Review: Morimoto X-VF Switchback Front Turn Signal Bulbs

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by maui86

I always hear great things about those, right up there in desirability with Fusion fogs.

They're great...if you can manage to fit them somewhere. Lol

[Kaotic Lazagna]

@maui86

Received and installed the 7440 VLEDs HVA bulbs in the rear turn signals. Check it out:






The difference between OEM and these are nuts! No one can say they didn't see me signalling. haha

[maui86]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

@maui86

Received and installed the 7440 VLEDs HVA bulbs in the rear turn signals. Check it out:






The difference between OEM and these are nuts! No one can say they didn't see me signalling. haha

HOLY CRAP thats nice!

I'm going to have to see if they make a comparable version in red . . .

after they get my triton switchbacks out of backorder and shipped

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by maui86

HOLY CRAP thats nice!

I'm going to have to see if they make a comparable version in red . . .

after they get my triton switchbacks out of backorder and shipped

They make a red one, but it's less than half of the lumens of the HVA version.

I can't wait to see your Triton once they're installed. haha. Where are you installing them?

[catsspat]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

Received and installed the 7440 VLEDs HVA bulbs in the rear turn signals.

The difference between OEM and these are nuts! No one can say they didn't see me signalling. haha

Are these the new smaller $15 ones? Very reasonable price for quality 7440.

I can see they're very bright, but unless you're using them as back-up lights, the projection pattern is important, too. The reflectors are designed to throw fairly far, with fair amount of spill, too. This is why I like the Philips. I see the HVA bulb has some LEDs pointing straight out, so they obviously won't have problem with spill, and with enough brightness, throwing long distance shouldn't be a problem even without the proper reflector usage. But I wouldn't want to be sitting behind you at a stop light at night.

Also, you can't really compare lumen ratings between HVA and red. HVA is really a phosphor coated ultra-warm white LED emitting wide spectrum of light, whereas red LED is really red specific LED. For example, the 21 watt incandescent bulb used for brake light behind the red lens outputs barely over 50 lumens worth of red light, which is good enough for brake lights.

[maui86]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

Wa about to pull the trigger on those until I saw that the bulbs were built into the projectors. I don't want 6000k, and I'd question the quality of those bulbs. Lol. I'd have to cut off the bulb shield some how as well.

I knew I saw some bulb less ones - TRS had them on closeout, but the page is gone, so maybe check if they have anymore laying around? (They found some NOS D2S projectors for me a couple months back that weren't listed on the site which was great.)

Anyhow, here's the cached page:

https://webcache.googleusercontent.c...&ct=clnk&gl=us

I don't know how many CSR's they have, but I usually deal with Jamielle over there and she really knows her stuff (she's the one who found the D2S' for me)

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by catsspat

Are these the new smaller $15 ones? Very reasonable price for quality 7440.

I can see they're very bright, but unless you're using them as back-up lights, the projection pattern is important, too. The reflectors are designed to throw fairly far, with fair amount of spill, too. This is why I like the Philips. I see the HVA bulb has some LEDs pointing straight out, so they obviously won't have problem with spill, and with enough brightness, throwing long distance shouldn't be a problem even without the proper reflector usage. But I wouldn't want to be sitting behind you at a stop light at night.

Also, you can't really compare lumen ratings between HVA and red. HVA is really a phosphor coated ultra-warm white LED emitting wide spectrum of light, whereas red LED is really red specific LED. For example, the 21 watt incandescent bulb used for brake light behind the red lens outputs barely over 50 lumens worth of red light, which is good enough for brake lights.

These are the long versions, which made it harder to install.

I think the people behind me shouldn't be affected in a bad way if I'm sitting in a left turn lane at a light.

So do you think the brake light version would be insanely bright (can't use em in our cars).

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by maui86

I knew I saw some bulb less ones - TRS had them on closeout, but the page is gone, so maybe check if they have anymore laying around? (They found some NOS D2S projectors for me a couple months back that weren't listed on the site which was great.)

Anyhow, here's the cached page:

https://webcache.googleusercontent.c...&ct=clnk&gl=us

I don't know how many CSR's they have, but I usually deal with Jamielle over there and she really knows her stuff (she's the one who found the D2S' for me)

I'll have to keep an eye out for those, wonder how much back space I need (Yaris hatch has zero). Lol

[maui86]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

They make a red one, but it's less than half of the lumens of the HVA version.

