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What have you done to your FMTV or LMTV today

tpiekbp

Member
32
36
18
Location
Artesia, NM
Rather than buying a turret cover and paying crazy shipping, I cut one out of a 4’ square of 1/8” steel, welded on two bars to keep it from flexing, and through a little color on it. I used a 1/4” rubber gasket and bolted it down. Pretty happy for a project under $200. The truck came from 1st Cav so the stencil was just a small salute.7F0649F1-A219-4FA4-A082-5350E51EADB6.jpeg4E35A0B2-F3FE-43D4-8E42-758CD91A6164.jpeg
 

Third From Texas

Well-known member
2,766
6,498
113
Location
Corpus Christi Texas
Rather than buying a turret cover and paying crazy shipping, I cut one out of a 4’ square of 1/8” steel, welded on two bars to keep it from flexing, and through a little color on it. I used a 1/4” rubber gasket and bolted it down. Pretty happy for a project under $200. The truck came from 1st Cav so the stencil was just a small salute.View attachment 858785View attachment 858787
People like you make the surplus scalpers cry.

I like you.
 

MRAP DREAM GIRL

Active member
127
91
28
Location
Washington
Installed the new straps that we made to hold the bows down and installed the new bungee cords for the troop retainer brackets and then put the top on. The realized we're missing one leg clamp set. Anyone have a source or a set they don't need?20220211_150255.jpg20220211_170103.jpg20220211_170132.jpg20220212_172046.jpg
 

Godspeed131

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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93
Location
Knoxville, TN
What a difference, Godspeed131! What headlights and led bulbs did you use? imitation is the sincerest form of flattery ;)
The headlights and marker lights both came from Amazon. I’ll link them below.
The headlights use 15 watts on low beam and 30 on high compared to the incandescents at 42 and 65 watts, and are double the brightness or more. Swapping the marker lights alone decreases the watt usage roughly around 100 watts at 1.3 watts for the led compared to the incandescent bulbs at 7.9watts. So in all much more visibility at a lower power usage. I’m happy with them so far but we’ll see just what the longevity is in the future.
 

TechnoWeenie

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,653
1,669
113
Location
Nova Laboratories, WA
The headlights and marker lights both came from Amazon. I’ll link them below.
The headlights use 15 watts on low beam and 30 on high compared to the incandescents at 42 and 65 watts, and are double the brightness or more. Swapping the marker lights alone decreases the watt usage roughly around 100 watts at 1.3 watts for the led compared to the incandescent bulbs at 7.9watts. So in all much more visibility at a lower power usage. I’m happy with them so far but we’ll see just what the longevity is in the future.
Two things.

You don't use white LED bulbs behind colored lenses.

Those bulbs say they're 12V..... Does the LMTV use 12V wiring for its lighting?
 

wheelspinner

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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113
Location
North Carolina - FINALLY !

Godspeed131

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
278
933
93
Location
Knoxville, TN
Two things.

You don't use white LED bulbs behind colored lenses.

Those bulbs say they're 12V..... Does the LMTV use 12V wiring for its lighting?
Yea it’s a 12 volt system for the lighting. I’ve always been told and in experience using a white bulb is quite fine behind a colored lens and Im not trying to be a smart butt by no means, but the original bulb was warm white originally same as the led. Only difference now is it’s brighter and less heat.
 

TechnoWeenie

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Nova Laboratories, WA
Yea it’s a 12 volt system for the lighting.
Thanks for the clarification, haven't dived into their lighting circuits...

I’ve always been told and in experience using a white bulb is quite fine behind a colored lens and Im not trying to be a smart butt by no means, but the original bulb was warm white originally same as the led. Only difference now is it’s brighter and less heat.
No.

LEDs emit light totally differently than incandescent bulbs do.

Incandescent bulbs put out light across the visible spectrum, and the filter just blocks other wavelengths. An LED only puts out a narrow spectrum of light, and a lens will drastically decrease the output if using a white bulb behind a colored lens, to a lesser degree with amber (it comes out yellowish-white), but red is extremely noticeable.


 

Third From Texas

Well-known member
2,766
6,498
113
Location
Corpus Christi Texas
Thanks for the clarification, haven't dived into their lighting circuits...



No.

LEDs emit light totally differently than incandescent bulbs do.

Incandescent bulbs put out light across the visible spectrum, and the filter just blocks other wavelengths. An LED only puts out a narrow spectrum of light, and a lens will drastically decrease the output if using a white bulb behind a colored lens, to a lesser degree with amber (it comes out yellowish-white), but red is extremely noticeable.


Yep. Some years ago I tried placing white LEDs in the lollypop lights on the back of one of my off road cars. Even in daylight you could see they were far weaker than the incandescent bulbs on the side we had not installed. Lesson learned but I never fully understood the "why". Thanks for the video.
 

Godspeed131

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
278
933
93
Location
Knoxville, TN
Thanks for the clarification, haven't dived into their lighting circuits...



No.

LEDs emit light totally differently than incandescent bulbs do.

Incandescent bulbs put out light across the visible spectrum, and the filter just blocks other wavelengths. An LED only puts out a narrow spectrum of light, and a lens will drastically decrease the output if using a white bulb behind a colored lens, to a lesser degree with amber (it comes out yellowish-white), but red is extremely noticeable.


Sincerely thank you for the explication and not just saying I’m wrong without explaining. That explanation and video makes since. Honestly though I’m not to worried about it though considering it’s a non commercial play/farm truck that will maybe see night driving three times a year. Plus their only on the marker lights I whole heartedly agree on using matching colors on turn signals and brake/tail lights. Those haven’t had issues yet so their still oem, and all the rest of my vehicles have matching colored leds behind the correct lens. I just used these cause they were available at a better price that what I personally could find at the time.
 

TechnoWeenie

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,653
1,669
113
Location
Nova Laboratories, WA
Sincerely thank you for the explication and not just saying I’m wrong without explaining. That explanation and video makes since. Honestly though I’m not to worried about it though considering it’s a non commercial play/farm truck that will maybe see night driving three times a year. Plus their only on the marker lights I whole heartedly agree on using matching colors on turn signals and brake/tail lights. Those haven’t had issues yet so their still oem, and all the rest of my vehicles have matching colored leds behind the correct lens. I just used these cause they were available at a better price that what I personally could find at the time.

So many people wanna be 'right', they neglect to realize that the objective is to educate and share understanding. A discussion without data/evidence/proof is pretty meaningless.

I learned the FMTV lighting system is 12V, when I incorrectly assumed it was 24V like 'everything else', because I hadn't looked into it.

You learned that LEDs are fundamentally different in how they work compared to a filament based incandescent bulb.

Win:Win

No loser, just people sharing what they know to help each other out.
 

tpiekbp

Member
32
36
18
Location
Artesia, NM
The headlights and marker lights both came from Amazon. I’ll link them below.
The headlights use 15 watts on low beam and 30 on high compared to the incandescents at 42 and 65 watts, and are double the brightness or more. Swapping the marker lights alone decreases the watt usage roughly around 100 watts at 1.3 watts for the led compared to the incandescent bulbs at 7.9watts. So in all much more visibility at a lower power usage. I’m happy with them so far but we’ll see just what the longevity is in the future.
Thanks for making that an easy buy Godspeed131!
 
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