Author Topic: LED headlamp lamps  (Read 5542 times)

Offline Dean

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Re: LED headlamp lamps
« Reply #45 on: 07.12. 2015 22:18 »
Oops another senior moment. Of course its th lens not the lamp(bulb) that determines the dipped beam pattern *red*
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Offline trevinoz

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Re: LED headlamp lamps
« Reply #46 on: 08.12. 2015 20:17 »
You are wrong, Dean.

Offline Dean

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Re: LED headlamp lamps
« Reply #47 on: 08.12. 2015 20:27 »
I checked my headlamp lens today and it does not have H markings or seem to have the dipped beam cut-off. So just up or down for main/dip. But then its a replacement.
Lighting legislation is a nightmare, some is retrospective and some isn't. I ended up phoning the DoT whe restoring the Beagle as it did not come as standard with a brake light (1964). The technical experts at DoT were really helpful but sadly advised that brake-light legislation was retrospective so I'd have to fit one. No space in the tiny rear lamp to fit a combined stop tail! This wa a long time before led bulbs were available but an electronics wiz designed and array of leds that we siliconed inside the lens running off a pp9 battery stuck in the toolbox.

The legislation is, I suspect, influenced by manufacturers desire to market their technology, rather than road user needs. Hence the high tech expensove and  glaring headlamps in modern cars.

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Offline Dean

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Re: LED headlamp lamps
« Reply #48 on: 08.12. 2015 20:29 »
You are wrong, Dean.

No, its true, I do have senior moments (e.g. http://www.a7a10.net/forum/index.php?topic=10105.0) *smile*
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Offline The Artful Bodger

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Re: LED headlamp lamps
« Reply #49 on: 08.12. 2015 20:45 »
I was given a little GN 125, I suggested to my friend who was given it, that it was too cute to be left sitting outside rusting away. Next thing I knew he'd dropped it round to my house. Anyway the headlight bulb was working but black so I bought another one, it has an American pre-focus bulb. I went out after dark and it was dipping to the right, changed back to the original bulb and it dipped to the left. I bought and tried another APF bulb and that too dipped to the right.
 The original bulb has one filament horizontally across the bulb and the second one V'd over the horizontal one but in a vertical position. Both the new ones I bought have the two filaments horizontal one above the other. I phoned every stockist I could find of APF bulbs but they all had the two horizontal filaments.
  Neither of the bulbs have a deflector inside the bulb just the filaments, I ended up taking the cheapest option and changed the headlight. I did try changing the orientation of the lens and the bulb itself but only ended up with a tall narrow beam which never really pointed where it should have.
Colin

Offline Dean

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Re: LED headlamp lamps
« Reply #50 on: 08.12. 2015 21:05 »
I've done extensive research since my last post (10 mns googling) and it seems we are all right. The dipped beam may be controlled by the lens or bulb or a combination of the two depending on manufacturer, technology, or era.
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Offline trevinoz

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Re: LED headlamp lamps
« Reply #51 on: 09.12. 2015 20:53 »
But in the case of the British Pre Focus (BPF) it is solely the bulb which controls the dip direction.