Brake Light Modulators | Page 5 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Brake Light Modulators

I have these and they are borderline effective. About as bright as incandescent 1157, but the output difference between low and high mode is not as pronounced as with standard 21/5W. I had to suplement them with a 20W halogen for braking. They are not too expensive at $13.

Mistero2009 said:
Has anyone bought superbrightleds.com'S 1157 45 High Power SMD LED and successfully used it in a brake light modulation config?
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No, but they are a bit too pricey for my taste ($25 a pop). It doesn't say what the combined output of those 45 LEDs is, so I'll reserve my judgement until I see them live, but I'm generally skeptical about multi-LED lights. One good LED is better than many cheap ones, regardless of the aparent advantage of the "entire lamp housing illumination and no hotspot".

I'm more interested in "BA15 empty bases" (Part#: G4BP-BAY15D). They are cheap and you can use good and equally cheap halogen bulbs in them (it would be interesting to see how more than 20W would work). Sure bet compared to 90% of LEDs out there.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-...ry=CAR&Page2Disp=/specs/115x-x45-T.htm#photos

Do these led bulbs compare in brightness to the stock bulbs?[/QUOTE]
 
vlad said:
Mistero2009 said:
do these led bulbs compare in brightness to the stock bulbs?
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i have these and they are borderline effective. About as bright as incandescent 1157, but the output difference between low and high mode is not as pronounced as with standard 21/5w. I had to suplement them with a 20w halogen for braking. They are not too expensive at $13.
Click to expand...

I don't think I can fit anything but one bulb into the tail cover. And I don't want to overcomplicate anything.

This is 18-led high power bulb. Don't know if we can trust that demonstration, though!
[video]http://www.youtube.com/v/WXswBsQ6fbA?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0[/video]
 
Vlad said:
I have these and they are borderline effective. About as bright as incandescent 1157, but the output difference between low and high mode is not as pronounced as with standard 21/5W. I had to suplement them with a 20W halogen for braking. They are not too expensive at $13.
Click to expand...

I've been using these using these for quite a while now and am satisfied with the intensity differential between running light and brake light mode. They are pretty much a match for the standard 1157 bulb, and the multiple LEDs (SMDs) on the tower helps ensure that the lens reflector works as designed to bounce light back through your lens. Shop around and you can get them delivered to your door for $14 a pair or so in red, and less in white.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/68-SMD-LED-1157-...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4154e2a4fa

They are a 68-SMD version of the 1157. Also, I tried both white and red versions, and the red version behind my red taillight lens gives the best effect day or night. With the white version, the "red" shown through the taillight lens is somewhat washed out, as opposed to the rich red that shows with the red version of the bulb. The white versions do work well behind amber lens for use as turn signals.
$%28KGrHqR,%21k4E2D8G8L2PBNpR2%210%29eQ%7E%7E0_12.JPG
 
Mistero2009 said:
I don't think I can fit anything but one bulb into the tail cover.
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I wasn't referring to multiple bulbs/sockets, I was talking about a single socket with multiple LEDs like the ones you linked to. I don't know which bike you have, but there's almost always room for extra lights-bulbs if you want to go that route. It would complicate things as you pointed out though.

I repeat that I don't trust bulbs with multiple LEDs, especially when the vendor doesn't specify the current draw or the wattage of the LEDs in it. Videos/pictures are not to be trusted because they are deceiving 90% of the time, either on purpose or because they are just hard to make.

If anyone buys any aftermarket bulb I'd appreciate the current draw information. That's the only measurement I can even moderately trust.
 
Vlad said:
I repeat that I don't trust bulbs with multiple LEDs, especially when the vendor doesn't specify the current draw or the wattage of the LEDs in it. Videos/pictures are not to be trusted because they are deceiving 90% of the time, either on purpose or because they are just hard to make.

If anyone buys any aftermarket bulb I'd appreciate the current draw information. That's the only measurement I can even moderately trust.
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Power consumption on a 102-SMD bulb that is an 1156 equivalent is claimed to be 6.5 watts, as compared to 27 watts for the incandescent 1156 equivalent. Current draw can be calculated with the formula watts = volts x amps, and works out to 1/4 the draw of regular bulbs.

