Illuminator 9 inch driving lights (4wd Supacentre)

[Merts]

Just had a look at the new Light force Hid/led HT230, wholly molly they are spectacular. 70whid with surround of 40wled but at $800 a light & a dual switch install $1900 all up I will admire them on the showroom floor not on my Tri

There is a pair of them mounted on the brand new ARB Summit bar on my MQ. Impatiently waiting for the rest of the work to be completed so I can try them out.

The LED output is 80w per light btw. 20 x 4 watt Lumileds.

[revolutiontriton]

Just bought a pair + wiring harness for $249 delivered.

Now we wait.

when i get some i shall post up a few pictures and my thoughts. They have a 30 day money back guarantee, so i guess if i think they are a heap of $h!T i can just return them.

Cool, keen to hear the review

[NowForThe5th]

What I can say is that next week I'll be visiting a number of factories that make lights like this. I guess I'm wondering, right now, how they'll take a request to do some testing with a hammer and a bucket of water.

Actually spent some time last Tuesday in the factory that makes these........and anything else you want copied.

I did ask to see impact tests which they flat out refused and they politely declined water tests despite their claimed IP ratings. Make of that what you will, but I won't be placing any orders there.

Does that mean your off the fyrlyt train ?

Nope. PMMA, otherwise known as acrylic, lenses for a start will tell you a lot about quality. The Fyrlyts might cost twice as much but I won't have to replace the whole light the first time it cops a hit from a stone. Sometimes a cheap buying price really is false economy.

[revolutiontriton]

What I can say is that next week I'll be visiting a number of factories that make lights like this. I guess I'm wondering, right now, how they'll take a request to do some testing with a hammer and a bucket of water.

Actually spent some time last Tuesday in the factory that makes these........and anything else you want copied.

I did ask to see impact tests which they flat out refused and they politely declined water tests despite their claimed IP ratings. Make of that what you will, but I won't be placing any orders there.

Does that mean your off the fyrlyt train ?

Nope. PMMA, otherwise known as acrylic, lenses for a start will tell you a lot about quality. The Fyrlyts might cost twice as much but I won't have to replace the whole light the first time it cops a hit from a stone. Sometimes a cheap buying price really is false economy.

Mind if i ask what you do for a quid bud??

[ag9111]

Light whore

[hvac guy]

What I can say is that next week I'll be visiting a number of factories that make lights like this. I guess I'm wondering, right now, how they'll take a request to do some testing with a hammer and a bucket of water.

Actually spent some time last Tuesday in the factory that makes these........and anything else you want copied.

I did ask to see impact tests which they flat out refused and they politely declined water tests despite their claimed IP ratings. Make of that what you will, but I won't be placing any orders there.

Does that mean your off the fyrlyt train ?

Nope. PMMA, otherwise known as acrylic, lenses for a start will tell you a lot about quality. The Fyrlyts might cost twice as much but I won't have to replace the whole light the first time it cops a hit from a stone. Sometimes a cheap buying price really is false economy.

Mind if i ask what you do for a quid bud??

Tin tapper

[NowForThe5th]

Mind if i ask what you do for a quid bud??

I think it's well enough known here that if I say what I do it won't be seen as advertising. I have a shop which does automotive paint repairs and lighting upgrades and retrofits.

[revolutiontriton]

Nice mates you got there hahahahaha
So an automotive collision technician of sorts lol... Cool, I was thinking like r&d for a lighting company or something.

I think we're on the same page when it comes to these knock offs but I'm keen to see what the report on these are.

[Cowboy Dave]

Garth was close when he said light whore though. Chris in on all the lighting forums and imports pretty decent HID gear and does some custom retrofits that are pretty flash. Once he starts talking about the technical stuff my eyes glaze over and I lose the power of speech, but it sounds like he knows what he's on about. That and he's currently visiting some of the main factories that sell this gear into Australia. Nothing like going to the source to get the full story I reckon.

[revolutiontriton]

What's the story maxiy??
Got these wired up yet, still waiting to hear the verdict? There not broken already are they

[Maxiy]

What's the story maxiy??
Got these wired up yet, still waiting to hear the verdict? There not broken already are they

still bloody waiting to get the lights hahaha. all wiring is done, just need the lights.

called them yesterday actually, they said they bulk order, next shipment due in next week. soooooo fingers crossed next weekend i will have them up and running.

