Are LED Tunnel Lights Really Necessary

[Ronaldo47]

The reason for the non-availability of LED headlamp and stop/tail bulbs to replace tungsten bulbs is that conventional vehicle headlights etc. are designed around  the essentially omnidirectional  point source light emission of a tungsten lamp, whose three-dimensional point source is necessary for the optical reflecting and refracting components of the vehicle  luminaire's optical system to produce its legally specified  light beam shape and intensity distribution. Individual LED elements  emit  directional light, and the best LED  approximation to a compact  omnidirectional  point light source is the so-called corn-cob construction with a number of light emitting diodes pointing in different directions. While this  may be OK for general illumination, the light emitting source of a  corn cob lamp is physically too large to replace a point source lamp as it would not produce the correct beam shape.

Edited April 15, 2022 by Ronaldo47
typos

[George and Dragon]

On 15/04/2022 at 20:29, Rob-M said:

The boat moored in front of us has just turned his tunnel lights on, glad we aren't moving towards each other in a tunnel.

 

I met one like that in Braunston tunnel.

[ditchcrawler]

I am thinking of getting one just to get my own back on the buggers

[David Mack]

On 17/04/2022 at 09:53, ditchcrawler said:

I am thinking of getting one just to get my own back on the buggers

Just get a mirror to hold up to those who have over-bright headlights!

[manxmike]

Sadly it's not just narrow boats, here on the Isle of Man (no canals!) we seem to be plagued with cyclists with LED lights aimed at oncoming cars. I simply go back to main beam and watch them wobble into the hedge. When they complain I ask them to aim their lights a bit better, their response is usually "at least you can see me", when I respond, "yes, it makes you a better target for me", they usually shut up.

[MtB]

6 hours ago, manxmike said:

Sadly it's not just narrow boats, here on the Isle of Man (no canals!) we seem to be plagued with cyclists with LED lights aimed at oncoming cars. I simply go back to main beam and watch them wobble into the hedge. When they complain I ask them to aim their lights a bit better, their response is usually "at least you can see me", when I respond, "yes, it makes you a better target for me", they usually shut up.

 

 

So happy you live on the IoM.

[gooselover]

same with bikers, cant stand when they have flashing strobe lights that are blinding really gets me going

[matty40s]

On 17/04/2022 at 09:53, ditchcrawler said:

I am thinking of getting one just to get my own back on the buggers

I have a large Cree LED lamp I use for looking at the wonderful brickwork and side tunnels, along with Braunstons old electricity brackets. 

I really dont like the new LED frontlights especially when they are aimed at me....when the crew of an oncoming  boat also decide to shine torches in my eyes, my defence is triggered. I use an umbrella in most local tunnels, to keep the water off, but also recently to keep glare down. I can steer fairly well using this against oncoming LED glare, once I know the front is in the right place, I quite often turn the lamp on, and explain to the complainer that "I have had to look at that for the last 10 minutes, angle it, or replace it, no offence meant"

 

[Ex Brummie]

LED's whether on the boat, car or bicycle are the spawn of the devil. 

On boats, are small LED aimed correctly is not a problem. Similarly, many car drivers do not use the levelling switch to adjust their beams, and I'm sure that most cyclists, pedal or motor take pleasure in dazzling other road users.

[GUMPY]

9 hours ago, Ex Brummie said:

Similarly, many car drivers do not use the levelling switch to adjust their beams,

Many modern cars do not have such a switch as their headlights are self levelling.

It's often those that have Xenon or LED lights that are missing the switch.

[IanD]

14 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Many modern cars do not have such a switch as their headlights are self levelling.

It's often those that have Xenon or LED lights that are missing the switch.

Cars with high-power xenon/LED lights are legally required to have self-levelling to prevent dazzle...

