Kc Daylights

[reads90]

Does anyone know where you can get KC Daylights

Cheers

[Bush65]

Get Lightforce when you get to Aus - no comparison

[clunk]

I believe Matt Savage does there here

hope this helps

clunk

[reads90]

cheers for that

Ali

[Top90]

Devon 4x4 does lightforce in the UK. Very impressive.

Rich

[simonr]

Are the baby Lightforce lamps worth having? They are much lower tech than the ones the size of dustbin lids - but a lot cheaper too.

Si

[rick]

There is a light test in one of the local rags here (4x4 Australia) this month comparing medium size driving lights in a lab, and it's the first time I've seen a Lightforce light beaten (170).

Surprisingly, they rated the new IPF 900XS (spot and spread) first ('hottest' long distance centre spot and brightest, best controlled spread beam), Narva Ultima 175 'blue' second and the Lighhtforce 170 third (the others were Narva 175 (just behind the 'blue'), Hella Rallye 1000, KC 69, Hella 160.

The writers even seem surprised, commenting that the IPF 900XS is "the best set of IPF lights we've tested over the last twenty years".

[siggy]

I think you might need a trip to the opticians if you need lights during the day because you must be B) <blind or maybe you need a trip to one of those laser eye treatment companies for the cattaracts

[fisha]

i have the lightforce 170's on my landie.

they out shine anything else i've tried - amazingly bright and well worth the money in my opinion. I also really really like the clear front look they have.

I can understand why the IPF's can be thought of as better. The patterned lens will help throw the beam sideways on the side of tracks far better than a straight bowl from the likes of lightforce ( where you would lose a lot of light vertically when set to a spread pattern )

It depends on your use / need really.

I have the lights for dark road driving, so to me, a good long throw straight ahead is better rather than being able to see whats in the verge just a few feet in front of me.

Personal thoughts are that the best combination is long throw pencil beam setups for the front spots, and then have general spot lights ( or even fog lights - cause they throw wide beams ) mounted on the roof. The wide cast from roof lights can be very good for slower speed driving. They tend not to throw visible shadows ( cause they're higher than your eyes ), they light up the areas down the side of the wings as they are mounted further back, and lastly, they shine over hedges, walls and things which gives you much more information on whats around you at lower speeds.

Only downside to roof lights can be the reflection off the bonnet ( which you get used to ) and in the rain, where you get a bad 'driving in snow flakes' effect.

[John_T]

Same as Fisha, Lightforce 170s. Great bits of kit.

Don't forget that the other benefit of Lightforce lamps is that they are virtually indestructable. They are also extremely light (as in not heavy!) and don't wobble about.

A tip....buy spare bulbs from wholesale electrical suppliers not auto electricians. First of all the auto guys will not stock them and secondly they are as cheap as chips from the other source. I found this out when I managed to break one (messing about with the adjustable beam thingy). The bulbs are Osram and strangely enough are listed as 100 watt Data Projector bulbs. I could dig out the Osram number if needed. My son works for an electrical firm and got them for me at about a quid each.

[fisha]

great tip. if you could dig out the Osram number that would be brill.

[John_T]

fisha, just been and had a look at a spare I keep in the car.

On the Osram box it says " Longlife HLX 64623 12v 100w"

Hope this helps

John

[Kev Baldwin]

Same as Fisha, Lightforce 170s. Great bits of kit.

Don't forget that the other benefit of Lightforce lamps is that they are virtually indestructable. They are also extremely light (as in not heavy!) and don't wobble about.

A tip....buy spare bulbs from wholesale electrical suppliers not auto electricians. First of all the auto guys will not stock them and secondly they are as cheap as chips from the other source. I found this out when I managed to break one (messing about with the adjustable beam thingy). The bulbs are Osram and strangely enough are listed as 100 watt Data Projector bulbs. I could dig out the Osram number if needed. My son works for an electrical firm and got them for me at about a quid each.

I've just done a test for LRW mag with Lightforce lamps to see whether their bullet-proof claims were true.

You can read all about it in the mag next month, but i can tell you now, they survived both shot-gun and rifle attacks and a night submerged in a bucket of water.

They do feel cheap and nasty and certainly don't look £150 quids worth, but they do everything they say they do.

[siggy]

still don't understand why people need day lights, aint the sun bright enough?

[Happyoldgit]

I always understood theyt were called KC Daylighters

[darthdicky]

I had no idea it was that grim oop norf Kev - living daan sarf I don't have this problem of my lights being shot all the time

Has anyone tested them to see if they're tree-proof? I mean if you drive into a tree/bank/whatever and the light is the first thing to hit then it's not going to stop the vehicle dead - does the bracket allow it to move and absorb some of the impact? I'd say thats probably more real world than shooting at them, impressive as it is!

Richard

[white90]

at £150 I'd want a man to deflect branches from them on every trip!!

way over priced overhere as are many things.

Paul/Des etc what are they selling for in Aus?

Mine were £16 for 2 so far I have replaced 2 of the 4 and they present enough light for the speed I drive at.

I had the IPF ones like Will Warne but returned them unfitted as I thought they were a sodding rip off.

