Xenon Lamps: Dangerous?

akshay4587 · 2nd February 2009, 01:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by white_vdi

f450 chandigarh is one nice place and generally people are well behaved on the roads. not like hyd or delhi.

Things are getting worse and its going to be like delhi or other big cities pretty soon.

Also Density of cars having aftermarket HID's is pretty high in chandigarh,and most of the times its including the fog lamps also.
Wonder inspite of having such a strict trafic system,why HID's arent being checked.

white_vdi · 2nd February 2009, 01:48

akshay i came to chd some time back and within half n hour i was caught for tints even with windows rolled down. traffic police was very strict that time.

akshay4587 · 2nd February 2009, 01:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by white_vdi

akshay i came to chd some time back and within half n hour i was caught for tints even with windows rolled down. traffic police was very strict that time.

Yes they are very strict,especially for vehilces with outstation regn numbers,but still I see cars even with 4 HID's in Headlamps and Fogs roaming around freely.

Thad E Ginathom · 2nd February 2009, 02:32

It is not so much lanes that make lights safer in the "west" --- it is the regulation of the lighting itself. In UK, the focus and spread of the beam, both main and high, is specified. This is obviously set correct on a new car, but is part of the annual "MOT" test that cars must take once they get to three years old. Meeting a car with main beam on is just as blinding there as it is here (although it is true that the car is less likely to be coming straight at you

).

Correctly adjusted lights, and discipline in their use are what makes the difference. There are idiots there, too, who mess up the adjustment or misuse their lights.

Bike riders might be interested to know that UK Bikers keep their headlights on all the time. Yes, even in daylight. It really makes a difference to being seen or not.

akshay4587 · 2nd February 2009, 02:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

It is not so much lanes that make lights safer in the "west" --- it is the regulation of the lighting itself. In UK, the focus and spread of the beam, both main and high, is specified. This is obviously set correct on a new car, but is part of the annual "MOT" test that cars must take once they get to three years old. Meeting a car with main beam on is just as blinding there as it is here (although it is true that the car is less likely to be coming straight at you

).

Correctly adjusted lights, and discipline in their use are what makes the difference. There are idiots there, too, who mess up the adjustment or misuse their lights.

Bike riders might be interested to know that UK Bikers keep their headlights on all the time. Yes, even in daylight. It really makes a difference to being seen or not.

Almost all big bikes have their headlights switched on by default on their own as soon as they are started.Its a safety measure so that bikes can be spotted easily amisdt bigger vehicles,and almost all big bikes being sold these days come with projector set up and multiple halogens,so they provide enough illumination as such.
Case with indian mopeds(read zma's and all:P),its a different story.
A zma is capable of crusing at three digit speeds comfortably,however the lights are so poor that its difficult to ride at 60km/hr even(which according to me is not a safe speed to ride on highways-well this is a different story).So people like me who use bikes for touring at decent speeds,HID is the only option left.

greenhorn · 2nd February 2009, 07:26

I find even proper HID's annoying and distracting
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ehind-you.html

akshay4587 · 2nd February 2009, 07:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenhorn

I find even proper HID's annoying and distracting
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ehind-you.html

Changing colours is usually associated with projector headlamps,even without HID normal halogens give that rainbow effect.
I personally have found Skoda Projector lamps to be a bit irritating.
BMW one's are very soft on the eyes though.

Sankar · 2nd February 2009, 08:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay4587

I have a 8000K BI-Xenon HID on my bike.
I avoid using the headlight 80% of the times when in city(streets are well lighted in chandigarh).

Akshay, is the bi-xenon HID moving HID bulb for low & high beams or is it a HID low beam and halogen high beam?

akshay4587 · 2nd February 2009, 08:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sankar

Akshay, is the bi-xenon HID moving HID bulb for low & high beams or is it a HID low beam and halogen high beam?

Sankar its the Moving HID bulb that moves back for high beam and comes forward for Low.

Sankar · 2nd February 2009, 08:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Sankar its the Moving HID bulb that moves back for high beam and comes forward for Low.

