- Location
- Signal Mtn., TN
Very true, but it's nice to know I'm not going to get water in it when I pressure wash it or even just from driving in the rain.
LED light bars
- Thread starter yellowx16
- Start date
When going through deep water and it splashes up over the roof, and when you have that giant wave roll BACK down the slope on the front of an X's roof line...the roof lights can be as wet as a surfboard.
And then there's car washes and that sort of thing.
Anyway....its one of those things you rarely see in the specs...and one reason a better light can be worth the difference. (If you buy it once, and it keeps working)
And then there's car washes and that sort of thing.
Anyway....its one of those things you rarely see in the specs...and one reason a better light can be worth the difference. (If you buy it once, and it keeps working)
- Location
- Rochester, NY
so are you saying IP67 isn't good enough for car washes that sort of thing?
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
IP67
- Totally protected against dust
- Protected against the effect of immersion between 15cm and 1m
- Location
- Rochester, NY
cool, good to know
- Location
- Signal Mtn., TN
IP67 keeps out all dust and protects in submersion up to 1 meter. IP68 protects beyond 1 meter. Not that it's really relevant since if the lights on your roof are over 1 meter under water you have much bigger issues.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code
IP67 is not bad, but, remember that the immersion limits are TIMED, so its not like a rating for a submarine...and IP68 is typically at LEAST twice as water resistant as IP67 (The 6 is the dust resistance rating).
And IP68 means the entire unit can be ~ 2 METERS or more deep, while the IP67 rating means the top of the unit could be a bit less than ~ 6 INCHES deep to pass.
Those are generally 30 minute or so tests.....so that UP TO ~ 6" for a bit vs up to 2 meters for a bit.
Also - Keep in mind that these ratings are on NEW units. That means water resistance tends to drop with wear and tear, vibration, oxidation of seals, thermal expansion/contraction cycles, etc. A unit that is built to the higher standard, over time, should typically remain MORE water and dust resistant than one built to lower standards.
That all means its a LOT harder to pass IP68 than IP67.
The unit, whatever it is, must be a lot better made to make the jump to IP68 from IP67.
An example of this are the lights for boat trailers.....the lights might get a little dunk when you back down the ramp to get the boat into the water.....and IP67's are considered as not water tight enough, and IP68 are.
If you think about it in terms of a product...if you have, say a gasket that is between two parts that thread together, and an electrical plug that passes through a penetration with a rubber grommet...what's involved with one being able to pass, and one not?
They can look the same...but one leaks more.
SOMETHING was improved, but what?
How about a thicker O-ring, which then required more threaded section to have sufficient seal area? - Which added costs in the metal and machining, and, the quality and sizes of the rubber parts...and so forth...there's stuff involved that you can't see, but make one unit costs more to make, and the IP rating gives a clue as to if its JUST added cost, or, if you get something for it/its a better VALUE.
This is one reason why a more expensive light can be JUST more expensive, but no better in quality...and another can be less expensive, but better made....and one way to tell the difference.
Obviously, the LIGHT emitted is another variable.....but the specs needed to evaluate that part are almost never listed.
Lumens are listed the most often, as that's the easiest to get large impressive numbers for...whereas the cd rating and the beam angle are the most useful specs, and they are rarely available. This is because, again, its easy to make a light that puts out massive lumens, and hard, (for an LED bar), to be made with the amount of throw even a well made 55 watt halogen light can deliver (Albeit the 55 watt halogen will have a small spot, and the LED light bar will have a giant flood, etc)
And IP68 means the entire unit can be ~ 2 METERS or more deep, while the IP67 rating means the top of the unit could be a bit less than ~ 6 INCHES deep to pass.
Those are generally 30 minute or so tests.....so that UP TO ~ 6" for a bit vs up to 2 meters for a bit.
Also - Keep in mind that these ratings are on NEW units. That means water resistance tends to drop with wear and tear, vibration, oxidation of seals, thermal expansion/contraction cycles, etc. A unit that is built to the higher standard, over time, should typically remain MORE water and dust resistant than one built to lower standards.
That all means its a LOT harder to pass IP68 than IP67.
The unit, whatever it is, must be a lot better made to make the jump to IP68 from IP67.
An example of this are the lights for boat trailers.....the lights might get a little dunk when you back down the ramp to get the boat into the water.....and IP67's are considered as not water tight enough, and IP68 are.
If you think about it in terms of a product...if you have, say a gasket that is between two parts that thread together, and an electrical plug that passes through a penetration with a rubber grommet...what's involved with one being able to pass, and one not?
