New grille block: version III

[deejaaa]

i lied but not really "night".
here is normal:

high beam and spotlight:

[AlaricD]

Originally Posted by deejaaa

depends on ones definition of high speed. i drive rarely over 55-57 mph.

For a lamp like that, anything over 25 is high speed. You're oversaturating your foreground, whether you're aware of it or not.

[deejaaa]

Originally Posted by AlaricD

For a lamp like that, anything over 25 is high speed. You're oversaturating your foreground, whether you're aware of it or not.

guess you need to drive it to see it. there is no oversaturating so i will drive on and enjoy it or just remain oblivious.
really do appreciate your concern and comments though.

[AlaricD]

Originally Posted by deejaaa

guess you need to drive it to see it. there is no oversaturating so i will drive on and enjoy it or just remain oblivious.
really do appreciate your concern and comments though.

That's the thing about the human optical system-- we think we see better than we can in many cases, and in other cases we think we see worse than we actually do. That's why we have FMVSS 108

[deejaaa]

Originally Posted by AlaricD

That's the thing about the human optical system-- we think we see better than we can in many cases, and in other cases we think we see worse than we actually do. That's why we have FMVSS 108

this light is for off-highway use only so don't see where FMVSS plays into it but thanks anyway.

[AlaricD]

Originally Posted by deejaaa

this light is for off-highway use only so don't see where FMVSS plays into it but thanks anyway.

You can just as easily get yourself hurt or killed off-highway by lights that degrade your ability to see distant obstacles.

[deejaaa]

Originally Posted by AlaricD

You can just as easily get yourself hurt or killed off-highway by lights that degrade your ability to see distant obstacles.

great info! thanks for it. really appreciate the concern. you're doing a great service.

[2000mc]

Hey Alaric, do you know if there are any aftermarket led units with a beam pattern similar to low beam headlights and suitable for highway use?

[AlaricD]

Originally Posted by 2000mc

Hey Alaric, do you know if there are any aftermarket led units with a beam pattern similar to low beam headlights and suitable for highway use?

Pricey, but these in the right hand traffic low beam (#0549211) would fit the bill. Aim them as you would a low beam, wire them to turn off when you activate the high beams. Mount them so the lamp center is exactly at, or below, the lamp center of your existing low beams (but not TOO low, they lose their usefulness when too low). Be careful not to block view of your turn signals and front position lights.

They're useful for when the traffic is too dense for high beams, but moving too fast to just use a single set of low beams (for most cars, 50mph is the limit you can really see effectively on low beams, and 45 is a more realistic figure).

I have Hella XLs on my Previa (they're halogen) and have made driving on the interstate a lot less nervewracking, because their HB2-based headlamps have a rather mediocre low beam. [There are worse lamps out there (at least they're not the HB1 (9004)), but their lenses have lost some of their clarity and the reflectors are probably shot (despite LOOKING great).] The problem with interstate driving is often you have cars approaching from the other direction, or traveling in your direction in front of you, close enough to where high beams will be dangerously glaring-- but they'll also be far enough away to where you're overdriving your low beams' useful range if you're also going at interstate speeds. The auxiliary lows give you the extra seeing distance (not because they're pointed out farther, but because they're putting out more light in the same pattern) you need to go 65mph+.

It's a shame that SAE J582 was canceled without replacement, because the auxiliary low beam is much more useful than fog lamps for most drivers, and possibly more useful than auxiliary high beams for most drivers.