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Baja Designs vs. Olympus Off Road

J.Ralston

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Hello everyone. I am getting ready to add a ton of off road lights onto my Jeep. It is a 2021 JL Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon.

Initially I decided to go with Baja Designs and run a 50” OnX6 full laser light bar or a 50” OnX6 led/laser hybrid light bar up top and the their XL laser high speed spot lights on the A pillars and then a combination of their LP9 led, racer edition, spot lights in the center position on the front bumper and their LP9 Pro, led driving/combo in the outer position on the front bumper. There will also be a Warn Zeon 12S winch with a Factor 55 Ultrahook on the front bumper as well. And then eventually, I will also be adding a 10”OnX6 light bar on each side of the roof rack at some point on down the road. There will also, eventually be some rear facing Baja Designs LP4 Pro lights mounted somewhere on the rear of the Jeep so I can have better visibility if I am ever needing to back up somewhere off roading and it’s somewhere in the middle of the night.

Another reason why so many off road lights are being added is because I plan on volunteering my time to do rescue operations of anyone stranded while out off roading and I plan on volunteering my time, Jeep and other equipment that I own to help search and either rescue and/or recover missing people in remote locations. In the event the person or group of missing people are still alive, the lights will not only help myself and other volunteers search at night but will also act as a beacon to anyone lost, and the light will be able to point them as to where help is and they can start heading in that same direction, assuming that they are still able to do so and are mobile enough to then come to us as we are searching for them.

As I was researching off road lights and a few other things I came across a video at random by Olympus Off Road. They had put out a video about an led/laser hybrid bar that they make and it was less than $500.00 on their website. I then tried researching them and found very little information on them. It looks like they do a lot of eBay auctions for all of their lights and other things that they sell but other than that, I have never even heard of them before.

When I look at their prices versus Baja Designs prices for led/laser hybrid light bars and see that they are ridiculously cheaper in price that makes me believe that their stuff is all Chinese or Indonesian made so they can sell their off road lights for such an inexpensive amount of money.

Has anyone on here ever used their stuff? Can anyone also confirm where their stuff is made? They claim that everything that they make is built in house, here in Colorado but I’m wondering if that just means that everything that they make is only just “assembled” here in Colorado but all of their components are made elsewhere, such as in China or maybe Indonesia and are then shipped here, to then where everything is assembled in house, whenever an order is placed? But I also admit, that I could be wrong about that because I can’t find hardly a thing about them anywhere, online, other than a few posts here and there on other forums but everything that I have found has been several years old of somewhere between 2012 to 2015 other than recent and current eBay auctions.

Any help would be much appreciated!
Thank you!
Jay

Here is a copy of the link to the YouTube video that I found from them.

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Windshieldfarmer

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I have a BD 10”Onx6 on my JlLU and a BD headlight on my dirt bike. They both have been flawless and have similar LED technologies. Chinese stuff might work but it will be hit and miss. I might suggest you back off a bit on the amount of lighting you are installing. You could light up a football stadium with that amount of lumens. BD’s put out a lot of light....
 

DadJokes

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Light tends to travel pretty far at night and is quite noticeable in remote areas. A couple of good driving lights, maybe wide cornering lights, and a couple of ambers out back and I can’t really see gaining much past that.

Have you had a Wilderness First Aid course? That would be a great way to spend ~$250 considering your goal. Then a solid First Aid Kit like MyMedic for another ~$200ish. Making sure all of your recovery gear covers a lot of situations might be a good thing to look at too.
 
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J.Ralston

J.Ralston

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Light tends to travel pretty far at night and is quite noticeable in remote areas. A couple of good driving lights, maybe wide cornering lights, and a couple of ambers out back and I can’t really see gaining much past that.

