Handy Don 16,326 #26 Posted yesterday at 02:39 PM Looking good. Headlights need a re-aiming! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 69,827 #27 Posted yesterday at 03:20 PM 37 minutes ago, Handy Don said: Looking good. Headlights need a re-aiming! I have four new LED bulbs to install and aim. It’s funny, this coach takes the old school 2B1 bulbs that are high and low beam. The outer bulbs are wired for low and the inners for high. Since I am changing to LED and the load will be lesser, I plan to make them all work, when asked to. A machine this large, good lighting seems crucial to me. Fun fact, that was one item on the coach that Julie and David were not sure if they worked. They owned it for 17 years and never drove in the dark! 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 16,326 #28 Posted yesterday at 03:44 PM 12 minutes ago, Pullstart said: I have four new LED bulbs to install and aim. It’s funny, this coach takes the old school 2B1 bulbs that are high and low beam. The outer bulbs are wired for low and the inners for high. Since I am changing to LED and the load will be lesser, I plan to make them all work, when asked to. A machine this large, good lighting seems crucial to me. Fun fact, that was one item on the coach that Julie and David were not sure if they worked. They owned it for 17 years and never drove in the dark! Totally agree on good lighting (that’s why I noticed it 😉) however I’m very sensitive to the risk of too much light, especially for oncoming and near-ahead drivers. Since your coach’s wiring already accommodates separate high and low beam circuits I hope your plan is to add diodes of adequate capacity that will let you power both high and low from the “high side” but only the lows from the “low side." I’ve also become a solid fan of my car’s auto-dimming system which uses a video camera and software instead of a simple sensor to detect situations where dimming is appropriate. It can remarkably reliably detect (and quickly react to) oncoming headlights, taillights of a vehicle ahead within radar range (~350 meters), overhead street lights, blinding fog, or daylight. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 78,391 #29 Posted yesterday at 05:05 PM 1 hour ago, Pullstart said: machine of any size driven in the dark, good lighting seems crucial to me. Fixed that for you 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 69,827 #30 Posted yesterday at 05:44 PM 1 hour ago, Handy Don said: Totally agree on good lighting (that’s why I noticed it 😉) however I’m very sensitive to the risk of too much light, especially for oncoming and near-ahead drivers. Since your coach’s wiring already accommodates separate high and low beam circuits I hope your plan is to add diodes of adequate capacity that will let you power both high and low from the “high side” but only the lows from the “low side." I’ve also become a solid fan of my car’s auto-dimming system which uses a video camera and software instead of a simple sensor to detect situations where dimming is appropriate. It can remarkably reliably detect (and quickly react to) oncoming headlights, taillights of a vehicle ahead within radar range (~350 meters), overhead street lights, blinding fog, or daylight. I do not plan to run both high and low at the same time, but I will have the ability to run 4 low beams or 4 high beams at once. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 16,326 #31 Posted 7 hours ago 20 hours ago, Pullstart said: I do not plan to run both high and low at the same time, but I will have the ability to run 4 low beams or 4 high beams at once. So the LEDs have separate brightness and aim points for “high” and “low"? I know that Rivian has figured out (and has the only U.S. certified version of) matrix LED tech, also called adaptive headlights. Running 4 wide and long illumination high beams will be great for your visibility but could be very intimidating to an oncoming or ahead vehicle, even across a median. Even 4 low beams can put out a lot more light than some state regs permit (32 candlepower or ~400 lumens in NY). I know that Michigan does not require universal annual vehicle inspections but headlight performance is part of the NYS annual inspection regime (though I concede that some inspectors are less than diligent on areas where there is no income stream opportunity for remediating non-compliance). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 69,827 #32 Posted 7 hours ago 16 minutes ago, Handy Don said: So the LEDs have separate brightness and aim points for “high” and “low"? yep 16 minutes ago, Handy Don said: Running 4 wide and long illumination high beams will be great for your visibility but could be very intimidating to an oncoming or ahead vehicle, even across a median. Even 4 low beams can put out a lot more light than some state regs permit (32 candlepower or ~400 lumens in NY). I’ll make it selectable, for that reason 17 minutes ago, Handy Don said: Michigan does not require universal annual vehicle inspections I saw a 2011 or so Chevy 1500 pickup yesterday with the majority of the box cut off with a sawzall, so it was a frame width “flat bed” if you will. The frame was so rusted the section behind the cab was at about a 30 degree angle. Sometimes I wish we did have a safety inspection. They might feel safe, but my kid could be in the oncoming lane when it rips loose. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 16,326 #33 Posted 3 hours ago 3 hours ago, Pullstart said: They might feel safe, but my kid could be in the oncoming lane when it rips loose. Well said. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
