RCMoeur
Member
Sure, almost any light looks great up close at night or in an indoor garage.
But how does it look in bright sunlight at 1/4 mile away?
At 75 mph, 1/4 mile is a mere 12 seconds. Having lights visible at that distance or farther could be useful out on streets and highways.
Yesterday, I took my vehicles (which are equipped with rear warning lights) out on a bright day in sunny Arizona and took video & photos at 1/4 mile (1300 ft), 1/8 mile (600-700 ft), 250 ft, and close up. Although video and photos don't often record light output as faithfully as a human eye, it's at least something shareable. Apologies in advance for the shakiness of the 1/8 mile and 250 ft videos (I used a tripod for the 1/4 mile video).
First up is my faithful 31-year-old pickup truck, with red 2 STT LEDs, an amber oscillating Federal FB4 Magnabeam, and an amber "retired" FB4 converted into a stationary flashing light.
Next is my Toyota Yaris. This little "jellybean" doesn't have a lot in the way in 'authoritative image', but the nimbleness and 40 MPG makes it great for field work and travel. It has an amber FB4 Magnabeam mounted in the rear window next to a "resurrected" amber FB4 rebuilt as a stationary light.
Finally, we have our Honda Odyssey minivan, which travels thousands of miles a year across the nation on family and business travel, plus is the wife's daily driver. This also has an amber flashing stationary light in a FB4 housing plus a FB4 Magnabeam side by side in the rear window. The tint's a bit darker on the Odyssey, which does affect light output a bit, but it still shines sufficiently.
Let me know what you think...
But how does it look in bright sunlight at 1/4 mile away?
At 75 mph, 1/4 mile is a mere 12 seconds. Having lights visible at that distance or farther could be useful out on streets and highways.
Yesterday, I took my vehicles (which are equipped with rear warning lights) out on a bright day in sunny Arizona and took video & photos at 1/4 mile (1300 ft), 1/8 mile (600-700 ft), 250 ft, and close up. Although video and photos don't often record light output as faithfully as a human eye, it's at least something shareable. Apologies in advance for the shakiness of the 1/8 mile and 250 ft videos (I used a tripod for the 1/4 mile video).
First up is my faithful 31-year-old pickup truck, with red 2 STT LEDs, an amber oscillating Federal FB4 Magnabeam, and an amber "retired" FB4 converted into a stationary flashing light.
Next is my Toyota Yaris. This little "jellybean" doesn't have a lot in the way in 'authoritative image', but the nimbleness and 40 MPG makes it great for field work and travel. It has an amber FB4 Magnabeam mounted in the rear window next to a "resurrected" amber FB4 rebuilt as a stationary light.
Finally, we have our Honda Odyssey minivan, which travels thousands of miles a year across the nation on family and business travel, plus is the wife's daily driver. This also has an amber flashing stationary light in a FB4 housing plus a FB4 Magnabeam side by side in the rear window. The tint's a bit darker on the Odyssey, which does affect light output a bit, but it still shines sufficiently.
Let me know what you think...