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Fortune Favours the Brave (Off-Roader)

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Like many other companies, at the end of the financial year, we like to do an ‘EOFY’ sale. This helps to sell off some of our stock and make room for all the shiny new stuff. But this year we changed things up a bit.

As you may know, this May we launched our most exciting product to date, our stunning new Nitro 180 Maxx LED driving lights. So instead of doing a promotion on our older stock, this end-of-year we ran a competition to win a pair of these beautiful examples of Aussie engineering.

For the full lowdown on the revolutionary Nitro 180 Maxx, see here. These driving lights set an industry benchmark, breaking all previous records with their awesome power. So, being so proud of our most innovative addition, we decided to give a pair of them away to one lucky Ultra Vision fan.

A Deserving Winner

Out of the 2500 people that entered the draw, a dedicated young off-roader from WA, Jett Morren, was the lucky winner, and we’re delighted that such a true enthusiast claimed the prize. Jett fitted them to his knockout wagon, a mint Toyota Land Cruiser 76 Series.

 A match made in heaven.

A match made in heaven.

Jett was super stoked to win nearly $1700 worth of lighting equipment, and wasted no time in fitting them to the front bumper of his truck, using the supplied stainless steel brackets and anti-theft nuts.

For the wiring, Jett spoke to his mechanic, who opted to use the supplied UltraVision wiring loom – something he had decided against when Jett had brought him previous driving lights to install.

Speaking of previous lights, Jett hadn’t had much luck with aftermarket lighting in the past, and told us that he “hadn’t placed a true value on decent lights and assumed they were all the same thing”. That all changed when he first fired up his brand new Nitro 180s.

From Darkness into Light

The model of Land Cruiser that Jett drives is certainly a thing of beauty, and has an increasing cult following both here and in the USA. But its original headlights were lacking, to say the least. Let’s just say that Jett himself described them as ‘candles’.

Jett factory fitted ‘candles’, great for watching sunsets, no so great after dark.

Jett factory fitted ‘candles’, great for watching sunsets, not so great after dark.

The change has been phenomenal. With the Nitro 180 Maxx delivering 1 lux of light at nearly 2kms distance, there’s not much that now escapes his beams. “My first drive with them was awesome. My appreciation for these lights— which place the beam where it’s needed with amazing clarity—has steadily grown.”

Suddenly, everything became a lot clearer...

Suddenly, everything became a lot clearer…

As a keen outdoorsman, Jett has noticed that his wildlife sightings have hugely increased since adding the Nitro 180s to his truck, “to hazard a guess, probably a 40% increase”.

Animals are hypnotized by Jett’s new  ‘alien’ beams!

Animals are hypnotized by Jett’s new  ‘alien’ beams!

He has also taken full advantage of the Hi/Lo switch which drop the lights to 20% of their power, great for use when driving through town or approaching reflective road signs

Jett has given us fantastic feedback from his excursions with the lights so far, and we’re delighted that our giveaway found a great home where they’ll be used to their full potential. We wish Jett the best of luck and many years of happy 4x4ing in the bush.

Introducing the Nitro Maxx 180 – The Most Powerful LED Driving Light on the Market

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Brace yourselves Off-roaders. In this instalment we have some important news for all you driving enthusiasts. We’re trying not to get overly excited, but this is big. Very big. Like one-of-a-kind, historic breakthrough big!

Through tireless efforts and a singular devotion to innovation, our homegrown research and development team has recently cracked the world record for an LED driving light’s power!

The old record stood at 1 lux of illumination at 1600 metresdistance. Our brand new Nitro Maxx 180 smashes that record by 200 metres, giving you a full 1 lux at 1800 metres. To put this into perspective, 1 lux is the amount of light needed for a person with 20:20 vision to be able to read a newspaper. Now, your neighbours nearly 2 kilometres away will be able to read their Herald with ease!

Dazzle Dave and Doris in the next village with these beauties!
Dazzle Dave and Doris in the next village with these beauties!

The Science Behind the Super Strength

Firstly we start with the best LEDs that money can buy, made by CREE Leds, the company who introduced the first commercially available LED bulbs to the world back in the 1990s. But a bulb can only do much, so the next, and most important factor was the optics. 

When we say optics, we mean how the design of the lights is optimized to change the direction and intensity of the beams that they put out. This is done mechanically, using different types of reflectors, ensuring the light goes exactly where it is meant to.   

Our team has worked tirelessly to tweak the optics of our lights, squeezing more and more power from them. What they’ve come up with are our brand new ‘Contrl®optics’, a system which ingeniously condenses the light into a more concentrated shaft by reducing non-functional stray beams. The result is an internationally unmatched level of illumination over distance. 

But Remember—Everything in Moderation!

Whether you’re off-roading or crossing large sections of outback, a pair of these fitted to your vehicle ensure that you’ll never lack an extra boost of light again. And the Nitro Maxx 180 has a further trick up its sleeve—a ‘dimmer’ switch which reduces its power to 20%. This means that you won’t inadvertently blind other drivers or be blinded yourself by reflections from road signs (we’ve all been there!).

