Using LED replacements in halogen based bars, Answering questions and showing why in a video...

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

I created these 2 videos to answer the question that comes up a lot, "Can I use an LED instead of a halogen bulb in my lightbar?" The short answer is it depends... Depends on the specific reflector, LED size/style and your intended use with the lightbar. See individual bulb results along with side by side comparisons.

The first video is about a minute and a half. It is intended For those that do not care about the how or why or just want a quick answer. I made this one specifically for ELB based off feedback from others.

Although the 2nd video is about 20 minutes long, I still didn't cover all that I wanted but did hit many main points. Hopefully it answers some questions that you didn't think to ask.

Please leave a thumbs up on the video and pass it along to those you think might be interested. Would love any questions or comments you may have too.

Extended video segment time markers.
3:01, compare all bulb pattern size and brightness over varying distance.
7:30, compare the 9 LEDs side by side flashing and rotating in a 795 in a Federal Signal Jetsonic.
10:48, comparing 2 LEDs with 2 795x bulbs side by side, in a 22 Aerodynic in light and night plus a Code 3 LP6000 outdoors.
18:35, showing effects different color filters have on the LEDs.
19:50, additional info, observations and wrap up including notes on the Vision and D-Tech lightbar.

Thank you.

 

[dmathieu]

Excellent video, and in my opinion, quite convincing!

 

[JohnMarcson]

Nice video!
LEDs to replace halogens have come a long way. They appear both designed to fill reflectors and be a wide spectrum light that can be filtered through colored domes. That is a big improvement from even a few years ago.

 

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

Nice video!
LEDs to replace halogens have come a long way. They appear both designed to fill reflectors and be a wide spectrum light that can be filtered through colored domes. That is a big improvement from even a few years ago.

Thanks.
True but they still can not match the brightness in a rotator. A couple were decent in certain reflectors but we are not there yet for rotator use on the roads. Lots of factors to take into account so a simple yes or no is not a one size fits all answer.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Thanks.
True but they still can not match the brightness in a rotator. A couple were decent in certain reflectors but we are not there yet for rotator use on the roads. Lots of factors to take into account so a simple yes or no is not a one size fits all answer.

Any idea on how colors hold up, specifically bred and blue? I have always felt that LED halogen replacements were meant for clear lenses, and putting certain color temp ones behind red and blue lenses really cuts the output.

 

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

Any idea on how colors hold up, specifically bred and blue? I have always felt that LED halogen replacements were meant for clear lenses, and putting certain color temp ones behind red and blue lenses really cuts the output.

Near the end of the video I did a color test with 3 filters in a mini Excalibur. Higher color temp (bright white) will do better through blue but poor through red. The color filters are filtering out pert of the color spectrum so they are reducing the light output in the process. This can be seen in that example as the 2 bulbs (1156 and same LED for all 4 tests) put out a similar amount of clear light in the reflector. This remained with the blue but failed miserably behind red.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Near the end of the video I did a color test with 3 filters in a mini Excalibur. Higher color temp (bright white) will do better through blue but poor through red. The color filters are filtering out pert of the color spectrum so they are reducing the light output in the process. This can be seen in that example as the 2 bulbs (1156 and same LED for all 4 tests) put out a similar amount of clear light in the reflector. This remained with the blue but failed miserably behind red.

I somehow missed that, I'm rewatching now, was doing a few things at once while viewing. I think the real problem still remains putting the wrong LED behind colored domes. Halogen bulbs are wide spectrum light, LEDs are not like you said. I remember a member on here using some h1 replacements behind blue and they barely looked on.

 

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

I somehow missed that, I'm rewatching now, was doing a few things at once while viewing. I think the real problem still remains putting the wrong LED behind colored domes. Halogen bulbs are wide spectrum light, LEDs are not like you said. I remember a member on here using some h1 replacements behind blue and they barely looked on.

The video has a lot of information so that's understandable. The examples with every bulb can be easy to space out a bit but I really wanted to get the best comparison examples that I could. The last few minutes has that and some additional info. I put the timestamps in the description for those that want to rewatch or skip segments. The middle is mainly comparisons. In general, halogens do a lot better then LEDs behind different color filters. I had several other demonstrations I wanted to do or filmed and cut from the final that still cover even more. It was a fun and lengthy project that I have wanted to do for a long time. Overall I hope it shows what to look for if someone is wanting them for their specific application.

