autoxCLS

Title says it all. HIDs are more efficient than regular filament or halogen lights. Though they take a significantly higher VOLTAGE (that's what the ballast box does), their amperage usage is significantly lower. That's why flourescent lights are used in offices - not only does their light look more "natural", but the "bulb" lasts longer, and uses less electricity.



Be informed, people!

M5 Lite

ummmm...ok

frederix

Yeah, HIDs are only 35W.

tankmonkey

so what brought all this on, pray tell?

EricL

Hmmm... I guess someone has been talking to Harold Edgerton via John Edwards (j/k)


autoX -- what you say is true in general... However, Xenon lamps can be made to output a diverse spectrum of light depending on the gas pressure, electrode size, arc length, and current. So, if someone was so inclined, they could make them less efficient by concentrating the bulk of the electrical energy to the UV part of the spectrum. And Xenon lamps can make enough UV to make someone sick from the ozone they produce if not shielded with UV absorbing glass or a quart tube and water-cooling jacket!

tankmonkey

never mind.

I just saw the post in the "supercharger/relocating the battery" thread...

Infamuz

SKy and your point being there tough guy? Are you crying again?

autoxCLS

Actually, I meant to reply originally that I got the kick from the supercharger thread that tank posted about.

So - Eric - what you're saying, in a nutshell, is that I was correct in my assessment with respect to specificity in the Acura CL Type-S that I own? MUST you re-state everything I say with enough techno-babble to make it sound as if your statement were original???

bioyuki

Weren't the first high intensity discharge/arc discharge lights sodium not xenon?

EricL

You must suffer from a serious inferiority complex -- I feel very sorry for you. I'm saying that "it depends" *and* if you mean original in that I invented the Xenon tube -- no. However, I can comment on this issue as I speak from experience -- we produced some high power/high repetition Xenon tubes (made by EGG) that were originally for laser pumping applications. The tube characteristics must be adjusted quite carefully for max-efficiency and max output in the visible light spectrum. So, you may or may not be correct -- it is NOT a "absolute" fact. For example, if 30% of the flash tubes output is converted into the UV spectrum, the max efficiency in regards to visible light is 70%. Halogen and other bulbs can also have very high efficiencies depending on design techniques.

So, OUR CLS HID may or may not be more efficient that other types of lighting systems – can you understand that? (They do produce a nice blue-white light and the technology is ripe.)

So, when you dump a blanket statement out there -- be prepared for additional information. The info regarding UV and ozone were obtained from tests in our lab -- not elsewhere.

That chip on your shoulder is getting to the size of a refrigerator, and pretty soon you won't be able to get your head off the ground. Please lighten up, the personal attacks are not very endearing and make you seem rather immature and insecure.

BTW – elaboration is not restatement – get it right.

EricL

The early street lights (if that is what you mean) were around in the 1970s. They had that nasty yellow glow that made plants look funny.

If you're talking about some of the newer HIDs -- I don't know.

There are pure Xenon continuous discharge lamps and EG&G makes a Krypton one too.

The latest HIDs seem to use be either pure Xenon continuous discharge *or* a mix of Xenon, other noble gases, and metal halides.

So, did you mean those *nasty" yellow street lamps?

BTW -- Edgerton (EG&G) was experimenting with continuous Xenon arc lamps a while back (possibly pre-dating the Sodium lamps). I don't know for sure as PerkinElmer bought out EG&G a while ago. Harold Edgerton -- the inventor of the Xenon strobe light (1930) -- was working on some pretty wild stuff back in the 1940s.

SatinCL

I'm picking up on all the hostility and whatnot.....so I'll throw this one out for you all to chew on:

Is HID/spectrum technology a PROVEN benefit to the operator or is it a marketing-driven (perceived) benefit?

Be careful on this one. There are technologies that are groundbreaking in certain applications and counterproductive in others.

Just adding to the discussion.....that's my job.

EricL

Good questions...

(A quick sidetrack)

1. Just for interest, I have a desk top halogen sitting by my work and it lights up the room nicely and it's 50 Watts. IMO -- the color spectrum is nice and the bulb lasts about a year. The only item I need to replace is the bulb for around $2.99.

2. I also have a 8 foot high output fluorescent fixture with a quick start ballast. I've been putting in 1 bulb per year and it's on its third ballast; the bulb costs $2.99 (at Home Depot, etc) but much more at the local hardware store. The ballasts run around 40 bucks (swell) and are a pain in the ass to replace..

My eyes prefer the warm light from the halogen and it seems cheaper to maintain.

link to "Shedding some light on HID as well as other blinding beams"

http://chicagotribune.com/classified...03nov05.column


Except from link:

'High-intensity discharge lights, often called xenon lights, produce more light from less power than the halogen lights on most cars. But HID headlights produce more light at the shorter-wavelength, blue end of the spectrum, where most people's eyes are most sensitive. Halogen lights are "warmer," producing most of their light in the yellow and red end of the spectrum.

"I am not aware that I am light sensitive, however, the new `blue lights' are so intense that I am forced to look away. They are painfully bright to the extent that I get temporary headaches from the glare. I don't know if I would even be able to drive at night if these were more popular," said Jeannine Parisi of Eugene, Ore., in comments on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site....'


So, I too enjoy the lights on my car, but there are times that my previous car with the additional pair of driving lights produced better lighting at a distance (and at speed).

Some people who have made some rather nasty comments to me about how they hate the blinding light from HIDs (they said it, not me).

Cost Over Time vs. Conventional Lamps:

If I had just purchased a car without a warranty, I would be wondering about the repair and replacement costs of the HID (lamp, lens, and ballast). The offer the presumed advantage of long life (for the manufacturer), but has anyone really done a cost evaluation for the consumer?

One could counter that the ballast electronics can be made to last a long, long time. However, manufacturers are only too aware of price competition and bottom line costs (make it just good enough). So -- the question is, not how long a "gold plated" HID can last, but how long can the HIDs that we get -- in OUR cars -- last without expensive repairs.

(I could use the Bose stereos as an example with their 1-cent caps that leak out and cause crackling, screaming, and noise after the warranty is up! Nissan wanted $1200 for a new FM/AM/Cassette head unit for my Maxima!


The New And Cool Blue Factor:

While I certainly like the lights on the Acura, there is room for improvement. The bluish color is quite popular -- witness the members on the board asking about blue tinted bulbs for their cars. So, at the moment, the current trend seems to be "blue is better." As the article above states, there are times when I'm on the other side of a poorly aimed HID, and I sure don't enjoy it. Could it be possible that blue is associated with “expensive” cars due to their previous availability only on high-end luxury cars?


Possible Alternatives:

IMO – it might be better to use an array of lights to create a “perfect” lighting field that allows good near and far lighting that minimizes the light aimed at oncoming cars. Given enough time, it may even be possible that sufficiently advanced solid-state lighting is developed that would fulfill this requirement. Halogen efficiencies are being increased every day.

Is Efficiency everything?

With auto systems moving to 42-volt systems, plenty of electric power will be available. A 350-watt headlight system would only use 1/2 HP of power from the motor and efficiency becomes a pretty poor indicator of lighting effectiveness if the light produced is wasted in the non-visible light spectrum (IR/UV) and the color balance is just shifted from red to blue.