The comfort and safety of driving at night depends entirely on the lighting of the road. Everyone knows that in cars that use incandescent headlights, road lighting is far from perfect. This is especially true for headlamps with a combined high / low beam, where a lamp with an H4 socket with two filaments is used. You can get out of this situation by replacing the standard lamps with LED ones, which are not only bright and durable, but also consume much less energy.
A new development has appeared in the range of the DLED online store - LED lamps with a H4 base with a power of 22 watts. On the sides of this lamp, there are two brightest CREE LEDs. Depending on the use of the lamp in the low beam or high beam mode, one or the other LED is used. Due to the different distance between the LEDs and the lamp base, the light boundary changes. The length of the crystal of the LED corresponds to the length of the filament, which makes the distribution of light in the headlamp similar to that of an incandescent lamp, without requiring additional adjustment.
The lamp housing is made entirely of aluminum and comes with a cooler for the best cooling. However, this fact does not cause concern, since the LED lamp heats up several times less than incandescent lamps. Your car's headlamp lenses will be less cloudy in summer and less ice build up in winter. The kit also comes with an electronic control unit, which is responsible for the operation of the cooling cooler, voltage stabilizer and switching between low / high beam modes. The voltage stabilizer compensates for voltage surges in the on-board network, it also ensures the operation of the lamp both in cars and trucks, the voltage in the on-board network of which is 24 volts.
For ease of connection, the control unit is equipped with a standard plug for connection to the standard vehicle wiring connector. You do not have to cut wires, install additional switches, and at any time you can easily put back the standard lamps without any problems.
1. Remove the original bulb from the headlight of the car
2. Replace the old lamp with a new LED
3. Place and secure the control box in a convenient location
4. Install the cooling cooler on the lamp
5. Connect the lamp and cooler to the control box
6. Connect the control unit to the standard wiring connector
LED bulbs are brighter than incandescent bulbs and provide better illumination of the road. The beam of light from the diode lamps strikes further, illuminating a larger area without blinding drivers of oncoming vehicles.
The glow color of the LEDs is whiter, this light does not tire the eyes and provides a good perception. In addition, LED lamps last several times longer than incandescent lamps and are not sensitive to shocks and vibrations. For the operation of LEDs, much less energy is needed, therefore, after installing these lamps, the load from the car's generator will decrease, and fuel consumption will decrease.
A few years ago, motorists were more than skeptical of Chinese auto lamps. But in recent years, manufacturers have made significant progress. And now on Aliexpress you can find quite interesting options with a democratic price tag. Of course they are not perfect. They are often criticized for excessive light output. According to the sellers, their lamps give out a myriad of Lumens from every Watt received. Indeed, the Chinese love of exaggeration seems to be ineradicable. There are also complaints about the short terms of operation. There may be several reasons for this - from improper installation, to the choice of lamps that are far from the recommended wattage or configuration.
There are also frankly deshman options on Aliexpress, which are bought, tempted by an exceptionally low price. Here you need to understand that if the lamp costs "three kopecks", no one will bother calculating the electronics inside, the LED layout and other "little things". A quality product costs money. And on Aliexpress it is, moreover, it can be bought cheaper than in domestic stores. And so that your purchase does not become a disappointment, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with an overview of the best lamps found on the Chinese marketplace. These are halogen, xenon and LED bulbs with the most popular base.
Best H4 LED Bulbs
Automotive lamp H4 (with a three-pin base) is the most common light element and is included in the stock equipment of the vast majority of headlights. It features an abundance of emitted light options (from standard white to Megafight and Superblue) as well as a long service life.
When choosing an H4 LED lamp, it is very important to take into account the design of a standard halogen - a set of LEDs and a cut-off screen must exactly repeat the geometry of the spirals and cutoffs of the halogen model in order to optimally interact with the headlamp reflector and ensure the correct supply of light to the road.
5 CnsunnyLight H4
A good choice for urban environments
Price on Aliexpress: from 1,423.65 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.5
The LED lamp is based on two groups of LEDs. The layout is vertically split. The chips are located on the sides of the board. The driver is external, there is active cooling. The lamps themselves are collapsible for easy installation. They shine brightly, with a bluish light similar to xenon. In city traffic, such a car looks impressive. He does not blind oncoming cars. But outside the city, the light of the lamps may be not enough.
The disadvantage of this model is in the arrangement of the LEDs. The crystals for the low and high beam are practically on the same line, with only a slight offset. The beams shine onto the reflector at almost the same angle. It turns out that the high beam simply enhances the low beam, and does not change the angle and range. When the near side is turned on, part of the LEDs is cut off. Based on this, there are claims to the cut-off line. It turns out not as clear as that of standard halogen.
4 TUOYIKE H4 / F2
The brightest light and the smallest size
Price on Aliexpress: from 3,296.38 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.6
Here is a set of LED lamps series F2 with the best lumen output. Of the declared 12,000 lumens for the high beam and 6,000 for the low beam, buyers receive, of course, less. But the lamps shine really brightly. In this regard, they can be compared with xenon. The manufacturer uses CREE LEDs. They stand as close to each other as possible, so the light beam is not scattered, the light spot is obtained like a halogen, with good focusing. There is no blinding effect. Switching to long-range occurs without delay, as is the case with cheap lamps.
Osram diode chip provides the most reliable performance. The turbofan is responsible for cooling. The relatively compact dimensions of the lamps are also pleasing. Installation is simple, but some car brands may need a decoder to display correctly on the panel. The seller with Aliexpress warns about this feature, and even offers help in solving the problem. Users find it to be the best alternative to xenon light.
3 DXZ BrightLux H4
Price on Aliexpress: from 1 963.69 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.6
On the third line of the rating is a whole set of products from the DXZ company, in which we are only interested in a set of 4H LED lamps. Despite the fact that this lot was put up for sale relatively recently, a circle of consumers has already formed on the territory of Russia, who have given an exhaustive description of this set.
The advantages of the DXZ BrightLux H4 can be safely attributed to the excellent illumination of the road in the dark, even in spite of not the most impressive technical characteristics. With a power of 45 watts, these lamps give out 6000 lm of light, the temperature of which does not exceed 6500K. The body is made of aircraft-grade aluminum for dust and moisture resistance (IP65 protection). The operating time of LEDs is limited to 50 thousand hours - not the greatest value, but quite adequate for such products.
2 HLXG S1 / N1 Led headlight
One-piece body. Popular model
Price on Aliexpress: from 1,298.91 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.7
The second place is occupied by the old-timer Aliexpress - a set of LED lamps from hlxg, the quality of which has already been tested by thousands of domestic users. In general, all models of this line show themselves with dignity, but the most "popular" is the H4 50W LED lamp. There are two reasons for this: firstly, most car headlights are made precisely for such a sample, and secondly, when installing hlxg S1 / N1 Led headlight H4, it rarely comes to self-made "shamanism". The body is one-piece, the assembly is good.
According to users, it makes no sense to put such lamps on headlights with lensless deflectors - 4000Lm light does not give a significant gain in visibility and appearance of relatively good halogen models. But with lenses, everything changes for the better - the car takes on a slightly different look, and the driver feels more confident on an unlit track. The cost for a batch of two is small, especially against the background of retail competitors from the domestic market.
1 Nighteye H4
The best resource of work and a good cut-off line
Price on Aliexpress: from 1,338.23 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.8
In these LED lamps, the manufacturer mimics the design and principle of operation of a classic incandescent halogen as much as possible. In the reviews, the model is called a clone of the LED H4 G7 from Philips. This is due to the arrangement of the crystals. The circuit is really identical. But the chips are installed different - here they use uncased emitters from the Korean company Seoul Semiconductor. Despite their diminutive size, they do their job best. The seller gives a 3-year warranty (warranty card included).
The parameters of the lamp are impressive - the declared luminous flux of 4,000 lm for the high beam and 2,000 lm for the low beam. In the reviews, they write that the figure corresponds to real data. The lamps illuminate not only the area in front of the bonnet, but also the curb. They get into focus perfectly, oncoming cars do not dazzle, the cut-off line is clearly visible. On Aliexpress, the product has a good rating. Of the minuses it has - only passive cooling.
Best H7 LED Bulbs
The H7 lamp is an improved version of the H4 model, which has twice the life and a slightly different structure of the connecting part. Such samples are usually installed on cars with free-form headlights. However, we must not forget about such a document as the Technical Regulations, which specifies the requirements for external light. Oddly enough, but there is nothing about LED lamps. It turns out that they can be installed in any headlights? This is only in theory. In practice, they are equated with halogens, although there is nothing in common in the design. Based on this, LED lamps can be installed in headlights with markings, as in halogen ones: HC - low beam, HR - high beam, HCR - dual-mode operation.
However, the best way out is to install LEDs in LED headlights with installed cooling and special reflectors. Indeed, when installing LEDs in place of halogen, a decrease in light output can be observed, and often overheating and degradation of crystals. Therefore, when choosing lamps from a wide range of models on Aliexpress, consider whether they will be suitable for use in reflex headlights of your car.
5 R8 H7
3 different color shades in one lamp
Price on Aliexpress: from 3,110.44 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.5
An interesting modification of the LED lamp in the H7 base. The design, body, even power resemble the classic model of the G7 series. 12 chips are installed in single-beam versions. Moreover, the groups of LEDs have different light temperatures: 3,000K (yellow light), 4,300K (white with a yellow tint) and 6000K (white). Thanks to a special driver, the glow color can be changed without using filters.
In addition to being unusual, this innovation has a purely practical application. Drivers are not very fond of yellow light, and more often buy lamps with a cold light temperature. But in foggy conditions, due to the longer wavelengths of light, yellow light is the best. He "knows" how to make his way through atmospheric suspensions in the air. So if your car does not have foglights, it may make sense to order such three-color lamps on Aliexpress. With them you will be able to use the high beam in fog. If you need multi-color lamps for the H4 base, they are sold on Aliexpress under the Oslamp trademark.
4 MAXGTRS H7
Possibility to adjust the angle of installation
Price on Aliexpress: from 3,964.08 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.6
Our review could not ignore the so-called new generation LED lamps with the G8 marking. In terms of the arrangement of the LEDs, they are more reminiscent of the sixth generation models. But there are also innovations. The radiator has become more compact, and this has expanded the potential for the use of lamps in different vehicles. Moreover, it accommodates a fan. The active cooling system is implemented better here than in its predecessors. The luminous flux is promised to be 6,000 lm (3,000 each for low and high beam). The lamp efficiency is the most impressive. Measurements show about 76 lm from each watt of power.
The model has proven itself in the best way in the H7 case. For both low and high beam, the top-end Cree XHP50 chips are used here. The geometry of the STG is normal, although this is mainly the merit of the lens. However, practice shows that lamps also affect the cut-off line. These light sources behave well both in the city and on roads without artificial lighting.
3 ZDATT H7 COB
The best combination of price and quality
Price on Aliexpress: from 1,013.51 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.6
The representative of the ZDATT company, in a simplified shell of this lamp, has retained those nominal reliability parameters that have pleased a large number of domestic admirers of the manufacturer. The brightness of the glow of these LED lamps is enough to "beat" any budget xenon - this indirect comparison is facilitated by the presence of a violet hue on a cold white glow.
One of the main and characteristic features of the kit is a wide range of operating temperatures. If the lower threshold remains at the standard value (-40 degrees Celsius), then the upper one is raised from the usual 80 to 150 degrees. It is possible to overheat the crystal in such a lamp only in case of complete failure of the cooling fan, which can be provided for by a one-year service warranty. In general, the working resource is small: manufacturers have carefully set the warranty bar at the level of 30,000 hours, in order to relieve themselves of all moral responsibility in the event of a sudden failure.
2 Auxmart H7
High degree of reliability
Price on Aliexpress: from 1,043.33 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.7
Auxmart LED headlight bulbs are the first choice of most car enthusiasts who have faced the problem of insufficient light on the road more than once. It is noteworthy that, with optimal performance indicators, the level of technical characteristics of this set does not differ in outstanding values. Each LED element provides 4,000 lumens of light output and is tuned to flawlessly focus on the roadway, scattering or gathering in a directional beam when the low / high beam headlights are turned on.
According to buyers, the lamps give a clear cut-off line when the dipped beam is on, and the quality of the supplied light does not depend on the type of headlights themselves. Switching to the distant one is also well felt, especially in contrast with some representatives of the competing parties. The only small nuance of the Auxmart H7 concerns brightness: when used on the track (especially in summer), the light will blind the drivers of oncoming cars, so much more attention should be paid to the adjustment. Regarding the parameters of reliability, price and working resource, neither drivers nor experts have any complaints.
1 Auxito LED H7
The most powerful luminous flux
Price on Aliexpress: from 1,219.60 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.8
The unexpected leader in the category is the H7 breakout LED bulbs from Auxito, showing excellent results in terms of lumen output. Each diode bulb gives out 8000 lumens, so when the headlights are turned on near / far, the view is more than optimal. On the one hand, this makes life much easier for the consumer, especially at night. On the other hand, other drivers suffer from the directional light flux, and even when switching from far to near. Another drawback lies in the seasonality of the lamps: if in winter the glow of a cold white light (6500 K) does not irritate, then in summer such a range will cause some discomfort.
Despite such an optimal flow rate, the power of the kit remained at 72 watts. This leads to low power consumption and high competitiveness with other models. Therefore, reaching the peak of popularity of the Auxito LED H7 is only a matter of time.
Best halogen bulbs
Claims that halogen lamps will soon leave our cars for good have been grossly exaggerated. LEDs and advanced xenons have not yet been able to oust the usual halogens from the market. It's all about practicality. They do not require the purchase of additional equipment, have good light output and the most loyal price tag on Aliexpress. Halogen lamps are available with a variety of caps, suitable for most car brands.
4 AFAECAR H7 / H11 / H4
Decent build quality
Price on Aliexpress: from 52.88 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.5
The seller considers the competitive advantage of this product not to be low price, but decent quality of materials and reliable assembly. The technical specifications indicate that AFAECAR lamps are equipped with quartz glass bulbs, which perfectly withstand temperature extremes. They are not afraid of splashing water, which is important if the headlight is damaged. A special coating protects the lamp from UV rays, so it shines brightly for a long time.
The service life of this lamp is average, there are reviews that it works for about a year, while others have it for several years. The light output here is one of the best among the Chinese lamps. The price is shown per item. This seller is one of the few on Aliexpress who does not sell auto lamps in pairs.
3 XSTORM H1 / H3 / H4 / H7 / H11
Optimum quality at an affordable price
Price on Aliexpress: from 360.32 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.6
Not the cheapest, as for Aliexpress, but rather interesting lamps with white glow (light temperature 5000K). In terms of brightness, they are trying to compete with LED models. With a power of 55 W, they produce a powerful luminous flux that resembles a xenon light in color. They shine no worse than the standard halogen, which is confirmed by buyers in the reviews. The product is available in different plinths.
Visually, lamps are no different from branded models, which cost many times more, are very similar to products Philips. The cut-off line is given clear, users only complain that it is too high. The manufacturer does not announce the lamp resource, according to buyers, the lamps work for quite a long time. Installation is the easiest. If you want the most light possible, this is not the best solution. But if you need a decent white light for relatively little money, then this lot will suit you.
2 FISHBERG H7 Halogen Car Light
Sales leader
Price on Aliexpress: from 112.54 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.7
Some of the most inexpensive lamps on Aliexpress. As for the quality of performance - no complaints, you can't even say that this is a budget brand. Buyers cannot tell the difference between branded models and these Chinese products. They give warm light, with a temperature of about 4000K. A good glass flask with UV protection.
Lamps are suitable for head light. One shouldn't expect super-brightness from them. The luminous flux is about 900 lm, the beam distance is average. The lamp is safe for road users. The performance here is one of the best among the public sector. The lamp usually lasts for at least a year. They buy goods on Aliexpress actively, because the price is very attractive.
1 Philips 12972DVS2 (H7)
Cold white light
Price on Aliexpress: from 1,153.45 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.8
If most halogen bulbs give off a yellowish light, then Philips DiamondVision guarantees a white, slightly bluish glow similar to xenon. The flask is transparent, the glass is durable, does not scroll in the base. The color temperature is 5000K, it is pleasing to the eye. There is no flicker. At night, vision with this kind of light is less tired. Frequent switching from near to far does not affect the operation of the lamps. The design is made for the most simple and quick installation.
The manufacturer recommends lamps as a head light. But they are inferior to LED models in terms of glow brightness. There are only 935 lumens here. Tuning lovers buy them more often, because the blue light goes well next to the LED light. The product comes in a box with all the certificates.
Best xenon bulbs
If you decide to install xenon (gas-discharge lamps) in conventional reflectors designed for halogen bulbs, then expect trouble. This is both increased "attention" from the drivers of oncoming cars, and tangible sanctions. Indeed, in such a headlamp, xenon shines in all directions, and very brightly, flooding everything around with light. Yes, and the characteristics of the headlights themselves, the optics not intended for them, greatly deteriorates. Therefore, you cannot use xenon without a lens. The lens focuses the light spot, creates a clear cut-off line.
On a car equipped with xenon from the factory, gas-discharge lamps can be installed without "dancing with a tambourine" (usually there is a letter "D" in the marking). In car models where the optics are not intended for the use of xenon, it can be installed only with documentary registration of changes in the design of the car. This is especially true for lamps with a luminous flux above 2,000 lm - they need an auto-corrector and a headlamp cleaner. The exception is lamps of the D8S and D6S series, the rated power of which is less than 25W. After all, their light beam usually does not reach 2,000 lm.
3 RACBOX External Lights
High reliability
Price on Aliexpress: from 609.46 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.5
These xenons will help to effectively improve the quality of light. The lamp lasts on average about 2 years. The bulb in the base is securely fixed, the landing is not adhesive, it is held with the help of metal plates and soldering, like in expensive lamps. The "ball" in relation to the filament is located correctly, so the focusing here is one of the best. The brightness is good, the power of the light beam is 2,200 lm. The color temperature can be selected: from 3000K to 12000K. Ignition blocks are not included in the package.
This lot contains xenon lamps of several standards. They are doing well with geometry. It is better to carry out the first ignition for at least 10 minutes, then the lamp will last longer. Its power consumption is minimal. The operating temperature range is wide. A good product that is worth the money. The seller has a large selection of plinths.
2 Doxa Single Xenon Light
Best luminous flux power
Price on Aliexpress: from 704.37 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.7
A good xenon light kit for vehicles equipped with headlights with matching lenses. The advantage of these lamps is in a powerful light beam. It is here many times more than that of ordinary halogen. Lamps burn evenly, without flicker. The light temperature is: 4,300K / 6,000K / 8,000K. The connection here is the simplest - any motorist can handle it without much experience. With the correct installation of oncoming car drivers, such lamps do not dazzle.
If you want an inexpensive light, it's in front of you. Its price is significantly lower than that of top manufacturers. At the same time, gas-discharge xenon lamps fully correspond to the description on the Aliexpress website. The disadvantage of the lot is a significant percentage of rejects. But for the price, this is not surprising. Therefore, it is recommended to take several sets at once.
1 MGTV LIGHT Single Xenon
Best ignition time
Price on Aliexpress: from 447.44 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.8
These inexpensive xenon bulbs from Aliexpress make a good impression. They shine brighter than factory ones. Buyers compare them with even the most expensive models from Osram and Philips. And this is at a price 10 times lower. The service life is quite long - at least a year, and usually they last for 3-4 years if properly installed, then they begin to fade. The light temperature can be selected - a range from yellowish to white-blue glow.
The flask is well made, installed evenly in the base, the spraying has clear boundaries. The glass of the bulb is cloudy, but this does not affect the operation of the lamp. The ignition is instantaneous, they light up at full power in a few seconds. Each lamp comes in a plastic container. The packaging is the best the Chinese have to offer. In the reviews, buyers recommend the product for purchase.
Summer begins, and with it my tests of LED lamps begin. In this post I will tell you about H4 LED bulbs designed for car and motorcycle. These are the first lamps I have tested that have a shutter, due to which the light-shadow border of a given low beam lamp should be identical to a halogen lamp. I have been trying for a long time to get lamps of this type for my tests and finally it worked out. Read more about these lamps below.
First, as usual, about the packaging and packaging. For the convenience of conducting tests, I signed contacts on one lamp, please do not pay attention to this. The lamps are delivered in a hard white cardboard box, inside which are two lamps and instructions with a piece of paper of the store's logo. In the manual, there are characteristics and several pictures with recommendations for installing these paws. Pay attention to the type of dust cover for the H4 lamp, it does not completely cover the lamp and there is enough room for air intake. Further, when I install my boot, I will say a few more words about this.
The lamps are made in an aluminum case, which is also a radiator. There is a fan inside the lamp housing. At the top of the lamp, there are LEDs on both sides of the printed circuit boards.
The five SCP LEDs under the shade are to follow the dimensions of the halogen bulb's spiral. These five LEDs are responsible for the low beam. Usually, in such lamps, 3 or 4 LEDs are installed under the curtain, in this case both the curtain and the LEDs themselves take about the same space as the spiral of a halogen lamp and its curtain. Here, both the spiral and the curtain are slightly larger than that of a halogen lamp. Below, a large LED is responsible for the high beam.
The store says that in this lamp, the CREE-XHP-50 LED is used as the LED responsible for the high beam, the same marking is indicated on the printed circuit board on which it is located. True or not, I will not argue, but I will still give a link to the characteristics of the XHP-50 LEDs. Datasheet XHP-50
But according to the seller, he contacted the manufacturer and was confirmed that the CREE LED was being used. But dipped beam diodes are not critical.
The store declared the following parameters:
Power consumption: 40W
Luminous Flux: 8000LM
Working Voltage: DC 12-24V
Protection grade: IP67
Color Temperature: 6500K
LED Life Time: 50000H
The dimensions of the lamp are slightly larger than the standard halogen. Its length is 101.2mm. In this case, the lamp has a weight of 55.2 g.
Usually, such lamps have a very wide range of operating voltages, so I assumed that 24V is not the maximum allowable operating voltage, but the voltage of the on-board network. Therefore, further, when measuring the power consumption depending on the voltage of the on-board network, I tested the lamp in the range from 6 to 30V. I summarized the measurement results in a table.
From the table you can see that the average power consumption for both low and high beam is almost the same and is approximately 24W.
For clarity, I built graphs using tabular data. The X-axis is the voltage in Volts, and the Y-axis is the power consumption in Watts. The red line corresponds to the low beam, the blue line to the high beam.
The next thing I did was measure the maximum temperature of the LEDs in the lamp and plot the heating curves. During the operation of the LEDs responsible for the low beam, their maximum temperature was 125.1C °. The maximum temperature of the LEDs responsible for the high beam was 100.5 ° C. This can be seen in the following thermograms. I really don't know why lamp manufacturers allow such a high operating temperature. But on some Russian-made lamps, the seller openly said that the crystal temperature during operation was 135 degrees (I don't remember the exact value now, but it was about that).
During testing, the lamp was in a small cardboard box, in size, roughly framed by the interior space in the headlamp.
In the following graph, you can see the lamp heating process. The tests were carried out at a voltage of 14V. We see that the lamp reaches the steady state temperature in about 8 minutes.
I will test the lamps on a motorcycle. And these are the first LED bulbs I tested that I was normally able to install in my headlight. Usually either the lock was not fastened, or the anther was not worn, but more often both of these shortcomings were present at the same time. I did not find such problems here. But to install these lamps, I still had to remove the front plastic from the headlight.
I will say right away that you should be careful with the boot. It is assumed that air intake will be carried out through the slots in the rear wall of the lamp; if they are closed with an anther, then the cooling efficiency will decrease and the temperature of the LED crystals will increase. However, the situation can be partially saved by the holes located around the perimeter of the lamp housing.
Usually, in such lamps, the fan is installed in such a way that the air is blown out from the inside, here the opposite is true. I thought, since the lamp is new, and only just appeared on sale, it might be possible to assemble it with a mistake. To which the seller told me that there was no mistake and sent a photo:
In order to compare the brightness of an LED lamp with a standard halogen lamp, I will compare the illumination produced by these lamps.
In the following photo, please ignore the difference in lamp brightness, the photos were taken with different camera settings. The photo settings were chosen based on ensuring good readability of the light meter parameters. But then in all the other photos where I test the high and low beam, I took pictures everywhere with the same ISO, shutter speed and aperture values.
We see that the LED lamp is much brighter than the halogen lamp. Then, as usual, I was going to look at the light-shadow border and saw that it was finally there.
Just in case, to confirm that I am not embellishing the picture when testing the lamps, I will give links to the originals of the photographs.
1. First picture
2. Second picture
Therefore, I decided to go to the inspection station and test the lamp on specialized equipment.
My headlight is tuned for a halogen lamp, if you just replace it with an LED one, then the light-shadow border turns out to be slightly raised up. As you can see in this photo (just in case, I attached a photo from two angles). According to an employee of the technical inspection station, a headlight with such a lamp can be adjusted.
In the next picture, I compared this LED lamp with a standard halogen lamp when working at high and low beam.
For completeness, a video with an example of the operation of two lamps, LED and halogen, can be seen in the video version of the review, just below. If you have read the review, then you can safely rewind the video for a time of 3:50.
Despite the fact that the light-shadow border repeats the light-shadow border of a halogen lamp, I would recommend installing such lamps only in those headlights whose reflector is designed for installing LED lamps in it.
Well, as usual, the video version of the review:
At the time of this writing, the price of lamps was about 2000r per pair.
Link to lamps
That's all for me.
I hope the review was helpful to you.
- 16.01.2018
The online store of auto light and car attributes in the city of Moscow is pleased to present to Moscow motorists the expansion of the range of LED lamps for head optics - the new DLED Sparkle-3 and Sparkle-2 series.
- 31.08.2016
A sale of LED lamps for home lighting from the Dled company is announced - analogues of standard incandescent lamps for 100W E27 12W are now available at retail at a wholesale price of only 99 rubles per piece.
- 24.07.2016
In order to constantly feel comfortable and secure your movement, you need to equip your car with high-quality LED lamps. It is for you that we offer DLed LED lamps of the Braid series with a flexible radiator. These auto lamps are used in cornering, standard running and brake lights. Such an autolamp is made of LEDs mounted on a small, elastic printed circuit board, which is wrapped in a circle with an aluminum layer. Heat from bright, powerful diodes goes to the lamp body and is distributed by a radiator located in the front cavity of the lamp.