I'm using red 68-SMD 1157 equivalents for my tail and brake lights, white 60-SMD 1157 equivalents for my front running lights and turn signals, and white 68-SMD 1156 equivalents for my rear turns. I no longer fear for my battery when stuck in stop and go traffic with the engine at idle, brakes on all the time, and rad fan running all the time to keep the engine cool. And my headlight no longer keeps rhythm in time with my turn signals under those operating conditions. ;-)
 
turbodish said:
I've been using these using these for quite a while now and am satisfied with the intensity differential between running light and brake light mode. They are pretty much a match for the standard 1157 bulb,...
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Good to know, thanks. It would be very nice if you could measure the current draw of those bulbs.

Your remarks about the LED color are correct. White is no good for tinted lenses because you sacrifice some of the light output by filtering only a part of the spectrum, plus the color temperature of white LEDs is considerably different than incandescent so the output appears pink-ish or washed out as you observed. It may somewhat work with amber lenses, but I'd still match the bulb color to the lens color if possible.
 
turbodish said:
Power consumption on a 102-SMD bulb that is an 1156 equivalent is claimed to be 6.5 watts, as compared to 27 watts for the incandescent 1156 equivalent.
Click to expand...

6.5W should give excellent light output if the claim is correct.

turbodish said:
Current draw can be calculated with the formula watts = volts x amps, and works out to 1/4 the draw of regular bulbs.
Click to expand...

Calculation doesn't help because it would have to be based on the claimed wattage. I trust only the ampere-meter measurement, accompanied with the voltage. Then I can calculate a relatively accurate wattage figure.

turbodish said:
I no longer fear for my battery when stuck in stop and go traffic with the engine at idle, brakes on all the time, and rad fan running all the time to keep the engine cool. And my headlight no longer keeps rhythm in time with my turn signals under those operating conditions. ;-)
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These are the only undisputed benefits of LED lights. Having seen hundreds of aftermarket LED bulbs in action and trying quite a few myself I'm highly skeptical of other claims. I'm not throwing any more of my money at LEDs until I find those that are proven considerably better than incandescent. My turn signals are back to stock and brake light LEDs supplemented with a 20W halogen that lights up when I brake. I also have side marker red LED's in my brake light housing and a white 3W LED as running/parking light in the front, but none of them are primary or critical. I'll try to find pictures/videos.
 
Vlad said:
Calculation doesn't help because it would have to be based on the claimed wattage. I trust only the ampere-meter measurement, accompanied with the voltage. Then I can calculate a relatively accurate wattage figure.
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For the 68-SMD 1157 equivalent with battery measured at 13.1 volts:

  • running light - .15 amp or 2 watts
  • brake light - .47 amp or 6.2 watts
 
turbodish said:
  • running light - .15 amp or 2 watts
  • brake light - .47 amp or 6.2 watts
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That's very good, thanks. What I have now is more like 1/3W, although I haven't measured them.
 
Vlad said:
That's very good, thanks. What I have now is more like 1/3W, although I haven't measured them.
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I checked one of my 102-SMD 1157 equivalents and it pulled in at .22 amp and .45 amp respectively for the running light and turn/brake modes. While it gives off a great running light, in my opinion that bulb doesn't give enough intensity differential for use in a brake light application.

However, for a turn signal application it should be fine. When the turn signal is not in use, it gives a nice bright (though not as bright as turn signal mode) running light. When the turn signal is activated, the lower-intensity running light is effectively extinguished and remains extinguished while the "bright"turn signal part of the bulb does its flashing between full-intensity on and full-off. It really does make your turn signals that much more noticeable.
 
I have one....el zincho got me one when I did some work ....its pretty neat. I have it set up flash my brake lights very quickly...it could give you a seizure

I haven't been rear ended YET with this modulator! :D
 
turbodish said:
I haven't been rear-ended in years of riding either, and that's without a modulator.
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I have had a car that was stopped at a red light...back into me at 10km/h-15km.h....lol
 
frekeyguy said:
I have one....el zincho got me one when I did some work ....its pretty neat. I have it set up flash my brake lights very quickly...it could give you a seizure

I haven't been rear ended YET with this modulator! :D
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Too which light bulb are you referring?
What modulator did you buy?
 
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