KC Hilites C-Series LED Light Bar

[Patrollife]

Anybody running the KC Hilites C-Series LED Light Bar, and what is your feedback? I'm looking at picking up the 30" or 40" bar. Pics would also be very appreciated of your set up.

http://www.kchilites.com/light-type/led/c-series-led.html

Pic for attention..

 

[Wilbah]

I have loved KC's since the 80's when I first mounted a set of Daylighters on my pickup. Just awesome lights. I get the desire for a lightbar but I am curious if you have looked at a set of both spot and beam daylighters (the regular 130 watt version not the HID's). It would be about $300 from amazon for the set and the combination would seem to provide comparable or maybe better light coverage than the 30" or 40" lightbars. It looks like better to me but it is hard to judge exactly from the light pattern graphs they provide.

http://www.kchilites.com/downloads/dl/file/id/42/product/499/data_sheet_daylighter_driving_130w.pdf
http://www.kchilites.com/downloads/...ata_sheet_daylighter_long_range_spot_130w.pdf

But I get it if your heart is set on the lightbar, they do look great! From looking at the beam patterns between the 30" and 40" it seems the distance is about the same but the difference is really in the width of the two versions. The 40" provides slightly wider coverage for each of the 5 patterns they distinguish. Dunno if it is $240 worth of additional width. ($332 v. $573 at amazon)

http://www.kchilites.com/downloads/dl/file/id/198/product/547/data_sheet_c_series_led_334_338.pdf

 

[kojackJKU]

I would also do what wilbah said, but install HID into the halogen lights. If they are similar to the hella 500 lenses, you will get correct light and LOTS of it. LED are not there yet.

 

[Wilbah]

I would also do what wilbah said, but install HID into the halogen lights. If they are similar to the hella 500 lenses, you will get correct light and LOTS of it. LED are not there yet.

I agree except the HID Daylighters are $1K a pair so $2K for a flood and spot system v. $300 for the regular ones. I'm sure they're insane but I would have a hard time justifying that. I get it for desert racing but I don't drive THAT fast off road any more! Ha.

 

[kojackJKU]

no, I mean install HID bulbs and ballasts into the 300 dollar ones. I have that done to my 500s and its AWESOME! Not just for desert racing trust me. they are better and brighter than with the 130w halogens I had in them before, the light color/etc is better as I used 4300k, no blue 6000k garbage, and best part, only half the draw on the electrical system. they are only 55w. I am not sure how they would behave with the KC lenses, but the 500s LOVE the hid bulbs, even beam pattern, not hot spots, not big light blobs etc. just great smooth light. you pay 300 bucks for the lights, then about 50-60 bucks per pair to install hid. Its simple and works for off road lighting. In your headlights, NOPE, in driving/spot etc lighting, YEP! They also work great in IPF 968s so I am guessing the KC would be the same. My hellas perform WAY better than those Chinese HID lights you see for sale on ebay. The Hellas were 78 bucks and my HID kit was 34 bucks. Great deal for insane lighting.

 

[kojackJKU]

Here is a shot of a set of HID converted Hella 500s.....nice smooth light, no hot spots, etc, and LONG penetration of the darkness up ahead.

 

[pittsburgh]

Here is a shot of a set of HID converted Hella 500s.....nice smooth light, no hot spots, etc, and LONG penetration of the darkness up ahead.

Sweet thanks for the idea! Was the conversion pretty easy?

 

[kojackJKU]

yes, if there is enough room inside the housing, then it's plug and play. Just order what bulb you use in your lights. I had to make a hole in the rear housing for the bulbs....then I silicone it closed, and its watertight. All good! As I said, I ran my lights on 3 different vehicles since 2008...And there are approx. 500,000 on my lights, just replaced the bulbs last fall....SO all in all, not a bad mile per dollar investment. As you can see from the photo, there is no huge light blobs, artifacts etc....but the light penetrates the night a lot farther than any LED bar could even dream of.