Has anyone installed LED Lights by this Company they are good 6v and 12v

[Mark Gregory]

Here is the link

 

https://youtu.be/FA_9u2kWMNk

Edited January 5, 2020 by Mark Gregory (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

If they work well, they'd be awesome. For $30 each, why not give them a try and let us know? I'd be eager to see if there's an LED alternative--that would eliminate all these guys who feel like they need to upgrade to 12 volts and alternators to make brighter headlights. Most LEDs don't work well with the reflector design, but these look different than most so maybe they're designed to work with the reflectors in old cars. I use LEDs everywhere else and while I like the yellow light of an incandescent bulb in an old car, the improved lighting with reduced amperage draw would be a big plus.

[ply33]

The look identical to the Ba15 LED "bulb" offered by Classic and Vintage Bulbs in Australia. I've been running 25 watt quartz-halogen bulbs from Classic and Vintage Bulbs in my '33 for quite a few years now and have been pleased with them. I'd emailed C&V Bulbs a while back to see if I could order their LED version or if they now had a US distributor. I haven't received an answer yet.

 

Since these look to be the same exact device, I may well order a couple. My biggest concern is that it seems unlikely, despite the wording on Logo Lites webpage, is that they focus very well. The LEDs are not a point source like an incandescent or quartz-halogen so I don't understand how the optics could work. But, as Matt mentioned "why not give them a try"? I think I will.

Edited January 5, 2020 by ply33
Clarify syntax (see edit history)

[29 franklin]

I put these on my 31 Franklin. I also polished the reflectors with simichrome at the same time. What a difference. Nice bright white light, can see much farther and people can see me better. I would definitely recommend them .Reduced amp draw is a plus My car is 6 volt positive ground . No problems. 

[ply33]

Follow up on my previous post: I've ordered a pair of these "bulbs". When they come in I'll take photos of the beam patterns with some #1000 bulbs, my current 25 watt quartz-halogen bulbs and with these new LED units. I am not sure how applicable this information would be for other vintage headlight assemblies, but suspect the results I get would be similar to that for most other makes/models from that era.

[Bloo]

I'd love to see it.

 

Logo Lites only list a 1000 type bulb, but if Classic and Vintage is the real source, I have noticed that they list a prefocus (2320, 2330, 2530 etc.) version. I have my doubts about focus, as it is nearly impossible to get the light spots in the right place and still heatsink an LED, but these bulbs sure look closer than anything else I have seen.

Edited January 5, 2020 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Jon37]

I bought my LED lights at Classic Dynamo and Regulator Conversions Ltd., http://www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com/online-shop-for-led-bulbs-and-light-boards-etc.php . 

 

I purchased dual-filament taillight lamps, single-filament front turnsignal lamps, instrument lamps, a license plate lamp and (pre-1940 style) prefocus headlamps -- 9 lamps and one electronic turnsignal flasher.  This was in March, 2019.  Total was $171.96 including shipping from England.

 

All lamps fit the original 1937 sockets.  My car is 6-volt, positive ground.  The vendor advises using only LED-style bulbs on the same circuit, and not mixing them with incandescent or halogen lamps on the same circuit.

 

My impression is that the lamps are brighter (especially the instrument lamps and headlamps).  I am generally very happy, with one caution: when I hit the high beam switch, the headlights don't seem to extend down the road, they simply illuminate a wider diameter (lighting up the undersides of tree limbs hanging over the highway, for example).  This may be the one problem of LED's: that they don't have a pinpoint filament like incandescent or halogen lamps, as was noted by one forum member, above.  But, possibly others have had better luck with high beam LED's.

[Guest]

On 1/5/2020 at 10:50 AM, Jon37 said:

I am generally very happy, with one caution: when I hit the high beam switch, the headlights don't seem to extend down the road, they simply illuminate a wider diameter (lighting up the undersides of tree limbs hanging over the highway, for example).  This may be the one problem of LED's: that they don't have a pinpoint filament like incandescent or halogen lamps, as was noted by one forum member, above.  But, possibly others have had better luck with high beam LED's.

I found the same thing so I went back to 1109 bulbs 50/32 cp.  With these rather than the original 1000 bulbs 32/32 cp I find that I can safely stop within within the range of my headlights at 55 mph.

[ply33]

1 hour ago, Tinindian said:

I found the same thing so I went back to 1109 bulbs 50/32 cp.  With these rather than the original 1000 bulbs 32/32 cp I find that I can safely stop within within the range of my headlights at 55 mph.

My reasoning when I got my 25w 6v quartz-halogen bulbs was that they drew about the same power as the #1000 32/32cp bulbs but put out as much light as the 50/32 bulbs. I figured it wouldn’t tax my generator, wiring and, especially, vintage headlight switch as much as the 50cp incandescent bulbs. My headlights aren’t bad but they are definitely less effective than headlights on late model cars.

 

 If these LEDs work it will be great. I’ve got the tracking number, just a little wait now.

[maok]

6 minutes ago, ply33 said:

My reasoning when I got my 25w 6v quartz-halogen bulbs was that they drew about the same power as the #1000 32/32cp bulbs but put out as much light as the 50/32 bulbs. I figured it wouldn’t tax my generator, wiring and, especially, vintage headlight switch as much as the 50cp incandescent bulbs. My headlights aren’t bad but they are definitely less effective than headlights on late model cars.

