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spots

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Hi Guys
I have been looking at spots and have a few questions about them, as usual i
hear you say.
I have asked guys who sell the spots and the answers are a bit conflicting.
I think we discussed this a while back.
Does it make any difference if the spots are round or retangular or of one
size or another.
Is the big 9 inch round spot better then the 7 inch retangular, is this
better than the micro spots.
What is the difference between fog spot lights and spot lights.
Is it the power of the beam, the colour of the lense and or reflector, the
shape of the glass, the position of the spot high or low mounted.
I have been told all of these including if you put them up high they are gog
and low they are spots,
its the power of the bulb that determines if its a spot or a fog light,
its the reflector and the lense that make it one or the other,
cheers
john c
92HDJ 80 1HDT Rep of Ireland
 
OK John,
One at a time.
The shape of the light makes nodifference.
Size matters very little, get ones that look right on your vehicle.
The shape of the beam, fog lights have a beam cut off at the top
and should be mounted low.
The power makes no difference to type, most are 55 watt anyway.
The shape of the lens gives you the difference in answer Three.
Balls to the mounting high and low, and don't buy from any pratt
that told you that. Fogs have to be low mounted to do any good. Spots
can go where you choose. Putting spots on the roof and angleing them
down gives you a better view of the terrain right in front of the car,
good for off road where any little hump looks large in the shadows.
spots angled straight ahead give you better frontal vision when it is
really dark, also you can see a bit more to the side, usefull in the
desert or off road.
Regards, Clive.
 
Hi clive thanks for the reply to my confused state of mind. So are fogs any
use for long range and can they be mounted on the bumper or should they go
lower if that is possible on a cruiser. The thing is as usual what ever the
story is with me and suppliers they seem to get it wrong a lot. I bought a
set of spots and I like them but they were supossed to be spots and now they
are fog lights. If I send them back I have to pay the postage to the Uk
after paying it already to here from there. Some times a real pain in the
arse buying things from the Uk but them when you cant find what your looking
for her what can you do.
cheers
john C
92HDj 80 1HDT Rep of Ireland
 
John,
Fog lights are 'the lower the better' but you have to be
practical. On the bumper will be fine. The lights give a flat top beam
that should be projected down a bit so that they light up the road
immediatley in front of the car, they are supposed to cut out the
glare-back that fog gives you, you do not need them to be long range
as fog slows you down. Their secondary use is for other cars to see
you in fog but I think they are no better than normal lights for this.
Regards, Clive.
PS Ebay is a good place to look for fog and spot lights.
 
Hi Guys
It turns out after talking to the supplier that the name (hyper fog) is just
that, a brand name no more.
Still very misleading I would think.
But he assures me that because they have 55w bulbs they are spots and not
fog which would have 30 to 40w bulbs.
So looks like I learned a bit more with this little exploration of the the
bulb, the lamp and the supplier hopefully no part two to this story.
cheers
john C
92HDJ 80 1HDT rep of Ireland
 
John,
You would have a job finding 30 or 40 watt car bulbs. All of the
fog or spot lights I have ever seen have 55 watt bulbs or above. The
wattage is the intensity, not the shape of, the beam. I would suggest
giving this supplier a miss.
Regards, Clive.
 
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Hi Clive
Too late they are fitted. So they could be fog after all. I knew I should
have been a mechanic or electrical auto guy, my life would be easier I
think.
john C
92HDJ 80 1HDT Rep of Ireland
 
Hi Guys
I know I know I hear you say will he ever go away and buy a Mini so he can
go and bug those guys instead of us, not yet.
Spots, fogs fitted what ever they are, they work and are bright. I rigged
them up off the battery just to see if they work and they do.
I cant tell if they are spots or fogs at all, how can I tell.
Maybe someone can also explain to me please why o why did they work with
only the live wire connected to the battery and the earth wires on both
spots not connected to anything at all. WHAT HAVE I DONE WRONG that I can
have them working with no earth at all connected.
Also the plug at the back of the head light has a few connections in it to
make the lights work on dim and high so if I was to put a wire into one
terminal at a time while the dim or high beam was on , would this let me
know which terminal to connect the spots to for power.
Would this put too much pressure on the head light relay if I did this.
Ah but sure you have to think im mad but I really want to achieve this
little milstone in auto electricts. Or maybe I am mad to even think about
this.
John C
92HDJ 80 1HDT Rep of Ireland
 
John,
The difference in beam pattern is the best way to tell, a
spotlamp has a round beam and a fog lamp has a flat topped beam, park
in front of a wall and try it. Your lights are probably earthing
through the frame of the light, the earth wire will do a better job.
Your headlamp relay is probably up to running Four lights but I'm not
so sure about the wire you are supplying your fogs from. you would be
better powering from the battery, or the Toyota power block in the
engine compartment if not. The fog lights (if thats what they are)
should be capable of coming on when only the side lights are working.
If you want me to write out a simple wiring system just say and I'll
do it.
Regards, Clive.
 
