riddle me this

Daniel J. Stern wrote:
> "Driving light" is an obsolete term, but it will be around for many years
> to come. It refers to auxiliary *high beam* lamps, never safe or legal for
> use with low beams or in traffic.

I would think it's not good for the life of the high-beam lamps, either.
Halogens run at low voltage, no?

--
The state religion of the USA is atheism, as established by the courts.

clifto wrote:
> Daniel J. Stern wrote:
>> "Driving light" is an obsolete term, but it will be around for many years
>> to come. It refers to auxiliary *high beam* lamps, never safe or legal for
>> use with low beams or in traffic.
>
> I would think it's not good for the life of the high-beam lamps, either.
> Halogens run at low voltage, no?

Allow me to clarify what I ambiguated: "driving lights" are run at low
voltage, and the lamps are halogens, and that's not good for the life
of the halogen lamps, is it?

--
The state religion of the USA is atheism, as established by the courts.

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004, clifto wrote:

> "driving lights" are run at low voltage, and the lamps are halogens, and
> that's not good for the life of the halogen lamps, is it?

You're confusing "driving lights" (auxiliary high beam lamps used for
extra-long-distance illumination on dark, empty roads) with Daylight
Running Lamps (lamps used for vehicle conspicuity in the daytime).

Headlamps, driving lamps, fog lamps, etc. are all run at rated voltage.
Some Daylight Running Lamps are implemented by running the high or low
beam halogen headlamps at reduced voltage. If the voltage is reduced to no
less than 70 percent of rated, the halogen cycle will function and bulb
blackening will not occur. If, however, the voltage is reduced to levels
much lower than 70 percent of rated, the bulb glass will not attain the
necessary temperature for the halogen cycle to occur, and the bulb walls
will become coated with tungsten boiled off of the filament. Such bulbs do
"clean up" with prolonged running at rated voltage, but it takes quite
awhile and if the boiloff is severe, they won't clean up or the filament
will "neck" and fail.

This is the "gotchya" of high-beam DRLs: If you reduce the intensity of
the high beams enough to avoid glare, the horizontal angle of visibility
of the DRL is very narrow and the bulbs blacken. If you run the high beams
at a high enough intensity to get some horizontal visibility and avoid
bulb blackening, the DRLs produce massive glare on-axis.

DS

I love Edsels wrote:
> what's a good driving light for in-town use?
>

I have hella 300's on my lightning. They fit in the factory holes and
bolt right up(on the lightning). They are extremely bright though and
not legal. They also sell fog lights in the same model though and they
are less bright.
http://www.rallylights.com/hella/300.asp

Erik D.
'94 white lightning
'01 white GT

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004, Erik D. wrote:

> > what's a good driving light for in-town use?

> I have hella 300's on my lightning. They fit in the factory holes and
> bolt right up(on the lightning). They are extremely bright though and
> not legal.

Hella 300s are not very strong performers, but they are perfectly legal
*AS LONG AS YOU WIRE THEM CORRECTLY*. Driving lamps are auxiliary high
beams and are neither safe nor legal (anywhere) for use with low beams or
in traffic.

> They also sell fog lights in the same model though and they
> are less bright.

That is not correct; the total amount of light emitted by the fog lamps
and the driving lamps is equal; the beam distribution is different.

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 18:05:20 -0800, The OTHER Kevin in San Diego
<skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net> wrote:

>On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 19:56:48 GMT, "Spdloader"
> wrote:
>
>>I think he wanted it in a riddle........
>
>Umm.. what are headlights??


Lights you wear on your head.


Duh!


:-P

later,

tom @ www.CarFleaMarket.com

On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 16:27:58 -0800, The OTHER Kevin in San Diego
<skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net> wrote:

>On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 22:46:40 -0500,
wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 18:05:20 -0800, The OTHER Kevin in San Diego
>><skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net> wrote:
>>
>>>On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 19:56:48 GMT, "Spdloader"
> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I think he wanted it in a riddle........
>>>
>>>Umm.. what are headlights??
>>
>>
>>Lights you wear on your head.
>>
>>
>>Duh!
>
>Then wouldn't those be dick lights??
>

No not there, getting too old, takes too long switching from low beams
to high beams. :-O

later,

tom @ www.WorkAtHomePlans.com

>Oh wait.. you probably mean the other head...
>
>duh!
>

what I need are something to supplement the low beams, for the most
part. I have a 97 Ford Ranger and the headlights suck, esp. on rainy
nights. I would run them separately from the factory lights.

Tom
Seattle

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 18:51:48 -0500, "Daniel J. Stern"
> wrote:

>On Tue, 14 Dec 2004, Erik D. wrote:
>
>> > what's a good driving light for in-town use?
>
>> I have hella 300's on my lightning. They fit in the factory holes and
>> bolt right up(on the lightning). They are extremely bright though and
>> not legal.
>
>Hella 300s are not very strong performers, but they are perfectly legal
>*AS LONG AS YOU WIRE THEM CORRECTLY*. Driving lamps are auxiliary high
>beams and are neither safe nor legal (anywhere) for use with low beams or
>in traffic.
>
>> They also sell fog lights in the same model though and they
>> are less bright.
>
>That is not correct; the total amount of light emitted by the fog lamps
>and the driving lamps is equal; the beam distribution is different.

"I love Edsels" > wrote in message
...
> what I need are something to supplement the low beams, for the most
> part. I have a 97 Ford Ranger and the headlights suck, esp. on rainy
> nights. I would run them separately from the factory lights.
>
> Tom
> Seattle
>
> On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 18:51:48 -0500, "Daniel J. Stern"
> > wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 14 Dec 2004, Erik D. wrote:
>>
>>> > what's a good driving light for in-town use?
>>
>>> I have hella 300's on my lightning. They fit in the factory holes and
>>> bolt right up(on the lightning). They are extremely bright though and
>>> not legal.
>>
>>Hella 300s are not very strong performers, but they are perfectly legal
>>*AS LONG AS YOU WIRE THEM CORRECTLY*. Driving lamps are auxiliary high
>>beams and are neither safe nor legal (anywhere) for use with low beams or
>>in traffic.
>>
>>> They also sell fog lights in the same model though and they
>>> are less bright.
>>
>>That is not correct; the total amount of light emitted by the fog lamps
>>and the driving lamps is equal; the beam distribution is different.
>================
Here in Canada I believe we are allowed to mount fog lamps lower than aux.
driving lamps, for use in fog only.We can only use them with the factory
headlamps though, not separately..Sort of defeats the purpose.
Geoff.

On Thu, 16 Dec 2004, Geoff wrote:

> Here in Canada I believe we are allowed to mount fog lamps lower than
> aux. driving lamps, for use in fog only.We can only use them with the
> factory headlamps though, not separately..Sort of defeats the purpose.

This is provincially regulated, not Federally regulated. Some provinces
(like some US states) allow fog lamps *in lieu of* low beams when weather
conditions call for it. Some allow fog lamps only *with* low beams when
weather conditions call for it.

DS