LED Lights Go Hand-in-hand with Off-Roading, Just Like Ease & Safety
The fun of an adventure is not always the destination. In fact, most of the time, the fun is about the journey; and with our amazing equipment and staff here at LED Equipped, we can aid you with any sort of LED, or Light Emitting Diode, system compatible with your vehicle. From personal vehicles of people interested in off-roading for fun to professionals working to save lives in their communities using emergency vehicles and, by extension, emergency lights, LED Equipped can help service any and all of your needs.
Regardless of your familiarity with setting up and selecting your LED Lights, our experts can help you determine what you are looking for in a lighting system. However, before speaking with our experts, there are a few things you should consider about your LED lights and what would work best for you.
Important LED Light Bar Features to Decide on Before Purchase
The three most basic and important factors in choosing an LED light system are: how many lumens it puts out, or how bright a light source is, how durable the system is, or how much of a beating and stress you can put on the lights without breaking, and, finally, the light pattern, or in what manor, shape, or effect will the light have on the area you are attempting to light. Once you have determined what you are looking for, you can start thinking about which style light bar and which brand or company you would like to purchase.
As we explained above, the most important criteria are the Lumen Output, the Durability and the light pattern of each lighting system.
Lumen Output
This is a numerical measure of how bright a given light source will be typically determined by a calculation. The number of lumens given off by any one system is often placed in the name or description using the abbreviation “lm”, i.e. 3000lm or 7000lm. The numerical value assigned to any given LED system is determined by multiplying the LED output of a SINGLE LED bulb in the lighting system by the TOTAL NUMBER of bulbs in the lighting system. For example, if in one bar, there are twenty-two bulbs in the bar and each bulb’s output is 200, the total would come to 4,400lm. These calculations help to compare the specs and features of various off-roading light bars for any type of vehicle, be it emergency or personal such as trucks, jeeps, sports utility, or even all-terrain vehicles.
Higher lumens mean higher energy consumption from your vehicle’s battery. However, today’s advanced technology and innovative designs of modern light bars utilizes microprocessor circuit technology which allows these bars to keep it’s draw on your battery at an all time low, allowing power to be used elsewhere as necessary. The product of the lights being designed in such a manor is a vastly improved visibility with as little of a drain on your battery as possible.
Durability
Durability is the next important feature to consider for an LED lighting system. Regardless of the vehicle’s purpose or the type of bulb used by the vehicle, durability is an important feature to consider when deciding how to light your vehicle. Because of the inherent unexpectedness of off-roading, it is often a good idea to utilize LED lights as opposed to more fragile bulbs like halogen, xenon, or HID lamps. The current LED technology is so amazing because of one essential piece of LED technology called “CREE LED” technology. These pieces of equipment are what is referred to as “solid state technology” which, put another way, means that there are absolutely zero moving parts or pieces on this light bar. These pieces of technology are so well designed that each unit often can last up to 30,000 hours or possibly even more than that as compared to xenon and halogen lamps which only last about five-thousand and one thousand hours, respectively.
Another important feature of the durable LED lights is that they are water and dust resistant. These are good for living in a very wet climate or even a marine or maritime setting. That being said, however, it would be best if you live in a wet climate or plan to use the light bars in maritime activities to investigate the water resistant LED systems specifically because it will give your LED light bar a longer life and state of usefulness. The most common way for manufacturers to ensure both water resistance and dust resistance is by using a silicone seal in the housing body of those specific style of light bars to prevent water or dust getting inside the light bar unit and damaging it. It is possible to see completely water and dustproof units, however, it will more likely simply be water and dust RESISTANT. The specific durability features of the light bars depend entirely on what you are needing or wanting for your specific lighting system.