 

[JohnMarcson]

The video has a lot of information so that's understandable. The examples with every bulb can be easy to space out a bit but I really wanted to get the best comparison examples that I could. The last few minutes has that and some additional info. I put the timestamps in the description for those that want to rewatch or skip segments. The middle is mainly comparisons. In general, halogens do a lot better then LEDs behind different color filters. I had several other demonstrations I wanted to do or filmed and cut from the final that still cover even more. It was a fun and lengthy project that I have wanted to do for a long time. Overall I hope it shows what to look for if someone is wanting them for their specific application.

It certainly gives a much better idea of what the current tech provides than just my random subjective opinion on unknown brands of LEDs vs a general type of halogen. This project is really helpful.

 

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

Added a 2nd quick video. it's for those on a time budget or that just want a quick answer without the detailed explanations of how and why.

 

[Tango7]

Great video - thanks for putting that all together!

We're facing an issue with the LED replacement bulbs someone installed in our Aerodynics on our engine. They did it to reduce amperage, but they don't warn as effectively as they should.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Great video - thanks for putting that all together!

We're facing an issue with the LED replacement bulbs someone installed in our Aerodynics on our engine. They did it to reduce amperage, but they don't warn as effectively as they should.

That's why I love this video @Jennifer Rose Towing made. We need a go to link to talk people out of random retrofits. Depending on the color dome and the bulb type that swap can cripple the output. I love seeing old bars on old trucks, but if it's in service I would rather see the bar come off and go to a good home and be replaced with what they need than making a bar dangerously dim for the sake of power consumption.

On the subject of the design of LED replacements; the fact that they are meant for headlights and fog lights is very important. They are being designed around a reflector, which is better than previous attempts, but they aren't made with color filters in mind. A halogen bulb contains a broad spectrum of light and we filter out the colors we don't want. An LED may appear the same color as a halogen bulb but it may lack sufficient "amounts" of light output to be still effective when filtered by blue for example.

@Jennifer Rose Towing does a great job explaining that halogen reflector were designed for halogen bulbs, even do to the filament orientation. This is so important that a "go to" video like hers was needed badly.

 

[cabunty]

Same color bulbs behind the same color lens is the only way to deal with LED replacements.

 

[JohnMarcson]

Same color bulbs behind the same color lens is the only way to deal with LED replacements.

I agree that's by far the better choice when compared to "white" led "bulb replacements" behind colored lenses. "White" LEDs aren't full spectrum white like a halogen bulb and don't work well behind colored lenses.

But even the same color suffers in some cases more than one would think. Ohio State Highway Patrol has blue leds behind blue lenses (code 3 bars special built). I have always thought they were super dim. I had the opportunity to see one with missing lens section/cover and the LEDs aren't that dim, it's definitely the dome color. Any filter or lens is going to dim your output to some extent, but LEDs, especially blue from my experience, suffer more due to their very specific colors. Right around when the Edge LFL was evolving into the "Edge Liberty" you got a strong disclaimer about putting the LED portions behind colored lenses. I don't think Whelen had as much control of LED "temperature" at that time and hadn't tested enough to me ok with it. A local agency around that time had a 5mm LED traffic arrow on their strobe patriot and ordered amber lenses over that part and it basically killed it. I know we have come a long way in technology since then. LEDs bulb replacements still aren't designed for the reflectors of rotating lightbars, usually they are for headlights or turn signals and engineered with those reflectors in mind. Adding anything but clear domes just makes that worse. I don't know which "halogen bulb replacement" LEDs are available in what colors, but amber is the main one I have seen. Even as turn signals behind amber lenses they can be problematic, again mostly from reflector design, but color is a factor too.

In some cases colored lenses over colored LEDs are of benefit, like 900 series IMHO. The red and amber appear almost the same and washed out without colored lenses (at least to me). Add colored lenses and the light is slightly dimmed and filtered to the color of the lens. To me it makes the colors much more true without reducing the brightness level much. 900 series LEDS are designed for their optics, so the only loss is the lens which is designed for that lighthead tas well. LEDs in halogen lightbar reflector are already on the edge of effectiveness. Filtering them further makes them worse. Again, I agree, better to filter a colored "LED bulb" with the same color dome than a "white replacement", but neither is usable for me. As the video shows even "white behind clear" struggles, so any further obstacle at all is too much.

 

[cabunty]

I agree that's by far the better choice when compared to "white" led "bulb replacements" behind colored lenses. "White" LEDs aren't full spectrum white like a halogen bulb and don't work well behind colored lenses.

