lites101.edu

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In a message dated 96-12-04 12:24:49 EST, you write:

<< >> Gotta play?   Forget the bulbs....  Put amber in the fogs,
 >Amber?  Even monochromatic sources are now heavily discredited, much less
 absorption filters.
>>>  The output decrease of lumens on a hella or a cibie light comparing 55w
bulbs from amber to clear is 15% loss on the filter, hardly significant when
you lose it all in the thick stuff with a whiter lite....  Amber fog
applications are for:  snow storms, driving rain, dust, and really thick soup
fog....  in any other situation a clear will accomplish a better tool for the
job....  What amber does is increase your depth perception, esp with the
higher wattage and whiter lite halogens exibit....  
 
 Are you saying I should put clear not amber fog lights under my bumper? 
 (here in New Hampshire we get a lot of unpredictable foggy dales, and heavy
 snow and rain conditions after sunny days).  They definitely will be
 available to me with high and low both off.  I would run them with "city
 lows" (bulbs in series) in all but the worst conditions, though, for other
 drivers' perceptions to be accurate.
>>>>  At least get the lenses.....  Amber vs clear is a personal thing, their
specific application is defined....  Do you have more of the really heavy
stuff or more of the lighter stuff, try one then t';other....  I get both, so
I carry the both lenses, and it takes 2 minutes to swap them at a gas
stop....  
 
 I will have 5-1/4" 130/100w H4 outside, 5-3/4" 100w H1 inside, and 5-3/4"
 underneath with probably only 55w for reflected glare situations.  Amber or
 Clear?  Phil, you've confused me!
>>>>>  Me, I'd run H4 at the 55/65 level, with a switchable 65 with/out the
100w inside high.... The H4 is not the best of highbeams anyhow, so a 100w
bulb will tend to put out too much lite....   I have run 80/100 in the H4 on
my 81 scirocco and found little in gain over the 55...  forget the 130....
 If you insist on it, at least put it in the lite that does something for
you, the dedicated hi on the inner....
 
 >>>IMHO: lotsa watts out front lets you see lotsa road out front.  Aim it
right
 and *make sure* you have a "no blinded oncoming drivers" option friends!  Oh
 , and carry spare bulbs and retaining screws.
 -- >>
That is the common misconception..... Proper lenses and reflectors is the
key....  The larger the reflector and lense the more you control the pattern
and direction of the lite...  Don't believe me, take a ride in a car with
rallye 2000's on it, put in 55w bulbs (standard), you can;t put a big enough
bulb in your euros to come close....  I know several guys that run 3 hellas a
set of driving and 1 pencil....  ALL at 55w....  You would be going pretty
darn fast to outdrive that setup....  They make a fog for the housing too,
amber and clear.....  Hella and Cibie make science of this, learning it makes
you a better visioned driver....

HTH

Scott