LED Bulbs- Spiderlite

[oldopelguy]

I got the two-arm single-brightness lights and several of the large square two-brightness lights. Mounted in the Kadett housings the two settings for the square ones seem to be each just less output than what you would get from the light bulb. The bright setting is brighter than the dim setting on the regular bulb, though, as is the light output from the single-brightness lights.

Based on that, I'd say in addition to a regular light they're not a bad idea but probably not acceptable as a replacement. The exception to this would be the single-brightness ones, which seem to be brighter than the single filiment bulbs and should therefore be acceptable replacements. Pretty much the only Opel application would be the amber half of the Manta or '73 GT lights, but that's not all bad. I'll try and snap off some pictures this evening.

One other option might be to mount several of them in clusters. Since the square ones have a bulb base and about 3" of wire to the light board itself, it would be easy to splice several of them together to screw into just the one bulb socket. You could then toss about 4 of them in a solid-color GT light or the red portion of a Sportwagon or Kadett light, and in those numbers they might work all right. The square ones would also fit very well end-to-end in the GT banana lights, where 4-6 of them could install and make for a one-of-a-kind turn signal conversion.

[oldopelguy]

So even in the dark the light levels produced by these units is not up to par. My camera really isn't good enough to take pictures and show you, but the bright on the two-level LED units is only barely up to the light levels of a regular bulb's low brightness. Far inferior to the Destec lights.

The single brightness unit is decidedly inferior. The square ones will have to live in marker lights, I fear, if they're going to get used at all.

[newman27]

Originally Posted by oldopelguy I just ordered an assortment of the ones that'll fit in my Opels, the square arrays and the 2-wing lights, and we can play with them at Charlotte. I figure worst case they end-up marker lights off to the side in the Kadett light housings and I leave a regular bulb as well.

Stephen,

When you tried the Spiderlites did you match a red LED bulb to a red lens, etc? I am in the process of returning mine for credit but in an email I received from Spiderlite concerning the return process, they noted that matching the LED color to the lens color produces the best results. I ordered the Bright White and placed them in my red brake lights but now I wonder if instead of returning these I should try the red LEDs in the red lenses?

Thanks,

Matt

[oldopelguy]

I only ordered red and amber ones, I still have yet to find "white" ones I like anywhere. Even a red one in a red lense or amber in an amber was not acceptable.

The light pattern is pretty cool looking at night, despite being not very bright, so I'm going to use the amber lights in the trun signals of my motorcycle since they have clear covers. Not as bright as stock, but who ever really looks at the front turn signal on a motorcycle?

[newman27]

Originally Posted by oldopelguy I only ordered red and abmer ones, I still have yet to find "white" ones I like anywhere. Even a red one in a red lense or amber in an amber was not acceptable. The light pattern is pretty cool looking at light, despite being not very bright, so I'm going to use the amber lights in the trun signals of my motorcycle since they have clear covers. Not as bright as stock, but who ever really looks at the front turn signal on a motorcycle?

Got it - thanks for the quick reply!

[Redskinsjbs]

Originally Posted by oldopelguy I only ordered red and amber ones, I still have yet to find "white" ones I like anywhere. Even a red one in a red lens or amber in an amber was not acceptable.

I think that you need to use White LEDS in the colored lenses. If you think about it, there are a number of wavelengths of light that are being emitted by the LED. If you use a filter that filters out most wavelengths of light except for a chosen few (Like a lens) the light gets dimmer

Now visualize that the LEDs have one range of frequencies, and the lenses have a separate range; only where the two ranges overlap will the light come through the lens. This will make the light very dim.

I think that someone should try these lights with white LEDs. I can't right now because my car doesn't operate properly yet, but I think that it should work.

The bulbs in the car are not colored, so why should the LEDs be?

That is my two cents, I hope that the comment isn't on an outdated thread.

