H4 Lighting Options: Fatboys or HID

[cj]

Looking at options for upgrading some H4 headlights. Already has better wiring and relays and +50 globes but need more for night drives. Will be building a new bar to take a highmount and probably won't have room on the bar for my spots and I don't really want to run lights on the roof. Two options come to mind.

Option One is to replace the current H4's with some IPF Xenon Fatboys (approx. $130) that are 60/80W and the optical equivalent of 150W High beam and 190W Low beam plus maybe a pair of compact spots that could be mounted into the bar.

Option Two is to use something like a Supervision HID Xenon H4 (singlebeam) 42W 4200K conversion kit (approx. $330) plus maybe a pair of compact spots that could be mounted into the bar.


Thoughts? How much better should the HID kit be over the Fatboys?

[bushy555]

Looking at options for upgrading some H4 headlights.

Just my thoughts. I've played with a few HID kits now so I have a little bit of experience backing what I yabber on about. Some peeps may not agree however....

Yeah, go the 42watter jobbies, or if you wanna spend a fraction bit more, buy a 50 watt HID kit. A mate really wants to grab a set of H4's and put into his giant PIAA lights (whatever they are called), and I wish he'd do it. He currently has fatboys in those spotties.

There may be some sort of a comparison between a 35 watt HID kit and a pair of fatboys, but there will be no comparison at all if you wanna compare a 50w HID vs a Fattie. It will be like comparing a standard single Lightforce Blitz or XGT against a dolphin 6v torch. That much difference!
(ie, the 50w HID wins, hands down)


/silly dave.

[cj]

Who does a good 50W setup?

[kirragc]

For a strart get rid of those globes. the whole +50 crap is bollocks.
Either they are outting out 100W (or 130W) or they are not.
Start with proper halogen H4s (90/130w if your housings and wiring can handle ém) and start from there.

It only gets more expensive after that.

[cj]

For a strart get rid of those globes.

Yep, that would be the reason for my post

[+dj_hansen+]

Go option 2, and use a 42w kit into some LF 170's using bushys conversion kit

[bushy555]

Who does a good 50W setup?

bitdistribution.com.au.
Dunno about 'good'. They certainly do work however.
No affiliation. Wish I was. Dude wont even tell others about me mods.
Arr well...., they advertise in 4wd monthly mag. They be the only mob Ive found in this country who have or imoprts a 50w kit. Was really hoping that by now they'd be starting to appear on ebay for a lot cheaper than $486.50 delivered from bitdis...

[dogbreath_48]

I've got some of the IPF fatboys (the red pack) and don't think they're any better than the high power IPF halogens (i think 90/120W) i've used before.

Of course the advntage is less power draw and less heat - not that i ever had a problem with the halogens.

-Stu

[Shadow]

how does a fatboy produce more light from less power? magic? arent they still halogens?

[+dj_hansen+]

I think they use the same principle as the HIR globes in their spot/driving lights... using heat reflected to further superheat the element to produce more light, from same current... Im sure someone electronical will be able to quote the amount of energy given of as light and as heat... so in effect you are using the heat energy aswell as the light energy, if that makes sense.

[HotFourOk]

"Uses an Exotic High Pressure Gas Mix Contained in a Huge Clear Bulb Envelope for Unrivalled Performance"

So it's some unknown mixture... but it is exotic

I was thinking about these for mine... still not 100% convinced

I have Tungstram +50 in now, and they are much better than a standard globe.. Might have to compare to the Fatboys now

[bogged]

There was a writeup in the SA 4wd Maggo that AJ does on the Fatboys.

[HotFourOk]

Cheers Bruce

[-Mick-]

for the price I can highly recommend the 42w kit in some cheap spotties

I have them in some ratty old ipf 900's which are a crap light as a halogen but the HID's make them awesome. HID 42w kit in a pair of lights that had good optics to start with would be killer

The major advantage I see in having the 42w HID kit in some crap looking old spotties is that you're putting out far more light than any off the shelf halogen, but they look crap to onlookers so the chance of getting them stolen is heaps less than some nice bling $400-500 jobs hanging off your bar

[cj]

Had a look at the BitDistribution site. $470 for the 50W. Be nice if I could get a Hi/Low H4. As for the spots in the bar, well they need to be something small like 100mm dia. or so. I saw some 110mm ones today with a 100W H3 globe that would be about the right physical size. I wonder if there would be any benefit to having them as well as the HID. What sort of range would be likely from 35W, 42W & 50W by comparison if in the same size light?