Having your lights shining nearly 2kms down the road won’t endear you too much or your neighbours either, so the Hi/Lo switch is ideal for driving through town or on the highway. It will also keep you on the right side of the law—at 20% power the lights achieve 1 lux at 600 metres. 

Proudly Designed, Engineered and Made in Australia

Here at Ultra Vision, we’ve proudly achieved a new industry benchmark in vehicle lighting with the Nitro Maxx 180. And because we’ve taken the same care in producing it as we do with all of our lights, it’s got all the usual high-quality design features that you’ve come to expect from our Australian-made products. 

The Nitro Maxx is made from a super-tough, die-cast alloy housing with a hard-coated, impact-resistant polycarbonate lens. This ensures that the housing is dust and waterproof, with a rating of IP68. The light body itself is a contoured shape, designed to reduce depth and weight, which makes it easier and more versatile to fit to your vehicle. 

Made to hold up to a battering.
Made to hold up to a battering.

When it comes to fitting, the lights feature a 4mm stainless steel bracket, built to stand up to the abuse of off-roading. Finish that all off with waterproof connectors and you have a super sturdy unit that will easily withstand the wear and tear of off-road life.    

We’ve also give you two ‘temperature’ options to suit your personal preference, with a 4000k ‘warm’ option or a ‘whiter’ 5700k available. Read all about light temperatures, and much more, here. 

Our Commitment to Excellence

We’re so confident of the great quality of these lights that we offer our 5-year warranty as standard. We’ll also give you a free wiring harness and set of anti-lock nuts with the purchase of each set of two lights (you wouldn’t want anyone running off with them!). Australia wide delivery is just $20. 

So, what’re you waiting for? Get out there and blaze a whopping great trail through the darkness with a pair of Nitro Maxx 180s. You won’t be disappointed!

Introducing Nitro Smart – The Smart Driving Light that Fits Every Vehicle

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I think we can all agree that standard headlights don’t always cut it. There are times when your factory standard lights are simply too weak, and you need an extra boost of power. Whether it’s on back roads in the countryside or in tough weather conditions, sometimes the brighter your headlights, the better.

This is where aftermarket driving lights step in. They come in all shapes and sizes and can give you all the brilliance you need to dazzle your way across the countryside. There’s a problem though; the vast majority of driving lights are built to be mounted on 4WD vehicles. What about those of us who want some extra light for our day-to-day cars?

Driving lights are usually designed to be attached to bull bars or mounted independently on the roof or bumper of a 4WD. But not every vehicle is designed for mounting accessories. And not all of us who need extra light want to bolt a spotlight to the front of our beloved cars, both because we like how the car looks as is, and because the law won’t allow it.  

Your Prayers…Answered

If you feel like fitting aftermarket spotlights or light bars to your car is impractical, incongruous and potentially illegal, what can you do? What you need is something easy to fit, that’s discrete and road legal, and that means you won’t have to change that beautifully symmetrical face of your vehicle. “There must be an easy solution!”, I hear you cry! Don’t despair, we have you covered.

Here at Ultra Vision, we’ve listened to what you, our valued customers, have to say. We’ve identified the problem, and after months of research and development, have come up with a hell of a solution (if we do say so ourselves!).

Introducing the Nitro Smart 4-in-1 Multifunction LED driving light. It’s a fully-integratable, super-powerful driving light that fits seamlessly onto almost any vehicle, without the need for mounting or any other physical alteration. Too good to be true, you say? Well, read on to see how we’ve achieved it.

Seamless Integration

Our Nitro Smart driving light has been specially designed to fit into the existing hardware of your vehicle. So, rather than attaching an extra gadget, you simply swap in Nitro Smart lights for your existing bumper-mounted fog lights or DRL’s (assuming they are 4” round).

In addition to that, not only do they work as a super-strong driving light (1 lux at 500m), they also function as normal fog lights, DLRs (daytime running lamps) and indicators.  All functions are ECE approved, providing you with guaranteed road compliance.

By adapting the housing mounts the Nitro Smart will slot into the existing light mounting on your vehicle for total discretion with all the benefits of an aftermarket driving light. The external adjustments also allow for tweaking to ensure that you get optimum performance with any load.

Delivering 1 lux at 500m (more on this later) without affecting the style or look of your vehicle, the Nitro Smart LED driving lights ensure that you’ll never lack that extra boost of headlights again.

Ultimate Discretion and Durability

The most common location for our Nitro Smart driving lights is replacing the 90mm fog light in the bumper of your vehicle. Using a 4-point mounting system as standard, the light can be integrated into almost any bumper, and once it’s in place is indistinguishable from the original. Until you turn it on, that is.

NITRO SMART 4-IN-1 LED DRIVING LIGHT

Built to be sturdy, with an aluminium housing and polycarbonate lens, the Nitro Smart offers 50,000 hours lifespan and Ultra Vision’s 5 year guarantee.

