Product R&D: ARB - Raising the bar

RAISING THE BAR

ARB’S iconic LED driving light bar has been reborn, pushing the limits of driving light technology once again

Your safety, and that of others, depends on the right lighting. ARB’s Intensity V2 LED Light Bars are engineered and designed in Australia to perform in the most extreme conditions and manufactured in the USA. “The new V2 Intensity LED Light Bar uses the same optimal chassis design of the current light bar, yet it is what’s inside that counts,” ARB Director of National Sales and Marketing, Matthew Frost, said. “Incorporating the latest in LED technology using OSRAM GIANTS and advanced optics via the latest Hyperspot technology, the Intensity V2 Light Bar’s combo configuration drives light further down the road whilst spreading the light in front of the vehicle.” Hyperspot is a refined optic used to focus and intensify light output. Whilst pumping a huge amount of power into a light and getting great distances down the road is all well and good, if there is no control and focus to the areas required for the human eye to see, that power is ultimately wasted. “This is only achieved by the clever design of having both dedicated flood and spot optics combined into the one bar,” Matthew explained. “Our Hyperspot technology sends the light at amazing distances down the road while not only keeping the clarity of the beam but also controlling the beam pattern to ensure it is lighting up the correct areas on the road and not spilling light into the flood configuration’s territory.” Remember, it’s not all about distance, but also the quality of light produced by your light bar. Another upgrade to the Intensity V2 Light Bar is the LEDs, which have been changed to use OSRAM GIANTS, a large LED chip that ARB says boasts an amazing light output. “OSRAM GIANTS can drive tonnes of power into the LED, pushing the Intensity V2 Light Bar’s power to 305 watts, and that’s without even maxing out the LED,” Matthew said. “This produces a massive 25,080 lumens of raw light output, which requires precision engineering to ensure the power is harnessed and used effectively.” In order to harness the increased power, the Intensity V2 Light Bar power draw requires a new loom. The new loom incorporates high-current wiring and components that can handle up to 30 amps.

Designing this loom to handle such power meant that increased safety measures needed to be considered, especially around temperature and voltage/current requirements,” Matthew described. “Coupled to the new Intensity V2 Light Bar loom is the two, tow pin DTP connector with updated overmoulded connector, all protected by midi fuse and spike-protected relays.” Another update is the plug-and-play H4 and HB3 waterproof connectors, which ensure a smoother fit and install. Active thermal management of the temperature created by LEDs has always been a feature of the ARB Intensity range. The powder-coated aluminium extruded body acts as a massive heat sink, maximising cooling and allowing the quick dissipation of heat from the LEDs, which keeps them running at maximum performance. “The Intensity V2 Light Bar provides an impressive 926 metres at one lux, which is a 53 percent increase in light performance from the current Intensity combo bar,” Matthew said. “The flood component spreads light at a massive 40 metres across the front of your car, that’s almost half a football field wide. “Whilst the amount of metres down the road you can record one lux has become a universal measurement of driving lights, as we’ve already said, there is so much more to effective and quality light than its lux measurement. “The Intensity V2 Light Bar has been updated to improve the warmness of the light output, which helps reduce eye strain over long driving periods and which in turn improves driver comfort and reduces the risk of fatigue.” Features and Tech Specs:

• Powder-coated aluminium extruded body with pressure die-cast end caps • Virtually indestructible polycarbonate lens • Hard-coated, durable polycarbonate protective cover • 40 high output OSRAM LEDs with 50,000+ hour lifespan • 24 Hyperspot and 16 high-output flood optic

LEDs • Six degree spread for spot and 20 degree spread for flood • 926 metres at one lux • 25,080 raw lumens • 21 amps at 14.4 volts • Operating temperature of -40ºC to +63ºC (-40ºF to +145ºF) • Gore breather • Vibration tested to MIL810-STDG • RoHS compliant • Dust and waterproof to IP68 rating • Submersible to three metres • Over and under voltage protection • Integrated active thermal management • Protected against radio frequency (RFI) and electromagnetic (ETC) interference • Deutsch DTP waterproof connector rated to

IP69 specification “With so many LED lighting options on the market, choosing the right one for your specific application can seem daunting, but ARB has removed the guess work instead of confusing you with hundreds of options,” Matthew said. “ARB has designed an uncomplicated range of driving lights that perform so well, regardless of their shape or size allowing you to simply choose your budget range and decide what will look the best on your 4WD,” he added. The Intensity V2 LED Driving Light Bar (Part Number: AR40CV2) comes with a three-year warranty. Contact your local ARB store or stockist for pricing and availability. For more information, visit www.arb.com.au

Australian Automotive Aftermarket Magazine Publisher, Cameron McLachlan, takes a look at the products driving the automotive aftermarket. cameron@aaaa.com.au