Amber vs Clear Truck LED Auxiliary Lights

I have no idea what I'm going to do with the other four buttons on an 8-gang switch panel...

Probably going with an EZ Flate CASE air compressor, so no need for a switch for that. Canopy is on order and I'm gonna camp in the bed, maybe some aux lighting there, especially if I can control with an app too. Was thinking winch but backtracking on that a bit...train horn?? (just kidding)
 
SteveAndTheCrigBoys said:
I have no idea what I'm going to do with the other four buttons on an 8-gang switch panel...

Probably going with an EZ Flate CASE air compressor, so no need for a switch for that. Canopy is on order and I'm gonna camp in the bed, maybe some aux lighting there, especially if I can control with an app too. Was thinking winch but backtracking on that a bit...train horn?? (just kidding)
Click to expand...

Get the winch, it won't be used as much as lights but when you need it you will really need it (if you're serious about getting in/out of bad places or find yourself alone in the snow a lot). You could skip the winch bumper, go with a hidden winch mount, and BD makes complete kits with mounts for ditch lights, fog lights, and linkable XLs on the bumper. It would be an ungodly amount of light & money, but would be very straighforward to do especially with a SwitchPro panel.

It's always easier to add stuff later on if it's as easy as connecting to a designated 12V output under the hood vs getting everything cleanly throught the firewall for a new illuminated rocker switch (obviously moot if you have factory upfitter stuff).
 
WTFJohn said:
I read his articles, and while they have some valid info for older style lights, he frankly doesn't know what cutting edge lighting is or what modern LEDs are capable of in reference to aftermarket lighting like we are referring to.

Edit - I went and looked at his product page. You can judge for yourself if you think that is the same type of stuff we are talking about here. I'm not trying to be a dick, but I don't see a single $1,000,000+ trophy truck (or any other class) running anything Daniel Stern sells. I do see them with the exact same lights you can buy from Baja Designs though.

Here are some similar/relevant articles from Baja Designs:
Amber vs Clear
Lighting Zones Explained
Effective Light Score

He is selling H1 and H4 lights on his website as great high/low beam lights, which in the US are relegated to 1410 lumens and 1650 lumens, respectively per bulb. The Baja Designs Squadron SAE which we are talking about as road-legal fog lights check in at 2420 lumens per light, and the lumens go up from there as you ditch SAE approval (and on-road legality).

@SteveAndTheCrigBoys there is also an SAE approved LP6 on the way, last update I heard was August or so.
Click to expand...
OK. Judge for yourself and make your own choices. If you want a $1M trophy truck lighting system then go ahead and get what's brilliant and newly cool, and spend lots of money.

It seems that you have your decisions made. Just increasing lumens or lamp Kelvin to the limits of what is legal in the USA does not increase practicality. Spend some more time on candlepowerforums.com and ask your questions there to get the best answer to your question. I am not an expert.

Yet please consider that on the roads, high lumen headlight lamps/bulbs can be offensive and dangerous because most of them do not have good beam dispersion, resulting in a high level of light projected onto on-coming drivers.

A well designed lamp system is better than a high lumen system.

I respect your decision not contact Daniel, but please don't discount that you will probably receive the best response from him on what to purchase to suit your needs, even if it may be H1 or H4 bulbs and lamps.. His product page is not representative of his knowledge.




I'll sign out of this conversation now. Best of luck to you.

In the end, I suggest you ask this question at candlepowerforums.com, where should get your best answer.
 
WTFJohn said:
Get the winch, it won't be used as much as lights but when you need it you will really need it (if you're serious about getting in/out of bad places or find yourself alone in the snow a lot). You could skip the winch bumper, go with a hidden winch mount, and BD makes complete kits with mounts for ditch lights, fog lights, and linkable XLs on the bumper. It would be an ungodly amount of light & money, but would be very straighforward to do especially with a SwitchPro panel.

It's always easier to add stuff later on if it's as easy as connecting to a designated 12V output under the hood vs getting everything cleanly throught the firewall for a new illuminated rocker switch (obviously moot if you have factory upfitter stuff).
Click to expand...
I'll have to find one that works with a steel front bumper that doesn't look terrible. So far the winch compatible ones for the '23 f150 all look like someone with a sever underbite. There's an ADD that looks fine but requires a $2000 intercooler relocation kit for the 3.5L.

I want the truck to be as capable as possible as a hunting vehicle...but I don't want it to look like crap either. Never needed a winch before but I've also never pushed boundaries. I'll think about it. 3 more switches to fill at least! haha
 
logem said:
OK. Judge for yourself and make your own choices. If you want a $1M trophy truck lighting system then go ahead and get what's brilliant and newly cool, and spend lots of money.

It seems that you have your decisions made. Just increasing lumens or lamp Kelvin to the limits of what is legal in the USA does not increase practicality. Spend some more time on candlepowerforums.com and ask your questions there to get the best answer to your question. I am not an expert.

Yet please consider that on the roads, high lumen headlight lamps/bulbs can be offensive and dangerous because most of them do not have good beam dispersion, resulting in a high level of light projected onto on-coming drivers.