Technical Specifications

Nitro Smart – Technical Specifications
Light Source LED
Illuminance 1 Lux at 500m
Voltage 9V-32V
Current Draw 4.4A @ 13.5V
Operating Temperature -40°C to 80° C
Waterproof Rating IP67
Connector Type 8 Pin JST
Housing Aluminium
Lens Construction Polycarbonate
Carrier GFN
Colour Temperature 5700K
Lifespan 50,000 Hours
Diameter/Dimensions 100mm
Net Weight 800g
Mounting Suitable 4 Point
Guarantee 5 Years

Let’s have a look at what some of these more technical terms actually mean to you and me. For a full breakdown check out our whole series of articles dedicated to Making Sense of the Jargon around Driving Lights and Light Bars.

When we say that the Nitro Smart delivers 1 lux at 500 metres, what do we mean? 1 lux is the accepted amount of light needed for a person with 20:20 vision to be able to read a newspaper. So, with the Nitro Smart lights installed, you’ll be able to read the paper half a kilometre down the road, if that’s what you fancy .

The lux value, explained

Next up, the waterproof rating. A rating of IP67 means that the Nitro Smart light is dust proof and capable of withstanding water immersion up to 1m deep for 30 minutes. If you want some more detail on IP ratings, check out this article.

The colour temperature refers to how ‘warm’ or ‘cold’ the light is. A candle is 1500k and daylight is about 5000k. Headlights start at about 4000k, and range up to 8000k. Anything above 6000k is blue light, and often illegal (and unnecessary). The accepted sweet range is 4000-6000k, for balancing definition and clarity, and the Nitro Smart, at 5700k, sits snugly in that range.

Homegrown Handiwork

Here at Ultra Vision we proudly produce the Nitro Smart and all of our other driving lights right here in Australia. That includes research and development as well as manufacturing. We firmly believe that manufacturing exceptional products locally is integral to the long term stability of our economy.

An added benefit of this setup is that we can have complete control over the quality of of each and every component of our finished product.

Complete Compliance and Assurance

We’re proud to be Australia’s number one manufacturer of LED lighting for extreme environments, including the mining industry. Therefore, we take our responsibility when it comes to safety very seriously. Where appropriate, all of our lights are approved by the ADR and the ECE, the Australian and European safety standards bodies.

We’re so confident of our high-performance, high-quality electronics that we’re happy to stand behind them. That’s why we offer a 5 year warranty on all our Nitro products, across the range.

Light up your Life

Whether you’re driving for necessity or pleasure, Nitro Smart lights will vastly improve your visibilityand safety without compromising the style of your vehicle.

We’re delighted to have come up with a simple solution to a frustrating situation, and are very proud of the end result. We have a feeling you’re going to love it too.

Nitro Lights Now Available Through Kenworth Dealers

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Ultra Vision have been working with Paccar Parts (suppliers of Kenworth Trucks) for the past 18 months, manufacturing the TRP range of driving lights and light bars. The products have been very successful and supported what Paccar are doing in making high quality products available at affordable pricing.

We are very pleased to announce that the range has now been further extended to include the Nitro products, making them available to all Kenworth dealers.  Paccar is holding stock of all the key lines plus our new Chrome rim options for both driving lights and light bars.

The products have been added to portfolio for the same reasons that has made Kenworth such a legendary name in Australia:

  • High performance under the most harsh conditions
  • Australian manufacture

Additionally, the solid aluminium construction, polycarbonate lens and 4mm stainless steel brackets allow Ultra Vision to offer a no-quibble 5 year warranty.

Image courtesy of Twin City Truck Centre

Image courtesy of Twin City Truck Centre

Products included in the stock program are:

Driving LightsLight Bars
Nitro 140 Combo beamNitro 155 Widr beam
Nitro 80 Widr beamNitro 205 Widr beam

All sizes are available with option of black rim or chrome rim.

Nitro 140W Maxx Driving lights - image courtesy of Twin City Truck Centre

Nitro 140W Maxx Driving lights – image courtesy of Twin City Truck Centre

 

Special Thanks to Twin City Truck Centre for the awesome pics!

Cream of the Crop – The Expert’s Comparison Guide to 4WD LED Lighting Brands in Australia

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Aah, the good old days, when your choice of lighting for your 4WD consisted of 2 local brands of halogens and a couple of el-cheapo imports…

If you’re feeling less than wistful for this not-so-halcyon era, you’re in excellent company. Today’s Aussie off-roader is spoiled for choice like never before, and there’s no doubt that we’re all better off for it. However, as the lighting options have increased exponentially, so has the level of confusion: Which lights are best for your 4WD? LEDs, halogens or HIDs? Are cheaper imported products the same quality as Australian made driving lights? Should you use plastic or stainless steel brackets to mount your lights? Are you better off going for outstanding depth of light, a greater spread, or a combination of the two? And, while we are at it, what’s the deal with lux vs lumens, and how do I know how much effective light I’m really getting?

