tpchmara@wateng.UUCP (Tom Chmara) (10/17/84)
[ A car is a hole in the road into which you pour money ]
WOW!!! I got inundated with responses to this one, and saw a
number of postings go by as well. Here are a few of the responses:
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"I have had both the sealed and unsealed [h4] headlights.
The h4 lights have better beam control and are therefore
excellent fog lights on low beam. On the other hand, moisture
does get in and the reflectors corrode and dull."
"The real difference between sealed-beam halogens and European
halogens is on low beam...I had Lucas...(my car) now has Hellas
which seem to be of a slightly better design"
"I have since replaced them (ordinary sealed beams) with Hella
H4's and have noticed a great improvement in 'seeing distance'."
"I have been able to get them (sealed-beam halogens) for about
5 bucks each. and, do they make a difference at night!"
"After I spent quite a bit of money, someone turned me on to
Cibie...they are pretty expensive for the initial setup. They
are also worth it"
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Well, after lots of thinking and some discussions with one of the
road-rally enthusiasts around here, I went out and bought a set of Hella
H4s to replace the low/high beam lamps, and left the old sealed-beams
in the high-beam position. The Hellas are simple 55/60 (I think) bulbs,
but WOW!!!!!! what a difference! I just had them properly adjusted for
a few bucks when I had the car serviced (see previous posting on hissing
sounds) and they cast a beam just shy of Tipperary (quite a long ways
from Kitchener, Ontario). I can also attest to their impressive aim:
I was cruising back from Stratford after an evening performance (before
having them aimed; they were a bit low) through some pretty dense fog;
whereas I could see where I was going, most of the other cars on the
road had dropped to about 60 km/h, and were obviously experiencing
difficulty as a result of the light from their headlamps reflecting off
the mist and back into their eyes.
Mark me down as one of the converted...
---tpc---
(Tom Chmara EE @ University of Waterloo)
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...!{allegra | decvax | clyde | ihnp4 }!watmath!wateng!tpchmarahrs@houxb.UUCP (H.SILBIGER) (10/18/84)
There exists a sealed-beam headlight which has replaceable H-4 halogen bulbs! It is the Cibie' BOBI. I have these in the 7" round version in my RX-7 and in the 200mm rectangular version in my 626. These are legal in all 50 states. Besides having a superior light pattern in low beam, which is the sesult of having ground rather than pressed lenses, I now carry a replacement H-4 bulb in my cars in case I ever get a burnout. The BOBIs go for $ 40/pair, including the H-4's. Replacement H-4's are about $5. Herman Silbiger
gmm@bunker.UUCP (Gregory M. Mandas) (10/22/84)
> > > There exists a sealed-beam headlight which has replaceable > H-4 halogen bulbs! Is this not a contradiction in terms?
hrs@houxb.UUCP (H.SILBIGER) (10/23/84)
Yes, it is possible to make a sealed beam unit with replaceable bulbs! Think of it as a sealed reflector unit. The reflector is sealed to the lens. At the apex of the reflector is a glass envelope fused to the reflector but open in the back, such that a bulb can be inserted. Postitioning guides insure correct orientation of the bulb. In the Cibie' version the glass envelope is partially masked for beam control. Since no atmospheric air can get to the silvered surface of the reflector this type qualifies for DOT approval as a sealed beam unit. The Cibie' BOBI's go for about $40/pair.