Best aftermarket DRL

[clem]

Thanks for that info draevon, was extremely useful!

[draevon]

No worries

[zock]

dont know if this has already been said or thought of but couldnt you use angel eyes as drl???

[Bandit]

They are no where near bright enough to be proper DRL.

[bd-850]

on my way to Merimbula a the other weekend i was a Audi R8 and a HSV Clubsport Wagon both had the DLR lights on and i found it very anoying, the R8 was from head on the Clubby was from behind. Most of the trip i was been followed by a Mazfda 3 with Angel eyes and they were bright enough to see clearly but not too bright.

but thats just me

[Bandit]

The point of them is to be bright. At driver's eye level a proper DRL during the day is 4 times brighter* than a headlight.

* Headlight during the day is approx 100 candela within sight line, where a proper ECE (and hence ADR) compliant DRL is about 400 candela.

http://www.hella.co.nz/?t=9&pcid=184&sc ... &View=Full

[davmax]

A number of posts quote ADR76/00. This is the point; there are rules and regulations about adding lights to vehicles. DRLs are allowed as a means of reducing daylight acidents/fatalities. I see many installs, some posted here, that are not effective or illegal. Watch out, ignorance in law is no excuse.
Lights for sale may meet ADR76/00 as a product, too often there are inadequate or total wrong instructions covering installation that will result in non compliance
What to achieve
1. Buy DRLs that conform to ADR76/00 more detail is provided in the UNECE 87 document.
2. Install requirements. Must be only operating during daylight whilst the engine is running. Connect to the ignition switch line. (manual switches or connection to side lights is not legal). Install positions must be no more than 400mm from edge of vehicle, lights must be separated by more than 600mm and vertical height must be between 250mm and 1500mm.
3. Light intensity must be between 400 and 800 Candela. Up to 1200 Candela is permissible but should be dimmed for use at dusk or other low light conditions, these lights should be supplied with automatic dimming with low light conditions. This level of brightness does cause discomfort for other drivers in low light. Warning. There are many Chinese low cost DRLs on sale. These currently have their brilliance quoted in Lumens, this is a serious error and not complying with UNECE 87 or ADR. Additionally there are usually either insufficient or totally incorrect install instructions.
4. Lamp light direction. The lamps have a specified light pattern, different from fog lights and should be installed facing forward, not angled to the forward direction.
5. There is one vendor selling LED replacement lamps for fog lamps to convert it to a DRL. This is most likely illegal because the light pattern of a fog lamp is not DRL. Simple changing the globe does not make it a DRL.

Personal install input. Wire the 12 Volt connection of the DRLs to the ignition switch line. A relay can be avoided if the earth connections are connected to the 12 volt feed line to one headlamp. Much better is to connect both DRL earth connections together; connect two 1 amp or higher amp diodes to these combined leads (with band on each diode away from this connection). Connect the banded end of one diode to one headlight 12 volt feed and the other diode to the remaining headlight feed. This method uses the cold resistance of the headlight to connect the DRL, when the headlights are turned on the DRLs will be off. Connecting two diodes to two headlight feeds ensures that if one head fails the DRLs will still operate.

[Bandit]

ADR76/00 talks more about the approval process for DRL - I think the actual mounting and use instructions (which you've correctly provided) are contained in ADR 13.

I am putting my ECE compliant DRLs on my Commodore this weekend. Pictures to come after that.

[Blakey]

The point of them is to be bright. At driver's eye level a proper DRL during the day is 4 times brighter* than a headlight.

* Headlight during the day is approx 100 candela within sight line, where a proper ECE (and hence ADR) compliant DRL is about 400 candela.

http://www.hella.co.nz/?t=9&pcid=184&sc ... &View=Full

candela is the amount of light in one direction in a small cone. 400 candela isn't that bright in the form of lighting, its only around 200 Lumens, thats only as bright as 2W LED

[draevon]

Pretty hefty first post davmax ... been saving that up?

[Bandit]

The point of them is to be bright. At driver's eye level a proper DRL during the day is 4 times brighter* than a headlight.