If all that is not confusing enough, there are now numerous suppliers on the market, each of whom makes a claim to the title of best LED lights for 4WDs in Australia. It can be tempting to make a call based primarily on price. However, some suppliers include the cost of the wiring loom and fittings, whereas others do not, just to add another layer of complication to your decision.

With so much going on, the average consumer can be forgiven for scratching their heads, yelling “stuff it!” and just going fishing instead. While that does sound like a spectacular idea, we figured the time has come for an honest and candid assessment of some of the best brands in the land. We’ve focused on those that are well known primarily in the 4WD space and listed them alphabetically in no particular order of preference or performance/value rating. We hope this helps shed some light – pun fully intended!

ARB

The construction, presentation and branding for these guys are in keeping with their well-deserved excellent reputation. ARB lights are well made and look fantastic. The lights are quite slim, allowing them to fit most vehicles easily. However, a slight kick-out to the rear can make them a little bit tricky to attach to some of the narrow bull bars. Given the price point, you could be forgiven for expecting somewhat better light output, especially since the RRP doesn’t include wiring loom and anti-theft nuts. However, this would need to be weighed against the generally polished presentation and construction. It’s worth checking ARB’s website to ascertain whether their light pattern works for you prior to taking the plunge.

Kings (4WD Supercentre)

While strictly speaking not a 4WD light, Kings have captured a sizeable share of the Australian market thanks to their highly attractive pricing. This is partly due to their direct-to-market business model. However, as you might expect, at a price point up to 12 times cheaper than some of the competitors, the lights themselves are relatively basic. Any misgivings about the construction and/or performance should be weighed up against the cost. If you’re an occasional off-roader, you’ll likely find that Kings delivers exceptional cost performance. Conversely, if you’re a serious driver who really puts their rig through its paces, you might find forking out for a hardier option a better investment. As you’d expect, the wire harness and anti-theft nuts are not included in the retail cost of the product.

Lightforce

This versatile workhorse ticks all the boxes for solid construction and presentation. The slim design makes them perfect for mounting on virtually any vehicle, and the HTX utilises an ingenious HID/LED hybrid system that delivers superior distance at 1 Lux compare with anything else on the market. Lightforce light bars come with only a side-mounting option, which is slightly limiting. However, if you’re OK with that, you’ll find plenty of size options to choose from and reliably solid constriction. Some people list mounting as a concern with these products as the brackets appear a touch flimsy. However, to our mind, this doesn’t seem to have any practical implications, although the fact that they have only one bolt can result in a tendency for the units to shift a tad during use. Some Lightforce products are sold with the wiring harness, while others are not, so pay close attention when evaluating from a cost perspective.

Narva 215

We’re pretty impressed with this product as an overall strong performer. They’re well-made and give impressive distance, which is what you’re looking for in a light. The design of the body is quite deep, which may impact mounting on narrower bars, but this is unlikely to be a problem for most vehicles. Narva offers some outstanding features, such as optional rim colour customisation and a manual adjustment thumb screw. We’re yet to put the latter through its paces in serious off-roading, so we can’t vouch for how it holds up, but keep this in mind when assessing.

Stedi

The Clark Kent of the LED lighting world, Stedi lights are sensibly designed and strike a safe balance between price, performance, specifications and durability. If you’re on a middle-of-the-road budget, you’ll find these products offer arguably the best value in their mid-range market bracket. This is given further weight by the fact that products are regularly sold with the wire harness and lens covers, which is a huge bonus.

Ultra Vision

It should come as no surprise that we’re quite partial to this one! Trying to keep our objective hat on, for the time being, Nitro LED light bars and driving lights have quickly carved out a loyal following and reputation. The fact that the lights are manufactured in Australia undoubtedly contributes some significant street-cred, which is backed up by superbly performing optics, a 5-year warranty and secure installation, thanks to the solid 4mm stainless steel brackets. The presentation is not quite as polished as ARB, but the performance is spectacular.

There you have it! Everything you need to know to select the right option for your vehicle. We told you there was plenty to consider next time you’re in the market! Each supplier has its merits and a part to play in a market that is growing larger and more complex. To make matters just that little bit extra exciting, specifications, beam patterns and designs are constantly changing, meaning that by the time you read this, it’s almost certain that at least one supplier has rendered some of the information out-of-date. Nevertheless, with all the crucial information now right at your fingertips, you’re in a great position to make the most informed choice regarding the perfect solution for your 4WD.

Wired for Light – LED Light Bar Wiring Instructions Made Easy

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You’re stoked! The package has arrived, or you’ve just returned from your nearest stockist with the satisfyingly weighty package in tow. You’re now ready to hook that baby up to your 4WD. While many of those reading this blog might be able to pull apart and reassemble their vehicles with their eyes closed, not everyone is as technically gifted. So, whether you’re still learning all the ins and outs of your wire harness construction, or you just need a little bit of a refresher, we reckon it’s well overdue to present to our simple LED light bar wiring instructions:

How to Install Your LED Light Bar

When installed correctly, your NITRO Maxx LED Light Bar will give you years of safe, trouble-free, exhilarating off-road brilliance. Therefore, it’s critical that you follow the LED light bar wiring instructions carefully to ensure that you get the ultimate performance and longevity. Here is our simple, step-by-step guide:

Where to Mount Your LED Light Bar

The first step is to figure out the mounting location. You’ll need a sturdy location such as the roof or the bulbar. We’ve seen some people try to get fairly creative with their mounting positions. However, before you make a final decision, it is definitely worth checking your State regulations on installing LED light bars to ensure that your lights are legal and avoid a potentially hefty fine. Once you’ve found the best place to mount your LED light bar, secure it firmly using the brackets provided.