Thanks for that info

I wanted to buy the bixenon for my karizma but i was wondering whether the moving bulb would fit the karizma lamp since the space behind the reflector is a bit less. I thought the protruding end of the bulb would touch the fairing stay rod, pictures i've seen of the bixenon bulbs made it look longer than other hid bulbs

akshay4587 · 2nd February 2009, 08:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sankar

Thanks for that info

I wanted to buy the bixenon for my karizma but i was wondering whether the moving bulb would fit the karizma lamp since the space behind the reflector is a bit less. I thought the protruding end of the bulb would touch the fairing stay rod, pictures i've seen of the bixenon bulbs made it look longer than other hid bulbs

It works perfectly on a zma

its a tad bigger,but fits perfectly.

mods sorry for OT.

tabrez02 · 2nd February 2009, 08:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by f450

I was having this discussion in another topic and felt it could warrant its own thread.

With xenon (or are they Bi-xenon?) lights becoming increasingly common on our roads, it made me think about how dangerous this actually is in India. Agreed it's safe for the driver of the car which has these lights, but what about oncoming traffic? I, for one, am effectively blinded when there's car on the opposite side coming with high beam xenon's. Naturally, I'm going to temporarily not see things in front of me.

With Skoda offering them as standard with the Laura, there are more xenon's than ever before. They're affordable to most people. And added to that, youngsters who modify their cars seem to put them on as they look cooler...

I can understand that these lights can be useful on the highway, but in the city, they do more harm than good.

Some people have a very wrong perception about the xenons. xenons should always be used inside the projectors. As they are designed to cut the light below the opposite side driver visibility and only beamed towards the road. Yes it is very much unsafe and to put xenons in the normal headlight consoles as the light even scaters and would not be beamed to the correct position on the road making the opposite person blind.

f450 · 2nd February 2009, 09:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Changing colours is usually associated with projector headlamps,even without HID normal halogens give that rainbow effect.
I personally have found Skoda Projector lamps to be a bit irritating.
BMW one's are very soft on the eyes though.

I disagree with you on that one. I quite regularly see a 5 series near my apartment and the lights on it are blinding! Even on a fully lit street, my eyes actually hurt!

kbk_75 · 2nd February 2009, 14:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Changing colours is usually associated with projector headlamps,even without HID normal halogens give that rainbow effect.
I personally have found Skoda Projector lamps to be a bit irritating.
BMW one's are very soft on the eyes though.

+1 Absolutely agree with that sentiment 100%

prabhuav · 2nd February 2009, 15:56

4300k on low beam is a very palatable option. I have them in my elantra, and a lot of people think it is running stock lights.

2nd February 2009, 01:48	#32
white_vdi BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: new delhi Posts: 856 Thanked: 38 Times View My Garage	akshay i came to chd some time back and within half n hour i was caught for tints even with windows rolled down. traffic police was very strict that time.
	() Thanks

2nd February 2009, 02:32	#34
Thad E Ginathom Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 11,454 Thanked: 30,082 Times	It is not so much lanes that make lights safer in the "west" --- it is the regulation of the lighting itself. In UK, the focus and spread of the beam, both main and high, is specified. This is obviously set correct on a new car, but is part of the annual "MOT" test that cars must take once they get to three years old. Meeting a car with main beam on is just as blinding there as it is here (although it is true that the car is less likely to be coming straight at you ). Correctly adjusted lights, and discipline in their use are what makes the difference. There are idiots there, too, who mess up the adjustment or misuse their lights. Bike riders might be interested to know that UK Bikers keep their headlights on all the time. Yes, even in daylight. It really makes a difference to being seen or not.
	() Thanks

2nd February 2009, 07:26	#36
greenhorn BANNED Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: KL-01 Posts: 7,878 Thanked: 4,910 Times View My Garage	I find even proper HID's annoying and distracting http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ehind-you.html Last edited by greenhorn : 2nd February 2009 at 07:27.
	() Thanks

2nd February 2009, 15:56	#45
prabhuav BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 672 Thanked: 129 Times View My Garage	4300k on low beam is a very palatable option. I have them in my elantra, and a lot of people think it is running stock lights.
	() Thanks