Name : Klix Age : 46 Location : Barrhead, Alberta Canada Joined : 2009-11-18Post Count : 807 Merit : 16
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Mon Jan 25, 2010 1:45 pm
Phillips makes a good bulb I have the Crystal Visions in my Bush Buggy. Pretty bright even through my bush gaurd.
Rickw Guru
Name : Rick Location : Lancaster, MA Joined : 2008-09-13Post Count : 6282 Merit : 119
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Mon Jan 25, 2010 1:52 pm
AA wrote:
Yeah, I see what you mean. As far as I know, there are very few halogen bulbs spec'd much over 4000ºK. The Eurolights are 4100ºK according to the spec.
I've been looking into alternatives to the Eurolights. $35 per year is okay, and they are bright, but there are some newer bulbs on the market. I checked into the HID route, but the only ones I feel comfortable buying are Philips ($350) or McCulloch ($250). All of the $50-80 options are basically the same Chinese product, imo. And based on some of the problems I've seen people having in the HID thread, I'm not convinced it's worth doing.
After some searching for better halogens, I found these:
Lots of good reviews from other forums, and some good photos of the beams. Since the X-Tremes are legal 55W bulbs, I'm curious to see how they stack up next to the Eurolights. Bulbs are on the way, so if they get here before my other bulb fails, I'll try to get a photo of the new & old for comparison.
Aaron can you provide a link to where you purchased them and possibly any links to peoples reviews of them. Thanks
AA Administrator
Name : Aaron Age : 47 Location : C-bus, Ohio Joined : 2007-01-13Post Count : 18452 Merit : 252
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Mon Jan 25, 2010 2:41 pm
I ordered from http://www.suvlights.com
At this time, I can't recommend the seller, as I've not received the bulbs yet, and have never dealt with them before. These bulbs have only been available in the US for a year, and still are hard to find. Supposedly Meijer and K-Mart dept stores carry, but I could not find them locally.
'70 Ninety-Eight Holiday Coupe 455cid • 116k miles ^^^ SOLD ^^^
AA Administrator
Name : Aaron Age : 47 Location : C-bus, Ohio Joined : 2007-01-13Post Count : 18452 Merit : 252
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:12 am
I received the new Philips X-treme Power (55W halogen) bulbs, and luckily my other EuroLights bulb was still working, so decided to take some pics and show a comparison. I also found a working SilverStar bulb from a few years ago - might as well include it in the experiment.
First, the X-treme Power bulbs:
Very nice packaging, almost too nice:
Information/specs for whomever is interested:
Okay, first a shot of the car with both a EuroLights bulb and a SilverStar. The EuroLights are rated somewhere between 65-80 watts, depending on who you ask. The SilverStars are 55W bulbs. Sorry this shot is further away than the rest, and color is a bit warm. Still you can see the difference between them:
Note: all pics are direct from digital camera card, absolutely NO changes in Photoshop - levels, color, and brightness are all exactly as the camera recorded them. Only thing changed was image size.
Here are a couple shots of SilverStar and EuroLights bulbs projected on the garage door from about 20 ft away. These were taken with a manual camera. First shot uses a high (bright) exposure, followed by one with a slightly lower (dim) exposure. The difference is one half shutter speed, so if the first was 1/4 sec, the second is 1/8 sec. Exact same image, different exposures:
Here are the SilverStar and EuroLights bulbs with lenses photographed at the exact same exposure setting, at approximately the same angle on different sides of car:
In conclusion, the EuroLights bulb was clearly a bluer white than the SilverStar. However, the SilverStar seems to have a slight edge in brightness level. Subjectively, I felt the EuroLights were brighter in person, but the camera told a different story.
____________________________________
Next up, I switched out the EuroLights bulb for the new Philips X-treme Power. Here's a shot of the car with an X-treme Power and a SilverStar:
A couple shots of SilverStar and X-treme bulbs projected on the garage door, using the same high/low exposure system as before (same image, different exposures):
Here are the SilverStar and X-treme lenses photographed at the exact same exposure setting, at approximately the same angle on different sides of car:
Notice the warmer color of the X-treme Power's light. I wasn't expecting this, and immediately assumed the SilverStar was brighter, but in examining the pictures it appears almost a tie, with the X-treme producing a bright white at the very center, but warmer around. Almost too close to call.