 

  1. Safety First

The excitement of installing you LED Light Bar is the only jolt you want on this job. Start by disconnecting the negative terminal of your battery to ensure that there are no hair-raising surprises.

 

  1. Relay, Fuse & Connecting with your Headlights

There’s no hard and fast rule about where to mount the relay and fuse, in many cases, utilising an existing bolt or self-tapping screw on the inner guard is usually a pretty reliable option. However, this is where it starts to get a little bit tricky. Where and how you connect the loom supplied with your LED light bar will depend upon the make, model and age of the car to which you are hooking it up. If you’re a total car maven, you may feel like you’ve got this one, however, get it wrong and you’re in for some fascinating pyrotechnics that could severely damage your vehicle. If you’re not all that keen to have yourself or your car go up in flames, your best bet is to consult a professional. Our good mate Alan and Piranha Off Road Products has installed more Ultra-Vision LED Light Bars than anyone. If you’re in his vicinity, you could do a lot worse than enlisting his services to hook your lamps up for you, or provide you with some sound advice. Alternatively visit out stockists page to find the qualified auto electrician nearest you for a bit of assistance.

 

  1. Switch On

You want to make sure that the switch is easily accessible to you without distraction or the need to take your eyes off the track, so be careful to locate it in a convenient location inside the cab.  You’ll then need to run the switch wires back through the firewall and into the engine bay to connect with the wire harness. Your best bet here is to use an existing grommet in the firewall that will provide the most direct and easy access. Make a small incision or hole in the chosen grommet and run it through. If you’re finding it tough to access in the tight spaces, you can splice the wire to a straightened-out coathanger or a scrap piece of fencing wire to help it through and save you some sweat and frustration.

 

  1. Making Connections

You’re almost there! Now, all you need to do is connect your two harnesses to each other using the remaining open plugs. Lastly, it’s time to connect the plugs for your LED light bar into the circuit. Your light bar wire will include a single plug, which you need to connect to the relay; and a ring-terminal that must be earthed. Either the negative terminal of your battery or a bare metal bolt that has direct contact with the body of the car will suffice for the latter.

 

  1. Ready to Roll!

Untidy wires are an eyesore and a safety risk, so take a few moments to tape up any loose wires or plugs. Reconnect the negative terminal of your battery and test your new baby out! As we said above, the LED light bar should activate with your high beams, so set your switch to the on position, pop your headlights on, have someone perform a dramatic drumroll and when you flick on your highs, you should have oodles of blinding light streaming out of your new, freshly installed NITRO Maxx LED Light Bar. To double check that you’ve done everything correctly, switch your light bar off. If the high beams remain on, you have passed LED light bar installation 101 with flying colours!

We’re always here to help, so if you have any questions or run into problems, drop us a line or get in touch with your stockiest. Good luck and happy 4WDing!

Glowing Reviews – What Makes Nitro MAXX the Best LED Driving Lights & Light Bars in Australia

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It’s no secret that the aftermarket LED lighting industry has become a bit of a complex maze of confusing specifications, conflicting claims and impenetrable statistics. The truth of the matter is that there are plenty of excellent products available at every price and quality point. The trick is figuring out which product and brand are best for you.

Unsurprisingly, we’re pretty massive fans of the Nitro Maxx range. We firmly believe that they are the best LED driving lights and best LED light bars in Australia. While you could successfully argue that we are not exactly unbiased in our assessment, we reckon we have the proof to back up this claim. Let’s look at some of the key features that make Nitro Maxx the superior choice in LED lighting for your 4×4:

They Give Exceptional Light

You don’t need to be Einstein to figure out that this is going to feature heavily in any assessment of driving lights. Nitro Maxx stacks up exceptionally well against any other product on the market. Here are the numbers, with ranges determined by the size variations available with each product:

Nitro Maxx Driving LightsNitro Maxx Light Bars*
Effective Lumens5780~106008865~17724
Distance at 1 Lux820m~1200m550m~750m
Power80W~140W105W~205W
Colour Temperature5700K or 4000K5700K or 4000K

    *figures quoted relate to 12” and 18” light bars

What the numbers don’t show is that pound-for-pound, the Nitro Maxx range delivers the ultimate balance of exceptional distance, width, and sharp definition. We’ve combined the most advanced optics on the market with our unique reflector designs to ensure that we hit the sweet spot that shines the way ahead to enables safe, exhilarating off-roading.

