H4 LED bulbs and other LED lamps

[allojohn]

Pardon my ignorance, but besides the SH775, did you have to change anything else to go to that headlight?

No, for the H4 it is indeed plug 'n' play. It's a bit of a scrap to get the clip securing the unit in place in the headlight and then getting the headlight into the bucket but that's it.

[landshark]

No, for the H4 it is indeed plug 'n' play. It's a bit of a scrap to get the clip securing the unit in place in the headlight and then getting the headlight into the bucket but that's it.

Thanks Mate.

[landshark]

Have you got a link to that particular one?

[allojohn]

Have you got a link to that particular one?

This is the one.

Courtesy of Gatekeeper.

Tell them what machine the unit is going in - they'll make sure it fits.

[Thumper88]

I bought one on eBay for $30...same thing, just doesn't have the H4 connector.

[tkent02]

I bought one on eBay for $30...same thing, just doesn't have the H4 connector.

What did it have, bare wires? Got a link?

[Thumper88]

It's posted earlier in this topic...I can't access eBay at work...but it just has bullet terminals, otherwise the same.

[jbird7262]

If you have to replace the 3 way plug, try to find a ceramic plug designed for the heat produced at the lamp.

[Grimly]

Well, I finally shelled out and scored a cheapy Chinese LED H4 10/20W headlamp bulb and while it's not quite the same as the ADVMonster, it's actually quite reasonable for back road use.
It has a definite low beam and although the cut-off isn't all that sharp, it's defined enough to not dazzle oncoming drivers. Main beam is adequate, and on a par with the H4 halogen it replaced for total light output, but while it illuminates the far distance quite well, it lacks real centre distance punch, so I'll supplement that with the long-distance 27W group of LEDs in a 4x4" cluster of nine.
The halogen, being matched more closely to the reflector and lens, had better beam control, and this headlamp was one of the better ones of the day, being off a KZ1100, iirc. I went for reflector/lens size as my yardstick back then, and it rarely saw me wrong-footed.
Overall though, it's useable enough and gets me into the game. I'll buy another one or two or maybe more, if this one works reliably (and there's the rub, will it?) for long enough. We shall see.
Oh, it's one of these...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251940629776

[posplayr]

Well, I finally shelled out and scored a cheapy Chinese LED H4 10/20W headlamp bulb and while it's not quite the same as the ADVMonster, it's actually quite reasonable for back road use.
It has a definite low beam and although the cut-off isn't all that sharp, it's defined enough to not dazzle oncoming drivers. Main beam is adequate, and on a par with the H4 halogen it replaced for total light output, but while it illuminates the far distance quite well, it lacks real centre distance punch, so I'll supplement that with the long-distance 27W group of LEDs in a 4x4" cluster of nine.
The halogen, being matched more closely to the reflector and lens, had better beam control, and this headlamp was one of the better ones of the day, being off a KZ1100, iirc. I went for reflector/lens size as my yardstick back then, and it rarely saw me wrong-footed.
Overall though, it's useable enough and gets me into the game. I'll buy another one or two or maybe more, if this one works reliably (and there's the rub, will it?) for long enough. We shall see.
Oh, it's one of these...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251940629776

Not sure if you took the time to calculate the actual power consumption setting for the Lamp? You would have to measure current and voltage taking the product. I presume that round disk is an DC-DC convertor that maintains a fixed current level in the LED. Voltage goes up, current drops.

I have noticed that the actual power levels are usually quite a bit lower than "rated". On the Cyclops it is rated at 40W on Hi and it comes in at 32W. I bought another bulb and while it claims 18W it was actually 12W.

One thing to watch is that you do not have dirty connections. The amplifier for the Cyclopse for example woukld curent limit at about 5.2Amps even though teh max draw at 14.5V should be only about 2.2amps (32W/14.5=2.2amps).

So what can happens is if you have dirty connections to the lamp, and the voltage at the bulb is at say 10V instead of 14.5 the current will go up by 14.5/10 or 45%.

[Grimly]

Oh, yeah; good point. At the moment the connections are all clean but will be undergoing a total rip-out and replacement when the fairing goes on. I'll put an ammeter in line and see what's actually being drawn for now and see if there's any improvment to be had.

[Grimly]

Think I'll get one of these, next. The copper-braid cooled ones, direct from China.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252043255597

[OldVet66]

I like the cooling method, looks like what ADVMonster is doing with it's newer lights, more room in the back.

[Grimly]

I like the cooling method, looks like what ADVMonster is doing with it's newer lights, more room in the back.

It allows me to use a pair of 5.25" self-contained headlamp units with very tight space at the back of the bulb. Prior to this, they were sitting unused and with no great prospect of being used, on bikes with no great electrical output. Pretty much this unit (cropped off the integrated indicator that appears on later ones).

Interestingly, I notice the current earthmover headlamps are twin-bulb, with an H4 and H3 combo, which if replaced with LEDs will provide a ton of light.

[Grimly]

Finally got a pair of the newer braid-cooled H4 LEDs and they work very well with the Koito headlamp shell I fitted in the Vetter. A really nicely defined dip cut-off and a main that's very good indeed. Ignoring the BS claims about lumen output, what I can say is they're 'adequate' and then some. I would have preferred a warmer white, but they're harder to find.
I'm up for another set of these, asap.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm//272308247720