 

 If these LEDs work it will be great. I’ve got the tracking number, just a little wait now.

 

They work well, I'm using them on my '28 Chrysler. I have the older version without all that heatsink on the LED>

[ply33]

Well, I have received the LED lamps and think I have some debugging to do. . .

 

First off, the beam is not as focused as the original incandescent or my current quartz-halogen bulbs. I expected that from looking at the photo of the unit. And the beam center does not change up and down the same way as those either. Those issues may or may not be a killer problem which I'll examine more closely in a bit.

 

The big problem at present is the high/low beam doesn't work properly. I am guessing that the LED units sense which contact has power and decide which mode (high or low) to go into and that maybe a ground or other electrical issue can trick them. Or maybe the contacts on my lamp sockets are dodgy and the high beam contact on the lamp is touching the low beam contact on the socket. One lamp flashes into what I think is high beam occasionally while on low. The other flickers high beam continuously. This is unacceptable and I will try to chase it down.

 

But the flickering bulb, with the lens removed from the headlight assembly, showed me what the LED is trying to do. The overall pattern for low beam casts light in an odd pattern rather than a spot or point with more light to the bottom than top. The high beam doesn't move the pattern up like on the incandescent or quartz-halogen but rather fills in the top center a bit more. I am not sure how this will pan out with respect to dazzling on coming drivers but it seems a bit dodgy.

 

But with the lamps flickering or going into high beam intermittently while low beam is powered I think it is unsafe to drive with them. I've got some other engagements over the next couple of days but when I have time I'll try to chase down whats happening. It may well be a socket problem or grounding issue on my car rather than a design or manufacturing issue and I'd like to rule that out before calling the product defective.

 

One thing I can say is they put out a lot of light. If I can get the flickering/intermittent high beam when low is powered fixed and assure myself that the focus and aiming won't blind on coming drivers, lack of lumens shouldn't be a problem.

[Mark Shaw]

The latest HCCA Gazette has an excellent article on LED bulbs for cars with original gas lamps.

[Jon37]

I thought I'd revive this discussion, to see if anyone has additional input on LED headlamps focusing correctly and projecting their high beam down the road.

A friend of mine said, this morning, that he'd un-soldered the upper portion of his LED headlamp from the base, made some adjustments, and re-soldered, thus improving on the high beam focus.  I don't know any details and have not yet visited him to observe the results of his adjustments.

My hope is that the second generation of these antique car retro-fit LED headlamps will have improved pinpoint focus.

[gregleck]

I found a 3000K LED bulb which produces a warmer, slightly yellow colored light, as opposed to the blinding white 6000K bulbs which are out there.  I've heard many of the complaints about bright oncoming lights actually are because these 6000K lights are more likely to blind drivers.

 

The bulb I decided to use has eight LEDs on two sides; two rows of 4..  On low beam, the row on each side closer to the top of the bulb lights up.  On high beam, both rows of four light up.  They were designed for the Ford Model A and are simply plug and play.  They have a BA15d base.

 

Quote

The big problem at present is the high/low beam doesn't work properly. I am guessing that the LED units sense which contact has power and decide which mode (high or low) to go into and that maybe a ground or other electrical issue can trick them. Or maybe the contacts on my lamp sockets are dodgy and the high beam contact on the lamp is touching the low beam contact on the socket. One lamp flashes into what I think is high beam occasionally while on low. The other flickers high beam continuously.

 

In my case, I had the same problems as above - one headlight worked fine, the other was erratic.   On the second socket, it will work, but commonly illuminates high beam only.  If it does happen to illuminate the low beam, after it is switched by dimmer switch to high beam it remains, there, and does not return to low beam when the lights are switched back to low beam.  Other times, when low beam is activated, the low beam diodes illuminate but the high beam row of diodes flickers.

 

 I can also create flickering by moving the wires leading into the base, which leads me to believe there is a short in the socket.

 

When I switch light bulbs, the problem is created in the same socket, so it is not a problem with the bulbs.

 

I don't see how the socket can be disassembled, so now I am stuck waiting for mail order.  Went to two auto part stores.  Was told I need a specific model year and make (Mine is a custom) and one counterman told me he never saw such a socket in his life.

 

Things sure have changed since I was a kid...

 

 

 

 

[oldford]

I put these on my Model A and never looked back. Much better light and I can see down the road very well. The LED headlight discussion crops up on just about every old car forum that I frequent and there is always someone who say that the light isn't focused properly, or something similar. While I can't say if my beams are properly focused, I can say that now I can see the road far enough ahead that I can do more than 15 mph at night. I don't always drive at night, but when I get stuck on the road after dark, I can at least see where I am going and not be a danger to either myself or others...

 

Frank

[gregleck]

1 hour ago, oldford said:

I don't always drive at night, but when I get stuck on the road after dark, I can at least see where I am going and not be a danger to either myself or others...

Exactly.

 

Am waiting for new BA15d socket to arrive.  Hopefully that will solve the problem.