Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In message , Steve Terry
wrote

Should last the life of the vehicle


The LEDs last, the control electronics don't. The LEDs will start
flashing rapidly after six months :(

--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

On 20/11/2010 18:01, Alan wrote:

The LEDs last, the control electronics don't. The LEDs will start
flashing rapidly after six months :(


I thought that was a design feature. Several manufacturers seem to be
arranging the tail lights by rapidly flashing the brake LEDs to make
them dimmer. It's obviously a cost reducing measure, and is most
obvious on such cheap cars as Audi and Bentley.

Andy
--
If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Which could be a problem on
a bright sunny day.

Illegal, too.

SteveT

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In message , Andy Champ
wrote
On 20/11/2010 18:01, Alan wrote:

The LEDs last, the control electronics don't. The LEDs will start
flashing rapidly after six months :(


I thought that was a design feature. Several manufacturers seem to be
arranging the tail lights by rapidly flashing the brake LEDs to make
them dimmer. It's obviously a cost reducing measure, and is most
obvious on such cheap cars as Audi and Bentley.

I suggest that it is the "cheap" switched mode power supply that fails.
It's not changing the mark:space ratio to dim the lights that's the
problem but the failure mechanism that causes them to flash on/off on a
1 to 2 second interval.

It's much the same as LED lights sold for household applications. With
higher power LEDs they may last 100,000 hours if you can keep the
junction temperature at 20C but no-one can and the life expectancy drops
to maybe a few thousands hours if you fit them in the average domestic
light fitting.
--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In article ,
Alan wrote:
In message , Steve Terry
wrote

Should last the life of the vehicle


The LEDs last, the control electronics don't. The LEDs will start
flashing rapidly after six months :(

The replacement ones I looked at - for low wattage side lights etc - had
merely resistors.

--
*Letting a cat out of the bag is easier than putting it back in *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

Alan wrote:

The LEDs last, the control electronics don't. The LEDs will start
flashing rapidly after six months :(

Surely the cheap after-market ones don't use electronics, do they? I'd
have thought they use resistors. Mind you, I'm happy to be proved
wrong - you live and learn.

My main concern is that you've no idea at all about how bright they
will be or whether they comply with the requirements for angle-of-view.

In fact, I'll bet my hat they don't. I reckon fitting LED replacements
for tungsten bulbs will render the car illegal. The compliant LED
light fittings used on modern cars have a totally different
construction.

SteveT

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In article ,
Steve Thackery wrote:
Alan wrote:

The LEDs last, the control electronics don't. The LEDs will start
flashing rapidly after six months :(

Surely the cheap after-market ones don't use electronics, do they? I'd
have thought they use resistors. Mind you, I'm happy to be proved
wrong - you live and learn.

My main concern is that you've no idea at all about how bright they
will be or whether they comply with the requirements for angle-of-view.

In fact, I'll bet my hat they don't. I reckon fitting LED replacements
for tungsten bulbs will render the car illegal. The compliant LED
light fittings used on modern cars have a totally different
construction.

In one. Tungsten bulbs emit a near 360 degree light. LEDs have a lens to
focus them - usually into quite a narrow beam.

Lamp units designed for tungsten have a reflector and diffuser to produce
a large area of light at the correct intensity. I've yet to come across an
LED drop in replacement that does the same.

--
*Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Lamp units designed for tungsten have a reflector and diffuser to produce
a large area of light at the correct intensity. I've yet to come across
an LED drop in replacement that does the same.

I have seen some with a cluster of LEDs, a bit like a pineapple, but
again you've just no idea how they work compared with a tungsten bulb.

As far as I know, there are no legal LED replacements for the tungsten
bulbs used in vehicles. If there were, you could be damn sure they'd
be on sale in Halfords.

SteveT

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

"Steve Thackery" wrote in message
...
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Lamp units designed for tungsten have a reflector and diffuser to produce
a large area of light at the correct intensity. I've yet to come across
an LED drop in replacement that does the same.

I have seen some with a cluster of LEDs, a bit like a pineapple, but again
you've just no idea how they work compared with a tungsten bulb.

As far as I know, there are no legal LED replacements for the tungsten
bulbs used in vehicles. If there were, you could be damn sure they'd be
on sale in Halfords.
SteveT


LED replacements may not be legal, but there's legal old cars on the
road with 6v electrics like old VW beetles who's tail lights can't be
seen 10 feet away!

So for practical use it's all relative

Steve Terry
--
Quidco cashback Sign-up Bonus of £1.25 when you signup at:
http://www.quidco.com/user/613515/55307

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In message , Steve Terry
writes
"Steve Thackery" wrote in message
...
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Lamp units designed for tungsten have a reflector and diffuser to produce
a large area of light at the correct intensity. I've yet to come across
an LED drop in replacement that does the same.

I have seen some with a cluster of LEDs, a bit like a pineapple, but again
you've just no idea how they work compared with a tungsten bulb.

As far as I know, there are no legal LED replacements for the tungsten
bulbs used in vehicles. If there were, you could be damn sure they'd be
on sale in Halfords.
SteveT


LED replacements may not be legal, but there's legal old cars on the
road with 6v electrics like old VW beetles who's tail lights can't be
seen 10 feet away!

So for practical use it's all relative

I don't know about Beetles, but my 1954 '6 volt' Ford Prefect had
excellent lights.
--
Ian