Outdoor Adventure USA

This week's Outdoor Adventure USA net is about vehicle lights, and the circuitry and power circuits required to operate them. Most off road excursions require driving after dark, whether on the way to, on the return home from, or on the trails. Many things can affect your choice of vehicle lights - off-roading style, vehicle type, mounting ability, and price range.

With lighting technology changing at a rapid pace, vehicle owners now have a lot of choices regarding types of lights, lighting patterns, sizes, and prices. An often overlooked but extremely important part of any lighting system is the wiring and power required to keep all of your lights operating properly. We'll try to sort through the current assortment of lights to help you figure out what is best for your rig.

Depending on the time available - Our net will involve discussions of different types of lights, including Quartz/Halogen, High Intensity Discharge (HID), and Light Emitting Diode (LED) and their pros and cons, as well as the types and purposes of different lens patterns.

To help keep those lights working at their most efficient, the wiring harness and wire routing is important; having enough power available from your battery and charging system is also important, as well as relay systems, S-Pods, and auxiliary fuse panels.

This net is open to all amateurs, and your lighting questions, comments, experiences, and suggestions are welcomed

Some of the better-known lighting manufacturers:

PIAA LIGHTING

HELLA, INC

RIGID INDUSTRIES

KC HILITES

Here's my FJ Cruiser with forward-facing HID and LED lights on: S-Pod Wiring System: Typical Wiring Harness with relay for a set of lights: New technology HID Off-Road Light (ARB-AR32S): New technology reflecting LED Driving Light (PIA-5772):

Product Spotlight

The spotlight this week is on a product that almost every shooter will appreciate - a rock solid shooting bench. Over the years, I have tried out just about every type of bench to use when I am out in the field for a day of shooting, including card tables, home made contraptions, and the folding leg tables that are often sold in places like "Home Depot. While prices did vary somewhat, there was one thing that they all had in common - they were flimsy, unsteady, or incredibly bulky and heavy. The other thing that they all shared was that they all had 4 legs. Rarely, if ever, will you find a shooting spot where the ground is level enough where all four legs have good contact with the ground.

The solution is made by Stukey's Shooting Benches. The bench accommodates right and left handed shooters, is incredibly heavy duty, is suitable for rifles and handguns, is steady on uneven ground, easy to set up, and easy to carry. It is their triangular leg design that makes this bench so steady and heavy duty. And, one of the best features is that it is made right here in the USA, in Wyoming. Their website contains more pictures and descriptions: http://www.shootingbenches.com/index.html . I have been using the Stukey shooting bench for several years, and it is, by far, the best bench I have ever used.

AND, I really like their motto:

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.

Here is what it looks like (from the Stukey website):
Stukey also offers a similarly featured shooting chair that is adjustable in height and has three legs (from the Stukey website).
Now, this is heavy duty (from the Stukey website).
In use in the field (from the Stukey website)

The net recording is now available: Vehicle Lights and Wiring Strategy