Halogen vs HID - Photos

[GhostDakota]

I'm hardcore into lighting and have been trying many different setups over the last 4-5 years in my Jeep vehicles. I think at this point I've come the closest to what I've been striving for. These photos could've been much better but it's extremely cold outside and wind is gusting to above 50 MPH so I was hurrying everything just so you get a "taste."

My setup: 1993 Jeep Cherokee 4.0L - 200mm Hella E-code housings; 12 gauge fused wiring harness with two Hella relays; Osram High Output 85/80 Watt H4 bulbs, 2400 Lumens.

Buddies setup: 1998 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4.0L - XSighting Lighting Xe7 Xenon Bi-Function. Not sure of specific specs. We call his lights "nipple lights."

Off the vehicles:

E-codes:

HID's:

Low Beam Output (HID's on right):

High Beam Output (HID's on right):

Close up of High Beam Output (HID's on right):

From the front (HID's on left):

My beam pattern on a fence:

If anyone wants more photos I can take some tomorrow night I guess.

My Halogen setup is as bright, if not brighter than my buddies projector HID setup. His setup runs about $900, mine was $170 shipped (Now that I've added it all up). I have a great beam cutoff due to the E-code housings. I'm EXTREMELY happy with this setup.

 

[jforse]

Something aint right with his HIDs. H4 bulbs with a re-wire cant touch my 6000k HIDs in the IPF housings.


edit: 2900lm output on my 6000k kit

 

[GhostDakota]

Eh, that's illegal though. I like to stay as legal as possible I can take comparison shots with any other vehicles ya like with HID's. The color is going to be different as most HID kits have a higher Kelvin rating, 6000k for example with yours. Mine are 3150k. If I do a retrofit with RS6 projectors, ballasts, D2S bulbs, etc., I'd want a 5000k or 6000k like you have. I love the white and hate the blue. Ever seen someone with a 10000k or more system? HORRIBLE.. lol.

Something aint right with his HIDs. H4 bulbs with a re-wire cant touch my 6000k HIDs in the IPF housings.


edit: 2900lm output on my 6000k kit

 

[jforse]

Eh, that's illegal though. I like to stay as legal as possible I can take comparison shots with any other vehicles ya like with HID's. The color is going to be different as most HID kits have a higher Kelvin rating, 6000k for example with yours. Mine are 3150k. If I do a retrofit with RS6 projectors, ballasts, D2S bulbs, etc., I'd want a 5000k or 6000k like you have. I love the white and hate the blue. Ever seen someone with a 10000k or more system? HORRIBLE.. lol.

Yes! My manager has 12K bulbs in his driving lights and fog lights on his GMC HD. Look terrible. But he likes the blue of the bulb!?:banghead:

I sell HID kits by the way. With the last kit I had I was running 8000k bulbs but they were a little to blue for me. I have had 4300k, and 10k as well. 6000k seem to be my favorite so far.


8000k

 

[GhostDakota]

I don't understand people? With a Kelvin rating that high, you actually lose lumens. I personally think they look like butt too, but to each their own Do you have photos of your setup (Beam pattern against a wall for example)? 99% of kits I've seen installed withOUT projectors have too many hotspots or random "ufo's."

I agree, out of those choices the 6000k is nearly the whitest you can get.

Yes! My manager has 12K bulbs in his driving lights and fog lights on his GMC HD. Look terrible. But he likes the blue of the bulb!?:banghead:

I sell HID kits by the way. With the last kit I had I was running 8000k bulbs but they were a little to blue for me. I have had 4300k, and 10k as well. 6000k seem to be my favorite so far.

 

[jforse]

I don't understand people? With a Kelvin rating that high, you actually lose lumens. I personally think they look like butt too, but to each their own Do you have photos of your setup (Beam pattern against a wall for example)? 99% of kits I've seen installed withOUT projectors have too many hotspots or random "ufo's."

I agree, out of those choices the 6000k is nearly the whitest you can get.

Beam pattern is pretty good. Not as good as a projector would be. This picture is right after install, before I re aimed the lights. The best I can do right now.

 

[GhostDakota]

Yah, that's not as bad as I thought they'd be. Typically you see tons of hot spots with HID kits in halogen housings. I still wouldn't do a kit without retrofitting projectors in the housings (to be legal), unless they were the long discontinued Sylvania Xenarcs.

 

[jforse]

These work great for me. No hassle from the LE in the area. Actually they have purchased a couple kits from us for there personal vehicles. Its nice to have them on your side!

 

[redneckboarder]

im starting on the projector retrofit after xmas ill post my progress, just to warn you its probly gonna look like crap but as long as it works i dont really care

 

[Kittrell]

Something aint right with his HIDs. H4 bulbs with a re-wire cant touch my 6000k HIDs in the IPF housings.


edit: 2900lm output on my 6000k kit

Agreed, those HIDs just don't look right at all. Here is the Sylvania Xenarc kit I run on my XJ.

 

[KinesthesiaDrums]

driver's side light only, about 25-30 feet away. 6000k in a Hella 90mm projector housing.

the focusing isn't 100% what it should be (you can see it trying to "hotspot") because i bought really shytty bulbs so the arcs weren't at the right focal point and i did what i could to fix that. this picture is about a year old, i have good blubs now, lol.

oh,
91 Jeep Project- that's an awesome picture.....except that reflector housing glare drives me crazy on other vehicles >_< ...unless thats on hi-beam and i'll just shut up =P

 

[GhostDakota]

I wanted the Sylvania Xenarcs, but didn't get around to finding out about them until they had been discontinued. We're a Sylvania dealer and I called to see what the deal was... No plans to make them in the future due to all the laws currently out there.

I'll get "real" photos this or next week if I get a chance so you can see the real difference. Those were quick shots. I'm a photographer and was being lazy with the cold temp & high winds. Tripod would've been blown over, even with my DSLR on top. His HID's are running great. Same output as BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc. His were aimed slightly high though and I will try to have him correct that before the next round of photos.

 

[RyanM]

I hate you. I want to donuts in the snow so bad. Nice jeep

 

[RyanM]

I feel like all the newer landrover, benz, mercedes, etc. head lights blind the ! out of me. It may have something to do with my blindness and contacts. I should mention it to my Optometrist next visit so I can get legal 5% tint all the way around.

 

[Kittrell]

I hate you. I want to donuts in the snow so bad. Nice jeep

It's not mine, just the Jeep my kit came from. I've never bothered to take any night time pics of it, so I just use this one for reference since that is my exact kit. It was a nice Jeep though, he took it down to stock and sold it a year or so ago. Used to be on the board. I've had the light ever since.