They’re Tough

Australian off-roading conditions are arguably the harshest on the planet. Our lights are built to withstand the sternest tests that mother nature can throw at them. We’ve carefully selected the sturdiest materials and coupled them with state-of-the-art design and construction to ensure that your lights will go the distance. In most cases, they will last you longer than the life of your car. We also ensure that each unit is supplied with rock-solid stainless steel or stainless/alloy brackets so you know it’s securely mounted for the long-haul.

They Come With a 5-Year Warranty

We’re so confident in the quality and longevity of our products that we offer a comprehensive 5-year warranty that covers all parts. You’ll have complete peace of mind in the knowledge that even with frequent use in the toughest environments, your investment is covered.

They’re Made Right Here in Australia

Ultra Vision LED Driving Lights & Light Bars are Proudly Made in AustraliaDespite so many cheaper alternatives coming from overseas, the decision to manufacture the Nitro Maxx range at home was a straight-forward one. Firstly, it gives us total control over the production process, something that is not possible with cheap imports. This assures us unparalleled quality control, hence why we have the confidence to offer a comprehensive 5-year warranty to our valued customers. Just as importantly, making our products at home is a powerful statement of our commitment to Australian manufacturing and Australian jobs. In an age where local manufacturing jobs are dwindling at an alarming rate, it’s immensely satisfying to know that by choosing the Nitro Maxx range for your vehicle, you’re doing your bit to support hard-working Aussies.

They’re Versatile

We know that our customers want choice. 4WDers are a unique lot, and we want that reflected in our vehicles. Ultra Vision is committed to providing as many options as possible for you to customise your lighting. Choose from side or base-mounted brackets, 4000K or 5700K colour temperature and optional rim colour matching for a coordinated look. We’ll even throw in a wire-harness and anti-theft nuts for good measure.

They Give Incredible Cost Performance

While there are cheaper options on the market, we know of no other product that offers the kind of performance, quality and durability at as affordable a price. We know that consumers have a wide array of options. That’s why we’ve left no stone unturned to ensure that Nitro Maxx is the best long-term investment available.

It’s all these outstanding features that we believe make our Nitro Maxx the best LED Driving Lights and LED Light Bars in Australia. If you’re thinking of upgrading your lighting, or replacing your existing after-market lights, visit our online store, find your nearest Nitro Maxx stockist, or drop us a line for more information. We know you’ll be happy you did.

 

The Ultimate Guide to Mounting Your LED Headlights & LED Light Bars

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You’ve done all the research and legwork and spent a pretty penny to get yourself the best-LED headlights or light bar available for your 4×4. Now you’re ready to hit the road or trail to put those babies through their paces. The blinding light is everything you hoped for. A bright beam or arc that can be seen from the International Space Station, illuminates everything in its path as you hurtle along country highways, or power through the bush. Additionally, let’s be honest, your vehicle now also looks spectacular for the new addition.

As the city lights fade into the rear-view mirror, your new additions come into their own, piercing the darkness. The exhilaration mounts as the landscape rushes past and the engine hums. Suddenly, there is a disconcerting clunk, and everything goes that much darker as you realise that you’re down to just your factory headlights. You stop the car and cautiously exit to investigate. Your heart drops as you discover that your beloved lights are nowhere in sight. What’s left of your bracket tells you all you need to know about your light’s fate; most likely strewn across the road or landscape in a million pieces.

You might think this story is a bit fanciful, but it’s closer to fact than fiction than you might think. For any off-road enthusiast, spending time, money and effort installing aftermarket LED lights can be an incredibly rewarding way to enhance your experience. However, the finest quality LED light bar is not much use to anyone if it’s secured with substandard brackets or fixings that fail when you hit high speeds or rough terrain. The last thing any off-roader wants is to see their investment go down the gurgler due to poor-quality components. Worst of all, many warranties don’t cover broken brackets or mounts, which can leave you seriously out of pocket. To avoid this sad fate, let’s look at how to choose the best fittings for your LED headlights or light bar:

Brackets

Every manufacturer has their own mounting system for their lights, so it’s worth understanding a little bit about these so that you know what you are getting for your money. Most brackets are made with one of the following materials:

  • Mild/Powder Coated Steel: a lightweight option that works just fine for light lamps, but not so much for heavier units or in harsh terrain. These are notorious for breaking or rusting at the drill-through point.
  • Plastic: No rusting, lightweight and relatively durable. However, depending on the design and quality of the material, some varieties can be too flimsy to withstand what you throw at them and result in a degree of bounce in the beam as the bracket flaps in the wind.
  • Die Cast: Are cheaper, but relatively brittle making them one of the prime culprits for breakage. These brackets are usually made of aluminium, eliminating much of the concern around rust and corrosion. However, rust is the last of your worries if the unit is now smashed to smithereens.
  • Stainless Steel: While more expensive, is usually the sturdiest and safest option to keep your lights firmly in place for the long haul. Stainless brackets regularly come in a range of thicknesses from 1mm-4mm. As a general rule, the thicker the bracket, the better, however, quality of the materials and construction will play a significant part here. A 2mm product might give you the same security as a 4mm if it’s well designed and manufactured.