Have you had a Wilderness First Aid course? That would be a great way to spend ~$250 considering your goal. Then a solid First Aid Kit like MyMedic for another ~$200ish. Making sure all of your recovery gear covers a lot of situations might be a good thing to look at too.
Yes, I have been trained in off grid, wilderness survival and first aide. I always try and carry at least 2 or possibly even 3 medical/first aide/trauma kits in my vehicles at all times. That way I not only have considerable redundancy built in for anything and everything that I may need, but I’m also set up to where I could assist in a mass casualty situation as well. The only thing that I still need to invest in but have not been able to do so as of yet is an AED, should I come across a situation as to where a person and/or people are unconscious and not breathing for whatever reason that there is.

With Baja Designs, I absolutely love their stuff. Prior to me adding Baja Designs off road lights, I used to run 4, Piaa 80 Racing Series off road lights. I bought them in 1998, and originally had them mounted and installed on my 1997 Toyota Tacoma, extra cab 4x4 truck. Then about 9 or 10 years later, I installed them on my 2007 Toyota Tacoma, TRD Off Road extended cab 4x4. I begrudgingly traded that truck in on a full size 4x4 truck because my kids all very quickly outgrew the very tiny, little backseat area but the guy that eventually bought my Toyota Tacoma kept all of the Piaa 80 Racing Series off road lights on the truck and then still uses them to this day because he does a lot of farming and sometimes with whatever it is that he does concerning the farming that he does, he will often times use the off road lights to illuminate the field and/or area that he is working in at night so he can better see everything.

I’ve always preferred quality products in every single aspect of my life and don’t mind paying a premium for those said items just as long as those higher priced items are more reliable, and they out perform all of the Chinese made, cheap, poorer quality and less reliable stuff on the market.

I remember when I first bought my Piaa 80 Racing Series off road lights, I was surprised to see that they had the option of both low and high beams on them. I was also told by the off road shops salesman that the off road lights that I had bought for my truck were also, the brightest off road lights ever made at that time. Now wether or not that was true or false, I don’t know for sure and will probably never know if they truly were or not? However, I do know that they were at the very least, 1 of the brightest and most durable and reliable off road lights that had ever been made. Those things truly did turn night into day!

With Olympus Off Road, and their Zeus lighting components, I just wish I knew for sure where everything was manufactured at? Yes, they assemble everything here in Colorado, at their headquarters. But, I’m almost 100% sure that all of their individual components that they use to build their off road lights, are all probably, Chinese made because I can’t see any possible way for them to sell their off road lights for as cheap as they do and then they are still able to be profitable as a company.
 

DadJokes

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Yes, I have been trained in off grid, wilderness survival and first aide. I always try and carry at least 2 or possibly even 3 medical/first aide/trauma kits in my vehicles at all times. That way I not only have considerable redundancy built in for anything and everything that I may need, but I’m also set up to where I could assist in a mass casualty situation as well. The only thing that I still need to invest in but have not been able to do so as of yet is an AED, should I come across a situation as to where a person and/or people are unconscious and not breathing for whatever reason that there is.

With Baja Designs, I absolutely love their stuff. Prior to me adding Baja Designs off road lights, I used to run 4, Piaa 80 Racing Series off road lights. I bought them in 1998, and originally had them mounted and installed on my 1997 Toyota Tacoma, extra cab 4x4 truck. Then about 9 or 10 years later, I installed them on my 2007 Toyota Tacoma, TRD Off Road extended cab 4x4. I begrudgingly traded that truck in on a full size 4x4 truck because my kids all very quickly outgrew the very tiny, little backseat area but the guy that eventually bought my Toyota Tacoma kept all of the Piaa 80 Racing Series off road lights on the truck and then still uses them to this day because he does a lot of farming and sometimes with whatever it is that he does concerning the farming that he does, he will often times use the off road lights to illuminate the field and/or area that he is working in at night so he can better see everything.

I’ve always preferred quality products in every single aspect of my life and don’t mind paying a premium for those said items just as long as those higher priced items are more reliable, and they out perform all of the Chinese made, cheap, poorer quality and less reliable stuff on the market.

