How to: Install HIDs
10-08-2009, 07:33 AM
#13
Former Sponsor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 604
a word of caution to the people considering this. aside from the point that HIDs are a terrible idea in stock housings, the so called "dual beam" kits are horribly dangerous. they actually change the amount of voltage going to the HID arc, causing it to move. problem is, that the arc will never move to the same position twice, especially as it ages. the result is a dangerously unpredictable beam pattern.
10-09-2009, 09:24 AM
#16
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Westminster, Maryland
Posts: 357
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...nversions.html
A relatively new gimmick is HID arc capsules set in an electromagnetic base so that they shift up and down or back and forth. These are being marketed as "dual beam" kits that claim to address the loss of high beam with fixed-base "retrofits" in place of dual-filament halogen bulbs like 9004, 9007, H4, and H13. A cheaper variant of this is one that uses a fixed HID bulb with a halogen bulb strapped or glued to the side of it...yikes! What you wind up with is two poorly-formed beams, at best. The reason the original equipment market has not adopted the movable-capsule designs they've been playing with since the mid 1990s is because it is impossible to control the arc position accurately so it winds up in the same position each and every time.
In the original-equipment field, there are single-capsule dual-beam systems appearing ("BiXenon", etc.), but these all rely on a movable optical shield, or movable reflector—the arc capsule stays in one place. The Original Equipment engineers have a great deal of money and resources at their disposal, and if a movable capsule were a practical way to do the job, they'd do it. The "retrofit" kits certainly don't address this problem anywhere near satisfaction. And even if they did, remember: Whether a fixed or moving-capsule "retrofit" is contemplated, solving the arc-position problem and calling it good is like going to a hospital with two broken ribs, a sprained ankle and a crushed toe and having the nurse say "Well, you're free to go home now, we've put your ankle in a sling!" Focal length (arc/filament positioning) is only just ONE issue out of several.
In the original-equipment field, there are single-capsule dual-beam systems appearing ("BiXenon", etc.), but these all rely on a movable optical shield, or movable reflector—the arc capsule stays in one place. The Original Equipment engineers have a great deal of money and resources at their disposal, and if a movable capsule were a practical way to do the job, they'd do it. The "retrofit" kits certainly don't address this problem anywhere near satisfaction. And even if they did, remember: Whether a fixed or moving-capsule "retrofit" is contemplated, solving the arc-position problem and calling it good is like going to a hospital with two broken ribs, a sprained ankle and a crushed toe and having the nurse say "Well, you're free to go home now, we've put your ankle in a sling!" Focal length (arc/filament positioning) is only just ONE issue out of several.
Last edited by IRSmart; 10-09-2009 at 09:31 AM.
10-09-2009, 10:23 AM
#17
Former Sponsor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 604
care to elaborate on that? they either change voltage or amperage going through the bulb, i just can't remember which. either way, the result is that the arc moves in an uncontroled manner to "move" the light source, creating a high beam effect. unless you get an even worse kit, the kind that has 2 HID bulbs bashed together to fit in a housing not meant for it.
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...nversions.html
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...nversions.html
No where in the whole quote does it mention anything about voltage or amperage changing in the bulb pinch. There is not one HID kit that works like that.... probably stemming from a the common misconception that high/low beams differ in intensity while they really differ in their pattern of distribution.
Look at your stock bulb, see the two filaments, notice they are not in the same place, they have different focal points.
The bixenon bulbs, true bixenon bulbs, move to refocus the one arc from low to high position ~4mm.
If you are not an expert or even have an idea of how things work it doesn't help to guess and give people the wrong information, wrong information spreads around like wildfires.
10-09-2009, 11:05 AM
#18
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Westminster, Maryland
Posts: 357
trust me, you will be hard pressed to find someone more well-versed on the operation of HIDs than myself, so i would suggest doing some more research on a person's postings about such a topic before claiming that he is not informed.
the quote that i posted above addresses the kits that have an electromagnetic base that moves the arc itself by sending electricity to it to activate it. this moves the arc to a different focal point, causing the light emitted from the bulb to be redirected to a different location, being intended to be shot up higher. the problem is, this shifting of the arc is never accurate enough, and does not provide a reliable beam pattern.
another kind of dual beam bulb is the kind with the 2 bulbs, as posted above. even less reliable.
i have never seen an HID bulb with 2 filaments on the inside. if they exist, thats fine, i'm just saying i've never seen them. they still do not overcome the fact that the position of the light source in reference to the focal point designed for a hallogen bulb cannot be overcome. you can call it whatever you like, but you can't overcome physics.
the quote that i posted above addresses the kits that have an electromagnetic base that moves the arc itself by sending electricity to it to activate it. this moves the arc to a different focal point, causing the light emitted from the bulb to be redirected to a different location, being intended to be shot up higher. the problem is, this shifting of the arc is never accurate enough, and does not provide a reliable beam pattern.
another kind of dual beam bulb is the kind with the 2 bulbs, as posted above. even less reliable.
i have never seen an HID bulb with 2 filaments on the inside. if they exist, thats fine, i'm just saying i've never seen them. they still do not overcome the fact that the position of the light source in reference to the focal point designed for a hallogen bulb cannot be overcome. you can call it whatever you like, but you can't overcome physics.
10-09-2009, 02:19 PM
#20
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Westminster, Maryland
Posts: 357
if you care to read more, this website offers a lot of useful information in a way that us normal people can understand them :lol: