Thread: Spotlights : Number, Size, Location.

I have two spots , they are Hella 191's I think, rectangular running 50W- were free.

Headlights running 55/60w Arctic Blue.

They keep me happy

Mick

Have a total of 6 lights.

Two pencil beam Cicie's on the bull bar.
Two Cibie driving lights and two Hella driving lights slung under the roof rack.
The few night drives I have done I have found the over head lights better in close quaters, IE steep downs and up or tights tree tracks.

But as they are all wired into one switch it is hard to make a choice so I just burn my way through [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

Originally posted by Macca&#045;

I'd like to get a couple more lights, but I've run out of room on the bullbar, and I don't think that mounting them above the bar is strictly legal. I have also heard that spotlights mounted on a roofrack 'flatten out' the terrain ahead, and make it a little harder to see dips due to the light coming from above. (Anyone with roofrack mounted lights, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!)


Macca

Dont know if you ar right or wrong but I havnt noticed it with mine.
I have mine aimed a bit higher than the bar mounted lights, and they are all spread beam as well.
Had the roof rack off to clean under it and it stayed off for ages so while I missed the extra lights I have not noticed any extra dips with out them.

They are back on now so I will have to pay more attention and see if it is so.

Wouldn't leave home without my Hella Rally 2000 pencils. Great advantage spotting those Roos a long way out on straight stretches especially now with the drought at its height in NSW, they are coming to the sides for what greenery they can find, big problem even driving around ACT streets at night, lots of dead bodies can be seen.

Standard lights enough to throw out on the sides to the fence line normally.

When I did have 4x lights across the roof rack, great for off road work and miss them on slow tracks when carefull placement realy important, but only put rack on for 2 to 4 week duration trips anyway (won't fit in garage).


There is some debate as to the legality of roof mounted lights, I've actually witnessed a guy getting a defect in West Wyalong (daylight he never had them on). Even though one new vehicle has them standard, I did see some paper from RTA saying OK on vehicles 1995 onwards, but stiil they can't give definition when you ring them :?: :?:

When you need to travel quickly at night the more light the better. Oh yeh don't buy plastic lights, I've seen a melt down and stuffed the lights, doesn't happen to steel, only globes go [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img]

Very ordinary Narva's came out on top of a test awhile back in a 4x4 mag, rally 2000's where right up there as well. So where the plastic ones for light output (but can melt if your unlucky). All the others are good also if they do the job for you.

Originally posted by RoverOne
There is some debate as to the legality of roof mounted lights, I've actually witnessed a guy getting a defect in West Wyalong (daylight he never had them on). Even though one new vehicle has them standard, I did see some paper from RTA saying OK on vehicles 1995 onwards, but stiil they can't give definition when you ring them :?: :?:

I always thought they were illegal too in NSW.
Then LR bought out the "Tomb Raider" Defender with 4 roof rack lights. Surely they must have passed ADR :? .

I like a setup of one pencil beam and if possible two spreads on either side. The pencil beam has to be good to catch the large bovines that like to stand in the middle of the road round here, pootling along at night doing 100 on a single lane track the distance closes real quick. I like the spreads to catch the suicidal roos that seem to like to come out of the dark patches directly to the sides. Not much you can do about them but its nice to see the expression on their faces .
One thing ive noticed is that the whiter the light the better for spotting roos having a nibble on the side. Yellowish lights make them blend in with the grass.
I nailed a roo the other week in a work car fitted with one of those poly bars, very impressive not a mark on the vehicle (hilux) or on the bar and it was a big roo.
cheers
Mick

Hmm, where to start ?

Thanks for the feedback - keep it coming.


On the steel vs plastic lights issue: It would be rare for quality plastic (ie Lightforce) lights to melt but if they did I'm sure you'd have a good warranty claim. On the other hand a plastic light is lighter and apprently less likely to move aimpoint if properly mounted ?!

A friend has some small supa-cheap lights (like rocklights) on the roofrack on his Rangie, and says they are good for lighting up the road margins. At $25 a pair if they melt, they melt. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

The point was made that most rally cars don't have roof mounted lights. Note however that many off-road competition vehicles (ie real 4wd's) do.

Consider this: Rally cars generally have spots mounted above the bar height, more or less directly in the drivers line of sight. Logically this would mean reflected light from obstacles would bounce directly(ish) back to the drivers eyes.

On a larger 4wd like a Landie, however, lights mounted in the usual position on the bar (headlight height) are as far below the drivers line of vision as roof mounted lights are above that line of vision (I hope you followed that!). Therefore it should make no perceptible difference to performance.

The only exception is that part of track directly in front of the vehicle obviously needs to be lit by low mounted lights.

Yellow light might make roos blend into the grass, but an absence of light is worse [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img] ..... and White light may be nice, but its expensive - Lightforce XID lights (Xenon Gas Discharge) about $2500 per light :!:

LRMick: Just saw your comment "Headlights running 55/60w Arctic Blue" and was wondering how these bulbs perform? I believe they are just colour coated bulbs is that correct? If so, then wouldn't that reduce light output at least marginally?.

As for wiring the lights in:
I have heard that to wire in good lights or upgraded headlights without a relay (in a Defender at least) is inviting loom meltdown at least in the column switch area.

Also is it a legal requirment that spotties / driving lights be wired in only to the high beam circuit :?:

Also is there a maximum light output allowed with spotties ? (Harry?) and how would the coppers test it in any event ?

Originally posted by one_iota

3. A hairpin switchback sharp turn..... can't see around corners because the lights are pointing straight ahead (the DS Citroen had high beam lights coupled to the steering so when you turned the wheels the light pointed in that direction didn't work so well on opposite lock).

The new Land Rover Disco 3 has this system as well, will be interesting to see how well it works..



I have 2x Lightforce 170's on my Disco, wished I had of gotten the 240's, but they would of been harder to mount, maybe later on I'll get the 240's and put the 170's up on the roofracks. My only problem with the lightforce lights is that it takes a while to get them setup as you can adjust them like a maglight !!

I was speaking to the guy that sold me the 170's and he said that he had brought a single 140 with the diffuser cover and mounted it to the back of his car and used it as a reversing light, I will be doing that shortly !! Other than the adjustment they are a fantastic light, but be warned when you drive a normal car at night because I hate driving my girlfriends car now when we go away, it's like driving with a torch.

Would be nice if these lights followed the corners though.

Matt.