So....what's so wrong with halogens?

[schaefer21285]

I have been thinking about putting some lights on my truck because I do a ton of driving at night and I want something to go beyond my high beams. I will be using them on the road as well as off road. I want them while on the road for all of the stupid motorcycle riders that I pass at night who ride with no lights on or reflective anything. You cannot see them until you are right up on them and then when they see you they slow down. Also, I need them for what my wife and I call the night vaca. These are the cows that are either standing, walking or sleeping in the middle of the road at night and you do not see them sometimes until you are right on top of them.

My question is would halogens do the job? I am looking to be able to see further than my high beams allow me to see right now. I know that LED's and HID's are better but they are also much more expensive. My headlights are halogens and they do an adequate job of lighting up the area that they reach, this is why I pose this question.

What are your thoughts?

 

[anickode]

Halogens are great. They're cheap, time-tried, and reliable. Their yellower spectrum makes them far more appropriate for bad weather, and the immense heat they throw off keeps them clear in the snow. Their limitation is power consumption, but most vehicles have a big enough alternator to run WAY more light than you'll ever need. Another advantage of halogen lights is their quick warmup. HID lamps hake several seconds to reach full brightness, and frequently require a cool-down period before they can be reignited. The cool down period is not long, but long enough to be annoying if you have to turn them on and off frequently, and doing so shortens the life of the bulb. You can also walk into any auto parts store, big box store, hardware store, and even some grocery stores anywhere in the country and get a new bulb for a few bucks.

I love halogens. They lack the "cool" factor of LED and HID, but they do have some major advantages over both. No, they aren't nearly as efficient, and that is their major downfall.

 

[anickode]

You might really like a pair of Hella FF500s with 100w bulbs in them. Driving beam pattern. Pretty inexpensive too.

 

[plh]

I have a pair of "old school" IPF 900s with halogens and a 24" LED bar. I like driving with the IPFs way better. Much better light. The LED bar is very bright, but being the spectrum is towards the the blue scale (roughly 6.5k), there is a lot of reflection back at the driver. As mentioned the halogen bulbs are a bit towards yellow (roughly 4.1k) and its easier on the eyes.

 

[86cj]

Nothing, I put a set of HIR 9011's and 9012's bulbs in my headlights and could not be happier. MY Aux HID's are super bright but backsplash light off objects kills me and cheap HID kits in low beams blind older people. LED's just make you look hip to people going the other way, I have them all and prefer to just drive with my Halogens........

 

[kojackJKU]

It all depends, halogen is fine, LED is fine (using the right ones), and HID is fine, again using the right ones. I have HID in my hella 500s and they are awesome...only take a second or two to reach max output (the older generation HIDs took a long time to warm up but not these. LED bars are for cool factor. I am liking the LED light offerings from KC (gravity series) and the new 900xs LED lights from IPF as well. Both are fairly inexpensive and can toss out some nice light.

 

[toymaster]

.... I will be using them on the road as well as off road.

Just an FYI, you can only have two headlights on while "on road", it is illegal to run more or non DOT approved headlights. If you need more light then your only choice is to upgrade your headlights.

I'll be honest and say I run my off-road lights sometimes when in the middle of nowhere (we have that out west) but I turn them off when any other vehicle is within sight.

 

[anickode]

Just an FYI, you can only have two headlights on while "on road", it is illegal to run more or non DOT approved headlights. If you need more light then your only choice is to upgrade your headlights.

I'll be honest and say I run my off-road lights sometimes when in the middle of nowhere (we have that out west) but I turn them off when any other vehicle is within sight.

Most places, four are allowed, as long as they are DOT rated, aimed properly (ie, as low beams) and use the specified bulbs. Otherwise fog lamps would not be factory installed on most cars, though they might as well not be since most factory fogs are more decorative than useful.

 

[AFBronco235]

Just an FYI, you can only have two headlights on while "on road", it is illegal to run more or non DOT approved headlights. If you need more light then your only choice is to upgrade your headlights.

I'll be honest and say I run my off-road lights sometimes when in the middle of nowhere (we have that out west) but I turn them off when any other vehicle is within sight.

Most places, four are allowed, as long as they are DOT rated, aimed properly (ie, as low beams) and use the specified bulbs. Otherwise fog lamps would not be factory installed on most cars, though they might as well not be since most factory fogs are more decorative than useful.

Actually, you're both wrong. You can run as many lights as you'd like on road. The kicker is that if you see approaching traffic, you must then switch back down to the two low beam headlights. Otherwise, run as much as you'd like. Now, if you want them running while traffic is approaching, yes, you do need them aimed properly and have the specific bulbs and output for the mounted height, but it all varies state to state. The only commonality between them is being able to limit the lights you're using on road when traffic is approaching.

