Vehicle & Workshop lighting

Medway MOT tester inspects his new workshop lamps

autotechnician reader Terry Rouse from Medway in Kent swapped his worn-out, yearold inspection lamps for Ring Automotive’s MAGflex MAX500 and MAGflex SLIM500, and provided feedback after using them each day over the past month for his MOT inspections

My name is Terry Rouse and I do the MOTs here at MY Motoring, so I’m under the ramp inspecting all day, every day, so I need a good lamp. Here are my thoughts on Ring Automotive’s MAGflex MAX500 and the SLIM500…

The MAGflex MAX500 (RIL6200)

I had my old lamp for about a year, it's now held together with tape and there's bits missing off it. This MAGflex [MAX500] lamp feels substantial, well made. It's got some good articulation – you can stick it on things and direct the light to where you need to work. It's got a hook and it's also got magnets.

“To get between ten and 15 hours out of one charge, I think is quite impressive. It's the best one I've used over time.”

MAGflex MAX500 (RIL6200) features

• Provides a crisp, bright white light

• 500 Lumens output in a robust housing

• Up to 7.5 hours operating time from a single charge (our reader used it over the working week on just one charge!)

• Integrated UV torch for leak detection

• 360-degree twist and 180-degree flex base to direct the light where needed

• Magnets on the back and base of the lamp, plus rotating hook for hands-free working

• Integrated charge level indicator to show status of the battery during operation or charge mode

Matrix Beam technology explained

Valeo Service invites you to view a recorded webinar to learn why vehicle manufacturers are now fitting the Valeo Matrix Beam technology to their vehicles and the benefits of the technology to vehicle drivers. Simply click the play button on the right to view the webinar and also access technical documents that can be downloaded.

The Valeo Matrix Beam is a Glare-Free High Beam technology that provides a high level of visibility while avoiding glaring any other vehicles on the road. The technology is used in Audi A3 2016 models and is available to the aftermarket.

The Valeo Matrix technology introduced is composed of multiple LED segments. Each LED segment is driven by an independent chip. The obscured area is obtained by extinguishing one or more LED chips, for each of the headlamps, without any moving parts. This maintains maximum light output throughout the non-obscured area and can obscure several different zones at the same time.

In this smart matrix LED system, a camera is mounted within the vehicle that detects the light projected from other vehicles and relays this information to an electronic control unit. Using the information provided by the ECU, it then manipulates the matrix beam lighting to first dim the areas affecting the other vehicle drivers, before completely blanking it out as the vehicle gets closer to the matrix beam, preventing a ‘dazzling’ effect. The system can deal with multiple vehicles, illuminating only the gaps between the oncoming vehicles.

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When it comes to longevity – it’s really very good. With my old lamp, I'd have to charge it every night. This one takes about four or five hours to charge, but I used it for a whole week without it going flat. When it got low it started flashing, giving me a 10-minute warning that it was going to cut out. When that happened, I charged it for around four hours and it was good for a whole week, which is very good. With my old lamp, if I didn’t charge it every night, it would not last to the end of day two. By lunchtime I’d be putting it back on charge again. You charge this via a USB C, so I can use my phone charge. The leads are supplied with it.

Useful features

Doing MOTs, it's all about inspection, so it's about getting the light into places to enable you to see gators, bushes, brake pipes and so on. Manufacturers don't like putting things in places that are nice and easy to see and get to. Wherever possible you need to at least look and try and get your hands in to feel what's going on with these parts you need to check. Having a tough bright light, you can wedge it into places without worrying it's going to fall apart. It has got different brightness settings. There's a second setting and it's got a UV light at the top. I personally don't use that, but it would come in handy for air conditioning.

Another thing I do like about this, that I don't like about other multistage lights, is you don’t need to scroll through to turn it off. Once it's on for say 20 or 30 seconds, you just press the button once and it'll turn itself off. You don't go to the next setting and then the next setting – you haven't got to keep pressing the button, which is handy.

The light source is set down with reflective sides, so it doesn't cast much of a shadow. With these lights, you get a very sharp line but with the reflectors at the side, it kind of wraps the light round a bit more and you're not working in a shadow. You can see more without having to move too much to illuminate things, so I thought that was pretty good.

I have the light on for about three hours out of the day. To get between ten and 15 hours out of one charge, I think, is quite impressive. It's a little bit blocky compared to what I'm used to but it’s the best one I've used.

