Under Hood Lighting

[GOLDCYLON]

Originally Posted by LancePearson

Just out of curiosity how are these better than the six led lights you can buy on Ebay for each bayonet bulb for $15 a pair? Different current draw? these are advertised as drop in replacements with 5,000 kelvin color white lights and fairly bright. The guy sells lots of leds for interior applications as well. On ebay. I may try a set just to see how they work as they are pretty inexpensive. I have led's under my kitchen counters at home and love them.

What's the difference?

Lance Pearson

Lance it looks like a whole lot more LEDs (Real leds mind you) vs the mini led bayonet style dots. I have to say way more light for one. However I am sure Scott can tell you the difference. GC

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Hey Scott,

I'm in for 2 completed assemblies. PM sent as instructed.

Mahalo for offering this up.

Craig

[mrmojo1111]

2 assemblies for me please. PM submitted.

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Hey Scott,

Sent you a PM to double my order to 4 assembled sets. A Z brother here in Japan wants to jump in on this and I will be the buyer for ease of shipping and everything else.

Thank you.

Craig

[PhillipsLT5]

PM sent

[ScottZ95ZR1]

I'm also in for two assembled units and have sent you an email, Scott.

[GOLDCYLON]

Im still in...... GC

[scottfab]

I've been doing some homework.

TESTING
I've tested the 24LED assembly in these areas:
1. Life test. (on 24-7 for two weeks)
2. Temp test (in the oven up to 250deg. The parts are spec'd at 203deg)
3. Vibration (on the end of a grinder with an off centered disk)
4. Shock (I've dropped them repeatedly 30 times)
5. I'd like to do a humidity test but don't have a humidity chamber.

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
1. I've purchased and studied the two best competitors to this 24LED design.
2. I've compared the amount of light
3. I've compared the power needed
4. I've compared the light temperature (color of light)

here are some of the findings:


FYI - I ordered four of the above 6-LEDs and picked the brightest for comparing.
I did a comparison of the above 6-LED light to the 24LED lamp I'm assembling. The below pic was taken at 12in away at both lamps using the same 12V supply. Surprisingly the 6LEDs use more current (95ma) than the 24LEDs (40ma). That was kinda unexpected. You'd thing "more LEDs" more current. Not so. The reason for this I won't go into here. What the pic bellow does not show in a measured way is how bright each is. I use a digital camera in "auto" mode to see what it would do to the exposure time if the F-stop was held constant. I took a picture of each unit separately. Well as you'd expect the exposure was four times longer with the 6 vs 24 LEDs indicating 4X brighter.



There is an OEM company called CREE. They have a new line of LED product called High-Brightness LEDs that I have been looking at.
These could end up being another 4 times brighter than the current 24LEDs that I'm planning to use. (that would be 16X brighter than the 6LED set. How bright is bright enough. Don't know. How much HP is enough ?
I think the LT5 deserves an "LT5" level of light

On a related note. I've made a few discoveries about the mercury switch assembly that might interest some of you.

Turns out the switches can be activated under breaking. That is, if your underhood lights are stock (no switch and fuse in) and you use you breaks reasonably hard the mercury floats forward enabling the underhood lights !
Interesting no? I'd sure like to talk to that designer.
Anyway, there's more work to do here related to unexpected dead batteries. TBD
Sorry for the longgggg post.

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Originally Posted by scottfab

I've been doing some homework.

TESTING
I've tested the 24LED assembly in these areas:
1. Life test. (on 24-7 for two weeks)
2. Temp test (in the oven up to 250deg. The parts are spec'd at 203deg)
3. Vibration (on the end of a grinder with an off centered disk)
4. Shock (I've dropped them repeatedly 30 times)

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
1. I've purchased and studied the two best competitors to this 24LED design.
2. I've compared the amount of light
3. I've compared the power needed
4. I've compared the light temperature (color of light)

here are some of the findings:


FYI - I ordered four of the above 6-LEDs and picked the brightest for comparing.
I did a comparison of the above 6-LED light to the 24LED lamp I'm assembling. The below pic was taken at 12in away at both lamps using the same 12V supply. Surprisingly the 6LEDs use more current (95ma) than the 24LEDs (40ma). That was kinda unexpected. You'd thing "more LEDs" more current. Not so. The reason for this I won't go into here. What the pic bellow does not show in a measured way is how bright each is. I use a digital camera in "auto" mode to see what it would do to the exposure time if the F-stop was held constant. I took a picture of each unit separately. Well as you'd expect the exposure was four times longer with the 6 vs 24 LEDs indicating 4X brighter.



There is an OEM company called CREE. They have a new line of LED product called High-Brightness LEDs that I have been looking at.
These could end up being another 4 times brighter than the current 24LEDs that I'm planning to use. (that would be 16X brighter than the 6LED set. How bright is bright enough. Don't know. How much HP is enough ?
I think the LT5 deserves an "LT5" level of light

On a related note. I've made a few discoveries about the mercury switch assembly that might interest some of you.

Turns out the switches cam be activated under breaking. That is, if your underhood lights in stock and you use you breaks reasonably hard the mercury floats forward enabling the underhood lights !
Interesting no? I'd sure like to talk to that designer.
Anyway, there's more work to do here related to unexpected dead batteries. TBD
Sorry for the longgggg post.

Thanks for the comparative analysis. I also wondered about those mercury switches and heard that they are the reason for dead batteries at times on these cars. I bought new mecury switches recently, but what thoughts to you have to bypass these since I already have my power switched with Gordon Killebrew switch on my inner fender? Maybe just a simple fuse in place if possible? Thanks for your thoughts. Craig

[scottfab]

Originally Posted by HAWAIIZR-1

Thanks for the comparative analysis. I also wondered about those mecury switches and heard that they are the reason for dead batteries at times on these cars. I bought new mecury switches recently, but what thoughts to you have to bypass these since I already have my power switched with Gordon Killebrew switch on my inner fender? Maybe just a simple fuse in place if possible? Thanks for your thoughts. Craig

Yes, exactly. If that mercury bubble partially sticks in place on the contacts after hard braking...... not good. My preference now, knowing what I do, would be to remove the mercury switches (actually leave them in place and come up with a jumper arrangement) then put a normally closed momentary switch in, most likely over on the passenger side on the valence there such that the hood activates it when open. I'll be putting this on my "to do" list.

Mercury itself is really toxic and has been known to be so for a long time. Recently here on the Columbia river it's been found to exist in the Salmon that run up the river. So much so the the Oregon State health organization is about to recommend a limit to the number of salmon one should eat per/yr or is it per/mo. Not sure. Anyway I digress.