6v BA15 LED headlamp bulbs?

[AllAlloyCup]

Hi folks,

There seems to be a million types of LED
bulbs available , but finding a LED headlamp bulb that is 6v, 
Fits a BA15 socket, is negative earth and offers
Full and dip beams seems be the one type that just
now anyway is not available?

Or has anyone else located a source of these?
Ideally one that does not look like a “ pineapple” !

For fitting into new old stock 1925 CAV headlamps
which have clear glass lenses which reveal all.



Regards
Bill G
(Aka AllAlloyCUp)

[Stuart Joseph]

Good afternoon. I would contact Peter at "Classic Regulator and Dynamo Restoration" in Lincoln one of our Cherished Suppliers.

Regards from Staffordshire - the creative County.
Stuart

[Steve kay]

I would very much agree. Peter at CRDR seems to have developed a full range of LED lights for Sevens, with good instructions for either positive or negative earth. The light is not quite like a row of Hella spots bolted on to the front bumper, but an improvement on the original. Even more encouraging for night rallying or long distance touring is the low amperage needed, 3 to 4amps all lit up. This both allows a low third brush setting and saves having a spare battery behind the front seat for the midnight swap.

[AllAlloyCup]

Thanks
Stuart and Steve

I’ll give them a call.

Happy motoring!

Bill G

[Parazine]

My understanding is that LED "bulbs" for scuttle headlamps are not currently available. A few people have tried the LED replacements that are used in R47 units but these do not sit in the correct place to focus the beam in the early, small reflector.
If anyone knows any different, please shout! My chummy is stuck with stop tail bulbs at the moment.

[Stuart Joseph]

Good morning. Since my previous reply I have been reflecting (no pun intended) on whether the fitting of main and dip bulbs would achieve the desired outcome. The reflectors fitted to CAV and the later Lucas R510's were not designed to be so used - reflectors with a main/dip function place the main beam filament at the focal point of the parabolic reflector and the dip filament 'offset' so the light beam is reflected downwards. This is why the bulbs in early dipping headlamps had to be 'focused' hence the term 'pre-focused' and inserted the right way up.
My experience of CAV and 510's suggests that they merely direct the light outwards.
Further I have recently been asked why twin contact bulb holders were sometimes fitted to these early lights - the answer seems to be that one contact was live and the other return (earth).
In an earlier posting it was explained that sidelights and headlights are achieved with single filament bulbs by switching the lamps in series to give a 3v output (sidelights) and parallel to give a 6v brighter output (main).

Regards from the creative county - Staffordshire

Stuart

[JonE]

In an earlier posting it was explained that sidelights and headlights are achieved with single filament bulbs by switching the lamps in series to give a 3v output (sidelights) and parallel to give a 6v brighter output (main).

Was just searching for that thread. I notice that the wiring diagram from 1925 shows a single wire and refers the the button to do what Stuart refers to above. This later one refers to R510s, and has the twin wire to the single bulb, but seems to suggest that the current flows in to either dependent on selection of full or side? This must be determined wholly by the dash panel unit switch presumably?

Would I be right in thinking that the later switch panel thus isn't ideal for retrofitting R510s, as it will be issuing different orders from the switch to the later R47s?

  Screenshot 2018-03-17 14.17.59.png (Size: 592.66 KB / Downloads: 737)

[Tony Press]

In an earlier posting it was explained that sidelights and headlights are achieved with single filament bulbs by switching the lamps in series to give a 3v output (sidelights) and parallel to give a 6v brighter output (main).

Was just searching for that thread. I notice that the wiring diagram from 1925 shows a single wire and refers the the button to do what Stuart refers to above. This later one refers to R510s, and has the twin wire to the single bulb, but seems to suggest that the current flows in to either dependent on selection of full or side? This must be determined wholly by the dash panel unit switch presumably?

Would I be right in thinking that the later switch panel thus isn't ideal for retrofitting R510s, as it will be issuing different orders from the switch to the later R47s?

The Lucas SM 3 panel has 'H'ead and 'S'ide headlamp switch position, which I believe uses the two wires running to each Lucas Headlamp R510, which is fitted with a single two filament two pin bulb- I presently use 6 volt BA15d 18W 5W Stop and Tail (probably should use BA15d 21W 6W).

The Lucas SM5  panel also has 'H'ead and 'S'ide beam switch position which connects the two wires to two separate bulbs in the Lucas Headlamp R47 - I use 6 volt BA15s 21W and BA15s 6W bulbs. The main bulb has a three position seating but as mentioned, with present bulbs this doesn't seem to help very much with focus.

Never tried LEDs but as far as I know there are no two filament LEDs for the Lucas R510 headlamps and I would I think that focussing in the Lucas R47 headlamp could be a problem

Cheers, Tony.

[JonE]

thanks Tony - very comprehensive. Do you see Stuart's comment about the series/parallel applying to earlier cars still then? It was the '25 wiring diagram that was confusing showing just one wire! I can see how a two wire system, if it were an earth return, can be changed at the switch from series to parallel through the lamps' dual filaments (always operating together, presumably) in an old fashioned bulb... but we change the method of functioning by wanting to select each side of the 21/6W?

[Tony Press]

thanks Tony - very comprehensive. Do you see Stuart's comment about the series/parallel applying to earlier cars still then? It was the '25 wiring diagram that was confusing showing just one wire! I can see how a two wire system, if it were an earth return, can be changed at the switch from series to parallel through the lamps' dual filaments (always operating together, presumably) in an old fashioned bulb... but we change the method of functioning by wanting to select each side of the 21/6W?

The early CAV etcetera headlamps didn't have a high and low beam - only full on or dim (later full on or sidelight).

The earlier wiring diagrams showing the CAV switch panel are deceptive - the circuit from the dynamo only shows a single line but there are in fact two end wires shown, as with the headlamp circuit, so I believe there are in fact two wires to each headlamp.

The CAV switch panel has a headlamp switch and a dim switch but never having studied one don't know how this operates. 

The Lucas SM3 switch panel simply switches feed between the main and secondary filament in the bulb.   

Cheers, Tony.