- 24.06.2016
New to the automotive industry EL Flexible neon "DLed" is a very economical, high-quality and inexpensive light source that allows you to create much new light installations using neon. The use of flexible neon has a large number of directions, but the most common is light tuning for cars.
- 24.05.2016
Much to our disappointment, not all car manufacturers complete their products with high-quality, high-performance lamps, because of this, drivers need to replace them with better ones in the future. After all, it is important for everyone to have good lighting of the path during poor visibility, as well as in bad weather. We would like to draw your attention to DLed EVolution gas-filled lamps of our own production by DLed.
In one of the Internet communities I came across a note of a young driver from Tambov who painted the headlights of his old BMW green. And no one condemned. On the contrary, his enthusiasm was shared by two dozen people. Moreover, the theme was supported by other motorists. It turned out that a lot of cars with multi-colored "eyes" are driving around the city.
Light tuning is flourishing. The reasons are different: one thinks that the headlights of his car do not shine brightly enough, another wants to look cooler, the third thinks that it is beautiful. Most often, you can see the results of such alterations on budget models, and their owners choose the appropriate methods.
One of the simplest is to replace the standard light sources in the headlights with something like that. There are more than enough offers: from high-power lamps to LEDs. And no alterations - I pulled out one light bulb and put another in its place. Before the technical inspection, it is not difficult to return to the legal option again. So people are drawn to experiments.
We have written about the shortcomings of the "miracle" -lamp several times - the last time Mikhail Kolodochkin talked about them in the first issue of "Behind the Wheel" this year. Therefore, I will not bother that such lamps shine poorly and can even cause a fire. Reading morality to mature personalities, especially creative ones, is a useless occupation. I’ll just show you with examples how poorly this "light music" fulfills its direct duties.
BULBS OR RIGHT
Putting non-standard lamps in the headlights, we change the design of the head light of the car, which means that we risk losing the driver's license. Traffic police inspectors have the right to stop a car with suspicious headlights and send it to an impound parking lot, and the headlight itself to a laboratory for examination, which will issue a conclusion on whether the lighting equipment meets technical standards. If not, then the court deprives the driver of his rights under article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation for a period of six months to a year. Is it worth the risk?
Darkness of light
Even in a small roadside store, you will definitely find an alternative to stock lamps. If I had set the goal of collecting all the sources of automotive light that are offered by traders on the market, Internet sites and online stores of spare parts, this material would be stretched to half a magazine. Therefore, I will confine myself to the six most interesting specimens that have fundamental design differences.
All the lamps I bought can be installed in headlights designed for the most inexpensive and popular H4 bulbs (P43t base) without any alterations. The seventh was a set of standard lamps manufactured by Philips - we need them as a reference.
The experiment consisted of two parts. First, all lamps were tested for compliance with the current requirements of the EEC ONN Rules No. 112–00 at the stand in the laboratory of the Research and Experimental Institute of Automotive Electronics and Electrical Equipment (FSUE NIIAE). Then - field tests to confirm or refute (sometimes it happens) the theory by practice: we inserted different lamps into the headlights of Largus in turn to find out how they illuminate the road.
Laboratory work
We are on the threshold of NIIAE. The head of the laboratory, Nikolai Bazin, took us to the room where they test lighting equipment - a long dark corridor with measuring equipment. To start testing, everything is ready - a headlight with a standard lamp is installed on the stand.
Turn on the low beam. A luminous flux is projected onto a screen located at a distance of 25 meters - the light distribution is assessed visually (how clear is the boundary between light and shadow), and the light meter's photocell measures the illumination at several control points. First, using the goniometer (a device for high-precision angles measurement), the expert set the exact horizontal position of the headlight. This is a control point in the so-called zone III - "dark territory", located above the light border. The first data appears in the dimension table. Nikolay turns the headlight to the angle specified in the methodology and takes measurements at three other points: B50L (face of the oncoming driver at a distance of 50 m), 75R and 50R (objects on the side of the road at 75 and 50 meters, respectively).
Stock bulbs have been tested. We run the remaining six sets using the same technique. We fix the light distribution in the photo, and the results of the measurements are summarized in a table. The data obtained confirmed our fears: of the six purchased "miracle" lamps, only one passed the test.
Halogen lamps ClearLight X-Treme Vision H4 (pictured on the left) cost 1000 rubles per pair and allegedly give 120% more light power (as it is written on the box) with a five times increased resource! On the front side of the box there is a large inscription Germany, and without any explanation. On the back - "Made in China".