LED Light Bar Mounts

A dodgy mount can spell disaster for your light bar, so it’s critical that you find the optimal solution. The key here is not simply the strength of the mount itself. Every hole that you drill in your bull bar is a potential point of weakness and rust. It’s best to go with a system that minimises or eliminates reworking of the bull bar while ensuring that the construction is as unshakeable as possible.  The two most common options are side mount (fixed points) or base mount, which gives you more versatility in mounting hole positions.

Fixings

An often-overlooked component, the nuts and bolts used to secure your lights to the vehicle are a critical part of the equation. Most light suppliers will provide you with the fixings, however, it is well worth checking them to ensure that they pass muster before trusting your investment to their holding power. As with the brackets, mild steel comes with significant risks that are probably better avoided in favour of stainless, which will last longer and is less likely to rust. It’s a wise idea to utilise some Loctite threadlocker to ensure that your fixings stay well fastened no matter what you throw at them. If you are using a stainless bolt, couple it with a galvanised nut to avoid the two stainless surfaces binding to each other. If you do end up using stainless on stainless, a simple drop of oil on the thread should do the trick.

Mounting Your LED Lights

The critical thing to remember here is that you’re complying with the regulations regarding the mounting LED lights. Keep in mind that these regulations can differ from state to state, so you’ll need to be extra careful if you’re planning on taking your vehicle interstate.

From a practical perspective, your primary consideration here is weight. Your OE bull bars or nudge bars will usually stipulate that additional after-market lamps not exceed 1kg. Fitting heavier lights may not only void your warranty; it can lead to them tearing off the car, which never ends well for anyone. This is less of a problem for light bars than it is for spotlights, as bars are usually lighter and spread their weight across a wider area. Nevertheless, you still want to make sure that you fit the lights without any contact with the uprights, otherwise you’ll end up cutting through the bull bar coating and create a potential rust point.`

 

The Great Debate – LED Driving Lights Vs LED Light Bars for Your Vehicle

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There’s nothing we Aussies love more than sitting at the pub, around the campfire or in the living room and having a good, rollicking debate.  Inevitably, these can never be settled: Phar Lap Vs Black Caviar, Brock Vs Brabham, Ford Vs Holden, Barnesy Vs Farnesy, Tim Tams Vs Iced VoVos – the list goes on. In the world of off-roading, we reckon there’s another thorny question that we can add to the vast pantheon of unanswered questions: When it comes to aftermarket lighting, are LED Headlights or LED Light Bars the best option for your vehicle. While we doubt that too many bar fights will break out over this highly controversial topic, it’s one that we like to believe is well worth delving into.

So, the time has finally come to evaluate the pros and cons and see if we can once and for all come to a peaceful resolution of the problem that has occupied so many great minds for so long:

Distance

Whether you’re pounding through the bush or hurtling over the black-top, a deeper field of vision will give you more significant time to react to potential obstacles, keeping you and your passengers safer. Traditionally, this has been the domain in which driving lights have dominated. To a great extent, this is still the case. The construction of driving lights means that they concentrate a more powerful beam of light into a smaller area, allowing them to penetrate more efficiently and further into the darkness. That said, advances in technology have meant that light bars have begun to catch up considerably in this area. Despite the horizontal arrangement not being ideal for long-distance vision, through careful design and engineering, many light bars now offer effective visibility over significant distances. The Nitro 140 Maxx LED Driving Light delivers 1 lux of light up to 1200m, while Nitro Maxx LED Light Bars utilise a combination of optics to offer the same quality of light to distances from 550m to 750m depending on the product size. That’s certainly nothing to sneeze at.

Verdict: LED Driving Lights clear winners, but Light Bars have made significant improvements in recent times.

Spread

As we all know, anything can happen in the bush. Many readers will be familiar with the heart-stopping vision of a ‘roo jumping out into the middle of the road from the surrounding foliage. The threat to you, your vehicle and local wildlife should not be taken lightly. It stands to reason, then, that anything that provides a broader field of vision will be a crucial part of safe driving. This is where LED Light Bars shine (excuse the pun). The linear alignment spreads the light over a wider area, giving superior peripheral visibility. While strategic use of optics can increase the field of illumination given by Driving Lights, Light Bars can provide effective lighting for up to double the lateral distance.

Verdict: LED Light Bars will broaden your horizons.

Aesthetics

Our vehicles are our pride and joy, and we want them to look as fabulous as they perform. While beauty might be in the eye of the holder in this subjective category, few people will argue with the fact that LED Light Bars look absolutely spectacular when your rig is in full flight. Not to take anything away from the visual appeal of Driving Lights, but there is something about that brilliant row of light emblazoned across the dash that can be truly awe-inspiring.

Verdict: Subjective, but most would agree that Light Bars win, hands down.

