Whatever that site owner's intentions might be, the list of reasons why his "tests" aren't actually tests/aren't producing any kind of useful data is so long, it's difficult to choose where to start. For openers, 12 feet is not a long enough distance to be testing at. Who knows what kind of meter he might have been using, but it doesn't really matter; at that short of a distance the meter readings aren't going to translate to any useful information, and they aren't even reliable for comparison with other readings taken at the same distance. We have no idea how stable his power supply is during each run and across the various runs. He consistently misspells certain easy-to-spell bulb brands, which doesn't really impact the numbers but throws a cloud of doubt over his general credibility (WTF? The box and the bulbs are right in front of him!) His use of different headlamps for low beam v. high beam is strange, and his "best for low beam!" and "best for high beam!" claims are just plain misleading. His use of color temperature as a criterion is not compatible with his claim to be testing bulb performance.
His site is full of mindless copypasta; he's talking about "HID kits" on the HID page, "LED kits" on the LED page and..."halogen kits" on the halogen page. Halogen kits??? His "review" videos are just some schlub (I guess it's him) sitting there babbling at the camera, interspersed with completely useless footage of headlight beams on a road. I think Alaric is probably right; that site's main purpose seems to be to drive traffic to his YouTube channel and get clicks on his Amazon Affiliate links.
Different headlamps perform very differently. For the purpose of discussion, let's assume his peak intensity is at or near one of the low beam test points. At 0.6D/1.3R, the requirement is 10,000 candela minimum, with no maximum (at 12 feet that would be 746 lux min/no max, assuming a measurement at that distance would be valid). At 1.5D/2R, the requirement is 15,000 candela minimum, with no maximum (theoretically 1120 lux minimum/no maximum).
[Did you get that book yet?]
[FONT="]Hi Virgil & everybody!
First I want to say that I really appreciate the criticism, it only helps one grow stronger at what they do!
Now, the main goal of my website and YouTube channel are to provide USEFUL test results to people in need. I'll explain more in detail.
Let me provide some background of my company and myself. I first started BulbFacts (back in August of last year) due to frustrations behind many claims from manufacturers (Philips, OSRAM, etc. and 3rd party of course) claiming big upgrades. After buying 20+ Halogen kits, I finally found a decent bulb that worked well, and was a whiter color that I desired. Yes I am very picky when it comes to automotive lighting. I wanted to share the results after all of my testing, so I threw together a web page for people to use as they wish (see wayback machine for an old version). I myself work a full time job, and do BulbFacts on the side as a hobby, and I really love doing it the best that I can.
Fast forward to today. Since then, I have had a lot of people reach out requesting I test more products, including LED and HID. I wasn't a huge fan of LED myself, knew they scatter light, blind oncoming drivers, etc. So, I decided to buy 10 of the most popular LED kits that sell on Amazon (all that I could afford), and see how they did. I found a good few kits (at the time Lightening Dark and Beamtech) that actually performed pretty well, so I wanted to get the word out and created the video there, and YouTube is a free platform to do so.
Since then I have spent a lot of money (thousands) on buying these products, converting my basement into a test lab, test meters, video equipment, and yes, I signed up for Amazon Affiliates to try and recoup some of the money back. I have accomplished that, and make a little extra which is great, so I can continue to buy new products to test for people as more requests come in. I'm not getting rich though, and I'm ok with that! I don't run ads all over my website as I think they distract people from the actual facts, but I have enabled YouTube ads to bring in some extra money. Keep in mind that I HAVE had a number of companies offer paid sponsorships, all of which I declined. I am keeping BulbFacts true and unbiased. I even like to decline free products typically and just buy it myself and thank them for bringing it to my attention. Most get upset by the results, but it is what it is.
I do understand the suspicion of companies out to make a buck and know there are many out there, but that I not my intention at all, and I try my best to buy the best test equipment and meters, and spend a lot of time researching the best ways to improve my testing, as well as a LOT of time in my basement testing and testing. My wife wonders about me sometimes.
. I know it's not perfect, but I always try to improve as I go.
12ft isn't the correct distance to test, and my plan is to re-test EVERYTHING at 25' early next year (or ASAP), including the Halogen, LED, and HID products, as well as 50ft, 75ft, etc. as well later down the line. I just didn't have the space to test at that distance unfortunately at the time. I have made a lot of adjustments since then though due to thread posts like this, as well as people contacting me via the website, and YouTube comments. I delete NO comments, and always thank people even though they can be pretty harsh sometimes, I still value the opinions very much, and it always gets me thinking.
In closing, if you guys are willing, let me know your thoughts on my testing, and I'd be glad to share 100% how I do things as I want to be 100% transparent. I'd make it worth everybody's time for sure, and I'm always open to testing new brands, as well as different ways to test.
We all know everybody is buying into the LED fad, so why not at least direct them to the ones that work right, and don't blind oncoming traffic? That's my theory anyways. Customers buying LED kits on Amazon shouldn't be fooled by the false '16,000 lumens' claims, as we know they are just plain made up. I am planning to do some videos on better education as well. Headlight Revolution does some great ones now, and I think they really help as many people are confused and just throw whatever LED and even HID into reflector style headlights.
I'm working with a company now to buy more 'premium' or 'high-end' LED and HID products (I call them kits) such as GTR Lighting, Diode Dynamics, etc, as they are very expensive, but I have had a lot of people ask me to test them more. I should have them purchased and tested in the next few months. Again, if you guys have any more criticism, ideas, requests, etc. don't hesitate to let me know!
Thanks everybody for your time!
PS: Sorry for the typos on the website, I type fast and forget to spellcheck I won't lie. I do go back though when I get time to re-read through things and make corrections
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