for Luxeon LEDs

 

[Pdwight]

Luxeon Star Leds have a class III laser rating, they are not to be confused with the LEDs that are on flashlight key chains or the flashlights with an array of the same LEDs....they kick butt in a big way. I have an Executive Surefire top of the line flashlight and a Surefire 5W Luxeon Star L4 and let me tell you that the L4 puts out a cleaner white light with no "artifacts" in the light output like Halogen or any of the other rare earth filament bulds........in 3 to 7 years I predict that a filament light will be as antiquated as a 8 Track tape.

Dwight P

 

[BrooklynBay]

How many LEDs in a cluster would it take to make an adequate head light bulb? What about the high beams? It would probably be the same kind of bulb, just more LEDs in the same cluster. If they come out with it, I'm sure it will be like replacing a regular bulb. Maybe the existing halogen bulb could just be replaced with an LED headlight bulb as an upgrade. It should be able to fit all models of cars with Aero headlights. I doubt they will make a sealed beam conversion, but then you never know. I never saw an HID sealed beam conversion yet. The only difference with the HID aftermarket kits is that that they come with their own wiring harness to connect to a high voltage inverter/controller that put more voltage into them when they first start, then gradually decrease the voltage as the bulb warms up. LEDs don't have this problem. Fluorescent bulbs have this problem. If you ever saw one of those energy saving screw in fluorescent bulbs start when they were cold, you will see how dim they are until they warm up. The electronics that they come with don't force extra voltage into them to compensate for this problem.

 

[huskyfan23]

How many LEDs in a cluster would it take to make an adequate head light bulb? What about the high beams? It would probably be the same kind of bulb, just more LEDs in the same cluster. If they come out with it, I'm sure it will be like replacing a regular bulb. Maybe the existing halogen bulb could just be replaced with an LED headlight bulb as an upgrade. It should be able to fit all models of cars with Aero headlights. I doubt they will make a sealed beam conversion, but then you never know. I never saw an HID sealed beam conversion yet. The only difference with the HID aftermarket kits is that that they come with their own wiring harness to connect to a high voltage inverter/controller that put more voltage into them when they first start, then gradually decrease the voltage as the bulb warms up. LEDs don't have this problem. Fluorescent bulbs have this problem. If you ever saw one of those energy saving screw in fluorescent bulbs start when they were cold, you will see how dim they are until they warm up. The electronics that they come with don't force extra voltage into them to compensate for this problem.

Hundreds.

I have a mini flashlight (like 3 inches) with a 1W Luxeon LED and it is BRIGHT. It beats my 3 D-cell Mag light. I've seen LED headlights on concept cars but have never seen one used.

 

[Pdwight]

Not Hundreds

Sorry not trying to start a flame war here, but the 1 Watt Luxeon Star was the first commercial offering. Compare this to an 8 Track and a CD player with the 5 Watt Module and you get the idea of how far they have come with this technology. The 5 Watt Luxeon star has been around for nearly 2 years now and I know they are working on a 10 watt model but not intended for flashlights because of the current drain.....if they have a working 10 Watt prototype they have a 25 watt in the drawings and a 25 watt would probably be equal to a HID light, put a 25 Watt in along with an additional 25 watt for high low beam and you probably would have a source that would equal or beat the current best HID envelopes. You would have to heat sink the LED array with a small heat sink that could be part of the reflector or bulb holder due to the 5V regulator....but that would be it. Vibration would not be a problem nor would M.T.B.F. (mean time between failure) as atypical life is well over 100,00 hours. So you see it is not just an idea......its like a train way down the tracks......it on its way and nothing will stop it.

I remember in the early 70s working on Altair computers while studying Electronics there were the early discussions of actually sending documents over the telephone using computers and most thought "hogwash....never happen"...........well and this was when people thought a facsimile machine was as good as it would ever get.

Dwight P

 

[justin146]

I doubt the Luxeons that are above 5watts will have that long of a life span. Their heat will deplete the PN junction over time.

 

[Turdle]

Luxeon Star Leds have a class III laser rating, they are not to be confused with the LEDs that are on flashlight key chains or the flashlights with an array of the same LEDs....they kick butt in a big way. I have an Executive Surefire top of the line flashlight and a Surefire 5W Luxeon Star L4 and let me tell you that the L4 puts out a cleaner white light with no "artifacts" in the light output like Halogen or any of the other rare earth filament bulds........in 3 to 7 years I predict that a filament light will be as antiquated as a 8 Track tape.

Dwight P

The class III laser rating would rule them out for use as headlights, as you'd have to look at them from opposing vehicles

 

[Pdwight]

Not argueing

But it hasent stopped them from selling them as flashlights, as a matter of fact they are the fastest selling flashlights on the market today. the police and all rescue people are using them because of longer battery life and better visibility....and they are used so people have to look at them all the time.

Dwight P

the argument is like the one 110 years ago about horses and automobiles...its not a question of if but when...........filament envelopes are going to as archaic as beta-max players in the next 10 years.

 

[Turdle]

But it hasent stopped them from selling them as flashlights, as a matter of fact they are the fastest selling flashlights on the market today. the police and all rescue people are using them because of longer battery life and better visibility....and they are used so people have to look at them all the time.

Dwight P

the argument is like the one 110 years ago about horses and automobiles...its not a question of if but when...........filament envelopes are going to as archaic as beta-max players in the next 10 years.

Don't fet me wrong, but I worked on laser printing systems for the big X for about 13 years, and have been laser certified
These flashlights and pocket lasers all caution against looking at beam, and it is in your hand so you assume control( end of product liability), but if it attatched and controlled by a mechanical device, that is another story.
I do agree, led's are about the coolest, most efficient light source known.
I was recently looking at all of the led projects going on here and they keep adding to my project list, so yeah, I agree with you, but when will it truly be safe, cause I want 'em

 

[Pdwight]

Would never argue with you on that

I see you guys made the Laser engine used in the Fuji Frontier and the Noritsu 3000 series color photographic printers. I went to school on those and how to change out the engines.....never got to use the knowledge though.....I got downsized after Fuji hired a third party service group to handle all service.

Take care, only the future and time will tell us what will come.

Dwight P

 

[BrooklynBay]

They are already using LEDs in traffic lights in my area for a few years. They replaced all of the regular bulbs in them. I even saw an advertisement for a street light in Electrical Contractor magazine that was all LEDs. One website called WWW.CCrane.Com sells replacement LED screw in bulbs for light fixtures. They have replacements for just about every style indoor, and outdoor bulb that could screw into a fixture.

 

[justin146]

The only bad thing about the good Luxeon flashlights is their cost. I have seen heavy duty ones in the $200 range(multiple 5w LED). I got my 35watt HID flashlight off eBay for $175

 

[huskyfan23]

I hear that, though my little 1W was $45.

 

[94explorer2x4]

The only bad thing about the good Luxeon flashlights is their cost. I have seen heavy duty ones in the $200 range(multiple 5w LED). I got my 35watt HID flashlight off eBay for $175

What seller? I would like to hear more about this hid light

 

[justin146]

I dont remember the seller. Do you remember the flashlights from the first Jurrasic Park, the one they shined in the t-rex's eye? this light is very similar to them. It is basically half of a car HID kit with a smaller battery and it has a 7 inch lens.