Hi Clive,
Don't forget the good old 'Driving' lights, they can be flat topped as
well!
--
Regards,
Julian Voelcker
Mobile: 07971 540362
Cirencester, United Kingdom
1994 HDJ80, 2.5" OME Lift
 
Hi Clive
Thanks for that. So you reckon the best thing is to connect to the battery
direct. Ok ill do that, so is it possible to take a feed from the side
lights for them then. Ill do a little messing and see what works I hope.
cheers
johnC
92HDJ 80 1HDT Rep of Ireland
 
No, not direct. I'll write it up in about an hour.
OK Julian, Fog lights are a flat beam top and bottom, shone on to a
wall the beam looks like a long horizontal beam. Driving lights only
had the top cut off to prevent dazzle.
On 3/7/06, John Byrne <[Email address removed]> wrote:
y
 
Hi Clive,
True, but it depends on how they have been mounted ;-)
--
Regards,
Julian Voelcker
Mobile: 07971 540362
Cirencester, United Kingdom
1994 HDJ80, 2.5" OME Lift
 
Hey Julian and Clive do you not think im already confused as it is but very
very interesting never the less to be sure.
johnC
92HDJ 80 1HDT Rep of Ireland
 
John,
Assuming you want your lights to come on only when the side
lights are on and independantly from other lights wire as follows.
This uses a relay which is much safer.
1. Take a wire from the side light and splice into it,
connect this wire to your switch and then to terminal 85 on your
relay.
2. Connect terminal 86 on the relay to earth.
3. Take a feed from the battery positive (using thick enough
wire) and connect it to terminal 87 on the relay.
4. Take a similar sized wire as in step 3 and connect it to
terminal 30 on the relay and to your lights.
5. Connect the earth leads from the lights to earth.
6. If you want the lights to be controled by the dip beam of
the headlights then connect the wire at step one to the dip beam wire
instead of the ignition one.
Wired as in step one the lights will work when the side lights
are on and you switch them on. Wired as in step 6 they will work when
your dip beam is on and you switch them on.
Regards, Clive.
On 3/8/06, Clive Marks <[Email address removed]> wrote:
ery
.
 
John,
As a bit of an afterthought, I have not seen you mention fusing
this setup. You can get relays with fuse sockets in the top, you
should use a 15 Amp fuse for these lights. For fuses and relays get a
copy of the Beal UK catalogue, 0113 253 8888.
On 3/8/06, Clive Marks <[Email address removed]> wrote:
ttery
e
pe.
 
Thanks Clive for that but could you not just pop over for lunch and do it
then..Ah sure im only messing, ill either know what you are saying or not
and if its not, ill ask no more questions and go and buy a Mini and come to
Salisbury in that.
cheers
John C
92 HDJ 80 1HDT Rep of Ireland .
 
Hi Clive
Thats not the problem its my understanding of how things work with auto
electricts is the problem. The mind is willing but the knowledge or
experience is not there. I have a switch, wires , relay, more wires all
colours, one with a fuse on it. but its to know what way things should go
against what way I think things should go. If I dont want to use the switch
but want to use the spots with dim or side lights, then it changes the
confiruration of the wires going into the relay from the plug and then Im
lost.. I know it may seem to you, geese what is he on about they are only
wires, but with curran and relays being able or not able to take a certain
amount of currant and then the fuse and what wire goes where etc etc.I will
fiddle with it if it ever decides to stop raining and see what happens, you
have better things to be doing.
john C
92HDJ 80 1HDT Reo of Ireland
----- Original Message -----
From: "Clive Marks" <[Email address removed]>
To: <[Email address removed]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 10:58 AM
Subject: Re: [ELCO] spots
John,
As a bit of an afterthought, I have not seen you mention fusing
this setup. You can get relays with fuse sockets in the top, you
should use a 15 Amp fuse for these lights. For fuses and relays get a
copy of the Beal UK catalogue, 0113 253 8888.
On 3/8/06, Clive Marks <[Email address removed]> wrote:

--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 268.2.0/276 - Release Date: 07/03/2006
 
Hi Guys
Just wondering about spots for the cruiser.
The problem is as we all know its that time of year again and the lights on the cruiser are kind of crap.
There is such a vast selection of spots and prices to match I need advice.
Are small spots as good as bigger spots.
Is it the lense or the wattage of the bulb that gives better light.
Are the blue spots more for show or as good as the clear ones.
Are the round ones better than the rectangular ones.
Do all spots give a longer field of light.
Can you get spots that can double as low and high beam, like an extra set of cruiser lights.
cheers
john 92HDJ 80 1HDT
 
John,
Small are as good.
The wattage gives more light, the lens gives the light pattern.
The Blue spots are a gimmick, the light is white. Blue is only
seen by folks in front. Please don't confuse colour with intensity.
Round and rectangular are the same for output, get ones that
match your cruisers lights.
Spots are for longer light patterns, fog lights are for shoter and wider.
I have never seen a twin filament spotlight.
I don't have any fitted to my car but I hear good things about Lightforce.
Regards,
Clive Marks
Home: +44 1293 514600
Mobile: +44 7821 491897
Crawley, West Sussex, UK.
 
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