A well designed lamp system is better than a high lumen system.

I respect your decision not contact Daniel, but please don't discount that you will probably receive the best response from him on what to purchase to suit your needs, even if it may be H1 or H4 bulbs and lamps.. His product page is not representative of his knowledge.

I'll sign out of this conversation now. Best of luck to you.

In the end, I suggest you ask this question at candlepowerforums.com, where should get your best answer.
Click to expand...

You are the only person here talking about retrofitting new bulbs into existing housings, which is almost always a recipe for trouble since the lens/reflector is designed for a certain output & pattern. We are talking about complete lighting systems from BD, the majority of which do not carry an SAE (road legal) approval number and are intended for off-highway or racing use. The ones we are discussing that DO carry the SAE number are a complete housing, reflector, and lens designed from the outset to be used on the road by the premier aftermarket LED company in the US.

I don't think a guy who has spent less on his own website in 20 years than I do on a single tank of diesel, doesn't manufacture anything of his own, and hoards whatever information he knows behind a phone is going to be able to tell me anything about what we are talking about here. Also candlepower forums is about as dead on the automotive lighting side as the D-cell maglite in my shop that hasn't had the battery changed since the turn of the century.

This is not 2008, where information like this is hard to come by (or where you can just proclaim yourself to be the "premier automotive lighting consultancy and supply house. Mr. Stern is an experienced consultant in the field of automotive lighting science and technology, setup, regulation, development, history and modification" without listing a single credential). You can call Baja Designs and talk to any number of their engineers, you can go to multiple retailers and buy their product, you can stop and ask the person pumping fuel at the gas station with a pair of Squadrons, you can turn on KOH/Mint 400/Baja 1000 and see their lights on dozens if not hundreds of custom built race vehicles that have no restrictions on budget and simply want the brightest/best pattern, most durable light avaiable.

It is literally a night and day difference between those two organizations.
 
Whatever you end up buying, don’t be a Toyota Chad and show everyone on the road how cool your lighting system is.
You will get flashed, and hopefully cited, and deserve it.
 
I did the SAE fogs in amber. The S8 bar, S1 spots and Pro combos are clear/white.

Here’s a pic with all on
BD0C0871-396E-43E5-9A68-37A89AD018C5.png
 
Got everything done on Saturday. The lower valence grille mount from Axis Mounts (SpaceWhiteF150) over on F150Gen14.com fit great, though I don't see how it can be installed on a 3.5 Ecoboost per his instructions without removing the bumper. Bumper nuts were on so tight I needed access from the top with a breaker bar on the ratchet. Getting to the "inside" nut from below was practically impossible due to the intercooler.

Had to trim more plastic than anticipated too. No biggie, the bumper removal is pretty simple and everything went back together well. Helped with clean wire routing too.

1760981788022.png

1760981800608.jpeg


Full Build List:
  • Auxbeam AR800 switch panel kit w/ engine bay mount from 4x4TruckLEDs.com
  • Swarfworks F150 overhead console switch panel mount
  • Squadron S2 rear lights, flood w/ 25' 14 AWG duplex "harness"
  • Squadron Pro Driving Combo on diode dynamics a-pillar mounts
  • 10" OnX6 light bar driving combo on the Axis Mount bracket, Sherpa mounts for the horizontal mount.
  • Built Right Industries front license plate bracket relocation mount.
I can take some more / better pics, let me know if anyone wants to see anything in particular or have any questions on the setup.

I'll probably add the BD fog light kit next year now that I know how easy bumper removal is. Only have 3/8 switches taken, really want to make that 4/8 haha.
 
I always laughed about how expensive some of the led's were. Bought a pile of cheap lights over the years, some better than others. Better than nothing, but looking back, they all kinda sucked.

Finally broke down and put a pair of BD squadron pro's and a pair of S1's in the front of the toyota. Holy shit, I now understand :cool:
 
Steve300xcw said:
Switches are the one thing I need to change. Did a clean install, but they are a PITA to turn off in a hurry.
Click to expand...
The Auxbeam made all the wiring super easy. Below is an accurate representation of my electrical knowledge.

mr-mom-220.gif

Little red button in the center of the switch panel powers all lights off. Everything worked properly the first time (that never happens).

Pro Tip: Used Google Gemini to size the wire for the run to the rear lights. Comes wired with 18 AWG, but that would've been >5% voltage drop over a 25'+ run. It said to use 14 AWG to get under 3% which is recommended for 12V DC systems. My electrician buddies agreed, and I picked up some weather packs to splice the two together and connect into some 14 AWG duplex.
 
SteveAndTheCrigBoys said:
The Auxbeam made all the wiring super easy. Below is an accurate representation of my electrical knowledge.
Click to expand...

I have found I prefer toggle switches over a button or rocker switch. I stuck both switches under my radio (red bottons) as there were knockouts for them. They work well enough, but I want my toggle switches and I want them a lil closer to hand. Small cab though so I got some figurin to do..

1000003181.jpg
 
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