a BIG thank you...

[bundubasher]

...to MattF

We are planning to go home at Christmas and so I was seeking some extra spots to light my way on the road back to Zimbabwe. It's a long trek and last time we often had to drive at night to keep up with our schedule and so good lights are essential.

Well, Matt offered me his original IPF spots for free! A friend of my wife's brought them out yesterday and I fitted them this morning. They are a tight fit and they won't fit under the ARB bullbar so I'll have to check the "tilt" when I power them up. I had to lose the grill guard and I'll have to move the front mounted Hi-Lift to the back of the vehicle but they look GREAT!

I just hope they perform as well as they look! Matt sent some bulbs with them but I've swopped them out and replaced them with some 100/130W rally bulbs I brought out from the UK. I'll probably spend this afternoon jury rigging the loom and switch but I'll sort them out this coming weekend.

I must admit that I have been taken aback by this man's generousity and I cannot easily express my thanks to him. Perhaps this will help...

[MattF]

You're welcome mate. At least you can see the locals to run them down properly
now.

[bundubasher]

I've just had my third power cut of the day and it's p!ssing me orf! Have to get a UPS or something...

Anyway, wired the spots but am not getting the juicy output I expected. On the H4's I just guessed; if you look at the back of the bulb with the 3rd pin to the top, I connected the red wire (iguess positive) to the RHS - am I wrong and is this the problem?

High spots: 2 x 130W - direct feed from accesories batt.
Main beams: 2 x 60W - standard feed from starting batt.
Low spots: 2 x 130W - direct feed from accesories batt.
(Fog: 1 x 55W - direct feed from accesories batt.)

[bundubasher]

Ha - am I pushing the pushing the 60A alternator a bit?

2 x 130W= 260
2 x 130W= 260
2 x 60W= 120
2 x 15W= 30

Total: 670W/12v= 55.8A

[Sancho]

Ha - am I pushing the pushing the 60A alternator a bit?

2 x 130W= 260
2 x 130W= 260
2 x 60W= 120
2 x 15W= 30

Total: 670W/12v= 55.8A

Is that all you do, divide watts by volts to get amps? I wish I'd paid attention at school.

And I used to be a lighting rigger......

[bundubasher]

Aha Jim lad...I think I may have found a solution:

The bulbs I put in the low spots are only 100W, still don't know why they should be less bright than my main beams though.

(Matt - holding on to that IPF 170W H4 in case of emergencies!)

P=VI or in this case I=P/V

[That Ruddy Squirrel]

Having seen the flying insect life in Kenya I kinda think them lights won't be bright for long - light doesn't pass through baked bug very well !

Next job for Enzo, wipers for all his lights


Trev

[bundubasher]

Thanks for the reminder Trev - maybe if I spray them with WD40 the bugs'll come off easier! Any thing else good for stopping bugs sticking to glass?

Anyway, I can handle hitting bugs and anything up the size of a large goat or smallish calf - but if you hit a local! Eish man - they'll drag you out of your truck and beat you to death! So I'd rather turn the night into day than run the risk of squashing a local!

[MattF]

If I remember correctly, (and I may well be wrong, it's months since I took them
off), the wire with the clear outer goes to the upper centre pin, and then the red
and blue wires go to the left/right bulb connectors. I could be completely wrong,
however. If the two feeds are the wrong way round, you'll end up with the
brightest beam on position 1, and the lowest beam on position 2. (I think).

[Sancho]

Thanks for the reminder Trev - maybe if I spray them with WD40 the bugs'll come off easier! Any thing else good for stopping bugs sticking to glass?

Anyway, I can handle hitting bugs and anything up the size of a large goat or smallish calf - but if you hit a local! Eish man - they'll drag you out of your truck and beat you to death! So I'd rather turn the night into day than run the risk of squashing a local!

You could mount some translucent lighting gel in frames in front of the lenses, just remove and replace at the end of every day.

You could even get some bright colours for if you have a flamboyant day.

[bundubasher]

Hi - Now is that Sancho as in Sancho Panza as immortalised by The Stranglers?

Gels sound good although I doubt if you could find any here at decent prices. How about a thin layer of vaseline?

[MattF]

It'd probably just melt and drip off.

Washing up liquid. Wipe it on neat. It'll dry to a hardish film.

[bundubasher]

Good plan - now to find some washing up liquid - there's always an excess of Vas in the car but no fairies...

[Sancho]

Hi - Now is that Sancho as in Sancho Panza as immortalised by The Stranglers?

Gels sound good although I doubt if you could find any here at decent prices. How about a thin layer of vaseline?

as far as the vaseline goes. Washing up liquid sounds like a good idea (or anything else water soluble). Might get a bit dirty though.

Gels are dirt cheap here, you could probably buy them and ship 'em over for a few quid.

Sadly not Sancho Panza. Sancho the fictional p0rn star as seen in 'Orgazmo'. Except that wasn't actually me.

[bundubasher]

"My lights are so bright I gotta wear shades"

I haven't seen that one...

Anyway, swopped out the 100W H4's (they were "blued" and so gave out a green light) and put Matt's 170 and a 60 in. I also drilled new mounting holes in the bullbar and moved the lights forward about an inch an a half - much better angle.

Anyway, they are now too bright to photograph with my little digicam but at least the pics show you what they are like now.