____________________________________
Last part of the test was to replace the SilverStar with the EuroLights bulb and compare with the X-treme Power. Here's a shot of the two on the car:
EuroLights and X-treme bulbs projected on the garage door, using same high/low exposures (same image, different exposures):
EuroLights and X-treme lenses photographed at the exact same exposure setting, at approximately the same angle on different sides of car:
Once again, very close, with a clearly bluer white light from the EuroLights bulb, and a warmer light from the X-treme Power. Both bulbs are bright, but again I felt the EuroLights was brighter in person. The blueish light plays a trick on your mind - you want to believe the blue is whiter and brighter. I used my camera as a light meter to get a rough measure of output from both beams - both measured about the same. Looking at the photos, I think the X-tremes have a slight edge, keeping in mind the EuroLights bulb is more than a year old. The SilverStar bulb probably saw 6-9 months use. If not for their short life span, I would have more respect for SilverStars.
Here are some more shots of EuroLights vs. X-treme Power with the car backed up about 60 ft:
Same from closer up, right and left:
So were the Phillips X-treme Power halogens worth $50? I haven't yet driven with them installed, so I'm not 100% sure, but initial tests suggest the answer will be "No". They are very bright, and they do use less power, but this is not enough to justify the extra cost, imo. They may project 80% more light than the worst halogen bulb, but they only gave me a 5-10% improvement at best. The only way the X-tremes could win my heart is if they were somehow able to project their light further down the road than the EuroLights (as Philips claims they will). The last few photos do show the X-tremes working well at longer range.
Additionally, I think it will come down to color preference, bulb longevity, and price. If the Philips bulbs last significantly longer than a year, I may buy them again. Otherwise, I really liked the cool white glow of the EuroLights, and for $35 they were almost worth replacing every ~365 days. I don't know, will need to drive on it a few nights and then will post back with a verdict.
'70 Ninety-Eight Holiday Coupe 455cid • 116k miles ^^^ SOLD ^^^
deekster_caddy Master
Name : Derek Age : 52 Location : Reading, MA Joined : 2007-01-31Post Count : 7717 Merit : 109
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 12:32 pm
Nice photographic comparison. Thanks for taking the plunge for the greater good. I think I'll order my next set of Eurolights!
-Derek
Hometown Hero Junkie
Name : Klix Age : 46 Location : Barrhead, Alberta Canada Joined : 2009-11-18Post Count : 807 Merit : 16
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 1:09 pm
Nice comparison on the bulbs AA. Can't say I would have taken the time myself so bravo . I'm not at all surprised the Silverstars didn't top the charts, like I had said in the regards to the PIAA comparison awhile back. "I really don't see what all the hype is about" over the Silverstars they just aren't a top quality light. I can't comment on the Eurolights they're the only brand I don't stock and sell. Thanks again though for the effort this will even act as a good demo to show my customers the difference.
AA Administrator
Name : Aaron Age : 47 Location : C-bus, Ohio Joined : 2007-01-13Post Count : 18452 Merit : 252
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 1:29 pm
Hey now, I'd say Riviera Performance is due some kind of donation if you're going to use our photos to sell head lamps!
'70 Ninety-Eight Holiday Coupe 455cid • 116k miles ^^^ SOLD ^^^
Hometown Hero Junkie
Name : Klix Age : 46 Location : Barrhead, Alberta Canada Joined : 2009-11-18Post Count : 807 Merit : 16
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:44 pm
I'll tell you what... I will sell you guys parts for your Rivs at my cost if your close by(like in Canada) you'll save a bundle even with shipping. I don't know if it would be beneficial to you southerners in the U.S. tho. Shipping would gobble up the difference pretty fast. But if your ever curious on my cost for a part just ask, I will be more than happy to look it up for you to compare. Rember tho my Price wil be in CAD so there may be a lil math involved.
Karma Aficionado
Name : Andrew Age : 40 Location : Ontario, Canada Joined : 2008-01-14Post Count : 1949 Merit : 123
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:36 pm
Hometown Hero wrote:
I'll tell you what... I will sell you guys parts for your Rivs at my cost if your close by(like in Canada) you'll save a bundle even with shipping. I don't know if it would be beneficial to you southerners in the U.S. tho. Shipping would gobble up the difference pretty fast. But if your ever curious on my cost for a part just ask, I will be more than happy to look it up for you to compare. Rember tho my Price wil be in CAD so there may be a lil math involved.