[Kev Baldwin]

I had no idea it was that grim oop norf Kev - living daan sarf I don't have this problem of my lights being shot all the time

Has anyone tested them to see if they're tree-proof? I mean if you drive into a tree/bank/whatever and the light is the first thing to hit then it's not going to stop the vehicle dead - does the bracket allow it to move and absorb some of the impact? I'd say thats probably more real world than shooting at them, impressive as it is!

Richard

If they'll withstand a speeding bullet, I think it's safe to say they'll stand up to a whip with a tree branch or an impact into a banking. Unlike traditional lamps, Lightforces uses Polycarbonate (lexan) material for its lamps so the answer is yes they're tougher than any lamp that uses a glass lens or reflector.

The bullet didn't bounce off the lens cover but went straight though the lens cover, lens, reflector and the out the body of the lamp putting a perfectly round hole in each without shattering. The shotgun round from 10m didn't even penetrate the clear filter/lens cover, although as our man with the shotgun pointed out he has a pair lexan shoting glasses that will stop a shotgun round at 2m. Rest of your face is blown away, but at least they can safe your eyes!

At £150 a pop though, as Tony has said, that buys you an awful lot of cheap and cheerful replacement Ring lamps. You pays your money....

I was impressed. Would I buy some myself? I'm a northerner. What do you think????

Kev

[Paul]

Lightforce are not really any cheaper to buy over here. The 240s are about $400, so 160 quid, and the 170s are about the equivalent of 140 quid.

Having said that, they are comparable in price with most of the other top line lights - IPF, Cibie etc.

I have a very good mate who has a pair of 240s on the front of his Ford Courier 4wd, and quite recently we compared his Lightforces to my Cibie Super Oscars (1 pencil, 1 driving). My Cibies have 100W globes as do the Lightforces, but there is absolutley no comparison in light output. The LF are 240mm diameter, the Cibies 200mm, but the effect on a long bush track was really quite startling. No only did the LFs have a better penetration, but the light was whiter too. My Cibies are wired up to give the best possible voltage to the globes, so there was no excuse there.

As to durability, I think they're outstanding. About 18 months ago, maybe a bit longer, Pete had skippy attempt to leap through his radiator. The big LFs sit proud of his bullbar and are actually a little too large to fit through the gap in the bullbar. However, after erm...impact, the left side LF had been forced through the opening which means it deformed in shape to fit through. The mounting bracket, which always looks to me to be a bit flimsy, had spun around and twisted to allow the light to flip backwards. After unbolting it all, the bracket more or less came back into shape, and he put the light back on. Nothing cracked or broke, even the globe still worked! It may have been a freak incidence, but it convinced me. By way of comparison, both my (admittedly elderly) Cibies have suffered from the metal mounting brackets coming away from the light body and requiring some remedial surgery. No doubt casualties of our fairly notorious corrugated roads.

[John_T]

At £150 a pop though, as Tony has said, that buys you an awful lot of cheap and cheerful replacement Ring lamps. You pays your money....

Maybe, but you ain't gonna get antwhere near the performance from the Ring lights!

[Neil Marshall]

still don't understand why people need day lights, aint the sun bright enough?

Yeh, but's it's nightime in Australia...

[reads90]

still don't understand why people need day lights,  aint the sun bright enough?

Yeh, but's it's nightime in Australia...

Yeah and but Australia have more dark time than we do ,

[rick]

I play dodge the skippy (with the odd steer and cow thrown in) every dawn, dusk and nightime, and I really want some 240's or XGT's to replace the Cibie copy Nite Stalkers that are on my car (they'll complement the Cibie headlights), but like Paul said, the best price I can get them for is a bit under A$400, and there are more important things to spend the hard earned on ATM.

Sigh. (with the sound of violins playing in the background... )

[rick]

Yeah and but Australia have more dark time than we do , 

yeah, and it's a really, really, really black night time at that out here in the sticks, with only the glow of the milky way and the mighty Southern Cross above to guide you through....

You have to see an Aussie or African nightime sky to feel bluddy insignificant. B)

[Bush65]

i have the lightforce 170's on my landie.

they out shine anything else i've tried - amazingly bright and well worth the money in my opinion. I also really really like the clear front look they have.

I can understand why the IPF's can be thought of as better. The patterned lens will help throw the beam sideways on the side of tracks far better than a straight bowl from the likes of lightforce ( where you would lose a lot of light vertically when set to a spread pattern )

It depends on your use / need really.

I have the lights for dark road driving, so to me, a good long throw straight ahead is better rather than being able to see whats in the verge just a few feet in front of me.

Personal thoughts are that the best combination is long throw pencil beam setups for the front spots, and then have general spot lights ( or even fog lights - cause they throw wide beams ) mounted on the roof. The wide cast from roof lights can be very good for slower speed driving. They tend not to throw visible shadows ( cause they're higher than your eyes ), they light up the areas down the side of the wings as they are mounted further back, and lastly, they shine over hedges, walls and things which gives you much more information on whats around you at lower speeds.

Only downside to roof lights can be the reflection off the bonnet ( which you get used to ) and in the rain, where you get a bad 'driving in snow flakes' effect.

The Lightforce combi filters are good. They combine spot and spread functions.

The secret with roof top lights is to mount them back from the front edge of the roof so that the bonnet and bull bar are in the shadow of the roof to stop reflections.

Roof lights are great for showing the ruts etc in the track.