Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Just installed a set of 50w hid h4 hi/low inserts in my courier work ute.
FARK ME and wow what a difference I see the light now.
only question is I bought 6000k globes they are really white though,Im now wondering if 4300k may have been better(a little yellower)
any thoughts guys???

They say 5000k is pure white, once you higher they start going blue to purple. I run both 5000 & 6000 in my driving lights and think theyre fantastic and can,t see much difference.

4300k is the best compromise. 100x whiter than halogen but not too much of a cop bait.

-Nemesis- wrote:4300k is the best compromise. 100x whiter than halogen but not too much of a cop bait.

Are these just the globes being added or the full kit where ther add a power supply of some sort and mess with the loom. I was thinking of buying just the globes off Ebay for about $15 each. what did you guys do?

In any case it seems the change how ever it happens is good. Has anyone been busted by the cops for these???

you need the full kit
ballasts ignite the glode

4300 is the highest legal temperature AFAIK.

HID inserts are not legal unless the car has automatic self levelling and headlight washing.


*rant on*
I have had factory fitted HID in my road cars for years, and wouldn't own a car without it, and I agree it is excellent, but I'm farking over the glare from people with aftermarket HID in their low beam lights.

If you fit HID lamps to your daily driver, for farks sake aim them properly and keep your lenses clean. Also, use inserts with a decent pattern, not those horrible crystal things.

Hopefully, people will start getting defects for this. It's a legitimate safety hazard.

*Rant off*

Gwagensteve wrote:4300 is the highest legal temperature AFAIK.

HID inserts are not legal unless the car has automatic self levelling and headlight washing.


*rant on*
I have had factory fitted HID in my road cars for years, and wouldn't own a car without it, and I agree it is excellent, but I'm farking over the glare from people with aftermarket HID in their low beam lights.

If you fit HID lamps to your daily driver, for farks sake aim them properly and keep your lenses clean. Also, use inserts with a decent pattern, not those horrible crystal things.

Hopefully, people will start getting defects for this. It's a legitimate safety hazard.

*Rant off*

I agree with you, it sucks being blinded.

Whats the rules around additional lights being HID though? Such as spotties I didnt think the self leveling and washing applied to those.

no, no requirements for eashing etc on auxilliary lights, but these can only be switched via high beam.

Steve.

yeah steve I can see how you'd easily be blinded by hid if not aimed properly.
im gonna fit them to my zook lights and spots as well to save that pissy little alternator
and make night 4wheeling even more fun when I see what Im hitting, she's a offroader only type zook
sounds like 4300 k is the go though
is 4300k less blinding to others ???

Sometimes HID's get blamed for the byproduct of projection style optics.

Because of the projection lens system even halogen inserts produce distinct spectral ccomonents when being viewed through the edges of the lens assembly ( lens acting as a prism )

This can show up as a blue/purple flash over bumps and its purely an optical issue - the greater output of HID's can make this more pronounced, but its an issue with all lamp types.

The cheapest of the HID's "dipping" inserts are a particular challenge as they are not made for RHD or LHD vehicles causing them to have no distinct cutoff to their pattern. Ironically off road this lack of distinct cutoff is an advantage. Swings and roundabouts........

It's about boggedbilliontyandfive dollars cheaper to fit an 100A alternator and never have to worry again.

I'm keen tp put some HID's in my roof lights to reduce current draw and improve performance but I'll keep my stock H4's in my fishtanks (oops - headlights)

Steve.

only catch to the bigger alt is that power comes from some where and on my zook it the high performanc stock 1300 which struggles to pull 100km/h

MM - I'm well aware of the prismatic effect and I'm accustomed to it with projectors. That's not what does my head in - it seems to be retrofitted HID's into inserts where theres light just all over the place.

Steve.

Brighter Halogens are a bit of a diminishing return issue - look at the life of high output Halogens and your trading output for life and robustness.

Some of the extra bright halogen lamps are not only expensive, cause trouble with plastic reflectors ( probably not a major 4WD issue ) are mechanically fragile and don't last.

Taking into account that the operating energy has to come from somewhere the brute force option has many limitations. With the cost of "super bright" lamps, a loom , alternator etc etc a HID conversion does make economic sense BUT however its not going to be legal for headlamps.

The low current consumption, low operating temperature, long life and robustness of discharge lamps is unbeatable. Its just a pity that the lamps are often misused in optics not appropriately designed for them.

MightyMouse wrote:Its just a pity that the lamps are often misused in optics not appropriately designed for them.

All worthy points MM - but that's the key.

Steve.

Gwagensteve wrote:where theres light just all over the place

"light all over the place...." Cool when you have it - not so cool when your on the recieving end

The effective emission length and optical emission density of a HID is also substantially greater than the effective "point source" of an incandescent lamp. This means that a reflector desighed for an incandescent lamp just isn't going to work properly with an HID conversion.

Its certainly a case where the whole issue seems simple on the surface but the more you understand about the physics of both types of lighting systems the more side issues you discover.

Still, looking into the sad yellow headlights of the "phantom" very clearly shows the limitiation of stock lighting systems.

i have to say the IPF lenses are awesome.

even with 100/55 in the zook. HIDs in the spots.

MnG2guys wrote: In any case it seems the change how ever it happens is good. Has anyone been busted by the cops for these???

It aint the police that you should be worried about --- it is them RTA highway patrol blokes, since they usually know the laws.