WOOT! ...I'm so going to take you up on this sometime!
_________________
Hometown Hero Junkie
Name : Klix Age : 46 Location : Barrhead, Alberta Canada Joined : 2009-11-18Post Count : 807 Merit : 16
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:47 pm
Where in Ontario are you. I used to live in Burlington, where my mom and some other relatives are. My step brother Terry actually owns National4wd down there and the head office in Calgary. So it would be easy to get you stuff for sure, plus you can avoid the extra PST if I remember right you guys are still paying PST, our sales tax is only 5% GST in AB. Just PM me if your ever curious about a part and price. I can look up whatever you want, but if we are shipping stuff that kinda distance give me your OEM #'s to cross reference to ensure you get the right part the 1st time. Fair enough?
Allstyle Special
Name : Paul H Age : 60 Location : Windsor Ont. Canada Joined : 2010-01-15Post Count : 3 Merit : 0
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 5:22 pm
Good job with the light survey I know what lights Im buying when my Silverstars burn up Thanks Rickw
Eldo Expert
Name : Mark Age : 59 Location : West Salem, Oregon... FINALLY Joined : 2009-04-09Post Count : 3174 Merit : 104
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 5:45 pm
In these pics, it looks like the X-treme Power bulbs are putting out more usable light than the EuroLights.
That's one of the things that bothered me when I started doing my own research. We have a whole industry that is convincing people that blue is better, even though the human eye sees the red end of the spectrum better than the blue end...
Add to that the fact that the blue glass is reducing both the warmer wavelengths AND the total output, and you've got fewer lumens on the road. Mainly though, to make up for the lost light, these nominal 55W bulbs are running the maximum allowed power, which is why their life is so atrocious!
A standard halogen has a rated life of 850 - 1000 hours... The Silverstars, X-treme Powers, GE NightHawks, etc. are only rated at about 150 - 300 hours - and it's not easy to find that info on the 'net, either. That's a hell of a short life for a premium price bulb, and especially annoying in a car where the headlamps are such a pain to change.
I'm trying to test a bulb that claims to truly be the brightest halogen you can buy, 1800 lumens in a 55W low beam, 3700K with an 800 hour rated life. Unfortunately, the first pair arrived defective...
Last edited by Eldo on Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:03 pm; edited 1 time in total
Rickw Guru
Name : Rick Location : Lancaster, MA Joined : 2008-09-13Post Count : 6282 Merit : 119
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 5:54 pm
Eldo wrote:
I'm trying to test a bulb that claims to truly be the brightest halogen you can buy, 1800 lumens in a 55W low beam, with an 800 hour rated life. Unfortunately, the first pair arrived defective...
Which bulb is it.????
Eldo Expert
Name : Mark Age : 59 Location : West Salem, Oregon... FINALLY Joined : 2009-04-09Post Count : 3174 Merit : 104
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:08 pm
Rickw wrote:
Eldo wrote:
I'm trying to test a bulb that claims to truly be the brightest halogen you can buy, 1800 lumens in a 55W low beam, with an 800 hour rated life. Unfortunately, the first pair arrived defective...
Which bulb is it.????
I'm not saying, unless and until I get this pair replaced with proper bulbs, and I can take before & after pictures...
Rickw Guru
Name : Rick Location : Lancaster, MA Joined : 2008-09-13Post Count : 6282 Merit : 119
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:12 pm
Na, Na, NA-NA- NA. I'm not sharing.!!!! J/k
Eldo Expert
Name : Mark Age : 59 Location : West Salem, Oregon... FINALLY Joined : 2009-04-09Post Count : 3174 Merit : 104
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:57 pm
J/K, I know, but more like not sending anyone else on a goose chase unless I get these things right... Supposedly I'm dealing with a respectable website, but after 2 business days I haven't received a reply to my customer service email...
Rickw Guru
Name : Rick Location : Lancaster, MA Joined : 2008-09-13Post Count : 6282 Merit : 119
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Tue Feb 02, 2010 9:01 pm
I agree, I was Just Kidding. My headlights work fine, but always on the lookout for more Lumens.
