Techy terms

							Techy terms.
Our very condensed summary in layman’s terms to help you understand and compare
the specifications of ours and other products and make an informed descision. Not
100% correct for physics students but does the job for this application, apologies to
any real scientists out there!

Colour temperature.

Often mis-used as a measure of intensity. The colour temperature (usually shown in
Kelvin) is a representation of the temperature a theoretical light source would have to
operate at to produce light of that colour. Colour temperature is a measure of colour
not brightness. Light in the higher end of the temperature range is, confusingly,
described as cooler. The chart shows a representation of this…




Rule of thumb…

Candle 1500K
Domestic 40W bulb 2500K
Conventional halogen headlamps 3-3500K
PIAA Super White halogen 4000K
HID lamps run up to 6000K
Our LEDs run at 6000K

Lumens

The Lumen is a unit used to measure the total amount of visible light emitted from a
light source. It should be noted that the perceived brightness and range of a light’s
output in service also depends on how that light is focused by reflectors or other
optical means. Our LED light bars offer an intense white light over a broad spread
ideal for offroad applications. For long distance high speed driving applications a high
power halogen or HID will be more suitable.


Rule of thumb…

Standard 55W automotive H7 bulb up to 1650 Lumen
35W HID 3-3500 Lumen
72W LED array 4500 lumen
Watts

What? No, but seriously, in lighting terms the Watt is also a misused and
misunderstood unit of measure. The Watt is a measure of power consumption, not of
light output. Light sources using different technologies produce different amounts of
visible light per Watt, so the Wattage of a lamp cannot be used as a reliable way of
comparing light output.

Volts

A single volt is defined as the difference in electric potential across a wire when an
electric current of one ampere dissipates one watt of power. It is also equal to the
potential difference between two points 1 meter apart in an electric field of 1 newton
coulomb. Additionally, it is the potential difference between two points that will
impart one joule of energy per coulomb of charge that passes….. blah blah….
All you need to know is a standard 12 volt automotive electrical system runs at
around 14 volts with the engine running, 24 volt truck and some other heavy duty
applications run at 28 volts.
Halogen and HID lamps are specific to 12 or 24 volt systems. Our LED light bars will
operate at any voltage from 10-30V

Amps

The Amp (short for Ampere) is an important one. It is basically the measure of
electrical current flowing through a circuit. When installing your light bar, ensure
your wiring, switches, relays and, most importantly, fuse are rated sufficiently for the
application.

IP67

The IP Code is an international standard that classifies and rates the degrees of
protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects (including body parts like
hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water in electrical enclosures.

In a nutshell, IP67 means the housing, when correctly assembled and installed in
laboratory conditions, is totally dust tight, and will stand immersion in water at a
depth of 1 metre for 30 minutes. Please note that although our units are rated to IP67
in lab conditions, you should still protect them from water whenever possible,
submarine commanders should shop elsewhere!

LED vs. HID or Halogen

Our LED light bars are at the forefront of technology currently available for
aftermarket automotive lighting applications. The sleek, low level design offers a
compact and powerful alternative to conventional light sources. LED lighting
provides instantaneous pure white light over a wide spread and medium range. We
consider these characteristics ideal for offroad driving applications. Their efficient
operation produces relatively little heat. The LED arrays have a service life of up to
20000 hours compared with a standard 55W H7 at 500-1000 and a 35W HID at 3000-
5000 hours.