I can't wait to see your Triton once they're installed. haha. Where are you installing them?

Tritons ... you'll have to wait for the review . . . nah, they're going in the front turn signal location - 6k white/amber switchbacks. Until I have time to research and crack open my Winjets again (or if someone wants to sell their Monograms headlights lol) I've disabled DRL, and will probably run the Tritons as DRL instead.

Looked quickly last night - looks like the red are part of the "Platinum" series. I need to find some good output shots of those in clear lens housings as I'm not too concerned about stated lumen output as much as I am about configuration. Example - I recently ordered the ACME Red Rocket's from TRS (rated at 272 lumens) since they have a down/backward firing configuration vaguely similar to the Philips Vision and Ultinon. compared them to my 75 lumen imported Ultinon's (75!?!? that's it??!) annnnd . . . the ACME's were just a tiny bit brighter than the Ultinon's
Fitment is also a bit of an issue.

The HVA's and the Platinums look like they use a brute force method; which can have it's advantages

[maui86]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

I'll have to keep an eye out for those, wonder how much back space I need (Yaris hatch has zero). Lol

It looks like the locking tabs are right there on the edge so I think these would work in confined spaces. With the exception of the oddball bulb these take (H3C????) I'm surprised these aren't sold/used/promoted by anyone except the random Chinese places, and seem to be almost unknown even to most light crazy people like us - I only found out about them after stumbling upon a random listing on some site

[maui86]

Originally Posted by catsspat

Are these the new smaller $15 ones? Very reasonable price for quality 7440.

I can see they're very bright, but unless you're using them as back-up lights, the projection pattern is important, too. The reflectors are designed to throw fairly far, with fair amount of spill, too. This is why I like the Philips. I see the HVA bulb has some LEDs pointing straight out, so they obviously won't have problem with spill, and with enough brightness, throwing long distance shouldn't be a problem even without the proper reflector usage. But I wouldn't want to be sitting behind you at a stop light at night.

Also, you can't really compare lumen ratings between HVA and red. HVA is really a phosphor coated ultra-warm white LED emitting wide spectrum of light, whereas red LED is really red specific LED. For example, the 21 watt incandescent bulb used for brake light behind the red lens outputs barely over 50 lumens worth of red light, which is good enough for brake lights.

Hmmm, I wonder how difficult it would be to take the same coating method and modify it to output red . . .

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by maui86

Tritons ... you'll have to wait for the review . . . nah, they're going in the front turn signal location - 6k white/amber switchbacks. Until I have time to research and crack open my Winjets again (or if someone wants to sell their Monograms headlights lol) I've disabled DRL, and will probably run the Tritons as DRL instead.

Looked quickly last night - looks like the red are part of the "Platinum" series. I need to find some good output shots of those in clear lens housings as I'm not too concerned about stated lumen output as much as I am about configuration. Example - I recently ordered the ACME Red Rocket's from TRS (rated at 272 lumens) since they have a down/backward firing configuration vaguely similar to the Philips Vision and Ultinon. compared them to my 75 lumen imported Ultinon's (75!?!? that's it??!) annnnd . . . the ACME's were just a tiny bit brighter than the Ultinon's
Fitment is also a bit of an issue.

The HVA's and the Platinums look like they use a brute force method; which can have it's advantages

Yeah, advertised lumens isn't the end all. How a bulb gets the light out plays a big role like you were saying.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Originally Posted by maui86

It looks like the locking tabs are right there on the edge so I think these would work in confined spaces. With the exception of the oddball bulb these take (H3C????) I'm surprised these aren't sold/used/promoted by anyone except the random Chinese places, and seem to be almost unknown even to most light crazy people like us - I only found out about them after stumbling upon a random listing on some site

Maybe because the bulbs are just too difficult to get??? Lol.

[catsspat]

Originally Posted by Kaotic Lazagna

So do you think the brake light version would be insanely bright (can't use em in our cars).

VLEDS site claims 170 "acculumens," whatever that means....

As maui86 mentioned, Red Rockets supposedly rated 272 lumens weren't much better than 75 lumens rated Philips, so.... If it's actually 170 lumens, that would be way too bright for brake lights, but then, the bulb design won't be able to utilize the reflector very effectively, so, who knows?