 

[Robert Bills]

Actually, you're both wrong. You can run as many lights as you'd like on road. The kicker is that if you see approaching traffic, you must then switch back down to the two low beam headlights. Otherwise, run as much as you'd like.

The problem with a statement like this is that it may be correct in one jurisdiction but not in others. It is certainly not correct in California.

The California Vehicle Code specifically restricts forward facing lights to 2 headlights (4 if high and low beams are in separate lamps), 2 fog lights, 2 driving lights and 2 spotlights, with no more than 4 lights (i.e., 2 pair) in operation at any one time. The California Vehicle Code does not create an exception to these limitations based upon the lack of oncoming traffic. Even offroad, the California Vehicle Code restricts the number of lights in operation at any one time to eight (4 pair). [See, http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=veh&group=24001-25000&file=24400-24411.] Many other states have similar laws.

 

[toymaster]

....... Many other states have similar laws.

Thanks Bills. Actually I was thinking it was on the federal level as well but could be wrong. (to lazy this sunday to look it up )

Edit: ok, got unlazy. found at http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_20.html section 20.131

summarized: In NC you can have more than 2 if they are DOT approved but they must be 42" or lower and not be glaring or dazzling in person in front of the vic.


(b) Headlamps shall be deemed to comply with the foregoing provisions prohibiting glaring and dazzling lights if none of the main bright portion of the headlamp beams rises above a horizontal plane passing through the lamp centers parallel to the level road upon which the loaded vehicle stands, and in no case higher than 42 inches, 75 feet ahead of the vehicle.

(d) Whenever a motor vehicle meets another vehicle on any highway it shall be permissible to tilt the beams of the headlamps downward or to substitute therefor the light from an auxiliary driving lamp or pair of such lamps subject to the requirement that the tilted headlamps or auxiliary lamp or lamps shall give sufficient illumination under normal atmospheric conditions and on a level road to render clearly discernible a person 75 feet ahead, but shall not project a glaring or dazzling light to persons in front of the vehicle: Provided, that at all times required in G.S. 20-129 at least two lights shall be displayed on the front of and on opposite sides of every motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, road roller, road machinery, or farm tractor.

 

[kojackJKU]

Thanks Bills. Actually I was thinking it was on the federal level as well but could be wrong. (to lazy this sunday to look it up )

Edit: ok, got unlazy. found at http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_20.html section 20.131

summarized: In NC you can have more than 2 if they are DOT approved but they must be 42" or lower and not be glaring or dazzling in person in front of the vic.


(b) Headlamps shall be deemed to comply with the foregoing provisions prohibiting glaring and dazzling lights if none of the main bright portion of the headlamp beams rises above a horizontal plane passing through the lamp centers parallel to the level road upon which the loaded vehicle stands, and in no case higher than 42 inches, 75 feet ahead of the vehicle.

(d) Whenever a motor vehicle meets another vehicle on any highway it shall be permissible to tilt the beams of the headlamps downward or to substitute therefor the light from an auxiliary driving lamp or pair of such lamps subject to the requirement that the tilted headlamps or auxiliary lamp or lamps shall give sufficient illumination under normal atmospheric conditions and on a level road to render clearly discernible a person 75 feet ahead, but shall not project a glaring or dazzling light to persons in front of the vehicle: Provided, that at all times required in G.S. 20-129 at least two lights shall be displayed on the front of and on opposite sides of every motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, road roller, road machinery, or farm tractor.

Do Toyota corollas get pulled over using this rule? if not they should. Their new LED blinding and dazzling lights are horrible for on coming drivers. And whats worse is here, everyone and their mother has one of these **** cans.

 

[schaefer21285]

Thanks for all of the input. I am not worried about the laws because I am currently living in Paraguay where there seems to be no traffic laws or laws about lights! I think I will put some halogens in. Do the sizes of the lights make much difference?

 

[4x4junkie]

I know that LED's and HID's are better but they are also much more expensive.

What are your thoughts?

Yeah don't be fooled, LED is definitely NOT better than halogen in terms of light quality/ability to penetrate the darkness (quite the contrary), and in some cases neither is HID.

As others have said, halogen lights do work very well, they just draw more power compared to other technologies (though not tremendously so). You just have to make sure your wiring is up to standard (always use a lighting relay). I like Hella brand lights myself, they seem to have a bit better lumens per watt than some others I've used.

Size matters to some extent as does wattage of course (bigger is brighter), though depth of the reflector I think matters more than either one of those. I've been looking at a pair of Hella 4000 (the compact version) for mine. A buddy of mine has the full-size version and they cut the darkness like a laser.

 

[WagoneerSX4]

For me the big argument for LED was power consumption. I started with four 55w halogens and I had very bad dimming at idle. Probably not a problem for people with larger engines and larger alternators but people running smaller 4cyl with small alternators this is a major problem.

Another plus for me that many people see as a negative is the flood ability of LED's. But what you gain in flood you lose in focus and throw.