I remember when I first bought my Piaa 80 Racing Series off road lights, I was surprised to see that they had the option of both low and high beams on them. I was also told by the off road shops salesman that the off road lights that I had bought for my truck were also, the brightest off road lights ever made at that time. Now wether or not that was true or false, I don’t know for sure and will probably never know if they truly were or not? However, I do know that they were at the very least, 1 of the brightest and most durable and reliable off road lights that had ever been made. Those things truly did turn night into day!

With Olympus Off Road, and their Zeus lighting components, I just wish I knew for sure where everything was manufactured at? Yes, they assemble everything here in Colorado, at their headquarters. But, I’m almost 100% sure that all of their individual components that they use to build their off road lights, are all probably, Chinese made because I can’t see any possible way for them to sell their off road lights for as cheap as they do and then they are still able to be profitable as a company.
It’s great to hear you have First Aid and survival training. I’m taking a WFA course soon with my daughter who’s interested in the medical field. I feel more emphasis should be made on training giving First Aid, especially for the remote situations any off roader may find themselves in.

I think all LED’s are Chinese sourced. I’m not 100% sure on that though so if you find otherwise, please share. I try to buy US First and then ABC (Anywhere But China) but find so many stores peddle only Chinese made camping gear, electronics, etc. It’s easier finding Jeep specific parts made in the USA. China is the Meth dealer for the world. I hope that changes. They’re a bad, oppressive country and cannot be trusted. They spread this virus to the world.
 
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J.Ralston

J.Ralston

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Jason
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Link
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Law Enforcement, Self Defense/Firearms Trainer, Professional Musician, Off Road Enthusiast.
It’s great to hear you have First Aid and survival training. I’m taking a WFA course soon with my daughter who’s interested in the medical field. I feel more emphasis should be made on training giving First Aid, especially for the remote situations any off roader may find themselves in.

I think all LED’s are Chinese sourced. I’m not 100% sure on that though so if you find otherwise, please share. I try to buy US First and then ABC (Anywhere But China) but find so many stores peddle only Chinese made camping gear, electronics, etc. It’s easier finding Jeep specific parts made in the USA. China is the Meth dealer for the world. I hope that changes. They’re a bad, oppressive country and cannot be trusted. They spread this virus to the world.
I can’t say for sure or not if all LED lighting is made in China or not? I do know that when I talked to Baja Designs, they claimed to me that everything they make, including the LED lights and other components that are required for assembly, are all sourced and made her in America. However, I was speaking to someone from Baja Designs I think either yesterday, or the day before yesterday. The person that I talked to told me that their wiring harnesses are all made in China, or what he thought was also, possibly somewhere in Indonesia either instead of or in addition to the Chinese made wiring harnesses?

To me, knowing that tid bit of information was somewhat concerning to me. The reason why that is, is because both China and Indonesia are well known for mixing tin in with any item that they make that is made to be wiring. They do the same thing in a bunch of other stuff too but electronic wiring is one of the worst things that you ever want to mix tin in.

Mixing tin in with any metals and/or wiring drastically reduces the cost to make those products but it also is one of the worst thing to use in wiring because it decreases the wiring’s strength, longevity, reliability and ability to carry a very consistent, high output.

With the work that I did in the music industry, when I worked as an artist rep and head of R&D, I found out that tin was mixed in with all of the copper wiring that was used to wind pickups. It was also used in the instruments wiring as well as the tuning keys and bridge also. The quality of all of those items was consistently bad. The hardware and wiring all broke much easier and the electronic made lots of noise and produced a very inconsistent output. One of the first things that I did was to switch suppliers and only use all of those items that were built and had everything sourced here in America. Doing those things literally solved all of those areas of issues and specific problems overnight.

With Baja Designs, after I voiced my concerns the guy then changed his story and told me the only wiring harnesses that are made and have components sourced in China, and/or Indonesia was their entry level wiring harnesses. That was then the second time they changed their story about where materials get sourced from and in some cases, assembled. Because of those things I’m giving very serious thought to go with KC off road lights. I also like the fact that KC includes wiring harnesses and mounting brackets as opposed to Baja Designs. So now, we’ll see what I decide to do but as of right now, I’m really starting to lean more and more to KC off road lights instead.
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