MAGflex SLIM500 (RIL 6300) features

• 500 Lumens output, slim design for smaller work areas

• Reliable battery life with up to 6 hours operating time from a single charge

• 270-degree twist and 180-degree flex base to direct the light where needed

• Integrated torch for directional focused light

• Magnets on the back and base of the lamp, plus rotating hook for hands-free working.

"It's a little bit blocky compared to what I'm used to but it's the best one I've used"

MAGflex SLIM500 (RIL 6300)

The little lamp is a lot lighter, and it doesn't last as long. I probably get about four to 5 hours out of a charge of this, but it's only used when I need to get into really tight areas, like through wheels, looking at pads and small areas. It feels quite flimsy, but it's proven to be quite robust. I've dropped it a couple of times with no damage, and it's got rubber mountings so if you do accidentally knock the light, it's not going to break. It's got some give before that happens. It's a good supplement to the MAX500.

But I wouldn't say I could use it all the time – I could if I had to, but I'd have to charge this every day. If you need to investigate further, this little lamp is perfect.

They work well as a pair.

www.osram.co.uk/am

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Light is OSRAM LIGHTING

Bringing light and tunes into the darkest corners of the workshop or engine bay

Three Xperion 6000 flood lights, designed using feedback from a group of mechanics, join the Philips workshop lighting programme, enabling users to focus the beam where needed and play music while you work.

The Philips Xperion 6000 Flood and Flood Audio lights illuminate large, dark areas, producing 1,000 lumens from just 10 Watts of power within a wide beam. If less light and longer battery life are needed, the lamp can be dimmed to just 100-lumens. The compact Xperion 6000 Flood Mini delivers 500 lumens with the same adjustable beam as the Flood.

Every Xperion 6000 Flood light offers a variable beam and a focused beam that concentrates illumination within small areas, ideal for detailed inspections. “We worked closely with mechanics to design the beam adjustment mechanism from wide flood to focused illumination. Our collaboration resulted in an ergonomic smart-zoom knob that makes it easy to adjust the beam, even with gloves on,” said Pascal Charvat, Work Light Product Manager at Lumileds. The smart light also remembers a user’s last setting and restarts at this intensity. Users can connect a phone or media player to the Philips Xperion Flood Audio and listen to music through its integrated speakers. Both the Flood and Flood Audio can be remotely powered on or off by waving a hand and the motion sensor only responds to a specific double-wave gesture and ignores unintended movements. They can also be used as a power bank to charge other devices, such as a phone. The smart handle can be used as a support to hold the light up by itself, as a hook to hang the light from, screwed onto a tripod, or attached to any metal surface with its integrated magnets.

The Xperion 6000 Slim inspection lamp features a wide 100° beam angle from its long slim lighting unit which rotates through 270° and has three different outputs. It offers a long operating time of up to 9 hours, depending on the levels of light required and has a magnet on the base and one on the rear. The Xperion 6000 UV Pillar has a host of features that mark it out as special. The lamp offers several light sources: a LED movable main light with three different outputs, a high Colour Rendering Index (CRI) light and a UV light which allows leak detection.

www.philips.co.uk/c-e/au/led-work-lights/xperion-6000

The XENARC NIGHT BREAKER LASER Next Generation HID range from OSRAM has been upgraded to offer up to 220 percent more brightness than required by law as the supplier urges motorists to ‘Check,’ ‘Change,’ and ‘Upgrade’ their headlights to ensure maximum visibility no matter what headlight technology they have.

These headlamp bulbs provide up to 20 percent whiter light, the light beam extends up to 250 metres and provides wider visibility for enhanced driver safety. The updated range of HID/ Xenon performance bulbs complements the existing halogen and xenon bulbs available in the NIGHT BREAKER series and come with a three-year guarantee.

The XENARC NIGHT BREAKER (Next Generation) range is available in D1S, D2S, D3S and D4S ECE bulb types and are available in single box and twin retail Duo Packs.

Its latest product catalogue covers its expanded range of lighting products across passenger car, motorcycle, and commercial vehicle applications.

This latest issue includes all recently launched products including the H11 NIGHT BREAKER 200, XENARC NIGHT BREAKER (Next Generation), NIGHT BREAKER SILVER and the new BRIGHT and INTENSE LEDriving HL ranges.

The catalogue includes a full bulb application overview providing information on the correct reference for a specific lighting application, and a guide advising consumers how to check their latest purchase contains genuine OSRAM equipment with the OSRAM Trust Programme.

To view the latest product catalogue online click here.

2022

A l w a y s d e m a n d t h e b e s t

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