"blue" headlights-illegal?

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Originally Posted by Sprint

skipping the legalities of HID's and "blue" tinted bulbs, i've found the higher the colour temp, the less i can see..... also makes reflective road signs agony to look at....

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Hi
There is a perfectly good geeky reason you cannot see blue as well.
The eye's response is not linear, but has maximum sensitivity to a yellowish green light, which was the prime reason for the introduction of the yellow sodium vapour street lamps and the later golden coloured high pressure lamps.

The shorter wavelength blue light is scattered by the air far more easily than the longer wavelength yellowish white of conventional headlights, hence less light actiually enters the eye from the source and it looks dimmer.

Bue sky is a result of the atmospheric scattering of that blue light contained within the yellowish/white light output of the sun.

Cheers
Dave
South Oz

From my experience driving in Tassie Arthur, I'd say that HID doesn't really offer any worthwhile advantage.

Last time I was down there in the work car (Playdo), I had conventional halogen globes in the headlights (although a little higher wattage than originally fitted), plus a set of HID Predators on the front. The fact that most of the roads are so hilly & winding meant that I got no value at all out of the Predators - in fact they were potentially dangerous. Even on the short run from Lauderdale to South Arm where I stay, it was so easy to have someone pop over a hill in front of you into the full glare of the Predators (you can't see the glare of oncoming headlights over a hill on many occasions when you have a set of Predators turned on) that I left them permanently turned off.

If I head back down there with the Disco, I would imagine that even on low beam HID, I would be dazzling oncoming traffic when we meet over the crest of a hill, as they are at least momentarily below the "cut-off" of the low beam. I'd actually remove the HID globes and re-install halogens if I was driving in that type of country - it's only about a 10 minute job to change them over the way that I have mine set up.

And you're definitely right about keeping the lenses clean, regardless of what globes are fitted. I even wash the lenses on the Playdo every couple of days up at work on an iron ore mine in dry weather. ;)

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Originally Posted by David Read

Hi
There is a perfectly good geeky reason you cannot see blue as well.
The eye's response is not linear, but has maximum sensitivity to a yellowish green light, which was the prime reason for the introduction of the yellow sodium vapour street lamps and the later golden coloured high pressure lamps.

The shorter wavelength blue light is scattered by the air far more easily than the longer wavelength yellowish white of conventional headlights, hence less light actiually enters the eye from the source and it looks dimmer.

Bue sky is a result of the atmospheric scattering of that blue light contained within the yellowish/white light output of the sun.

Cheers
Dave
South Oz

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I Blew one xenon bulb and couldnt get a single replacement so i thought i would up grade to the next level (had to buy a kit)which was Platinum. As you have pointed out the bluer your light is the less sensitive your eye is too the blue light.
It looks brighter but it does not penetrate as well as a standard xenon bulb.
Im ready to go back to the std xenon bulbs.

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Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

there are some (blue rooftop rotating lights) used on mine sites,,

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and ARRs state must be removed or covered when on or alongside roadway or public area. A lot have a 'sock' they use to cover lights.




- I assume this isnt the HID lights (unless badly fitted etc) but parker lights fitted with blue globes or covers...

- also we dont know if that was really what the "coppers" said to the aforementioned letter writer, it wouldnt be the first time some one changed things to suit themselves?

HID retrofits are not legal as has been stated that the refector is not suited.
Even if this has been overcome by changing globe design there is one other factor not mentioned.

All HID lights must be self levelling, which is the case with factory fitted ones.

As for the colour, a specialist lighting store I use for my domestic lighting told me 6000K is the equivalent of natural daylight. I use a few of these in my house and they are very white.

I am assuming that higher than this is when you start to get the blue effect and that the brightness will start to diminish.

Dave.

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Originally Posted by p38arover

Oddly enough, I don't think there has been a single reply from a police officer to this thread.

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Which begs the questions... 'Are there any serving Police Officers on this forum?

- Who visit subjects/Channels as this?

- Who are permitted to comment Officially ?

- Who have the time & energy left to comment ?

- Thins it out a little....:(

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Originally Posted by BMKal

From my experience driving in Tassie Arthur, I'd say that HID doesn't really offer any worthwhile advantage.

The fact that most of the roads are so hilly & winding meant that I got no value at all out of the Predators - in fact they were potentially dangerous. If I head back down there with the Disco, I would imagine that even on low beam HID, I would be dazzling oncoming traffic when we meet over the crest of a hill, as they are at least momentarily below the "cut-off" of the low beam.

And you're definitely right about keeping the lenses clean, regardless of what globes are fitted. I even wash the lenses on the Playdo every couple of days up at work on an iron ore mine in dry weather. ;)

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THAT is one of the niggling "little" problems with HID.... the humungous amount of glare you get hit with if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time, most of which is totally unavoidable.

Alignment, amd cleanliness are the main issues, halogen or HID, (Or even LED) Another nasty one is the almost universal use of 'plastic' front lenses to headlights. Cheap to make, look snazzy when new, but after a while become less transparent... and scatter the (huge...) light and cause glare. Mostly a result of UV... Or built-in obselescence.:twisted:

Not only keeping lenses clean, but keeping an eye on the haze that builds up INside the lens and on the reflector surface...
- KAL, you'd be one of the rare folk who realize that a thin layer of dust can more than HALVE the measured light output, never mind the distraction...

Interestingly, the ADR's go into great detail about approval numbers and where and how they are to be placed on the headlight lens.... and where the beam is supposed to go... but regarding glare to oncoming drivers... we have to be satisfied with the mealy-mouthed comment that "..glare shall be gauged..." Would love to know 'who' or 'what' is the "gauge" ! And what is done about it.
- Some new model cars have headlamps which cause as much glare as they do focussed light.

And yes, I would'nt be sorry to see HID's (in low beam) restricted, choked, reduced or removed. We have enough road-rage triggers, why add another?

Maybe thats why drivers don't flash others ... apathetic or too wary of retaliation.

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Originally Posted by Mr Whippy

HID retrofits are not legal as has been stated that the refector is not suited.
Even if this has been overcome by changing globe design there is one other factor not mentioned.

All HID lights must be self levelling, which is the case with factory fitted ones.

..........

Dave.

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Actually, in my reading of the (very abstruse) ADR, this only applies to low beam. And it does not specify HID as such, but specifies light output.

John

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

Actually, in my reading of the (very abstruse) ADR, this only applies to low beam. And it does not specify HID as such, but specifies light output.

John

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Agreed - that is my reading as well.

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Originally Posted by superquag

Which begs the questions... 'Are there any serving Police Officers on this forum?

- Who visit subjects/Channels as this?

- Who are permitted to comment Officially ?

- Who have the time & energy left to comment ?

- Thins it out a little....:(

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There are 2 serving police officers on outerlimits - RN (RoadNazi) and Toaddog. RN is a senior Victorian traffic cop, and seems happy to comment on victorian regs.

I thought there was a cop or two on here as well - ?Ace???

I can think of at least 4 regulars on here who are serving police officers and who often comment.