New $100 HIDs

PhulesAU

Explorer
Thanks for all of the replys. I understood the K rating, but the Lumens vs candle power rating is still like each auto maker saying they make the best. It all depends on who you ask, and who did the measuring. I wanted to replace a set of 130 watt KC's , but couldn't figure out how much of a difference the +/- 700 lumens would make. Two 9" lights seemed a tad large to be hanging on the front of the Jeep.
 

Beowulf

Expedition Leader
There is a forum called www.candlepowerforums.com that is a wealth of info. I can honestly same these guys put more time into modifying a minimag than I do modifying my jeep. When I want to know anything about lights and bulbs that is where I head.
 
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PhulesAU

Explorer
Bad linky for that forum. I'm starting to think, the only usable test results will be. HID and what ever at 100' on a blank wall. The old "who's spot is brighter" contest.
 
Checker Auto in my area also showed $119 per light on the website. If you went to the weekly flyer section it showed $99. The 25% off worked like a charm. Bought two of them for $158. Saved $50! Nice! :wings:


Bjorn
 

madizell

Explorer
PhulesAU said:
I'm starting to think, the only usable test results will be: HID and what ever at 100' on a blank wall. The old "who's spot is brighter" contest.
All that would tell you is, literally, whose spot was brighter. Since these lights are used primarily off road, or as additional highway lighting when there is no opposing traffic, the real question should be whether you can see better while driving. That is no so much a function of brightness per se, but real world usable light in a color spectrum and beam spread that makes a positive difference. You have to take them out and use them to find out whether they do what you want them to do.
 

PhulesAU

Explorer
madizell said:
All that would tell you is, literally, whose spot was brighter. Since these lights are used primarily off road, or as additional highway lighting when there is no opposing traffic, the real question should be whether you can see better while driving. That is no so much a function of brightness per se, but real world usable light in a color spectrum and beam spread that makes a positive difference. You have to take them out and use them to find out whether they do what you want them to do.
Thats why I was trying to convert the Lumens to CP my brain has an idea of how many CP it takes to do a job in any given situation. 200K CP = 1/2 mile of non-reflective viewing, that kinda thing.
 

slooowr6

Explorer
olympiccop2002 said:
Checker Auto in my area also showed $119 per light on the website. If you went to the weekly flyer section it showed $99. The 25% off worked like a charm. Bought two of them for $158. Saved $50! Nice! :wings:


Bjorn

You are right. Got a pair for $160 OTD. Great price for HID. :jumping:
 

HenryJ

Expedition Leader
madizell said:
Since these lights are used primarily off road, or as additional highway lighting when there is no opposing traffic, the real question should be whether you can see better while driving. That is no so much a function of brightness per se, but real world usable light in a color spectrum and beam spread that makes a positive difference. You have to take them out and use them to find out whether they do what you want them to do.
I agree. Trying them out is the only real answer. Numbers and patterns can give you an idea, but trying them for what you do is the only real test.
This picture does offer the best example in a photograph, that I can offer.

hi_hid.jpg


Look at the trees. Now you see'em, now you don't. That is the biggest thing I notice. A bigger view of objects at the 1/4 to 1/2 mile range. They add to the field of view probably 20% as well.
They are not like halogens in that they do take a little time to warm up. The initial lights on is better, but after a few seconds they really come on to light things up. I can see why you don't want to cycle them off and on.
 

madizell

Explorer
Once warm, they cycle much faster. If you have to dim your lights because of traffic, and you can return to high beams in a few seconds, you may notice that they come back on instantly. I notice very little lag time even when they are off for up to a minute after they are fully warm.

As for CP as a function of downrange visibility (how much CP will reach a half mile), I still think that CP in and of itself does not express how much usable light you will get or how far down the road you can see. Instead, if you take an otherwise similar unit and change the focus from flood pattern to spot pattern you will have a tremendous increase in CP. That change is directly related to the way the light is focused out of the lamp, not due to a change in type of light.

KC used to have a chart showing the CP ratings of all of their lights. That chart is a good example of how focus changes output because lights of otherwise identical configuration are listed together. You can see CP ratings climb as a function of tighter focus. Makes sense to me because the total available light does not change just because you change lenses (still a 100W H3 bulb for example), but diffused light as in a flood pattern compared to a concentrated light as in a long range spot makes very different use of the available light. Lumen being a rating of available light, and CP being a rating of how the available light is focused, the two don't relate.

For that matter, HID and halogen do not readily relate. Think of your average 35W HID as having the same light making ability as a 175W halogen and you will be in about the right range. When I run 175W halogen high beam H-4's, I can't readily distinguish them from my 8" HID drivers, at any range.

The beauty of the HID's, beside the excellent color rendition, is that they provide the equivalent of 175W of power in an aux light while consuming only 35W, which is down around 2 or 3 amps of draw per light, whereas a 175W lamp on a 12V system draws 12 to 13 amps per light. All 8 of my forward facing HID's draw less power than my two halogen headlights. They are also nearly impervious to vibration and shock. I hit a tree with one of my outboard 5" units while traveling at about 60 mph, which shattered the lens and beat up the housing, but the bulb still worked just fine.
 

ckkone

Explorer
Just picked up my set, thanks for finding this killer deal!

Now I just have to find a place to put them, any ideas? Anyone ever mounted a set to the tabs on the top bar of an ARB?

_R2V0517.jpg
 
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Beowulf

Expedition Leader
ckkone,

Depending on how much room you have from the ARB aux light mount holes and your grill you should have no problems.

Unfortunately, i am running a Rokmen bumper on the front of my LJ and the lights hit the front of my fenders. I will have to elongate the holes towards the front of the bumper so that I can clock the lights backwards. My adjustment is about 4-8 degrees too far down. But until I move the holes forward I cannot tip the lights back.

Even though they point a short distance in front of the jeep they still light up way more than my OEM headlights on bright.
 

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