[oldopelguy]

Originally Posted by Redskinsjbs I think that you need to use White LEDS in the colored lenses. If you think about it, there are a number of wavelengths of light that are being emitted by the LED. If you use a filter that filters out most wavelengths of light except for a chosen few (Like a lens) the light gets dimmer Now visualize that the LEDs have one range of frequencies, and the lenses have a separate range; only where the two ranges overlap will the light come through the lens. This will make the light very dim. I think that someone should try these lights with white LEDs. I can't right now because my car doesn't operate properly yet, but I think that it should work. The bulbs in the car are not colored, so why should the LEDs be? That is my two cents, I hope that the comment isn't on an outdated thread.

Not outdated, but already discussed and proven wrong previously in the thread.

Let's say and LED puts out 5000 lumens of light output. If you use a red LED and filter it through a red lens you might lose 20% but you would still have 4000 lumens of light output. Now if you use a white LED nd filter it through a red lens you lose all the other wavelenths of output and would be hard pressed to get 20% through the lens, so now you only have 1000 lumens of light. All that extra light output is turned into heat, which would kill expensive LEDs, and in order to have the same light output the white LED would have to be several times brighter than the red one.

[Redskinsjbs]

Ok, makes perfect sense.
My thinking was that if the red LEDs make a specific wavelength of light that is different from the wavelength let through by the filter, then there would be nearly no light let through...

So in the picture the RED LED's spectrum doesn't overlap at all, where as a White LED would.

So here is where I can be proven wrong definitively. Is there anyone who actually tried it with white LEDs?

[traytodd]

I think you have it backwards. Use a red LED and a clear lens to avoid wavelenght mismatches. Also there is no such thing as a white LED. White LEDs are either a blue/UV led with a white phosphor or tricolor LED (3 LEDs red, green, & blue in one package). The green and blue would be filtered out by the red lens thus discarding 2/3 of the available energy.

[Redskinsjbs]

I just want someone to try it, so I guess I'll have to.

[markandson]

This whole thing about color is very interesting. When I put the DESTEC yellow led units in my rear blinkers I used red lenses. I used the red lenses because I wanted the back of my GT to look more like a Vet. When you turn on the blinkers the red lens becomes insignificant and the light appears to be yellow. In daylight it looks like the light is going red/yellow/red/yellow, came out kinda cool but I did it without realizing what the result would be.

[torito]

Hi,

I'm using those leds on my 1969 GT-AL :

2 Amber LED 1157 Car Bulbs with 45 LED's Each: 002510-042 VirtualVillage.com

They are available in different colors (amber, red, ...). I use them for front and rear lights.

Hope that helps, Bye
Torito

[newman27]

Originally Posted by Redskinsjbs I just want someone to try it, so I guess I'll have to.

Clearing up some confusion in this thread...

I had the white LEDs in my red brake lights (see this prior post with picture). When I returned the white LEDs, the customer support person told me it would have been better to use the red LEDs in a red lens. That prompted me to ask if anyone had tried this combination. Stephen then reported back that he had and that it was still unacceptable.

Matt

[Redskinsjbs]

I ordered a couple of LED strips from Oznium.com and they seem to be pretty bright. I'm thinking of having a loop like I mocked up around the edge and the stock bulb still in the middle. I figure that it, along with a red strip in the vents, will give me plenty of light.

0702092121-02 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

0702092121-02 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

0702092123-01 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

0702092123-01 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Redskinsjbs]

Here are two videos of the tail lenses with LEDs installed in the car. I kept the bulb in the light and just added a ring of LEDs to the bright circuit of each lense,

Turn signal on car! on Vimeo

Turn signal on car! on Vimeo

Brake light on car! on Vimeo

Brake light on car! on Vimeo

I'll get some better pictures when I get a real camera. These two videos were taken with my phone.

[opelenvy]

Looks good! Brake looks nice and bright.

[BQS4]

Jay;
The site shows the various lengths, how wide are the strips?


Never mind, I found it .25" wide.