[V8] lighting and deer hunting

[rmwoodbury at downeast.net]

In my previous life I used to travel all around the state of Maine and 
ended up making many trips home in foul weather and in severe dark of 
night.  

One late night I was driving back to Portland from an early client 
meeting in Caribou.  The weather was good, but it was cold, winter and 
very dark when I got past the first sixty miles or so to the Interstate 
entrance at Houlton.  After about 3/4 of an hour at sixty five or so, 
being passed by every 18-wheeler ever made, which were going 90, I 
decided to push it up a bit.  I was driviing a Mercedes 190D Turbo at the 
time, and that car had European headlamps which were ordered through the 
Mercedes parts book at the authorized dealer and installed by them.  
GREAT lights, by the way.

Anyway, along about Medway, or someplace like that, about twenty minutes 
north of Millinockett, there is a long straight place...perhaps a mile 
and a half with little deviation aside from a bit of rise and fall to the 
pavement.  Way ahead I could see a little flicker of some sort that 
reminded me of reflector, or perhaps a momentary illumination of the 
interior lights of a parked car.  Now there was nothing for twenty miles 
or so in any direction, so I thought it just could be a State Trooper who 
had decided to stop by the road side and watch.

I was holding something in hand above 90 or so, and slowed a bit to about 
eighty, and moved into the left lane.  The big headlights showed nothing 
ahead at all.

Suddenly, I saw this "face" staring at me right beside the driver's 
window.  It was more a sensation than reality, as I was past in a flash.

Then, faster than I could count, I saw one shape after another flash past 
on either side of the car. Flit, flit, flit, flit.....

I had blown through a herd of deer that were on the road, and the flicker 
that I had seen a mile ahead was the reflection of a deer's eyes.  But 
the very bright headlights had allowed the deer to be opaque and my rate 
of speed was such that I was through the entire herd before I even knew 
they were there.  I have no idea how close they had been to me, or I to 
them, but close, and I was very, very lucky.

The sum total to me is that the biggest and brightest headlights will not 
eliminate road hazards or other dangers such as fast moving or suddenly 
appearing deer.  All the hazards of excessive speed are magnified by 
darkness.  To my experience though, with European headlights, properly 
relayed and installed, the potential for seeing something while you have 
time to react is much higher than the DOT standard, which is unfocussed 
light which at best neither throws light far or well.

I am not sure if the best headlights that I have ever used were the Euros 
in my 89 200 Avant, or the Euros that I put into my (now, Unka Bart's) 
V8.  They were close, as both used two bulbs on high beam.  Both were 
relayed completely, but the V8's high beams were 130 watt, I think.  The 
transformation of the 200 headlights was greatest, but the V8's were 
outstanding on two lane rural roads, although I am not sure that I would 
use 130 watt bulbs again, as the difference between low and high beam was 
so great that my old eyes didn't like the transition.  Maybe just me.

Now, if I only could figure out some neat way to get real headlights out 
of my Chebbie 1Ton dually....

Roger

---------------------------------------------
This message was sent from Downeast.Net.
http://ellsworthme.com/