Power Draw

Often an afterthought at best, the amount of power that your after-market lighting draws down can have a profound impact on the running of your vehicle. Any avid off-roader will regale you with tales about the slough of newfangled gadgets they have installed to make driving safer, simpler and more fun. All that equipment places a strain on the power supply and can impact the performance of the car. Bear in mind that you generally only have one light bar but two driving lights.  Check out the manufacturer’s specification on current draw (not claimed wattage) to see which will work out best.  Whether this makes a difference to your life or not will depend on how many doovalackies and thingamajigs you’re running.

Verdict: Too many options to give general comment.  Both range from 60W to 600W so just make sure your wiring is up to the job.

Installation

Ensuring that your lights are correctly installed is a critical factor in achieving the best performance. While there is probably not a great deal between the two from a practical perspective, Light Bars are arguably a tad more cumbersome to set up. The real difference lies in the legal requirements surrounding their installation. As we detailed in previous blogs about how to install LED Light Bars, the regulations around how and where you can do this are confusing and inconsistent from state to state. It pays to thoroughly research this area before diving in and installing your LED Light Bar in a way that could get you into trouble.

Verdict: Driving Lights are more straightforward from a regulatory perspective.

Conclusion

One of the great things about any classic pub debate is that there is rarely a right answer. Most of the fun is in the simple thrust and parry of lively, hopefully healthy, arguments that have no resolution. The same is probably the case here. If you ask us, we’ve got a pretty simple solution: why stop at one? A combination of both LED Driving Lights and LED Light Bars will provide your vehicle with the ultimate combination of depth and breadth of vision while making it look utterly sensational. If you’ve got the budget and can spare the power, why not go for the peaceful middle path and settle the debate once and for all. Beats being hit over the head with a bar stool!

LED Driving Light Review – Mr 4×4 Pat Callinan Puts Our Nitro Maxx 140W Lights to the Test

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We always love to get positive feedback. However, when it comes from the legendary “Mr 4×4”, Pat Callinan himself, it gives us a special sense of gratification.

Our Nitro Maxx 140W LED Driving Lights were put through their paces in a review for Pat Callinan’s 4×4 Adventures. Let’s just say that they discovered what we have known for ages, but are happy to hear from the undisputed industry experts:

Ultra Vision’s Nitro Maxx LED Driving Lights are simply the best lights available on the market.

To find out more, you can read the review here or get the full transcript below:

LED Driving Light Review - Ultravision Lighting

Ultra Vision Nitro 140W MAXX – Tested

Lighting is a fundamental part of any 4WD system. Anyone who can remember that magical moment of turning night into day for the first time will agree that LED technology has transformed our nocturnal driving experiences for the better. But there are plenty of options out there, and sadly the cheap and often unreliable Chinese imports have also infiltrated this part of the market.

For those looking for long-term reliability, quality and performance though, there are some fantastic options. We have put the Nitro 140s through the toughest conditions any lights could possibly see in-service. How did they fare? Read on …

The Testing

Water resistance is one of the most important attributes in a light. Moisture inside the light will not only affect the beam pattern but will also start to eat away and corrode the inner workings. Driving along the Pacific Highway in teeming rain for over nine hours at 110km/h will quickly find any weakness regarding winddriven water. At the end of that drive, the lights were still like brand new. Immersion is another good way to test the water sealing; well, several good dunks into Awinya Creek on Fraser Island (with water well over the bonnet) showed no weakness whatsoever. More than 20 days total of sitting out in the rain have been experienced, all without a trace of internal moisture.

Salt water corrosion will quickly find weaknesses in build quality and finish. Well, the test car lives on the beach. It has spent more than six months exposed to the elements (including 10 days of beach driving on Fraser Island) and there are no signs of corrosion at all. At times caked mud was left to dry on the housings, only to be easily removed without marks or staining. Both the metal brackets and the coated finish on the lights look like new. There is no paint fade either.

Vibration and impacts are other enemies of equipment, particularly anything mounted externally. After the initial fit, the lights have not required re-adjusting, despite solid brushings with tree branches and over 6,500 kilometres of driving. There’s no light flicker on corrugations either, indicating that all internal components are mounted well.

Performance and Price

There is not much to say here. These are the brightest lights we have ever seen, although we are yet to verify this with science in the field. The beam pattern is faultless, with no hot spots and a penetrating well-formed spread. The intense light display hardly comes as a surprise though. Ultra Vision has a record of producing high performance lights; cast your mind back to our testing several years ago in Unsealed 4X4 (Issue 019) and you will see that the ‘Tornado’ would have comprehensively won if we had been able to test a production model instead of a prototype. The pricing is reflective of a quality lighting system which has been built without compromise in any area. For what you get in this light, the asking
price is justified and in line with its quality competitors.

Overall

The Ultra Vision Nitro 140W MAXXs are quite simply the best lights we have ever bolted onto a 4X4. The combination of quality, performance and slim design means that these, in our opinion, are the new benchmark for off-road lighting.

RATING: ★★★★★
PRICE – RRP:
$695 per light (standard)
$745 per light (coloured surround)
$75 coloured rings retrofit kit
FOR MORE INFO CONTACT US TODAY