ElGuapo315
New member
None with the Nilight... and my stereo buzzes with the power antenna and the wipers.
Cheap Light Bar Worth It?
- Thread starter TmAnBuIcK
- Start date
None with the Nilight... and my stereo buzzes with the power antenna and the wipers.
Bumbo
New member
How was it wired and are the lightbar wires close to any audio equipment or signal wires?
My guess its probably because the circuit / led driver which regulates the current to the LED is PWM (Pulse Width Modulation)
Most LEDs are driven with some type of PWM circuit because its cheap, the more expensive ones are actually DC-DC current limiting but you will almost never find that in some low dollar Chinese light. Luck of the draw, you might have got one that is overly noisy...
PWM control output by turning on/off quickly at home rate like 60, 120, 500 hertz to change the duty cycle... faster the better...
Luckily I haven't experienced this with my lighter either... but I do have some flashlight that you can actually audibly hear the PWN with your ear to the light.
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Fern
New member
How was it wired and are the lightbar wires close to any audio equipment or signal wires?
My guess its probably because the circuit / led driver which regulates the current to the LED is PWM (Pulse Width Modulation)
Most LEDs are driven with some type of PWM circuit because its cheap, the more expensive ones are actually DC-DC current limiting but you will almost never find that in some low dollar Chinese light. Luck of the draw, you might have got one that is overly noisy...
PWM control output by turning on/off quickly at home rate like 60, 120, 500 hertz to change the duty cycle... faster the better...
Luckily I haven't experienced this with my lighter either... but I do have some flashlight that you can actually audibly hear the PWN with your ear to the light.
Makes sense. I figured it was a factor of $$$. I guess you get what you pay for.
Thanks!
Bumbo
New member
There is probably more to it than just that... but at least it gives you a little idea as to why it might be making the noise it makes.
I would be curious to hook it up another way, or run the wire another way and see if the problem goes away...
Perhaps even adding a ferrite choke would help with the problem... but im just guessing at this point.
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Jeffy
New member
There could be other factors too though. How is it wired/ grounded? Poor grounds can cause issues, and if you tapped into an existing factory ground that could cause feedback. If you tapped into existing, factory wiring for the power that could also cause problems.
I spent about 30 bucks on my light bar, but it's wired using a relay directly off my battery, and it has its own ground. Zero feedback with it.
Try running a wire straight from your battery to your light input, and connect the light's ground directly to a ground on the chassis that has no other grounds connected. If you still get feedback, the light is your issue. If the feedback goes away, run better wiring through the setup with different grounds, relay, etc. and you should be fine.
Budget builds, when done properly, can be just as effective as expensive builds. Expensive builds, when done poorly, can create many issues as well. Even a $1,000 light bar can cause feedback issues if you half-ass the install.
Just my 2 cents.
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Fern
New member
There is probably more to it than just that... but at least it gives you a little idea as to why it might be making the noise it makes.
I would be curious to hook it up another way, or run the wire another way and see if the problem goes away...
Perhaps even adding a ferrite choke would help with the problem... but im just guessing at this point.
I tried a ferrite choke up by the light but made no difference. I ran the wires down the outside of the vehicle underneath the driver side windshield moulding as others have and mounted the relay next to the battery. Might be worth switching it up to see if anything changes.
DKFTPNYC
New member
Cheap light bars are really a hit or miss. I've got a Rigid 30" in my SSO bumper and that thing works VERY well. However, if I were to do it again, I wouldn't buy it again. I would just get some cheapos. They get the job done just fine for a heckuva lot less $$$
A buddy of mine gave me a set of 3" cube leds, which I ended up mounting as ditch lights. Color and output were great for what had to have been probably $20 for the pair. I just hated how their mounting solution.
So I purchased another set of spots from Auxbeam, which had great reviews on Amazon, and slapped them on. I picked those thinking a $30-40/pair should be better than what I originally had. They were terrible. Light output was a big spot, it wasn't bright, and the color was like a 12K. I was so disappointed. Over my HID headlights and Rigid DOT Fogs, I can't even tell they're on. Even with nothing on but those ditches, I can barely tell they're on because it's so purple. Only way to tell it to see the purple reflection off my hood. Time to look for some new ditch lights. Any suggestions?
A buddy of mine gave me a set of 3" cube leds, which I ended up mounting as ditch lights. Color and output were great for what had to have been probably $20 for the pair. I just hated how their mounting solution.
So I purchased another set of spots from Auxbeam, which had great reviews on Amazon, and slapped them on. I picked those thinking a $30-40/pair should be better than what I originally had. They were terrible. Light output was a big spot, it wasn't bright, and the color was like a 12K. I was so disappointed. Over my HID headlights and Rigid DOT Fogs, I can't even tell they're on. Even with nothing on but those ditches, I can barely tell they're on because it's so purple. Only way to tell it to see the purple reflection off my hood. Time to look for some new ditch lights. Any suggestions?
