LightForce Striker 170s: UPDATE! Installed (pics!)

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BigJ

BigJ

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Okiedokie. The Strikers came in and we got them installed. Interestingly enough, I didn't have to use the smaller brackets. The included ones worked just fine.

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And here they are with the Amber combo filters installed:

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I installed each on its own switch (3 and 4). I don't have big plans for adding more stuff, so I had the extra switch to use. And I liked the idea of being able to run one or the other, or both, and each with a different filter. Seems pretty flexible, if a bit overkill.

One thing I noticed right away with the amber filters was the beam pattern. Its very different from light to light:

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After goofing around a bit, and trying the clear filters, I'm pretty sure its not a filter issue but a light issue. It almost looks like I have two different bulbs:

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(The left is significantly more purple than the right, which is very white).

I meant to call LightForce today and show them these pics but I wasn't able to. I'll try for tomorrow.

When you open the box, you might actually be disappointed; they have a very "cheap plastic" feel to them, especially when compared to the heft of KCs or Hellas. But then as you look them over, the quality becomes obvious. These things are made to take a serious pounding and barely notice.

The mount to the bar is a bit awkward at first. The bar is round, and the base of the mount is flat; approx 1.5"x1" rectangle. I didn't feel too confident in flattening the bar using the "tighten it down" method, so I preflattened it using a c-clamp and a block of wood.
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There's also some effort needed to finding the sweet spot in tightening things down and still being able to adjust and move around by hand. That's probably true of any light setup though.

As for brightness... yeah, they're bright. Very bright. Very very bright. "Eyes of God" bright? Probably not, but certainly bright enough to hurt you if you are unfortunate enough to get in their way.

All in all I'm really pleased with these lights. They look good, seem to throw a ton of light and ya really just can't beat being able to dial in your color/filter choice to suit the situation. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you check these things out if you're lookin for lights.
 

MagicMtnDan

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I tried responding to your thread before but I couldn't find the keyboard because I was "blinded by the light" from your pictures :D

I look forward to seeing your lights in person at the desert this weekend. At the Candlepower Showdown.
 
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BigJ

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SuperRaptor said:
Are those lights the same lights? Those patterns seem way different.
Agreed. All indication on the housing, bulb and ballast suggests they're the same, but...

I'm going to call LightForce today. I'll report back with whatever they say.
 

NoCaDiver

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Install looks good J. I think you are right to call LightForce about the difference in beam pattern.
 

MarkT

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Great install and pics! Very clean look. I can't wait to see them in person!

Hey... it looks like you installed new tow hooks?
 
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BigJ

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Just got off the phone with Guy at LightForce. Turns out there's a really simple fix for this. Its actually a design feature.

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The lens housing rotates. You spin it, as a whole, to focus in your desired beam pattern (represented by the green arrows). There's a tongue that extends from the base out and over parallel groves molded in the lens housing. This tongue presses down into a grove, locking the lens into place (represented by the red arrow).

Guy recommended that I set myself up about 12 feet from a wall, and turn the housings until they're consistent side to side. The beam "focus" is a matter of preference, and is designed to be adjusted on the fly as the situation requires. I told him that I plan to run the amber combo lens some of the time, and the spot clear lens the rest of the time. He suggested dialing it in to a tight spot pattern at that 12' distance to start.

Pretty cool stuff!

As for the color difference, he did think that was a bit odd (I sent him the pic to show). He asked me, and approved of, how I grounded the lights (a common ground between the two, and to the frame of the truck via a preexisting stock ground). He thinks its probably due to the difference in the focus. If its still very different after focusing in, he wanted a call back to see about taking the next step.

Great install and pics! Very clean look. I can't wait to see them in person!

Hey... it looks like you installed new tow hooks?
Yessir, I did. Although they're not new... They're the stockers, remounted :). Check out my update here: http://www.svtoffroad.com/showthread.php?60-Aries-Bull-Bar (staring around post #30)
 

DJ BFG

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If you don't mind how much did those lights cost and do you think that 4 of the same lights will fit on another type of bull bar?
 
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