spotlights
Submitted: Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 16:55
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Andrew
Where is the best place to pick up quality spotlights from for a reasonable price? Do they usually come with wiring loom and relay? I can get a complete loom set up for $55 from nissan (for my gq). Should i buy this and get spoties somewhere else, what is the go. Andrew..
Reply By: OziExplorer - Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 17:14
Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 17:14
Andrew it really depends on what sort of spotlights you want and need for the type of driving you do.
If you do a lot of 4WD off road, you need something really decent that will not break.
My personal choice is the Hella ones, because the quality is great, many of their lights are made in Australia or New Zealand and you can get anything for them in the way of spares at a reasonable price if you break a lens.
Check out the prices and availability and also your local auto electrician. If there is not much required to actually mount the lights, a local auto electrician if you buy the lights from him does them for $40.00 installation. The auto electricians know which lights are good and which lights break.
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Reply By: patrol692001 - Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 18:27
Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 18:27
ANDREW,I've got IPF lights 8oo series i think.They arent cheap but are very tough & also have excellent performance.They use 130w globes as standard.One of the best spots i have owned.With any light wiring use the largest wire you can from batt to relay to light to avoid voltage drop & hence increase brightness. Hope this helps.
CHEERS MIKE
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Follow Up By: Andrew - Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 19:32
Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 19:32
Mike, How much did you pay for the lights and where did you get them from? I do quite a bit of off roadin so i do need quality. I'm after around about 100w out of a pencil and spreaded beams. The cable I'm getting is the factory wiring loom from nissan, I trust they use the right cable. Thanks.. Andrew
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Follow Up By: Patrol692001 - Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 22:21
Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 22:21
ANDREW, Don't know exactly how much as they were on my patrol when i brought it.Rough guess $400-450 a pair.One is a pencil & one is a spread beam.The only other lights i have owned that are comparable are cibie super oscars,an ex light but very BIG!!!.Don't know anything about nissan looms .I wired mine in 6MM cable, making my own loom for headlights (130/90w) & my spot lights.Seperate fuses & relays for each light.ie 2 for low beam, 2 for high beam & 2 for spots.Just uses factory wiring to run the new loom.Works a treat.
CHEERS MIKE
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Follow Up By: Oziexplorer - Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 09:15
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 09:15
Andrew if you check out the specifications, you will find 130w globes give a very small amount of extra light to be unnoticable compared to 100w bulbs. 130w bulbs are the greatest heat generators going.
The new generation H1 and H3 bulbs are available in the Premium Xenon, they give you a 50% Brighter White Light and only come in 55 watt because they are so
bright and good. The days of using brute force (high wattage) bulbs in vehicles to get good lights are over.
Pity the Hella Xenon/GDL H4 Conversion Kits are not ADR approved as you would be able to fit these and forget about spotlights.
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Follow Up By: Member - Rohan - Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003 at 19:31
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003 at 19:31
Andrew,
Just to give you an idea, I got a quote for IPF800's installed with wiring loom for $395 RRP from ARB in Dandenong Vic.
Rohan.
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6635
Reply By: Dion - Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 21:41
Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 21:41
Andrew,
dunno what gauge it is, but use wire rated at 30A or better. The biggest gauge you can use that you can fit into the Yellow sized crimp connections. This should keep voltage drops at bay. Another hint, after stripping the wire, before putting it into the crimp, push the stripped wire into a tub of grease before the crimp. This ensures a reasonably long life from the crimped connections.
Cheers,
Dion.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Oziexplorer - Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 09:18
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 09:18
Dion where did you get this advice about putting the wire in grease?
The manufacturer of the vehicle certainly do not put the wires in grease before crimping them - nor should they.
If you are using the vehicle in salt (horrid thought), use the heat shrink crimp terminals if you must.
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Follow Up By: Member - Steven - Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 17:08
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 17:08
grease is bad advice ..these days even putting vaseline or whatever on battery terminals is a no no you can buy a spray to seal them but grease creates a bad contact and a hot spot which will eventually burn out ,leave it dry rather than any type of grease personally i have nightstalker 8 inch we do a fair bit of travelling and get a reasonable white light from them wired with 6 mm cable there own relay etc no special loom did it myself and no problems on the off road stuff (lost a gas tank going out to
chambers pillar but lights never altered ,the lights on the gq are a bit dull but stalkers do the job and reaseonably priced )
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Follow Up By: Bonz - Friday, Jan 24, 2003 at 22:24
Friday, Jan 24, 2003 at 22:24
using a conductive grease such as kop-r-kote will prolong the crimped connections and improve conduction of current reducing the possibility of a hot joint, it also helpo keep out dirty crappy water whic is a joint killer. The OE joints usually crimp completely, totoally removing the chance of water getting into the crimp and unless you have the right tool, (read expensive tool) then conductive grease is a good idea
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Reply By: Bob Y. - Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 21:50
Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 21:50
Andrew,
Have found both Hella and Lightforce to be good, though none of their parts are cheap. The best investment for bush work is a set of clear covers to suit, stops most rocks and last for a couple of years. Currently running Hella 4000's on our wagon, best designed light I've ever bought, with light output to suit my failing eyesight. If I still enjoyed night driving, would invest in set of Hella Predators, or their equivalents. Just brilliant, but EXPENSIVE. See ya...
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Reply By: Nick G - Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 22:32
Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 22:32
All electrical conections should be SOLDERED. Grease on elecctrical conections?What a recipe for disaster! Also for maximum voltage supply to all conections I always run a seperate earth wire back to a point near the battery-that way you can be sure of getting a good conection. Nick G
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Follow Up By: Oziexplorer - Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 09:04
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 09:04
Nick proper crimp terminals used with a proper crimping tool and preferably the lever action type like the Hella crimper are excellent and you will not find a soldered joint on a vehicle today.
