ColinU

Hi folks,

It's me again with more lighting questions/ideas ... and a long posting!

Qu: Has anyone got any experience of "Ring" lighting products (be it on a Scooby or not)? More specifically it's the Illuminator 2 all weather lights, or the new (small) ice-blue driving lights. Why Ring?... 'cos they're relatively cheap and reasonably small.

The Illuminator 2's seem to be marketed as an "all rounder" (i.e. for poor driving conditions such as fog/rain, and normal condtions). Are they really any good in the fog, and/or do they give a reasonable spread of light in normal driving condition (i.e. could they suppliment the existing dipped driving headlights and show a bit more of the road!)?

The Ring ice-blue driving lights are not in the 130W league of those offered by SS etc, but would they help (as above) in supplementing the existing dipped driving headlights?

In my search for a reasonable solution to scooby's pathetic lights I've considered many options (including a lot of DIY solutions using USA products). I now think I will definitely ditch the fog lamps in favour of Oscar driving lamps. However, if at all possible I would like to retain some form of foglamps (hence the thought of Illuminator 2's). With a little bit of modification to the grill these could be fitted into the lower airdam/grill either side of the number plate without effecting airflow to the radiator too much. If in addition they give a reasonable light pattern in normal driving conditions (i.e dipped beam) then maybe it'll help light normal nighttime driving too.

However, if folks say they are poor in the fog then I'd opt for fitting 130W Oscar's wired to full beam, and Ring ice-blue (55W) in the airdam/grill wired to dipped beam.

Comments?


- ColinU.

P.S.
Morette twin lamps crossed my mind too, but I don't really think they suit the Scooby's looks (personal taste and all that).

P.P.S.
Does fitting auxiliary lighting in the position I'm describing comply with UK regulations? I seem to recall that Ring or Hella used to print the UK regs on the back of their packaging, but they don't seem to any more. Maybe it's inside the sealed(!) box. Details used to show legal positions in relation to center of vehicle, side of vehicle, distance from the ground, how many aux lights were permitted, etc.

pnebbs

Hi,

I have used ring lights quite a lot, and for two reasons, they are easy to get hold of and are cheap.

I have fitted small driving lights to the grill of my legacy with 130W ring bulbs and whilst nowhere near as powerful as larger and more expensive lights they make a huge difference to main beam, So I can actually see where the road goes.

I have always found fog lights to be virtually useless, the projector fogs on the legacy are the best I have used yet, but they are still almost useless and I will probably replace these with drivving lights.

I think you will find that having additional lights wired to your headlights is illegal as you should only use fogs in poor visibilty, (unless you drive a BMW of course when you should have them on all the time (Don't know why I being sarcastic about BMW drivers, I used to drive a 635Csi))

Paul

sweeney

The funny thing is ring make the Cibies!

jonathan rees

I agree with pnebs, front fog lights are a waste of time and in any case should not be used except in fog.

If you fit auxiliary driving lamps you should wire then so that they only illuminate when the main beam headlights are selected. You must also have a separate switch in series with the supply to the auxiliary lamps relay coil so that you can choose to operate the main beam headlights without the auxiliaries. In the days of road rallying in the UK you also had to have a dashboard warning lamp which illuminated when the auxiliaries were on.

From the driver's viewpoint lamps are best positioned as close to eye level as possible (this is why the police hold torches in that strange way !!). They won't be as good low down as they would on the bonnet for example but this is not always practical.

Make sure the lamps don't wobble, are aimed correctly, and check the voltage drop in the lamp supply wires when you have finished the job. A 5% reduction in voltage at the filament typically gives a 15% reduction in luminous intensity and a doubling of the lamp life !!

Hope this is useful.

ColinU

Jonathan (or anyone else),

> If you fit auxiliary driving lamps you
> should wire them so that they only
> illuminate when the main beam headlights
> are selected.

Now here's one thing that's confusing me. There are plenty of new cars (e.g Fords and Peugots) which as standard have (auxiliary?) lights fitted low down in their bumper. Any time I've seen such cars with their dipped beam headlights on I've always seen their "aux" lights on too. So I'm presuming it's OK to have aux 55W driving lamps (not 80W or greater spot lamps) wired into dipped beam.

Anyone know if my assumption is correct?


- Colin.

P.S.
I found some lights that to my eye look like a copy of Ring's 2" x 3" oval driving lamps. A princely price of £12.95 for the pair (incliding mounts and wiring), so at least if they don't work out as "dipped beam enhancers" I won't have blown a fortune!

Ian Cook

Colin, these are fog lights not aux lights in the same sense that we are using. It is actually illegal to have these front fogs on if there is no fog, or vis is greater than 50 or 100m cant remember which, so people that drive around with fogs on in good vis are breaking the law.

V697DMO

Where do you fit these on a Scoob and hpw do you wire in (simple terms please)

ColinU

Ian wrote:
"These (in new Fords, etc) are fog lights not aux lights"...

I guess a lot of new car owners are bending the law 'cos I've never yet seen one which doesn't have those lights switched off when their dipped beams are on.


697DMO wrote:
"Where do you fit these on a scoob"...
My plan is to fit them in behind the front grill, either side of the number plate. It'll require cutting a section of the horizontal "grates" in the grill either side of the number plate. There's a convienent "ledge" that the lamps should mount on quite easily. I'll set the lamps back fairly deep, that way they shouldn't stick out like a sore thumb.


- ColinU

P.S.
I'd plan to wire the aux lamps into the dipped beam only, but also have a seperate switch to disable them. That way when PC Plod get curious I can politely say "Sorry, my mistake" and switch them off.