[viking shippy]

I bought similar LEDs a few years back they cost me a bit..I didn't like them at all ...bloody bright was all they had going for Em..the colour was very harsh too ...(very tiring) they didn't differentiate between colours and the scary bit is they cause night blindness as they are way to bright...a white /blue..dipping your lights for oncoming traffic is interesting to say the least.... I now have a set of Fyrlyts...they are kind on your eyes and show colours well and work reasonable in light rain and fog they have a red spectrum being halogens...and are very bright just a different colour..I think if the new generation of lights don't end up available in warm white...they will go the way of the hyclone and the fuzzy dice......stop press i have warm white LEDs all over my truck no harsh blue to bee seen...cool white does funny shit to my eyes...


------------------------
Cheers VS
I don't miss my old

[ag9111]

Well said VS.
I'm not a fan of LEDs for all the reasons you list. Once technology allows more focus of the LED beam for more distance, and they warm up the beam, them they will be a decent alternative to halogens.
The night blindness is caused by the short range wall of light that the LED's produce. A massive amount of light in close that causes your eyes to contract. Dip your lights, instant night blindness.
The more expensive units are better at long range penetration.
I have a light bar on my ute, that was on it when I bought it. I have it switched off most of the time and when I do my next big outback trip I will be changing it out for halogens.

[snowman]

FYRLYT's FTW

[NowForThe5th]

Once technology allows more focus of the LED beam for more distance, and they warm up the beam, them they will be a decent alternative to halogens.

Agree, and also with VS and Snowie.

The problem is that an LED only emits light in a forwards direction while the performance, in terms of long range, comes from a reflector that focusses light from behind the focal point as well as in front. I've used the lighthouse analogy before but it is so apt. A beam of light to the horizon and beyond from a relatively small light source, all the work being done by the reflector.

This diagram really shows the effect:


The cost of the optics necessary to control the output from an LED is prohibitive at the moment, but combinations of reflector and collimating lens (as used in a laser) are starting to appear in headlight replacements from the better manufacturers, so there is hope yet. Doing this on a light bar or multi-LED driving light would be crazy expensive given the precision necessary. What I predict is that we may see the emergence of smaller lights, 2"-3" diameter with a single LED rear firing into a reflector, the output from which is then corrected by a lens. Possibly clusters of these in a driving light sized format. Even now the new 10W LEDs would do, but for needing some very clever heat management.

Some LED driving light manufacturers are starting to make claims in the 1000m range but largely they're doing so with ridiculous wattages. Saw some recently that are 370 watts per light. That's crazy when you could have the same distance performance from a 100W halogen or a 35W HID. For now, IMHO, the LEDs are great as short range floods, perfect for night off road work but don't really compete on the highway where you need light 600/800/1000m away, not flooded immediately in front of you.

Just as a matter of interest, I was at the factory that makes these lights (Illuminator 9") while in China recently. Technically, they're nothing special and component quality is, IMHO, fairly ordinary. Can't say too much other than that the deals that 4WD Supacentre are offering are pretty good. Strongly recommend to anyone who buys these that you get covers that will prevent stone damage and shade from UV. Also remove them before doing any water crossings.

[Maxiy]

Yeah expectations for the lights are low. From everything i have seen of them, they are floods for lack of a better description. 95% of my driving is in Canberra, so hardly ever use high beam, let alone a driving light.

i started looking at lights after a recent night 4x4 trip, and finding out that stock lights just don't cut it when trying to 4x4 at night. Mainly got these to shed some light (excuse the pun) on them for other users. They are cheap, so were in my price range at the time, and could potentially be filling a niche sector of the market (people on a budget, with very low usage expectations i.e. myself).

anyway we shall see what they are like, will be good info for others on here anyway, as the only info i have found so far on them, is just regurgitated market crap from 4wd supacentre re-badged as USER REVIEWS

i see this going 2 ways,

1: They are either crap, and have all the flaws that previous posts have pointed out, in which case no harm done (they cost me $250 for the pair and a wiring harness) AND i can then warn people to not waste their time

or

2: They are of moderate quality, provide the light i currently lack on my 4x4, and perform the function i'm currently looking for, until i have the coin (and have got a few other mods out of the way ) to upgrade to some decent lights which will set me upf for the rest of thhe life of the vehicle.

hoping for the second point to be the case, kinda think the first is more likely though

[ag9111]

I think it will be the 2nd

[revolutiontriton]

Yep I agree, hell I'd spend 250 on em if it meant I could get out at night and have some fun
Least you can get out there and bank some coin for fyrlyts or similar later on!!