With crimp terminals don't buy the cheap and nasty one and stick with the better known quality brands.
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Reply By: Truckster - Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 22:48
Monday, Jan 20, 2003 at 22:48
Im onto the Lightforce 240s for $356 a pair BRAND NEW IN BOXES and Not hot either!... usually around $380.
If I can sell 4 sets.. they will be $336 a pair... Complete ready to go!
Im in
Melbourne, and the place Im getting them from is also in
Melbourne..
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Follow Up By: Robert4615 - Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 03:05
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 03:05
truckster that's a great price. i myself am looking for a few sets. please let everyone know where, tel and e mail. thanks, robert
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Follow Up By: Truckster - Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 10:34
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 10:34
Rob...
If ya interested, jump in on the bulk buy! Maybe if I can sell more sets, then I may get EVEN BETTER price!
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Follow Up By: Andrew - Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 17:58
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 17:58
Thanks Truckster and others. I probably should have been more specific with my initial question. I understand voltage drop, how to protect and wire the system, but what i essentially wanted to know was A) What do people think of the value of the prefab wiring loom, already crimped, relayed, swithches, for $55.
B)Approx price (which you gave me some idea)
C)ARB, TJM, Olbis or is somewhere else the better value.
Once again I apreciate any free information, it is only the above mentioned areas i was curious about. Andrew..... P.S I would be interested in your deal however i'm in Brisy.
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Reply By: diamond - Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 20:44
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2003 at 20:44
a 4x4 mag recently tested lights and narva came up on top and at half the price of some narva ultima i think they were
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Follow Up By: Savvas - Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003 at 08:44
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003 at 08:44
A mate of mine has these and they are pretty good value. Narva Ultima 175. The
spot has a range of about 500-600m and the broad beam goes out to about 300m with a spread of around 25m or so. For around $130 at Repco, can't complain.
Though I would get something more robust if you are on rough roads a lot.
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Follow Up By: Savvas - Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003 at 08:44
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003 at 08:44
PS... That's $130 for the pair
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Follow Up By: Diamond - Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003 at 13:58
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003 at 13:58
acording to the 4x4 test there was no difrence between steel and plastic spottys i have the narva ultimas and they havnt fallen apart yet
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Follow Up By: Flappan - Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003 at 14:55
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003 at 14:55
This wouldn't be the same mag that rated the Narvas better then Lightforce (and everything else) and then gave a set away as a prize in some comp. Hmmmm I wonder . . . . . . .
No way are the Narvas better then lightforce, but they ARE a good light.
I've got 170 lighforces and these are BRILLIANT.
Cost me $360 including a good quality wiring loom.
The only thing I would say against Trucksters 240's are they are BIG. Read HUGE. In fact they don't fit on most 4bys with bullbars. Just to big.
They are extremely good though, so if the size is no bother, at that price it would be a bargin.
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Follow Up By: Truckster - Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003 at 15:23
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2003 at 15:23
Flappin hit it on the head.... SCAM. Give away free set and your lights win, and full page ad = ?? You tell me.
But a few months earlier another mag did a test and they didnt rate at all!
Both tests, were followed by Full Page ads from the manufacturer that "won"...
Flappin, the thing with the 240s is they mount from the center of the main round part, instead of under the bottom, so infact they sit forward a little, and usually sit out of the main rails on a bull bar...
HUGE YES!!!!! AND you can adjust from Pencil to Spread beam! For $30 less than your 170s!
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Follow Up By: Flappan - Thursday, Jan 23, 2003 at 11:06
Thursday, Jan 23, 2003 at 11:06
I agree Truckster.
Test + Winner + Add + Giveaway Hmmmmm.
As for the 240's. Mate I recon they are the ABSOLUTE business.
I just couldn't get them to fit. I've got an ARB Bullbar on my PJ, and they just wouldn't fit. No way was I missing out on Lightforce lights though, hence the 170's.
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Follow Up By: Bonz - Friday, Jan 24, 2003 at 22:32
Friday, Jan 24, 2003 at 22:32
geez Truckster you are a little suspicious arent you, I reckon the mags have a lot more at risk than a Narva add, check out all the ads around comparo's all the manufacturers get in, and if I had won a comparo, I would slap in a fullpage add too, ......... Mind you it broke my heart when Narva won :0(
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Follow Up By: Truckster - Friday, Jan 24, 2003 at 22:46
Friday, Jan 24, 2003 at 22:46
yea bonz, but most times there are winning things, they are followed by PAGES of ads.... and a Give away of the winning Item...
That test, is nearly 100% opposite of the test in another mag less than 6 months ago with the same lights, and same everything!!!
As you see, Im not the only one!!
;-)
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Follow Up By: Bonz - Saturday, Jan 25, 2003 at 09:02
Saturday, Jan 25, 2003 at 09:02
yea Truckster, a lot of the equipment comparo's are done with donated gear, and ya get mobs like lightforce who "lend" new bits to mags for testing and stories, check out the new HID lightforce unit that $WD monthly have on trial on Roothie's Milo (its on their CD this month). Any company trying to get their name in front of people would do this sort of thing.
all the best
Bonz
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Follow Up By: Savvas - Saturday, Jan 25, 2003 at 15:52
Saturday, Jan 25, 2003 at 15:52
Guys,
Scam, promo, donated, giveaway, whatever. In the less than $140 a pair price bracket .... you'll be hard pressed to beat them.
I will never say that they will out do a set of Lightforce or Cibie lights. But then, you can't get a pair of Cibies, Lightforce, IPF, or Hellas for less than $140 or even $200 anyway.
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