[s-cars] Interesting read on HID conversions

[Tom Green]

We are on the same page, Dave.  The 100W high beams light up  
everything your eyes can process on a dark road including both  
shoulders if
you are driving where you can use them.  The HID high beam provides a  
little better color recognition but it is difficult to stay focused  
down the
road with so much closer stuff to distract you.  The halogen highs do  
some of the same.  You just have to remember where the enemy is and
continually make yourself focus down the road.

The HID low beams are ideal in more congested areas that are still  
dark.  I find them most useful on rainy nights when the light is  
bounced into
space and little is reflected back to my eyes.  Without the normal  
clues to focus my eyes on they tend to focus where the light is, on  
the instrument
panel, and it takes a second or two to refocus when something does  
light up down the road.  Sometimes, you don't have the luxury of an  
extra
second or two.

I don't think there is one optimal system for every situation, you  
just look for the best system for your most demanding driving, and  
the best compromise you can make for the rest.

Tom

On Nov 27, 2006, at 11:02 PM, djdawson2 at aol.com wrote:

> Well... it seems you read the whole thing.  I didn't post it to  
> make the statement that going the HID route was necessarily  
> "wrong" (I've bought 2 sets myself), but to post what I thought was  
> an interesting take on the subject.
>
> To me, the interesting point was the additional light provided by  
> HIDs directly in front of the car can give the *impression* of  
> dramatically improved lighting, while in actuality creating a  
> potentially less safe scenario... eyes adapting to that near-light  
> intensity, and thus loosing some level of visibility further down  
> the road.
>
> I'm probably more "headlight critical"  than most, as I spend a lot  
> of time driving in the middle of nowhere... nothing but me, my car,  
> my headlights, and a bazillion animals just itching to total my car.
>
> Mr Stern's comments about an optimal halogen setup providing the  
> best solution kind of rang true for me.  Best headlights I've ever  
> had (and still have) are the euro spec lights for the old type 44.   
> Those lights, relayed and using an 80/100 H4 with a 100 H1... wow,  
> I've personally never seen anything better, HID or otherwise.
>
> Honestly, I just read his info and it made sense.  Of course, his  
> input is based on science not myth.  And we all know facts aren't  
> always popular.
>
> Dave
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: trgreen at comcast.net
> To: s-car-list at audifans.com
> Sent: Mon, 27 Nov 2006 8:35 PM
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] Interesting read on HID conversions
>
> I agree with most everything Daniel Stern writes about HID.  The  
> near   road "bloom" from lighting up the road too close to the  
> vehicle can be distracting at first, but many of us older folks  
> need the light to   see things even that close.  And, who said  
> illegal?  I understand   they are not DOT approved for highway use,  
> but that is different from illegal (a   little bit ).  DOT approved  
> 200/20v lights are a whole lot more   dangerous, and the euro  
> replacement  lacks DOT endorsement as well.  So do the  euro  
> replacement lens for the s-car lights that fixes that sand- blasted  
> OEM glass problem.  Just about anything you change on the OEM    
> lighting will only meet DOT approval with a $3-500K demonstration  
> program, so welcome to the outlaw world. Daniel Stern glosses over  
> the fact that projector lights control the   HID output pretty  
> well, and put the light on the road where is is   supposed to be  
> about as well as any system if the owner adjusts the lights to  
> the   vehicle manufacturers or Hella specifications.  The only  
> short-coming I see is not having bi-zenon projectors for the high- 
> beam. Tom > Dave Dawson wrote: > Good info if you read the whole  
> thing... not to mention these kits   > are illegal.  Question is,  
> why are sales of such illegal kits   > allowed to continue? > >  
> http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/  >  
> conversions.html> > Dave  
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