romad
Top Post Dawg
Has anyone used this kit: http://tinyurl.com/yadxd7hn
I know that you’re asking a question, and I’m sure that you’ll get a number of responses. So while the post is on LED’s, I’d like to add my own questions, and I’m definitely NOT trying to hijack your post. My apology, if you think I am. Just curiosity on my part. I’m not and LED fan, the ones that were on the car, when I got it, looked “cool”, but were useless when needed at night. I actually drove over someone’s lawn, going to work at 3 AM, because I didn’t see where the road ended and made a turn. I’ve since corrected all my lighting issues, and am very satisfied with what I have. However, I’m curious, after my LED experience, what is the distance down the road that is illuminated to safely drive at most legal speeds? Also, what is the peripheral illumination, on both sides, so as to be able to see wildlife, before they step into the roadway?Has anyone used this kit: http://tinyurl.com/yadxd7hn
It’s funny that you mentioned Cibie’ 7” round e-codes, because I used them and the square ones for years, preferring them to the Z-beams. In fact I still have 2 complete sets of the smaller square, four light set-up in my shed.I went to Cibie’ after my Amplilux lights were broken by some flying rocks, and then I found out that they were no longer available in the US.In fact, right now, I have Cibie’ 175 driving lights and Cibie’ 195 fogs on my JettaThose are good questions, in fact they cover what I was thinking about when I posted my question. I've seen a photo of the kit used in 7" round Cibie E-codes, but wanted to know about use in the Hellas used in my Jetta.
For CA I found this:
2016 California Code Vehicle Code - VEH
DIVISION 12 - EQUIPMENT OF VEHICLES
CHAPTER 2 - Lighting Equipment
ARTICLE 2 - Headlamps and Auxiliary Lamps
Section 24400.
(b) A motor vehicle, ... shall be operated during darkness, or inclement weather, or both, with at least two lighted headlamps that comply with subdivision (a).
(c) As used in subdivision (b), inclement weather is a weather condition that is either of the following:
(1) A condition that prevents a driver of a motor vehicle from clearly discerning a person or another motor vehicle on the highway from a distance of 1,000 feet.
Section 24409. Whenever a motor vehicle is being operated during darkness, the driver shall use a distribution of light, or composite beam, directed high enough and of sufficient intensity to reveal persons and vehicles at a safe distance in advance of the vehicle, subject to the following requirements and limitations:
(a) Whenever the driver of a vehicle approaches an oncoming vehicle within 500 feet, he shall use a distribution of light or composite beam so aimed that the glaring rays are not projected into the eyes of the oncoming driver.
The lowermost distribution of light specified in this article shall be deemed to avoid glare at all times regardless of road contour.
(b) Whenever the driver of a vehicle follows another vehicle within 300 feet to the rear, he shall use the lowermost distribution of light specified in this article.
So if we take the "inclement weather" as a minimum (in the absence of other vehicles being closer) then for California it is 1,000 ft (305 meters).
And here are Arizona's requirements:
28-922. Lighted lamps required
At any time from sunset to sunrise and at any other time when there is not sufficient light to render clearly discernible persons and vehicles on the highway at a distance of five hundred feet ahead, a vehicle on a highway in this state shall display lighted lamps and illuminating devices as required by this article for different classes of vehicles, subject to exceptions for parked vehicles as provided in this article.
28-923. Visibility distance; mounted height of lamps
A. If a requirement is provided in this article as to the distance from which certain lamps and devices shall render objects visible or within which the lamps or devices shall be visible, the provisions apply during the times stated in section 28-922 with respect to a vehicle without a load when on a straight, level and unlighted highway under normal atmospheric conditions unless a different time or condition is expressly provided.
B. If a requirement is provided in this article for the mounted height of lamps or devices it means from the center of the lamp or device to the level ground on which the vehicle stands when the vehicle is without a load.
Unfortunately, the links I found for PA, gave me error messages.
As for side illumination, IIRC, that is more a result of the housing and/or reflector in it. From what I've read, e-codes are better at this than DOT-compliant units.
I never used the BOBI's, but I was told that they were a direct replacement for the stock sealed beamsI still have the Cibié BOBI 7" x 6" units I used in my 1983 VW Rabbit Diesel Pickup. At one time I thought about getting another one, so I saved the lights.
Yes, they had a bulb "pocket" at the back of the glass housing. You would insert the H4 bulb into it. That way the reflector was protected against dirt, moisture, etc. from entering via the bulb hole on standard e-codes.I never used the BOBI's, but I was told that they were a direct replacement for the stock sealed beams
I'll try to answer any questions that you may have. I've been interested in automotive lighting since the sixties, when I lived in Germany for a while, and saw their lights, and what a dramatic improvement over ours here stateside, and what caused the difference.Subscribing ... interested in this topic.
I'll try to answer any questions that you may have. I've been interested in automotive lighting since the sixties, when I lived in Germany for a while, and saw their lights, and what a dramatic improvement over ours here stateside, and what caused the difference.
That was accurate with the original LED bulb designs, but they have come a LONG way since then. Originally the LED bulbs used only had LED chips on the front so very little light went to the sides/circumference toward the reflectors. Now the LED is designed to simulate H4 design with high beam chip positioning, low beam chip positioning, and the inclusion of a shield. See this comparison:You can't put different type bulbs in a light designed for halogen bulbs and expect it to work properly. It's all explained here.
Cibie' uses "reflective" range, on a 1" square piece of highly reflective material. As an example, the 175 clear DL, with the 100W bulb, is 6000'. You'd have to see them to actually see what they illuminate, and how far down the road they do thatMy interest is around LED discussions, as I'm not sure they provide better "down the road" illumination. I can't argue with them being brighter, but I think there's a difference between brightness and visibility.
I'm sure there's a vernacular for the topic, I'm just not sure what the right words are - candle power, lumens, watts??
Brian,Yes, the LED bulbs have gotten much better (I have some in my current car and two of my motorcycles). The light emission from an LED on the front and back of a flat plane is closer to what's obtained from a filament, but not identical - notably, the filament emits light 360 degrees around itself, and an LED on the front and back of a flat plate will emit more out the faces of the flat plate and almost nothing out to the edges. Whether this matters or not, depends on the design of the optics around it. A lot of them nowadays allow the LED element to be oriented towards a direction where it matters less - this is possible with an H7 (single element) but not with an H4.
Preaching to the choir, I see.Led is 100% dependent on optics. Good lights of the optical side is correct. Less watts means less fuel at the end of the day or more power for more lights.
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