Bright Lights

chesterspot said:

If you go back and read my first post you'll find that I went with to 80/100w lights. They are still brighter than stock even with the coating.

I like the butter yellow nokya's for fog and low speed driving, are you going to tell me that it's all psychological? Pot hole actually appear better with the yellow light where as a higher color temperature gives me better distance. It's how my eyes work.

I will be adding the yellows when i install the fog lights because it gives a really nice contrast for me on the road. For you things may be different but that's just how my eyes work.

Click to expand...

Before you get defensive, because you spent money on it, think about it objectively. It doesn't matter if it's rated higher, it's still a blue coated bulb. The same rules of quantum physics apply.

Also, if you dig into the Stern Lighting FAQ, you'll see that wattage ratings are not to be taken seriously. The world of advertising and marketing is full of straight-out lies and half-truths. I should know, I've worked professionally in advertising for over 15 years and have told my share of lies to help clients sell more products.

It's very easy to to claim "brighter" and "80/100w". All the "lab" has to do is supply the bulbs with more juice. Unless you up-rate your entire electrical system, you will not see the same result produced in controlled laboratory situations.

The information and science is there. Take it or leave it. It's your money.

The only conventional (somewhat) halogen bulb that has been proven to work is HIR technology. In this case, metallic particles are embedded into the glass globe to reflect some light back to superheat the filament to produce more light. The resulting color temp is in the range of 3800k, where as true HID is around 4500k. HIR technology was originally produced by Toshiba, as a lower cost OEM alternative to HID systems which requires a higher cost to manufacturers (additional wiring, investments in headlight designs to accommodate projectors, more components like ballasts and more packaging considerations). It was used in the Dodge Vipers.

The one thing you are correct on is yellow light does provide better contrast in short distances, that's why fog lights are best with yellow bulbs. Same reason I shake my head when I see kids dropping good money on blue or HID bulbs into fog lamps.

White light does give you better contrast at distance, before it dissipates. And this is an important point, because light in that spectrum scatters more readily, which brings optics into play and the exact reason why HIDs need optics that are specifically designed for it to provide focus and maximum distance possible.

It isn't just how your eyes work per se, it's how the human eye works... and quantum physics.

I did my own testing and my stock lights pulled 4.67amps(56w) and the new ones are 6.4amps(77w) which is a 27% increase and minus say, a generous 10% and I'm still left with a 17% increase in light. And that's just the math. You are right about some of the spectrum being left out. No debate there, but the white reaches further and the yellow fogs will make up for it in the shorter distance.

Here's a msg from a Honda Goldwing Owner whom I highly respect. He and I have been toying with lights for our vehicles for 6 months:

I'm Chesterspot's mentioned friend with the 2500K lights on my bike... I did a LOT of research about lights and color before making the upgrade, far more than Googling and reading one or two websites. I had lengthy discussions about the options with experts in lighting, motorcycle specific lighting and my optometrist. I'm no expert by any means, but I did learn quite a bit by talking to the experts.

First, I'd like to address the comment about tinted bulbs being "less bright" than clear. You're right. The amount of light leaving the bulb is decreased by the color tinting.

My bike has four headlights, two low beam and two high beam. The standard lights are plain 50 or 55W H7s. My low beams are 70W 2500K Nokyas and my highs are 100W 4350K MTecs. Both are "tinted" one the very slightest blue, the other a deep, rich, butter yellow. Even with the tinting, the amount of light leaving the bulbs is tremendously higher due to more efficient bulb and filament design and (primarily) higher wattage.

The 2500K lights were chosen for a couple reasons.

1) The yellow light is far more conspicuous in traffic. This isn't something you cagers have to worry about too much, but you folks don't see motorcycles and the yellow lights have demonstrated a significant improvement in visibility on bikes through plenty of non-scientific research.

2) In rain and fog, the yellow light penetrates much better through mist with much less glare back.

3) The yellow lights illuminate changes in pavement much better than whites do. Again, this is more motorcycle related than cage.

4) The yellow light gives a MUCH higher contrast between wildlife and the surroundings than the white lights do. Again, hitting deer is far more dangerous for motorcyclists than drivers, but I suspect ya'll don't care for hitting deer too much.

5) These bulbs are 70W for two reasons. The yellow appears to make them run hotter than a clear bulb does and I don't want to torch the front of my $20,000 motorcycle. Also, since they're ALWAYS on, I don't want to blind other drivers with excessively bright lights.

6) According to my optometrist, some folks with lighter colored eyes benefit greatly from amber or yellow light when it comes to color distinguishing. I'm, apparently, one of those. I usually wear amber glasses while target shooting because they highlight the contrasts on the target better than clear lenses. (Incidentally, the color combination with the greatest contrast is yellow and black)

The 4350K lights are as close to "daylight" as I could get. The bike's wiring and charging system can handle about 120W per bulb, but 100W is the highest wattage I can find from reputable brands. These lights cast light far and away better and further than the Element headlights. The reflectors on this bike are just about some of the best reflectors for halogen lighting you'll find on any vehicle with 2 or 4 wheels.

Anyways, I've taken enough of your time. This is simply my experience and opinion. I'm not even smart enough to buy a minivan like you folks did and call it an "Mini-SUV" *grin* Ya'll stay safe and enjoy whatever lights ya'll decide on. Just remember to aim them correctly.