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, Tue, 6 May 2003 21:41:18
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Hi Gordon,
It's not just an issue of brightness, but also of pattern. The US DOT-approved sealed beam lamps are crap for pattern, creating two poorly-focused pencil-beams of light & generating two vision-impairing hot spots on the road. Even if they're not as bright, the lousy light spread of DOT lamps may actually appear brighter than well designed H4s.
Ideally, the light should spread low & wide with a distinctly cut-off top. (If you shine them against a wall you should easily see this pattern.) This allows the lights to be brighter on the road (where you want the light), but not shine into oncoming traffic (the flat top allows precise aiming below the sightline of facing drivers). This also gives better fog, rain & snow driving, as the light won't reflect back to you as much. Another benefit is that it allows the light to shine FARTHER down the road, since the unfocused sealed beams will have to point down more to stay out of other drivers' eyes. This ability to illuminate more may also make the H4s seem less bright, but actually you're getting more light over a larger area, & therefore seeing objects earlier & better. On some designs, the passenger side may flare up at an angle so that road signs will be illuminated better too.
If your Hellas need cleaning, be very careful of the reflectors. They're silvered on the surface with no protective coating (better reflectivity), so any rubbing or contact cleaning will remove the silver & destroy your lights. Do some searches to get some good cleaning techniques. If the reflectors are already shot, check the C900 BB for some re-silvering options. The bulbs may be coated with grime too, so wiping them down with isopropyl alcohol is a good idea. Don't leave ANY grease or oil on the bulb glass (this includes fingerprints!), as it will concentrate the heat of the bulb & cause the lamp to burst.
Properly cleaned & adjusted, your Hellas should provide WAY more usable light than any standard sealed beam. If cleaning the lights doesn't help, your electrical system may not be providing full voltage to the lamps. Sorry, I'm not much help here, other than to recommend you clean up as many of the electrical grounds as possible. I'm sure others can provide tons of help, though.
Hope this helps a bit.
posted by 216.160.177...
, Tue, 6 May 2003 21:41:18
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