They can look the same...but one leaks more.
SOMETHING was improved, but what?
How about a thicker O-ring, which then required more threaded section to have sufficient seal area? - Which added costs in the metal and machining, and, the quality and sizes of the rubber parts...and so forth...there's stuff involved that you can't see, but make one unit costs more to make, and the IP rating gives a clue as to if its JUST added cost, or, if you get something for it/its a better VALUE.
This is one reason why a more expensive light can be JUST more expensive, but no better in quality...and another can be less expensive, but better made....and one way to tell the difference.
Obviously, the LIGHT emitted is another variable.....but the specs needed to evaluate that part are almost never listed.
Lumens are listed the most often, as that's the easiest to get large impressive numbers for...whereas the cd rating and the beam angle are the most useful specs, and they are rarely available. This is because, again, its easy to make a light that puts out massive lumens, and hard, (for an LED bar), to be made with the amount of throw even a well made 55 watt halogen light can deliver (Albeit the 55 watt halogen will have a small spot, and the LED light bar will have a giant flood, etc)
Last edited:
- Location
- Gulfport, MS
Leave it to TJTJ to give us the almighty insight lol. You're full of information!
I just like people to have the perspective on things.
If the real issue is not wanting a light to fail/to last as long as possible...and the ratings used to discuss the likelihood of failure/survival are not applied in a way that would be more helpful to making an informed decision...to me, it seems a good idea to illuminate the relevant parts and help allow a more relevant comparison.
As different people value different priorities, the actual CHOICE is up to them, and/or, they may then find their way to discuss further ideas, etc...which in turn can help other people then make THEIR OWN conclusions, and so forth.
The more information is out there, the more tools people have to evaluate options.
The beauty is that one guy can read it all and decide 1/2 price and 1/2 reliability is going to work for him, and another can decide the opposite...and they can both be right, for them.
If the info is clouded so that a factor appears to be a wash...then, that info is lost to the people who might have been able to use it to evaluate options.
Last edited:
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
Got an email from someone who bought a Hanma bar from me a little while ago,He is looking to buy another one since his got damage in an accident.
"I got a 12". Puts out great light. No idea on long term quality It was destroyed in a high speed crash. Mounts sheared off. Housing twisted to sh*t, Lights still work. Lol. "
This is the only picture I got from him right now but I am going to hopefully check the bar out tomorrow,not sure how bad the accident was or what the front of the light looks like but im impressed that it still works
"I got a 12". Puts out great light. No idea on long term quality It was destroyed in a high speed crash. Mounts sheared off. Housing twisted to sh*t, Lights still work. Lol. "
This is the only picture I got from him right now but I am going to hopefully check the bar out tomorrow,not sure how bad the accident was or what the front of the light looks like but im impressed that it still works
- Location
- Bloomington Indiana
Does anyone on here have first hand experience with the Hanma light bars. I was looking at the group buy currently going on, but there doesn't seem to be anyone who actually uses them. I don't want to start a hate thread about them, but if they are a side of beans and rice short of a Mexican dinner, I would like to know as to not waste money.
- Location
- Bloomington Indiana
Nvm, found thread from previous group buy.
- Location
- Denver Adjacent
That's all I run on my truck and I've never had a single problem. They're stupid bright and a LOT cheaper than some of the other brands.
As far as durability, the two 6" bars on my truck have been under water several times. No issues. A buddy of mine has two 6" bars mounted on the bumper of his XJ. Then this happened.
The one light that took a hit still worked fine, no leaks, no cracks, nothing. He replaced the bumper and reinstalled the same lights.
I think I've only had two complaints from the last batch of 40 lights that I sold. One was for a blown seal. Water got into the light. I keep trying to get him to let me replace it, but he doesn't seem to care. The other was a rattling noise inside the light. Which turned out to be a loose screw inside. I disassembled that light tightened the screw back up and installed it on my truck.
Last edited:
SKAVYNGR
Need Bigger Tires
- Location
- Lexington, KY
Hmmm, I might have to rethink my light situation!
I was talking to T Hanks about lights, and he has Digi diodes and
loves them. I was looking into those for a while when I liked the LED style, but I think I'm going to go with IPF and PIAAs.
-Jonny
I was talking to T Hanks about lights, and he has Digi diodes and
loves them. I was looking into those for a while when I liked the LED style, but I think I'm going to go with IPF and PIAAs.
-Jonny
05x4x4
First Fill-Up (of many)
- Location
- Centerville, Texas
SKAVYNGR
Need Bigger Tires
- Location
- Lexington, KY