JHZR2
Staff member
Many have read my thread testing a set of LEDs in my Accord Hybrid:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb..._th#Post3967972
Overall I've been pleased, and like them. But what start d me down the study of any lighting options was really the consideration of if I should install S2000 or TL projectors in my car and do an HID retrofit.
There are two things that bug me still:
1) could I still do better than with my (supposed) 2800lm LEDs?
2) that the heat sink on the bulb is heavy and may cause long term damage to the housing.
I've not been willing to commit to HID because of these LED bulbs, and the fact that the accord hybrid has less underhood space than a regular accord due to more stuff in the way.
Enter OPT-7 Blitz Bullet HID. Likely a cheap analog DC ballast, but tiny....
$29 on eBay, $39 next day delivered on Amazon prime with simple returns. I figured why not play with these in the parking lot and then return them? So that's what I did.
I only installed one...
For reference, here is my halogen vs LED profile, and what the LED pair looks like from my projectors.
Halogen vs LED:
Note the hot spot on the halogen side, for later.
The LED pair:
I have been happy with the LEDs, but again, why not try something cheap just to see?
So that's what I did. This is supposedly a 5K HID. Here it is vs the LED:
Notice that the hot spot is back, fwiw.
Another pic with slightly different exposure:
I'll say this. I didn't use a relay. The only reason this crossed my mind to try is because the ballast is so small, it's beyond easy to install and secure. No way I'd leave it or run without a relay for long term use though...
This bulb flickers a few times and changes colors as it warms up. I'd say that warmup is about 10s, as compared to the LED being instant. Not sure if that is due to the lack of a relay, a purposeful soft start setting, etc. My BMW OE HIDs sure don't do any of that...
I wasn't keen on going too far, but there's a long river park not far from my home and the HD where I do wall shots, so I went there.
Possibility for glare aside, it seems that they are definitely brighter, and reach further.
Tomorrow I plan to try to use a clamp on ammeter and see inrush and steady state current. I'm curious if they start soft or have a big pull at the start... And if they're 35W in, or 35W out... I'd suspect that these ballasts are 70% efficient, if that... So these bulbs aren't driven very hard. Interestingly, the headlight plastic cover on the LED side was cooler than on the HID side...
Tomorrow I go back to my LEDs. I still think that ballast mounting is going to make HID impossible in the accord hybrid. Plus the LED headlight matches the color of the LED DRLs perfectly...
Enjoy!!
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb..._th#Post3967972
Overall I've been pleased, and like them. But what start d me down the study of any lighting options was really the consideration of if I should install S2000 or TL projectors in my car and do an HID retrofit.
There are two things that bug me still:
1) could I still do better than with my (supposed) 2800lm LEDs?
2) that the heat sink on the bulb is heavy and may cause long term damage to the housing.
I've not been willing to commit to HID because of these LED bulbs, and the fact that the accord hybrid has less underhood space than a regular accord due to more stuff in the way.
Enter OPT-7 Blitz Bullet HID. Likely a cheap analog DC ballast, but tiny....
$29 on eBay, $39 next day delivered on Amazon prime with simple returns. I figured why not play with these in the parking lot and then return them? So that's what I did.
I only installed one...
For reference, here is my halogen vs LED profile, and what the LED pair looks like from my projectors.
Halogen vs LED:
Note the hot spot on the halogen side, for later.
The LED pair:
I have been happy with the LEDs, but again, why not try something cheap just to see?
So that's what I did. This is supposedly a 5K HID. Here it is vs the LED:
Notice that the hot spot is back, fwiw.
Another pic with slightly different exposure:
I'll say this. I didn't use a relay. The only reason this crossed my mind to try is because the ballast is so small, it's beyond easy to install and secure. No way I'd leave it or run without a relay for long term use though...
This bulb flickers a few times and changes colors as it warms up. I'd say that warmup is about 10s, as compared to the LED being instant. Not sure if that is due to the lack of a relay, a purposeful soft start setting, etc. My BMW OE HIDs sure don't do any of that...
I wasn't keen on going too far, but there's a long river park not far from my home and the HD where I do wall shots, so I went there.
Possibility for glare aside, it seems that they are definitely brighter, and reach further.
Tomorrow I plan to try to use a clamp on ammeter and see inrush and steady state current. I'm curious if they start soft or have a big pull at the start... And if they're 35W in, or 35W out... I'd suspect that these ballasts are 70% efficient, if that... So these bulbs aren't driven very hard. Interestingly, the headlight plastic cover on the LED side was cooler than on the HID side...
Tomorrow I go back to my LEDs. I still think that ballast mounting is going to make HID impossible in the accord hybrid. Plus the LED headlight matches the color of the LED DRLs perfectly...
Enjoy!!