[s-cars] Follow-up on Can you say "procrastinate"?

[Robert Myers]

OK, guys.  The new lenses are in and a direct comparo is now possible.  The 
US DOT lens and the E-code lens are significantly different when compared 
closely.  Just to look at them from a small distance nothing is obvious but 
the fluting is different, the clear areas are differently sized, and they 
are just different.  Swapping the lenses was not a particularly difficult 
task.  The whole process took me and my ten sore thumbs about an hour for 
each assembly.  Quite straightforward but requiring a bit of 
delicacy.  (Thanks for the write-up, Dave Forgie.)

Light patterns:
Both lenses with McCulloch HID capsules installed in the low beam lamps 
give a stepped flat topped upper cut-off with a sharply defined cut-off 
line - higher on the right than on the left.  On flat roads with the lights 
aimed properly there should be no complaints from on-coming drivers about 
glare.  Cresting a hill might be a bit of a problem but I see no way to 
easily overcome that potential problem.

DOT lenses:  The low beam lighting was "splotchy" with considerable and 
quite noticeable variations in intensity across the field.

E-code lenses:  Light intensity across the entire field is virtually 
uniform.  MUCH better light on the road that with the DOT lenses.  Well 
worth the investment, IMO.

boB

At 09:47 AM 9/12/2007 -0400, Robert Myers wrote:

>Bob
>
>I've been driving with these HID retrofit capsules for over a year 
>now.  Very seldom is there a complaint from oncoming traffic.  The top 
>beam cut-off is very sharp.  US pattern (flat w/ sharp step high on right 
>side low on left side) rather than Euro pattern (flat on left and sloping 
>upward on right).  Things seem to be acceptable to others.  Now ask me if 
>they flash me with my high beams on.  No, they don't because I always dim 
>the lights when approaching traffic is spotted.  If I didn't do that I'd 
>be flashed for sure.  Remember, I'm WAY out in the boonies - the southern 
>mountains of dear old West-by-God-Virginie, and there is little traffic 
>and virtually zero street lighting of any kind beyond that provided by my 
>headlights or the occasional other car.  My high beams are turned on much 
>if not most of the time while driving at night.
>
>boB (To distinguish me from all the other Bobs I spell mine backwards.  ;-) )
>
>
>At 09:29 AM 9/12/2007 -0400, Robert Rossato wrote:
>
>>The main issue with the HIDs is from a factor of glare.  And I don't
>>think it matters whether you put in OE HID projectors or just the HID
>>bulbs, except that the HID capsule retrofits may exacerbate that more.
>>The HID lenses have much less fluting in front of the projector in order
>>to reduce the glare.  I don't imagine you'll see much of a light output
>>difference between the two lenses, but the oncoming traffic might.  How
>>bad is it? I don't know.  But as long as you don't have folks constantly
>>flashing the high beams at you, you should be fine.
>>
>>Bob