Lighting Pattern
The final important criteria a consumer must be aware of when selecting your LED off-road lighting bars is the light pattern needed or expected for each specific lighting system. There are several main types of patterns which include, spot beams, flood beams, multi-beam patterns and combination patterns. The spot pattern lights use a narrow beam of light which is better for lighting further away from the light source and is better for on road travel than others. The next example is the Flood Pattern light which, as opposed to the Spot LED, gives off a wide washing beam that, for lack of a better way to put it, “floods” the entire immediate area with an even, bright light good for working close to the light source itself. The other types, Combination and Multi-Beam patterns, utilize both styles at the same time or you can even get units which can switch between the two beam patterns, Spot and Flood. Again, this all depends on the specific needs of the customer and their expectations of what their LED Light Bar will do for them.
Different Kinds of Off-Roading LED Light Bars
The light bars can be divided into a few different groups based on the individual looks and styles of the housing. The main kinds are either straight or curved off-road LED light bars, mini LED light bars and LED work lights. The main differences between the straight and curved light bars are the way the beam is cast and how the bar will look when installed on your vehicle. The straight bar will give off a more direct light pattern as opposed to a curved bar, which will create a wider, more diffused wash of light. The straight light bar generally features spotlight and beam patterns. These light bars generally are mounted on the roof of the vehicle. However, that in mind, they can be installed almost anywhere on the vehicle.
A curved bar has a few key differences than the straight bar. As stated previously, the straight bar casts a concentrated area of light while a curved bar creates a significantly wider field of light; but the power and intensity of the lights will be less than it would be with a straight bar. Much like the straight bar, the curved can come with either spot or beam patterns. Further, the installation location will depend on how your car looks and how well it will work. It is possible for you to mount the curved bar pretty much anywhere, the windshield, the roof, the bumper, the list goes on.
For the most part, selecting between a straight or curved light bar is all about personal preference: with the sole exception of on what kind and where you will be installing the system on your vehicle. For example, straight bars are more aesthetically pleasing on boxy or square shaped vehicles, such as jeeps or trucks, as well as older vehicles. For newer vehicles that have more complex designs, the curved bars are more appropriate because they will match the general style, design and the curvature of the car body, bumper, roof, or windshield.
The LED work lights are appropriate for more than work or off-roading vehicles. Each of these systems also include mounting brackets to easily attach the work lights to whatever SUV, truck, or any other vehicle you might want to attach them to. These lights typically produce a high intensity flood beam that washes the entire area you are trying to illuminate. Though the lumens on these are generally lower than others, they are perfect for filling out the necessary light to complete your job as well as casting light down toward the ground so you can see where you are going even easier.
Mounting and Wiring your LED Light Bar Systems
While these lights are expensive, they are also an investment into your vehicle and, as such, they should be attached to the vehicle with the best, sturdiest equipment around because, let’s face it, if the lights are going to constantly be falling off the mount, what good are they? Something else to consider is where you will mount the lights on your vehicle. It is important to not mount the lights any higher on your vehicle than necessary if your vehicle is particularly tall. We have options and suggestions to help you best select and install your light system with plenty of choices between LED light bars, their mounts, brackets, wirings, or even entire kits. We can even make custom brackets to fit your individual needs. If you are going to try to install your LED bars on your own, make sure to check that you will not be destroying any vital components to your vehicle as you work.
The wiring your light bars use can help prevent the lights from drawing too much power off the vehicle’s battery. Sometimes, it’s possible to use the existing wiring systems already in place in your vehicle, so you don’t have to rewire to install your light bar. There are several options of wiring connections available when selecting a system. You can choose either a one or two connector wiring harness or even add a light control box giving you more control over your light bar. We even have a few kits that have the harness and wiring included.
We here at LED Equipped are committed to getting you the best set up at competitive prices. We have plenty of options available like discounted light bar kits and bundles specifically for emergency vehicles as well as plenty of products for recreational and personal vehicles like boats and ATVs or trucks and SUVs respectively. Included with purchase of any and every single piece of equipment we offer here at LED Equipped is a total and comprehensive warranty for three years.
LED Equipped, an A+ accredited Better Business Bureau affiliated company, offers the best, most advanced technology available right now for LED light bars and accessories. Our products are among the most durable on the market and, because of this, they have the longest lifespan available today. Visit our secure website to purchase any of these products as well as check the status of your online LED light bar order.