Lightbar distance and spread

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I don't have THAT light bar, but I do have a light bar that has both flood and spot elements in it. I also have driving lights.

What I can say from experience in both arenas is this: the light bar is absolutely fantastic for close-up vision, it's like daylight immediately in front of the car, and in forest trails when we're negotiating tight bends (towing or not) that amount of light is fantastic. However, the LEDs tend to throw the light outwards, it doesn't actually focus the light. It's probably because the light source itself sits at the back of the unit, and not in the locus like in a halogen light - which actually uses the reflector to get the light out.

And that's the difference - my halogen lights actually shoot the light out from the reflector, not from the halogen-encased filament - and this results in a much greater depth of light. The LEDs scatter the light, and since there's so much light it's great for short distance, but you don't get the depth. My current driving lights (IPF) cast a spot for at least a kilometre which is enough for me even on an outback highway when we're thundering along at 125km/h with the van on the back.

The LED lights give me good light up to 100m or so. The light does shine further, but since there's so much scattered light up close, the further objects are not as easy to make out because the eyes just want to see the bright stuff in front of them. This is also a challenge when dipping the lights back to low beam - the eyes take time to adjust to what is relative darkness.

My advice for making a choice between the two: use a light bar for close-up work, like forest trails, night-time 4WDing, or those narrow twisting country roads. But the outback highways, grab a pair of decent-wattage HID-specific driving lights. I say "HID-specific" because you don't want a halogen reflector with the bulb replaced by a HID bulb - the filaments aren't in exactly the same place, so while the HID does create light in the locus for casting the light forward, it also creates light around the locus, which tends to scatter it - what a waste of light.
 
i have the same experience like old Tony.

Have a Nissan x-trail with a light bar, very good light but it dosent trow it so far.

I have also have a navara with 3 hella rally 3000 lights, not so mutch light in front of the car but throws it mutch furter.


I am waiting for a 40" singel row led bar for the roof with only spot leds. hoping this will work good and make a good light:)
 
Thanks guys, I thought as much.
I know what your saying Tony about your eyes adjusting when dipping the lights.
My mate has HID's and he tells me they are too bright as the light bounces off signs.
I think I will get me some 180 Roo Lites or a set of Hella Rallye 4000 compacts.
 

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