But even the same color suffers in some cases more than one would think. Ohio State Highway Patrol has blue leds behind blue lenses (code 3 bars special built). I have always thought they were super dim. I had the opportunity to see one with missing lens section/cover and the LEDs aren't that dim, it's definitely the dome color. Any filter or lens is going to dim your output to some extent, but LEDs, especially blue from my experience, suffer more due to their very specific colors. Right around when the Edge LFL was evolving into the "Edge Liberty" you got a strong disclaimer about putting the LED portions behind colored lenses. I don't think Whelen had as much control of LED "temperature" at that time and hadn't tested enough to me ok with it. A local agency around that time had a 5mm LED traffic arrow on their strobe patriot and ordered amber lenses over that part and it basically killed it. I know we have come a long way in technology since then. LEDs bulb replacements still aren't designed for the reflectors of rotating lightbars, usually they are for headlights or turn signals and engineered with those reflectors in mind. Adding anything but clear domes just makes that worse. I don't know which "halogen bulb replacement" LEDs are available in what colors, but amber is the main one I have seen. Even as turn signals behind amber lenses they can be problematic, again mostly from reflector design, but color is a factor too.

In some cases colored lenses over colored LEDs are of benefit, like 900 series IMHO. The red and amber appear almost the same and washed out without colored lenses (at least to me). Add colored lenses and the light is slightly dimmed and filtered to the color of the lens. To me it makes the colors much more true without reducing the brightness level much. 900 series LEDS are designed for their optics, so the only loss is the lens which is designed for that lighthead tas well. LEDs in halogen lightbar reflector are already on the edge of effectiveness. Filtering them further makes them worse. Again, I agree, better to filter a colored "LED bulb" with the same color dome than a "white replacement", but neither is usable for me. As the video shows even "white behind clear" struggles, so any further obstacle at all is too much.

I agree with this. I also agree that the LED's are better than even 10 years ago.

Remember when blue and white were SO much more money? Or white was...blueish...and dim...a long with yellow/amber...which with all other light tech were always the brightest?

 

[JohnMarcson]

Remember when blue and white were SO much more money? Or white was...blueish...and dim...a long with yellow/amber...which with all other light tech were always the brightest?

Yes! I have not so fond memories of this. I remember ambulances with all LEDs except the center white lamps were still halogen. We spent $200k on a truck and the extra $189 was gonna break us? I couldn't set the LEDs to steady and use an LED flasher to do quad flash because of that one halogen 9x7 light; in other words a 9x7 white LED just got added to this month's supply order.

 

[Captaincarl]

I created these 2 videos to answer the question that comes up a lot, "Can I use an LED instead of a halogen bulb in my lightbar?" The short answer is it depends... Depends on the specific reflector, LED size/style and your intended use with the lightbar. See individual bulb results along with side by side comparisons.

The first video is about a minute and a half. It is intended For those that do not care about the how or why or just want a quick answer. I made this one specifically for ELB based off feedback from others.

Although the 2nd video is about 20 minutes long, I still didn't cover all that I wanted but did hit many main points. Hopefully it answers some questions that you didn't think to ask.

Please leave a thumbs up on the video and pass it along to those you think might be interested. Would love any questions or comments you may have too.

Extended video segment time markers.
3:01, compare all bulb pattern size and brightness over varying distance.
7:30, compare the 9 LEDs side by side flashing and rotating in a 795 in a Federal Signal Jetsonic.
10:48, comparing 2 LEDs with 2 795x bulbs side by side, in a 22 Aerodynic in light and night plus a Code 3 LP6000 outdoors.
18:35, showing effects different color filters have on the LEDs.
19:50, additional info, observations and wrap up including notes on the Vision and D-Tech lightbar.

Thank you.

Excellent video! Thanks for putting in the time and effort! You answered many of my esoteric questions and saved me the work. Thanks again!

 

[CHIEFOPS]

Vision SLR get's it done

 

[tsquale]

Vision SLR get's it done

That isn't a close comparison or close to the intent of Jennifer Rose's video. That's comparing an apple to a zucchini

 

[CHIEFOPS]

Agreed, just commenting there is a rotating LED that equals the impact or pop of rotating halogen

 

[Jennifer Rose Towing]

Agreed, just commenting there is a rotating LED that equals the impact or pop of rotating halogen

It works because they designed the reflector to work with the LEDs. There is another rotating LED light (can't remember the brand off hand) that uses a spinning flat mirror for their rotating LED light. They both use an optic designed for an LED. The Vision SLR LEDs use that plus a specific reflector design for the rotator.

 

[CHIEFOPS]

Again, agreed

 

[zxaz]

i've watched the video....led have greatly improved in rotator bar....but still a bit behind on the brightness side....