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tx_shooter
New member
I will toss in another +1 for Nilight LED lights. I used a set of flush mount LED lights for my rear bumper and they have been great for the last year. I have submerged them a few times, lots of rain/ water exposure with no moisture issues, and they are bright enough that people comment on them when I back up in the day time. They have been the best $20 I have spent in a long time.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=pda0fc-20
As for my front light bar I went a different route and now wish I had not. I went with SLDX for a 27" light bar and it does not always turn on in cold weather (below 40 degrees) and it already has a little moisture in it after less than 8 months. I plan to replace it with a Nilight LED light bar pretty soon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=pda0fc-20
As for my front light bar I went a different route and now wish I had not. I went with SLDX for a 27" light bar and it does not always turn on in cold weather (below 40 degrees) and it already has a little moisture in it after less than 8 months. I plan to replace it with a Nilight LED light bar pretty soon.
Bumbo
New member
Color Temp: I actually prefer closer to 4300-4500k is possible... so I would lean towards 5 if you can choose... but its almost more of a HID conversation.
Most anything in the budget / cheap led lighting you don't get to choose. The higher binned emitters generally go to the brand names so its hit or miss with what you get even if you give you a range.
DKFTPNYC
New member
Yeah, truthfully 43-45K is what I prefer as well but that seems to be incredibly difficult to find. It doesn't help that a lot of these cheap bars don't necessarily emit the advertised color. It's always a "hold your breath" before firing it up for the first time lol
Bumbo
New member
Referring to the two 30" and 40" "higher end" generic bars I posted about on page one... both are the same style, from the same seller, but purchased few months apart.
If you look at them side by side, you can see the color temp difference. It's not a lot, but it's there... enough to trigger my OCD haha.
I know it's to be expected because it's an LED lottery but I lost the battle on that one. I have brand name flashlights that I paid good money for, and the emitters used in them are higher binned and you get what you pay for. You most likely won't see that type of variation from people like Baja Designs.
All in all, still a damn good light. Most people probably won't care, but I am someone who hangs out at candlepowerforums so.... ya, battery and lighting nerd.
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DKFTPNYC
New member
Lol yeah I expect there to be slight differences in color but the base color should be white. I guess what I'm trying to get at is that a "more expensive" cheap LED bar doesn't necessarily equate to a "better" cheap LED bar.
Case in point, my led cubes. The $20/pair ones have a MUCH better color and spot compared to the $35/pair ones I purchased. That's nearly double the price and they performed MUCH worse than the cheaper ones. The leds were straight up like a 12K with a MUCH bigger spot. The color is like those old Mercedes when they first came out with factory HIDs, how they have that light purple color output to them (think grape ginger ale).
It's not really about the money as I don't mind spending the money to purchase a different set. It's just the annoyance of cutting, splicing, resoldering, etc and then HOPING they're a somewhat correct color and spread. So annoying lol
Bumbo
New member
I wouldn’t go as far to say that… the ones I have are fantastic. It’s a large led, looks very similar to the 1st or 2nd generation Cree xml emitters, and performance very much the same in terms out output. 1000 lumens per, with 24 on a 40” bar for 24,000 lumens at the emitter. I am still blown away for what you get for the money, and at $200 it’s a steal when compared to a $80-100 ridged clone bar. Considering its a clone of a $1000+ VisionX bar, not too shabby.
https://www.visionxusa.com/shop/xmitter-low-pro-xtreme/
What matters more is that every led on the same bar shares the same color temp. I only notice these things because I have two bars purchased months apart. If you did that from Baja Designs, all their emitters meet that spec which is why you won’t see stuff like that from them, but you pay dearly for it.
Mine is advertised at 6000k, but there are binning/batch differences. The ones that cut mustard in terms of binning/tolerance get a higher price tag and don't make it into generic lights. It’s no different than how intel deals with their processors… Xeon vs Desktop processors were approached in a similar fashion.
What you are dealing with is probably a markup on a very similar light… it’s like those cubes that EVERYONE makes… things are sources from a number of places but all get built into a same/similar housing.
That said, I get where ur coming from. At those price levels, it is what it is... if you want consistency, you gotta pay for it.
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DKFTPNYC
New member
Definitely not saying that it's definitively the case lol. Just saying that paying a bit more doesn't 100% guarantee a better product. And my $20 vs $35 spot cubes were the perfect example. I just couldn't believe HOW bad they were compared to cheaper ones.
Yeah it pretty much comes down to which factory it's made in. Gonna have to give my uncle a ring LOL #asian
Bumbo
New member
I can completely agree with that. It's a buyer beware market with a little hit/miss and luck built into it.
It's not like I found the ebay seller myself... I came across someone on Tacoma world who had good luck with those bars and the same seller so I gave it a shot.
Bumbo
New member
Auxbeam I bought in the past... specifically the cube / pod ones we discussed above.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T62RK1U/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Those were literally just like all the other ones you generally see. Its not like they throw our a crazy amount of light, but they work. I don't even use them on the truck anymore, I use them for camp / utility lights. My forward facing drive lights are so bright that I can't even tell the pods are on because my eyes adjust to the brighter light.
The color changing stuff is interesting, but I think its more for style points.
IMO they don't serve any real function for a drive light. My only concern is does all that LED design take away from the white light performance. If you are buying it as a driving light, I personally don't really care about the colors.
That said, I've never bought one or seen one in person... maybe its good, but I have my reservations.
That said, I would buy Auxbeam before buying something unbranded off e-bay. But in the real world, assuming you didn't get screwed, I would expect them to be very similar. I just think you play less lottery when you get something branded like that.
