LED headlamp lamps

[a101960]

I will try and get some better pictures later on today.  Ted - Flash that is an interesting comment 

One of my mates has been testing several LED bulbs in his headlamp.  The general finding is that they are OK round town but if you actually need to illuminate the darkness, you will end up in a ditch very shortly.  They give a pencil like beam, they really need to be designed as a whole unit, not just a bulb with an existing reflector.

Do you know what combination of LED and reflectors your mate was using? The subject of reflector/ lens orientation is a complex one. For many years I worked at Thorn Lighting as a lamp technician and we tested many different headlamp units. The best lens reflector unit was the Marchal twin reflector, twin H1/H3 lamp combination. One lamp ( H3) was vertically orientated, and the other lamp (H1) was horizontally orientated. Moving on to H4 lamps, strictly speaking H4 lamps should only be used with the custom designed H4 lens reflector unit. This gives the correct dip beam pattern that lights up the edge of the road. The filament assembly of the H4 also incorporates a shield under the dip beam to assist with focusing. In practice H4 lamps with BPF fittings in a Lucas 700 lens and reflector work reasonably well. True you do not get the same sharp cut off on dip beam as you would with the correct H4 lens assembly, but it is practical to use this combination. Automotive lamps are all focused from the flange and this achieved by mounting the lamp in a shadowgraph and then manipulating the lamp capsule before fixing the flange in place (well that is how Thorn Lighting used to do it). As far as my LED lamp is concerned the beams are focused in much the same way as an H4 lamp. The dip beam is from a light source on top of the lamp unit, and directed to the top of the reflector.  The light is reflected downwards in the same way as the H4 dip beam operates. There is a second light source on the underside. Both light sources are lit for main beam. In this instance the whole of the reflector is lit.
John

[a101960]

As an update on this topic here are a couple of new pictures showing the dip/main led beam pattern. By the way, the bike passed its MOT with the led lamp fitted.
John

[The Artful Bodger]

I'll just add my two peneth worth here. I've just bought one of these (from the link here) and have just got back from a ride down the lanes. My Ariel is 6V pos earth and the improvement is 100 fold! A very white light which lights up the sides of the road as well as up ahead, not as efficient as the 12V halogen in my Suzuki but a vast improvement from the standard bulb and a 6V halogen.
  My "lowest charging speed" in 4th had dropped from 35 mph. to 27 mph. I've just ordered a LED stop / tail bulb from them so hopefully this charge speed might drop a little more as well as saving battery power stopped at the lights etc.
 The price for the headlight bulb ain't cheap and I don't like wasting money, however I consider this money well spent.
Colin

[WozzA]

    if all else fails...   

[BSA500]

Maybe a stupid question how do you wire in the h4 replacement led bulb. It shows on the website with a two pin plug and no third wire(earth?). And the heat pads where/how do they fit??.

[a101960]

Maybe a stupid question how do you wire in the h4 replacement led bulb.

Below is an image of the correct H4 pin out. Can you give a link to the website to clarify things?

[BSA500]

They are on the link you posted in your first post http://www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com/led-headlamp-bulbs-shop.php . I have the halogen H4 fitted already but the led replcements only have a two pin plug?

[a101960]

I have tried to copy and save an enlarged image of the LED H4 replacement lamps but for some reason I am unable to do so. However, if you enlarge the image on the website and study it closely, you will see that what looks like a two pin connector is actually a three pin connector. Due to the angle that the lamps were photographed at, the third pin is almost completely masked. You can see this more clearly on the left hand  side  connecter  ( relatively speaking) but if you look hard you can just about discern the third pin on the right hand connecter. Hope this helps. The image presentation is not very well thought out I must say. But, those connecters are three pin, trust me! Click on the website image to enlarge it, and look very closely, and you will be able to see that they are three pin connecters
John

[Greybeard]

Is this the image?

[a101960]

Is this the image?

Yes, that's it. Well done Graybeard my man. No idea why I could not copy it. Anyway the job's a goodun, and thanks to Graybeard the errant third pin is now clearly visible for all to see. So, there you go BSA500, thanks to Graybeard you can see for yourself what I was on about.

[Greybeard]

I have a great tool on my computer called Zapgrab; it's very useful for grabbing part of a web page. Zapgrab is still free I think. I just found a link for you but a review there says that the current version is full of adverts and is now bloated and set off his anti-virus software so be careful.

[a101960]

I have a great tool on my computer called Zapgrab; it's very useful for grabbing part of a web page. Zapgrab is still free I think. I just found a link for you but a review there says that the current version is full of adverts and is now bloated and set off his anti-virus software so be careful.

Yeah, I just checked it out. My anti virus did not like it one bit, but thanks for the information. I have managed to edit and slightly enlarge the image to show the third pin.

[BSA500]

Brilliant picture capture and enlargement Graybeard. I can see now. Looks like in the new year I may invest in a new led headlight. I usually ride all year but as in other posts I am currently reshimming the bottom end and of course having to now get some new gaskets but I am not allowed any money till after crimble

[duTch]

 I've been following this with interest, didn't look at the link until a couple of days ago, and was confused by the leads in the picture- I thought it was for something to plug into mains power ........
....but now I see my error....it's a good concept, the Cree LED's seem the current ducks nuts (pun not much intended)

 I think this thread started about the same time as Graybeards mission of a 12v converter(?) which got me started on a different course, and also motivated by my neighbours ARB 7500 lumen spotties on his fourbie ...I tried to chase up some kind of accessory spottie to augment the lighting of darkness; to no avail, but started delving into bicycle lights which are increasingly (and irritatingly) bright. To cut it short, I found some 1800 lumen single mode Cree units on ebay, so bought some and made a module of eight (2x4), top ones for low beam, and with a diode both come on for high (dazzle).
 They are very bright, in theory 8x1800= 14,400 lumens..maybe not how it is in practice though.

 I'm still working on alignment, and figure it may not be exactly 'legal', but if I can see light in front I think I can justify it- especially when being followed by some dumbarse with mega-brights (as I will ), and I 'm swallowed up in my own Joe Lucas shadow.
 
  Having said all that these units in topic could save a lot of messing around...but not cheap plus postage

* Mine's a '52/3 with a later headlamp that doesn't have the underslung pilot, so figure the unit I've made kinda 'fits in'

     phew

[warmshed]

Looks good.  Price a bit steep.  Have a look here, £7 cheaper and you get a pair!  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-CREE-LED-60W-6400LM-Car-Headlight-6000K-H1-H3-H4-H7-H11-H13-9005-9006-9007-/252175352866?var=&hash=item3ab6d28422:m:mOcEU7VLxCND_ALXn8GPc0A so a lot less than half price.