New KC-Gravity knock-off has cropped up.

[GTGallop]

I don't know... We all hear about Cheap Chinese Knockoffs. How bad they are, how little they last. How sub standard the materials are.

But then they did successfully just fly a reconnaissance balloon over every strategic air base, silo field, and a submarine base at 66,000 feet without getting shot down and it took an 6th Gen Fighter (F-22 Raptor) to finally bring it down after it spent 5 days flying 3,000 miles over North America.

Turns out now it was one of at least 15 balloons that have been seen over Canada and Latin America near Military Installations.

They must be doing something right! If they can build cheap Chinese Reconnaissance balloons that have gotten this far.

Don't think I'm giving them any more money though.

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[OFC Ranger]

I don't know... We all hear about Cheap Chinese Knockoffs. How bad they are, how little they last. How sub standard the materials are.

But then they did successfully just fly a reconnaissance balloon over every strategic air base, silo field, and a submarine base at 66,000 feet without getting shot down and it took an 6th Gen Fighter (F-22 Raptor) to finally bring it down after it spent 5 days flying 3,000 miles over North America.

Turns out now it was one of at least 15 balloons that have been seen over Canada and Latin America near Military Installations.

They must be doing something right! If they can build cheap Chinese Reconnaissance balloons that have gotten this far.

Don't think I'm giving them any more money though.

The Chinese can produce something as low quality or as high quality as they choose to, just like any other country.

We in turn get comparable products for cheaper because they don't have to bake in the cost of over regulation and safety like in the United States.

Pricing in America is partly due to our shitty government. And California, don't forget that cesspool of over regulation.

To think at some point in the past that people who sold bleach didn't have to pay to slap an extra sticker on it that said "Do not drink". It was the wild west I tell ya!

 

[LaBalbe]

Now that you've had them for a bit, how are they holding up?

 

[OFC Ranger]

Now that you've had them for a bit, how are they holding up?

Ive only had them installed a few days.

 

[OFC Ranger]

Alright so I am researching ways to be able to dim these.

Why? To make them actually viable for night time back road / highway. At current max power, if you have lengthy stretches of road without reflective DOT signs you are golden, however when present these things turn road signs into the likes of which you are staring at a nuclear blast, even at some distance.

Instead of putting a secondary less power lighting system in place for this specific purpose I would rather utilize what I have. As the six of these lights are all fed through one primary 12 gauge line off their perspective pigtails, setting up some for use while others remain off do not fit into my design plans, nor do I wish to endure secondary wiring to accomplish this task.

So first stop is learning the basics of it all. So far as I gather, the way LEDs function (internal drivers) you need a PWM to avoid possible flickering or getting it to work properly in the first place.

So option one is a Baja Design harness for about $100. I would need to add my own type of switch to this pigtail:

https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/dual-sport-skene-dimmer-wiring-harness/?sku=639208

The second option clocks in at $13 and a surface mount PWM unit with a knob on it. My six lights are advertised as a combination of 240 watts, though knowing Chinese manufacturers it is possibly lower which is standard business procedure with them. Regardless, this $13 PWM control unit is rated for 30A, and the lights should be topping out at 20A if they actually met the advertised wattage:

https://www.amazon.com/SUPERNIGHT-12V-24V-Controller-Brightness-Aluminum/dp/B07HN1BJWK/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=12v+dimmer+switch&qid=1676315318&sprefix=12v+dimm,aps,296&sr=8-11

I can mount something of this nature under the steering wheel column for ease of access with the shorted amount of additional wiring to bring it into the loop.


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