Gary - When I click that eBay link for those Broviews you posted it's showing them at $41.99 each? Not sure where the $135/pair is coming from
@Grimly - I was checking out those Beamtech ones in the Amazon link... you mentioned they look like the ones you've installed. How did you install that? Is it in a stock headlamp bucket using one of the standard (i.e. Mike's XS) H4 conversion lights?
Either of you guys have thoughts on the fan-type versus passive cooling? That heat makes me nervous. I have the stock sealed beam now and looking for an upgrade. Was considering the H4 route, but this thread has given me some food for thought re: LEDs. Thanks fellas.
In the two years plus since I selected Bro View S5 braided heatsink as my goto there are now some different answers to the H4 bulb replacement.
The $135 dollar link
https://www.ebay.com/itm/H4-VSeries...644779&hash=item21724fca55:g:d28AAOSwAj5fGc31
is an Oracle brand, pair of bulbs. Instead of fan or other heatsink they are controlling temperature by reducing the amount of current (and light) by pulse width modulation, like quickly turning a light switch on and off, there is no heat generated during the off time. The switching is SO fast, off time SO short you don't see flicker. (their claim)
About the heat. Understand LEDs are VERY efficient. The power consumption of even these (4 times brighter bulbs) is maybe half that of an incandescent bulb (your standard sealed beam) So they make LESS heat overall. That incandescent sends out energy on a broad band of wavelengths, much is infrared, ie it's energy but you can't see it, doesn't help light the road. The LED sends out only a very narrow band of visible light virtually no infrared or other energy you can't see. So there's
less heat in an LED installation. My reasonably informed opinion is; as long as you use a metal or glass reflector, no problem. I've run these for significant miles in plastic reflectors with no problems either. But I think some designs of PLASTIC reflectors have had trouble dealing with the concentrated energy in the light beam, unlike metal or glass the plastic does't do good spreading that heat out into the bigger area of the whole reflector. That's mostly a guess on my part. I think that's why complete new design LED bulbs use multiple LED bulbs to spread out the heat over a larger area that plastic can handle.
The Broview fan led bulbs I linked here
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Broview-H4...204085?hash=item444567c2b5:g:Y4UAAOSw-o9fL6wT are for a PAIR of fan cooled bulbs that have what appears to be the proper aiming design.
What you have to watch out for is cheap, no power pack, no cooling, small form factor H4 bulbs, they are cunning in their ad wording but those bulbs have poor or no beam control and much lower total power, light output than the good LEDs. If you ride only in the city at night they may be adequate, but for highway or backroad night use or us with older eyes you want to step up to the good units.
LED lighting will prolly continue to be an area of fast innovation and change for a couple of years yet. Remember H4 is really old tech, and solutions for that old design and the 7" round form factor sealed beams will tend to be more limited than new fresh design lighting systems.
My focus (wink) is new bright LEDs with good controlled light output in a headlight that still pretty much looks like an old school glass bulb when turned off. Your ideas may be different and that's fine with me.