[flavze]

Internet Garage sell supervision 42w HID kits for $299. Dunno what they are like but i'm pretty seriously lookin at gettin a kit to put into me LF170's with bushy's lil adaptors..
http://stores.ebay.com.au/INTERNET-GARA ... idZ2QQtZkm

[-Mick-]

Internet Garage sell supervision 42w HID kits for $299. Dunno what they are like but i'm pretty seriously lookin at gettin a kit to put into me LF170's with bushy's lil adaptors..
http://stores.ebay.com.au/INTERNET-GARA ... idZ2QQtZkm

this is the same kit Bushy and I have both purchased, installed and recommend as a cheapish option

go for it

[cj]

Yes, that's who I had contacted and they can do the 42W 4200K. I had added the shipping cost to the purchase price for my original figure.

[cj]

I have been in touch with BitDistribution and although they have a 50W H4 High/Low kit at $620 they say that it is to bright for the road and have only fitted them to Comp trucks. Looks like the 50W will be out then.

[bushy555]

I have been in touch with BitDistribution and although they have a 50W H4 High/Low kit at $620 they say that it is to bright for the road and have only fitted them to Comp trucks. Looks like the 50W will be out then.

Bloke in Wagga has a set in his SS ute. Havent seen how they are yet.
But, yeah, unfortunately the stupid ADR's say any HID kit chucked into any old headlight is illegal if the headlights dont have (1) an auto adjustment mechanism and (2) headlight washers.

WTF about the headlight washers I have no idea. But is says it in ADR7700. So all them imported jobbies that have HID's from factory, but no headlight washers, are illegal.
The auto adjustment thingo apparently are little servo's constantly controlling and adjusting the headlight beam as your driving along. Somehow set up to a sensor(s) between car body and diffs or sumthing.


We got a 1500 watt HID light for rescue purposes (tis 240 volt). This glass lens on this mother is about 1000mm by 800mm. The ballast would weigh in at about the 25kg mark I reckon. She lights up the entire local footy ground with no hassles at about 3 metres off the ground, and I estimate the colour temp to be 5000k. We set it up at road prangs when forensic have to take piccies...

[cj]

When I asked BitDistribution about going with 42W for on the road the reply was to stick with 35W as they put out 3500 Lumens compared to 100W Halogens at 2200 Lumens.

What is going to be the best combo that will be fine on the road and still be useful off road given that I am restricted to H4 headlights and a 100 - 110mm dia. compact spot? I don't want dramas with the boys in blue.

[cj]

Been having a think about this with regards to the ADR's and was thinking that maybe I'd be better of going with Fatboys with my already upgraded wiring for the headlights and then getting a HID kit to convert the compact spots. How do you think the 42W or 50W would go in some 100 - 110mm dia. spots? I assume this compromise might keep me on the right side of the law but how do you think this would be for night drives?

[AJ]

There was a writeup in the SA 4wd Maggo that AJ does on the Fatboys.

It was in the Winter 2005 edition downloadable from www.4wheelingsa.org

Have been offered a HID conversion kit to test so that should be in the next edition.

[bogged]

There was a writeup in the SA 4wd Maggo that AJ does on the Fatboys.

It was in the Winter 2005 edition downloadable from www.4wheelingsa.org

Have been offered a HID conversion kit to test so that should be in the next edition.

send it over, I'll take care of that for u

[AJ]

There was a writeup in the SA 4wd Maggo that AJ does on the Fatboys.

It was in the Winter 2005 edition downloadable from www.4wheelingsa.org

Have been offered a HID conversion kit to test so that should be in the next edition.

send it over, I'll take care of that for u

NO!
Generous offer though.
BTW they are only a loan for testing anyway - kits have to go back