And I was under the impression that led don't produce the... (excuse lack of knowledge) colour wave?? That the eye needs to render colours naturally and distinctively, I believe it's red isn't it... My understanding was the reason these new halogens are "so good" is not necessarily the amount of light they produce but the quality of it making it seem a far superior light..?

Either way I'm still keen to hear the review!

[viking shippy]

For me I needed distance and kind on the eyes colour...
LEDs and hids after a few hours of driving made my eyes sting and go blury...ending in night blindness and a headaches....
The whole exercise of arb hids and LEDs ...cost me a bomb and Fyrlyts cost 1/3 of that...mmmm I wish I didn't get caught up in the hype to be honest and stick with what I know....
My 12v fyrlyts are good for 800mtrs down my street.


------------------------
Cheers VS
I don't miss my old

[NowForThe5th]

Yep I agree, hell I'd spend 250 on em if it meant I could get out at night and have some fun
Least you can get out there and bank some coin for fyrlyts or similar later on!!

And I was under the impression that led don't produce the... (excuse lack of knowledge) colour wave?? That the eye needs to render colours naturally and distinctively, I believe it's red isn't it... My understanding was the reason these new halogens are "so good" is not necessarily the amount of light they produce but the quality of it making it seem a far superior light..?

Either way I'm still keen to hear the review!

You can get a set of Fyrlyts for around $550 or halogen Hellas for less. So, if maxiy decides that the LEDs aren't suitable then buys Fyrlyts it's cost him $800. I'm not sure I see the logic or sense in this, as Shippy notes, but too late now.

Your understanding is essentially correct. Here are some diagrams that show the colour spectrum for different lights, compared to daylight:

daylight-vs_incan_vs_halogen_spectrum.png

metal_halide_spectrum.png

You'll see that daylight is relatively balanced while tungsten lacks some blue. Halogen restores some blue but still remains a little short.

The second diagram shows the spectrum for metal halide which isn't quite the same as HID, but close enough. There is more blue here but a lack at the other end.

What I do is mix the two. I have HID high beams and halogen driving lights. The combination gives me something that's much closer to daylight than either type individually. Better colour rendering and a slightly softer, more comfortable light than most of the LEDs which, at 6500K, tend towards the blue end.

The photographers on the forum will understand colour rendering. It's getting your lighting right so that colours appear natural.

The "new" halogens have been around for close to 20 years. Lightforce pioneered the automotive use of a special Osram bulb and Fyrlyt took that a step further by upping the wattage, and therefore output, combined with a reflector that gave much more spread than the laser-like Lightforce lights.

If I had a truck I'd seriously consider Hella lights. Some of their Ref50 models have outstanding beam patterns. But their lack of waterproofing makes them useless for a 4WD that does even the occasional water crossing so the best currently available is the Fyrlyt which really needs some work on the optics to flatten the beam a little, reducing wastage in the treetops. With enough frontal width a set of Fyrlyts together with a set of Lightforce 240s would be pretty awesome too, especially if the 240s were HID. Never going to happen on a Triton, of course, but the Pajero, with its much bigger headlights lends itself to a dramatic rebuild that I've been working on for a while and will give me that combination.

I've digressed a bit OT here, but maxiy, since you're in Canberra, we should meet up one dark night and do a bit of a comparison of these new lights of yours. Some pictures would give the members here some useful information on how they go in the real world.

[Maxiy]

[ but maxiy, since you're in Canberra, we should meet up one dark night and do a bit of a comparison of these new lights of yours. Some pictures would give the members here some useful information on how they go in the real world.

Very good idea NFTF. I literally have NO idea about the technics and engineering behind lights, so would be good to get someone with the knowledge to really give them a look over.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

[revolutiontriton]

Very interesting NFTF, and sorry I was referring to the nemesis 9000, haven't actually looked at their lower spec but that price is much more affordable that's for sure.
Based on your above summary, if I was to put lights on my car I'd opt for a good quality halogen and maybe a cool white led bar. Seems that's would give a pretty good render not accounting for spread or distance.

[NowForThe5th]

Yup, that would work, too.

[Maxiy]

Lights are with the courier and on their way. fingers crossed they turn up in the next few days.

Going to the snow early sat morning so would be a good drive to test out there long trip performance (and the suggested night blindness problems)

[Maxiy]

Quick question, i got the wiring harness with the lights (shall write a review on that when i do the lights). All the connection plugs are rubbish, especially the H4 piggy back lead. So going to change the plugs out at some point. Any suggestions on where to get good quality electrical components ?