 

It's possible that the dazzle culprits are drivers who have retrofitted LED bulbs to old headlights, which is also illegal but this doesn't stop people doing it... 😞

[bizzard]

The crazy designs of car rear lights too. Like your approaching a Blackpool illuminations exibits.  There needs to be strict laws about car lights, Standard 60/50 w headlamp bulbs for a start.  it's horrible driving at night. Even the Americans reckon it's one big dazzle driving at night here. I remember when you flashed a car that had headlamps on in a lit up area at night, now they flash you if you haven't got them on. If folk can't see with ordinary standard wattage dipped headlights at night in unlit areas too, shouldn't be out driving need their eyes testing. And you get dazzled in broad daylight too now, cars with them permanently on and ones that come on if a little cloud passes over the sun. Ridiculous.

Edited November 2, 2022 by bizzard

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, bizzard said:

I remember when you flashed a car that had headlamps on in a lit up area at night, now they flash you if you haven't got them on.

 

Ah but that was back in the fifties, when it was widely believed that having your headlights on 'drained the battery'. Which was perhaps partly true when cars had dynamos not alternators, which didn't charge at low revs (the reason automotive alternators were developed in the first place - because they do). Driving slowly in built up areas meant the engine never got up to the speeds necessary to supply the headlights so you could easily find yourself having to use the starting handle instead, if you stalled it or stopped for petrol, say. 

 

My A35 definitely had a dynamo and I think possibly my first (1959) Mini. did too.

 

 

[doratheexplorer]

13 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Ah but that was back in the fifties, when it was widely believed that having your headlights on 'drained the battery'. Which was perhaps partly true when cars had dynamos not alternators, which didn't charge at low revs (the reason automotive alternators were developed in the first place - because they do). Driving slowly in built up areas meant the engine never got up to the speeds necessary to supply the headlights so you could easily find yourself having to use the starting handle instead, if you stalled it or stopped for petrol, say. 

 

My A35 definitely had a dynamo and I think possibly my first (1959) Mini. did too.

 

 

My Morris 1000 was built in 1970 and had a dynamo.

[bizzard]

11 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Ah but that was back in the fifties, when it was widely believed that having your headlights on 'drained the battery'. Which was perhaps partly true when cars had dynamos not alternators, which didn't charge at low revs (the reason automotive alternators were developed in the first place - because they do). Driving slowly in built up areas meant the engine never got up to the speeds necessary to supply the headlights so you could easily find yourself having to use the starting handle instead, if you stalled it or stopped for petrol, say. 

 

My A35 definitely had a dynamo and I think possibly my first (1959) Mini. did too.

 

 

I had many old vehicles right up to the early 1980's with dynamos, Minivan, Series 2 and 2A Land Rovers for work ect, forced to drive with headlights on at night because of all the others dazzling me and my batteries never went flat. In the old days many car batteries were on the way out anyway with mean owners trying to eek out every bit from them, my dad did that, although he wasn't mean.

[bizzard]

On my 21st birthday I my girlfriend and other friends held an overnight party in the middle of Epping forest. I drove us deep into the forest as far as I could, it was an old 1954 seiries 1 Land Rover with dynamo . I removed it's battery and took it along with my inspection light, a 21w indicator bulb on a long lead to illuminate our party which I hung from a tree in a leafy glade. We had booze, grub and a battery record player. ''A lighter shade of pale'' was the hit at the time. We were raided by the police at 3am, they'd found my old Land Rover, searched us for drugs I expect, and went leaving us in peace. Next morning we packed up,put the battery back on and it started instantly. That 21w bulb was alight for about 10 hours, I was expecting to have to use the starting handle.

[system 4-50]

53 minutes ago, bizzard said:

If folk can't see with ordinary standard wattage dipped headlights at night in unlit areas too, shouldn't be out driving need their eyes testing.

I had my eyes tested recently.  It didn't make them one whit better.

[Tracy D'arth]

6 hours ago, system 4-50 said:

I had my eyes tested recently.  It didn't make them one whit better.

Every time they check my eyes they are worse than last time, perhaps if I stopped having them checked , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 

 

A lot of senior dazzling is due to cataracts forming I am told.

[IanD]

17 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Every time they check my eyes they are worse than last time, perhaps if I stopped having them checked , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 

 

A lot of senior dazzling is due to cataracts forming I am told.

 

True indeed, my night driving problems went away when I had cataracts removed (artificial lenses inserted) from both eyes 🙂