Aiming SMD headlights

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Richard Sjolund
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Re: Aiming SMD headlights

#16 Post by Richard Sjolund »

Jules Dielen wrote:Richard

come to AZ and look at what the guys at Deluxe customs did with the T5 outlaw. It would work the same way as in your wife's Audi, as long as you can live with that look.
Jules ... I do have some limits about respecting authenticity .... All I need are some bright LEDs for my parking lights ....

You did me a huge favor with the LED dash bulbs. This is you next challenge.

I'm heading your way starting on October 30 --- I'll put Ruby into storage and fly home until New Years Eve. And then I'll see you at 4till4 during January, February and March.

Richard Sjolund
Solon, (Iowa City), Iowa
1964 (September 1963 build) 356 C Coupe #215661 (Ruby Red, color:6402)
(On the 356 Registry cover- November, 2005)
Ford F150 4X4 (Winter Snow Plow)
2015 Audi A4 Quattro (Wife's car)

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John Hearn
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Re: Aiming SMD headlights

#17 Post by John Hearn »

I have seen several 356's fitted with the SMD headlights, yes the light output is very white but they do not have the control or penetration of coventional filament bulbs.
As yet I have not found a US State that has any form of annual vehicle inspection that we have in Europe.
Has anybody who has fitted these lights passed a European vehicle test? or checked them on a beam checker?
The reason you don't get flashed for badly adjusted lights is nearly all headlights in USA are not correctly set up.
I speak from many hundreds of miles of night driving in California, Oregon, Washington, Georgia...........
As somebody once said "power is nothing without control".............
KTF
John

Robin Walker
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Re: Aiming SMD headlights

#18 Post by Robin Walker »

Hi John, I fitted 6V LED headlight"bulbs" to our 1964 356C earlier this year which passed its annual MOT (Ministry of Transport) this month. I bought the bulbs from a company in UK who have an interesting website which gives lots of information about all sorts of LED bulbs for many applications. I found the amount of light emitted excellent for night time driving and fairly well controlled to give a good spread of illumination, I have symmetrical headlight lenses and standard P45t bulb mountings. The bulbs have two very small LED emitters for dip and two for main beam although the relays could be set up to have all four working together with a total current flow of only 4 amps.
It is quite a thing to have oncoming cars flash me to dip if I am a bit slow to do so. I also fitted one of their 6V LED compatible flasher units which give a steady flashing tempo whatever the load on the battery/dynamo.
Their website can be found at :- www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com
Robin Walker
1962 356B S90 Coupe. sold.
1964 356C Coupe RHD
1973 911S Coupe LHD
1983 924 coupe RHD

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John Hearn
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Re: Aiming SMD headlights

#19 Post by John Hearn »

Robin
Thanks for the link. Very good website.
A company that understands the problem of building lamps that give the correct pattern.
Not just bright white light with no control.
KTF
John

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Eric McKinley
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Re: Aiming SMD headlights

#20 Post by Eric McKinley »

Robin,

I'm sure your pleased to hear that from May 18, your 64 is no longer required to attend an MOT, unless off course you wish to voluntarily attend.

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John Hearn
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Re: Aiming SMD headlights

#21 Post by John Hearn »

Eric
Unless it has recently changed only cars built before 1960 are exempt from an MOT.
KTF
John

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Richard Sjolund
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Re: Aiming SMD headlights

#22 Post by Richard Sjolund »

I had a return phone call from Jeffrey today. Apparently I am the only person ever to return a set of SMD headlights for a refund -- the first in 1,400 sales. That is an honor! He suggested some procedures for aligning the SMD lights, and advised me that the SMDs have 3 light emitters - rather than the 2 filaments of my HD4 lights. When the "high" beams are selected the 2 "low" emitters stay on. It may take some work to find the proper alignment on cars and housings that are 50 years old. His suggestion was to find a building with a wall - put some tape at your waist height on the wall - and then back up 200 feet and adjust the beams. He also noted that the SMD lights provide a "wide" light -like driving in the daylight - rather than a narrow beam of light. He promised much better illumination of the ditches at 50 -100 feet - where the deer are about to emerge. I'm ready to do the test --- mostly because I can run with headlights 24/7 using 1 amp from my 6 volt generator. I like to do tests with my old 356 ...

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John Brooks
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Re: Aiming SMD headlights

#23 Post by John Brooks »

I put them in my car a year ago. The below link shows the aiming set up. It is similar to the B/C workshop manual. If you click the photo, to blow up the photo Fil size you can see a laser horozontal and vertical lines in red the head lamp beams.

I have a self leveling laser, with the horizontal, in the center of the head lamps on the car, and projecting on the building. He vertical line on the building is centered from the rear deck lid through the vertical rod on the rear view mirror. This is straight ahead, and the height of the headlamps.

This looks pretty good, high and low beams are fine. Put a rag one one light at a time to adjust them. But there is a upper beam that goes stright up at 75 degrees, this one lights up overhead freeway signs in daylight. I assume this is just an internal alignment inside the reflector. But road I limitation is fine.

Mine needed to be adjusted almost to the limit (upper screw is almost at the out limit). I also replaced the rubber pivots and screw bases when I put in the new SMDs.
This link shows the pattern I achieved, but does bot show the stright up beam.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42155
John Brooks

62 Roadster
66 912
84 Cab
getting pushed around in porsches since 1965

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Charles H Jacobus
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Re: Aiming SMD headlights

#24 Post by Charles H Jacobus »

Nice, John. That's 20' away from the white screen? And low beams or high beams?


ChuckJ
Current:
2012 Silver 991
1995 Midnight blue 993
1965 Red 356C

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Fond memories of 14 others (including a '63 Normal and a 61 S90) :)

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John Brooks
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Re: Aiming SMD headlights

#25 Post by John Brooks »

I think that photo is high beam, I looked for the other photos, but they have gone away. The beam spreads out in low. It does not drop. As you can see the projected light is centered up from the lamp horizontal centerline. These are adjusted just about a far down as the buckets will go. They are centered using the lower luggage rack strap square and the mirror rod as a sight. I tried to adjust the like the original bulb but the pattern is different. But they are dead ahead, just a little high. But I have only been flashed by on coming cars few times, the pair Lucas "Flame Throwers" usually respond.

The beam elevation may vary between bulbs, with the LED position inside the reflector? They go down the road and light up the centerline reflectors as far as you can see them. Reflective signs seem to also work well, especially the overhead bridge height and green on railroad bridges.
John Brooks

62 Roadster
66 912
84 Cab
getting pushed around in porsches since 1965

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