JW Speaker 7" round SmartHeat headlights

Hilldweller

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 17, 2009
Messages
671
Location
Hog Waller, GA
Just letting people know that JW Speaker is finally making their fantastic 8700 Evo2 headlights with SmartHeat available.
Anybody that has used aftermarket LED headlights in the snow is woefully aware of snow/ice buildup problems (ask me how I know)

There is also a very very new version for the Jeep Wrangler JK that has H13 lights as stock, and pulsewidth modulated power delivery. Plug & play, no adapter.
But they're only available from one vendor right now. Weird, right?
The JK version is available HERE

The PAR-56 version with an H4 dongle is HERE or several other vendors. These would fit your Miatas, TJs, etc.

Nice lights. Wish I had a set...
 

Alaric Darconville

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 2, 2001
Messages
5,377
Location
Stillwater, America
All Premium LED projector head lamps feature fully approved DOT markings
So, markings are approved now?

Our DOT approved LED lamps
C'mon, Quadratec, you're just reinforcing the notion that our motor vehicle equipment works on a type-approval basis.

Still, it's nice to see these getting out there. The heated lenses are the answer to "LED headllites will nevar work they get ised up in the winter" types all over the Internet.
 

747LeftSeat

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Dec 19, 2009
Messages
31
So, markings are approved now?


C'mon, Quadratec, you're just reinforcing the notion that our motor vehicle equipment works on a type-approval basis.

Still, it's nice to see these getting out there. The heated lenses are the answer to "LED headllites will nevar work they get ised up in the winter" types all over the Internet.

Is the deicing always on or is it like on airplanes where we can selectively turn deicing on/off.
 

Alaric Darconville

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 2, 2001
Messages
5,377
Location
Stillwater, America
Is the deicing always on or is it like on airplanes where we can selectively turn deicing on/off.
Thermostatically controlled, and probably around 40°F.

If only my '76 Corolla's 2T-C engine's carburetor had a heater grid. Seemed like the low-to-mid 40s and high humidity meant icing every time.
 

-Virgil-

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
7,802
Yeah, there's a bunch of word soup (or word salad? Maybe it's a soup-and-salad combo deal! LOL) on the Quadratec website, but to be completely fair there's also some questionable language on JW Speaker's own page about the lamps, where they say the heated-lens lamps are "for Transport applications only" (emphasis theirs). I called up and spoke to two of their engineers, who explained to me that the heated-lens standard-connection version of the lamp, with the H4 type plug, isn't compatible with the headlamp power feed on Jeep JK Wranglers even if a plug/socket adaptor is used. OK, but they'd be fine in (say) a '75 Chevrolet pickup truck, or a pre-JK Wrangler, or pretty much anything else that takes 7" round headlamps, right? Yes, they confirmed that. So...why not just say not to use these lamps in a JK Wrangler instead of the "Transport applications only" verbiage? They didn't know; they're engineers, not web guys.

As far as availability of the non-JK version goes...see here and here.
 
Last edited:

Ofelas

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 7, 2007
Messages
204
These heated JWS lamps work well.

Been using them in 8910 flavor on a couple different older trucks for the better part of 1 year.

That red lead on each lamp for the city light LED...anything useful I can do with that or just continue to keep it taped up & out of the way?
 

Alaric Darconville

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 2, 2001
Messages
5,377
Location
Stillwater, America
Looking forward to finding out how they'd be useful, considering I have DRLs.
I suppose you could instead wire them to act as a "path light", so when you turn the ignition off they light up for 30 seconds to help you get through the garage or from the driveway to the front door, without being obnoxious. Similarly, they could come on for 15-30 seconds after you unlock the car remotely, to help spot it in a parking lot.

On that subject, if your reversing lamps come on with alarm arm/disarm or door lock/unlock, disable that. That can get small children killed, who will learn to equate white lights on at the rear of a car with being able to safely walk up to it in a parking lot.

Are city lights wired to ignition or come on with parking lamps?
"City lights" *ARE* front position lamps (a portion of what are commonly called "parking lights"). If you already have front position lamps, then you probably don't need to double up on them, but if you don't have them, then you need them, whether you have DRLs or not.
 
Last edited:

-Virgil-

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
7,802
"City light" and "parking light" (as per the US definition) are two alternate names for what are officially called "front position lamps". They are not DRLs or anything else. They get wired into the vehicle's front position (parking) light circuit, not into the ignition or any other circuit. In North America you can have as many pairs of front position lights as you want, so you don't have to disconnect the vehicle's original ones if you hook up the ones in your new headlamps. On the other hand, you can if you want to, but be careful not to disable any other functions while you're at it. Some vehicles' front position/parking lights also serve as the front side marker lights, for example.
 

Ofelas

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 7, 2007
Messages
204
Got it, thx, both of you.

I have DRLs as well as front & side position lamps, not sure if I want tiny white LED chips coming on inside my headlamps in sync with my regular amber parking lamps & amber cab clearance lamps. The heated lens indicating LED chips are bad enough LOL.

As far as delays, alarms, auto door locks, power windows, beeping reverse lamps....I have none of those.
 
Top