Spot or Flood? (1 Viewer)

[Brentbba]

Ok, replacing my ancient PIAA halogen lights on my bumper and roof rack. I had fogs on the bumper and have already replaced that with a yet to be mounted spot (driving) LED bar.

I've currently got two sets of old flood lights up front on the rack that I'll be removing when I install my RTT. I'll be putting on two 20" slim LED bars like the one being installed on the bumper. Flood or spot (driving)? Debating the more penetrating driving style light vs flood. I'm at least hoping the driving light on the bumper will provide a little more depth penetrating light than the headlights and am thinking that driving lights on the rack may be a better way to go than flood, but I'm about 50/50 on it right now.

Thoughts, experience? Will be putting my order in soon.

 

[FJRanger]

My recommendation is go with the spot. I've one of these Lazer Star Lights 10 Watt LED Light Bar 101203 Enterprise mounted on the bumper along with 2 of their 6 inch spots. While they provide a ton of light the 100w halogen "driving light/high beams" in the Depos penetrate farther into the darkness.

My plan is to move the 6 inchers to Frank's mirror mount then add a pair of VisionX 4.5 led Light Canons to the bumper to help throw the light farther down the ranch roads when I'm in deer and elk country.

 

[Brentbba]

Have an email in to my supplier of these to see what the spot/flood combo is like. The mfg site has no information at all outside of saying the spot is 20 degrees and flood 40 degrees. I can only assume the combo has some of the LED's for each. Two of the combo bars on the roof rack would probably work as the compromise the combo is probably intended for. I can only assume if half an half, it'd be like having one flood and one spot on the rack. I'll be mounting the one spot LED bar on the ARB this weekend and will see how penetrating a pattern it really has at night. I still have the PIAA floods mounted so I can do a comparison between the old flood and the new spot!

One thing I just never liked about the flood lights on the rack was the absolute lack of depth of illumination! Really apparent on the dunes at Pismo. I could just never see out far enough to feel safe.

 

[FJRanger]

Lighting is a interesting subject and has me continuing to look for more lumens. Our current set up consists of 12 10 watt spots and 4 10 watt floods in 3 bars on the front bumper totaling 16,000 lumens. I went back and forth about mounting a bar on the roof rack and have so far decided against it for a few reasons... still not completely against it. We went with the Lazer Stars because we got an unbeatable deal and have been pleased with their performance. However, I still would like more distances and do not want to give up on LEDs yet. Hence looking into the Light Canons.

I couldn't find the info* on the VisionX bars (the Light Canons have a 10* reflector), the 24" Lazer Star I have, have 10* spots in the center and 36* floods at the end of the bars. From memory Baja Designs use a 6* spots and 42* floods. These are all in the 10 watt led flavor. 3 and 5 watt vary in reflector design from company to company as well.

*edit, called them they're 10 watt xpr & xpr-s bar are 10* reflectors. The difference between the 2 are the S version have straight mounted leds in order to push the light out farther.

Hope this helps.

 

[Brentbba]

The 20" spot bar I'm putting on the ARB is listed at 9000 lumens, so three of those would be a total of 27,000 lumens. 20 - 5W high intensity CREE LEDs. Spot, combo or flood, it's all about the style of the reflector used. IIRC the spot was 20* and flood 40*. That spot number seems pretty wide as most spot are 10* or less.

 

[Brentbba]

Ordered the combo bar for the roof rack.

 

[PabloVTA]

 

[FJRanger]

Of all the people on mud, Brent may have actually used one of those when it was considered top of the line

 

[PabloVTA]

no doubt, he probably has 6 new ones in a box under the Scout stuff somewhere...

just kidding...

 

[Brentbba]

Yep Only cool folks rock with them!

 

[Brentbba]

Ordered the combo bar for the roof rack.

Well, spot got shipped so since I was 50/50 on spot, combo or flood to begin with, I just accepted the spots. Teaser pic of all three on the front. Rack lights not hooked up to power yet. I've got the two 6" floods mounted on the sides, but not hooked up yet and no pic of them. 6" fit nicely UNDER the rack rail so they are more protected than sticking out off the side. The two 20" bars sit nicely below the roof rack to the RTT will sit just above these.

 

[Brentbba]

Need to take pics, but got the three 20" bars, the two side floods and the one rear flood I have all wired up Saturday. All I can say is WOW. The brilliant white light of the LED's is fantastic. Even with street lights in my cul de sac, these lights just illuminated the entire area!

I'd only ordered one light for the rear, but after seeing them, had to stay with two off the rear. Second one should arrive later this week.

I'll take pics and put a thread in the Lighting section. Hindsight, wish I'd taken some 'before' pics of the old halogen lights for comparison.

Southeast Overland has been great to work with on this and it's always better (for me anyway) to support a vendor here on Mud.

I also took the Diamond hatch antenna mounts off as the antenna's were going to hit the RTT when I opened the hatch. Hit Frank at YodaTeq up for a pair of his antenna mounts and they are fantastic. I used the 'innards' of the Diamond mounts on the new fixed mounts. Had to dremmel grind out the hole for the ham antenna connector and then bolt them on. These mounts from Frank are beefy and well made. Very happy with them.

 

[calixto]

Got a set of ARB Intensity Floods & Spots from the PO when I bought my truck a few months back. Gonna throw two of them on my bumper when I get it installed. Mainly using for desert roads down in Baja. Can't decide between Spots, Floods or one spot one flood. Plan to sell the two I don't use.

 

[SoCal_80]

I have two spots….if you plan to sell a single flood please let me know….