* Headlight during the day is approx 100 candela within sight line, where a proper ECE (and hence ADR) compliant DRL is about 400 candela.

http://www.hella.co.nz/?t=9&pcid=184&sc ... &View=Full

candela is the amount of light in one direction in a small cone. 400 candela isn't that bright in the form of lighting, its only around 200 Lumens, thats only as bright as 2W LED

Times it by 3 or in most cases 5 for the number of LED, coupled with proper reflectors in the rear of the light housing and you have more. 400 candela is the bare minimum as required by the ADR.

[davmax]

Thanks bandit for ADR13 reference.

It is a lengthy document for those who want the bit about DRLs I have extracted just that portion . Found here: http://cid-f83bf1ac32452395.skydrive.li ... nstall.doc

Quite a few powerful DRLs on eBay now. They still do not define brilliance in candela, hopefully soon. The Lumens (400 to 700) are enough, we just need to know what candela level, determined by the beam forming components.

[Blakey]

Thanks bandit for ADR13 reference.

It is a lengthy document for those who want the bit about DRLs I have extracted just that portion . Found here: http://cid-f83bf1ac32452395.skydrive.li ... nstall.doc

Quite a few powerful DRLs on eBay now. They still do not define brilliance in candela, hopefully soon. The Lumens (400 to 700) are enough, we just need to know what candela level, determined by the beam forming components.

Lighting is measured in Lumens, not candela.

Lumens is the Luminous Flux, which is the total light output for a light source in all directions, even focused lumens shouldn't change.

Anything Greater then 2000Lm (lumens) [Very Bright] requires washers by law on a car. HID lighting is around 2400Lm

or you can use Lux or illumination, which is the ammout of light hitting a surface, that is Lux=lumens/distance^2 or Area. Area is lit area determined by distance from surface, 1m away will be 1m^2 2m away 4m^2 ect.

[davmax]

Thanks bandit for ADR13 reference.

It is a lengthy document for those who want the bit about DRLs I have extracted just that portion . Found here: http://cid-f83bf1ac32452395.skydrive.li ... nstall.doc

Quite a few powerful DRLs on eBay now. They still do not define brilliance in candela, hopefully soon. The Lumens (400 to 700) are enough, we just need to know what candela level, determined by the beam forming components.

Lighting is measured in Lumens, not candela.

Lumens is the Luminous Flux, which is the total light output for a light source in all directions, even focused lumens shouldn't change.

Anything Greater then 2000Lm (lumens) [Very Bright] requires washers by law on a car. HID lighting is around 2400Lm

or you can use Lux or illumination, which is the ammout of light hitting a surface, that is Lux=lumens/distance^2 or Area. Area is lit area determined by distance from surface, 1m away will be 1m^2 2m away 4m^2 ect.

You are correct but you have misunderstood. Correct Lumens do not change with focus but Candela do. Lumens ( luminous flux) is as you describe, Candela is flux density (brilliance as seen by the eye) and is the measure used for focused light and by the standards (UNECE etc) when setting focused light standards.

Lumens is just the ticket for large area ilumination such as a room because as you state it comprises light in all directions. Focused light is not in all directions.

[Blakey]

Thanks bandit for ADR13 reference.

It is a lengthy document for those who want the bit about DRLs I have extracted just that portion . Found here: http://cid-f83bf1ac32452395.skydrive.li ... nstall.doc

Quite a few powerful DRLs on eBay now. They still do not define brilliance in candela, hopefully soon. The Lumens (400 to 700) are enough, we just need to know what candela level, determined by the beam forming components.

Lighting is measured in Lumens, not candela.

Lumens is the Luminous Flux, which is the total light output for a light source in all directions, even focused lumens shouldn't change.

Anything Greater then 2000Lm (lumens) [Very Bright] requires washers by law on a car. HID lighting is around 2400Lm

or you can use Lux or illumination, which is the ammout of light hitting a surface, that is Lux=lumens/distance^2 or Area. Area is lit area determined by distance from surface, 1m away will be 1m^2 2m away 4m^2 ect.

You are correct but you have misunderstood. Correct Lumens do not change with focus but Candela do. Lumens ( luminous flux) is as you describe, Candela is flux density (brilliance as seen by the eye) and is the measure used for focused light and by the standards (UNECE etc) when setting focused light standards.

Lumens is just the ticket for large area ilumination such as a room because as you state it comprises light in all directions. Focused light is not in all directions.

but candela is the light intensity from a small cone from the light source, not from the focused light of all directions of the light source.