How to select LED Headlight
06-07-2016, 11:52 PM
#1
F150 Forum
Thread Starter
How to select LED Headlight
Selecting which LED Headlight to upgrade to can be a difficult and confusing task. We've been manufacturing HID headlights since 2008 and was involved in LED lighting development for several years until finally releasing our first LED Headlight a year ago. The reason we were late to the market is because the technology just wasn't ready. This is a very high level and is coming from my perspective as an electrical engineer.
First, I'd group all LED lights into one of three categories. 1) LED headlights with the copper or aluminum bands for heat dissipation. They look like large rubber bands on the back of the lamp. The issue bright LEDs have in a small space is heat. The bands were a creative attempt to fix the problem because they are flexible. However, the best output you'll ever get is 2,400 lumens. 2) The next category are those with fans to cool the lamp. Any time you use a mechanical device it will always break down long before the LED and what happens when the fans stops working? You got it, the LED overheats and melts / damages the headlight lens, not good. 3) LED Headlights with traditional heat sinks which are bulky and either to large to fit or when small enough to fit don't dissipate enough heat to power the LED fully.
So what we did was implement a known cooling technology called heat pipe cooling into a traditional heat sink. What this allowed us to do is keep the size small enough to fit AND provide enough heat disapation to pump up the power to the LED to the maxium and therefore achieving the brightest light (lumens) possible.
A word on LED brightness (lumens). LEDs have a limit, you can't just increase the power and they get brighter. Once you apply the maximum power they can handle that's all you get and it's about 3,000 lumens. Anyone saying they get more is pulling your leg. We've testing dozens of LED lights that claim the output is greater than 3,000 lumens and many of them tested as low as 2,400.
Conclusion: If you want the brightest, which is 3,000, you'll have to get a LED headlight with either a fan or our micro heat pipe heat sink but a fan will break down before the LED and overheat. We've seen many melted lens housings from overheated LED lamps.
Again this is very high level but hopefully that helps frame your options.
First, I'd group all LED lights into one of three categories. 1) LED headlights with the copper or aluminum bands for heat dissipation. They look like large rubber bands on the back of the lamp. The issue bright LEDs have in a small space is heat. The bands were a creative attempt to fix the problem because they are flexible. However, the best output you'll ever get is 2,400 lumens. 2) The next category are those with fans to cool the lamp. Any time you use a mechanical device it will always break down long before the LED and what happens when the fans stops working? You got it, the LED overheats and melts / damages the headlight lens, not good. 3) LED Headlights with traditional heat sinks which are bulky and either to large to fit or when small enough to fit don't dissipate enough heat to power the LED fully.
So what we did was implement a known cooling technology called heat pipe cooling into a traditional heat sink. What this allowed us to do is keep the size small enough to fit AND provide enough heat disapation to pump up the power to the LED to the maxium and therefore achieving the brightest light (lumens) possible.
A word on LED brightness (lumens). LEDs have a limit, you can't just increase the power and they get brighter. Once you apply the maximum power they can handle that's all you get and it's about 3,000 lumens. Anyone saying they get more is pulling your leg. We've testing dozens of LED lights that claim the output is greater than 3,000 lumens and many of them tested as low as 2,400.
Conclusion: If you want the brightest, which is 3,000, you'll have to get a LED headlight with either a fan or our micro heat pipe heat sink but a fan will break down before the LED and overheat. We've seen many melted lens housings from overheated LED lamps.
Again this is very high level but hopefully that helps frame your options.
Last edited by Mod (Ret.); 06-08-2016 at 04:06 AM.
The following users liked this post:
ScubaKen (06-12-2016)