Center - Narva Xenon white lamp set. Place of production - Poland. And here is the inscription: Not for use in Europe ("Not for use in Europe"). It's strange, because in Russia there are European rules. On the back of the box there are English inscriptions not translated into Russian, informing that the kit is “not for public roads” and “only for sports tracks”. There is also the Rostest badge, but there are no European certification designations. The cost of the kit is 600 rubles. It is sold in a chain store of spare parts, the sellers of which did not say a word about the specifics of the lamps.
Lamps of the MTF Light brand (on the right) are smartly packed and cost 1100 rubles. Called Aurum ("Gold"; apparently because of the yellow color of the flasks). Sold as "all weather". The seller explained that it is better to ride with them in rain and fog. On the box there is a large inscription Made in Quality (literally: "Made in quality"). And smaller: "Made in Korea". The office address is Seoul.
LED MAS LEDs (left) of unknown origin (presumably from the PRC). Set - 1500 rubles. True, exactly the same light sources, but without a blister pack - half the price. The sellers reported that these lamps did not know how to light, and began to persuade them to buy expensive LEDs (from 5500 to 13000 rubles per set). But we refused, and not only because of the frenzied price, but also because of the specific design - their voluminous external radiators will not allow you to put protective headlight covers.
Another "LED car lamp" H4 from DLED is pictured in the center. The manufacturer indicated Russia, instead of the address - the mobile phone number. The nondescript box shows the dimensions of the product, the number and type of LEDs - 18 5050 SMD, as well as the luminous flux - 270 lm (lumens). No certification badges. But there is a sly inscription: “The address of the plant and compliance with GOST see in the certificate of compliance. Ask the seller for a certificate. " And the seller just makes a helpless gesture. The price of the kit is 800 rubles.
The photo on the right shows the same box, the same manufacturer. Only the sticker is different - it says that the light source has six Epl HP LEDs, and the luminous flux is 900 lm (like a 55-watt H4 halogen lamp). Judging by its appearance, the elongated bulb of this product acts as a radiator, which is already causing concern. For a set - 2664 rubles. But!
Nikolay Bazin, head of the testing laboratory of light and sound signaling devices and light sources of vehicles and trailers
The parameters of light sources that are installed on cars, motorcycles and other equipment are specified in the relevant UNECE rules and Russian GOSTs. In the Russian Federation, the technical regulation of vehicles 018 is in force, according to which lamps in cars on public roads must comply with UNECE Regulation No. 37. The head light can only be neutral white, with a clear cut-off line, with sufficient intensity at control points and not causing dazzle to oncoming drivers ...
LEDs adapted to the base of a halogen lamp, depending on the power, give dim light or, conversely, dazzle oncoming ones, since they are structurally unable to form a directed beam of light. In addition, weak LEDs do not heat up the headlight enough, as a result of which it will fog up and freeze.
Do not chase after halogen lamps of supposedly high brightness (with inscriptions on the boxes "+ 100%" or "+ 120%"). They only mean that in the reference headlamp, this lamp illuminates one of the control points better than the previous generation of the same brand. And in other conditions, the light may be worse. Colored bulbs can increase the contrast of the picture, but only under certain conditions. So, yellow slightly improves visibility in rain or fog, but in clear weather it is less visible with it. And with blue light, it's the opposite. In any case, what and how you will see depends not on the color of the light beam, but on its source and setting. Headlights need to be kept clean and properly adjusted to keep them bright.
Roads and results
Looking at the results of laboratory tests, you understand what awaits us on the road. But we decided not to deviate from the original program and see what the drivers will see from their cars, in the headlights of which "beautiful" lamps are installed. The results are in the photo gallery below.
By the way, we arranged additional tests for the ClearLight X-Treme Vision lamps that met the standards, leaving them in the headlights of the editorial Largus: we will check whether they will live as long as the standard ones.
Experts believe that light sources with increased luminous flux suffer from the resource. Let's go - we'll see.
How do other bulbs shine? Badly. Look at the photos - no comments are even needed. A driver with a sober head will not put such in the headlights of his car. Conclusion: for headlights designed for H4, buy only the corresponding lamps - ordinary 60/55 W H4 double-filament halogens. Without any improvements and tweaks. And even more so, no LEDs and pseudo-xenons! Confirmation that the products are certified will be Rostest and European certification badges (letters EAC in a box or E in a circle) on the packaging.
And let professionals in laboratories and at closed polygons be engaged in experiments with lighting technology.
We would like to thank the specialists of the Research and Experimental Institute of Automotive Electronics and Electrical Equipment for their help in preparing the material.