If wish i could the picture of the Poster that was popular a while back with a bout a dozen girls with perfect bodies all with their rear facing the camera and they all had the perfect gap between their crotches and thighs. That was what we me and a buddy of mine coined the Lumen Factor, when we lived on Clearwater Beach, FL. We were always on the lookout for the perfect Lumem Factor. The good old days. Those beaches were loaded with them. And these chicks knew it when they had the Lumens to show off. The sun would shine through perfectly.
AA Administrator
Name : Aaron Age : 47 Location : C-bus, Ohio Joined : 2007-01-13Post Count : 18452 Merit : 252
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:48 am
Eldo wrote:
Add to that the fact that the blue glass is reducing both the warmer wavelengths AND the total output, and you've got fewer lumens on the road. Mainly though, to make up for the lost light, these nominal 55W bulbs are running the maximum allowed power, which is why their life is so atrocious!
I agree that in many cases the blue tinted bulbs dim the output, but the Eurolights are an exception, imo. The reason is, I believe they are actually 80W bulbs. When someone writes the company and asks specifically what the wattage is, they may say 65W to cover their backside legally, but the bulbs have "12V 80W" printed right on the plug. What this means is although the blue tint dims the output, the extra power makes up for it. So we really can't say there are fewer lumens projected on the road. My personal opinion is the Eurolights are bright enough, even if the photos don't agree. But I also think the photos read differently to different eyes.
I was really hoping the X-treme Power bulbs would have blown the Eurolights out of the water, but their edge was marginal at best. The "improvement" was not worth an extra $15, imo.
After driving last night with one X-treme Power and one Eurolights bulb, they appear to put out about the same amount of light. Only difference is, the X-treme Power seems more yellow (spec: 3400ºK), the Eurolights seem more blue (spec: 4100ºK). So again, it comes down to color preference. FWIW, the SilverStars (spec: 4000ºK) are a middle ground, with their light being near perfect white, and with impressive output. I didn't expect that result.
For what it's worth, human eyes see the color green best at night. However, it isn't practical for road use for obvious reasons. You'd surely get a ticket in no time. But the color temperature between 4000-6000ºK is very close to touching green on a color chart. My research shows 3400ºK as being close to a tungsten photoflood lamp, 4100ºK as moonlight, and 5000-6000ºK as daylight, depending on time of day. On overcast days, the light gets more blue, closer to 6500ºK.
Eldo wrote:
I'm trying to test a bulb that claims to truly be the brightest halogen you can buy, 1800 lumens in a 55W low beam, 3700K with an 800 hour rated life. Unfortunately, the first pair arrived defective...
It's interesting how this product claims to offer everything, yet came DOA. That would scare me far away, but I hope the replacements work for you. I honestly don't believe you can have much more output from a 55W halogen than we already do now. The Philips X-tremes are supposed to be the brightest, but it wasn't an 80% improvement. They are about the same as SilverStars, but with a slightly warmer light.
If you want the absolute brightest halogen, one solution is to run dual external relays, and use higher wattage bulbs (with harness adapter for 9003) such as the Osram Super Bright Off-Road, which surpasses 2000 lumens and has a claimed life of 500 hours. This is not only illegal, but it could be overkill. I'm not sure anyone really needs this much light. I'm pretty happy with any of the three choices I reviewed, and the comfort from knowing I'm not blinding other drivers is a good thing.
'70 Ninety-Eight Holiday Coupe 455cid • 116k miles ^^^ SOLD ^^^
Eldo Expert
Name : Mark Age : 59 Location : West Salem, Oregon... FINALLY Joined : 2009-04-09Post Count : 3174 Merit : 104
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Wed Feb 17, 2010 4:54 pm
AA wrote:
It's interesting how this product claims to offer everything, yet came DOA. That would scare me far away, but I hope the replacements work for you. I honestly don't believe you can have much more output from a 55W halogen than we already do now. The Philips X-tremes are supposed to be the brightest, but it wasn't an 80% improvement. They are about the same as SilverStars, but with a slightly warmer light.
Well, the core technology is what makes the claims, but the problem is with the execution, particularly that these were made in China. I'm working on "the big post" later today, which will show my research and final results...
BTW, have you felt the temperature of the lenses with the 80W Eurolights? That extra 45% power consumption would have me worried.
AA Administrator
Name : Aaron Age : 47 Location : C-bus, Ohio Joined : 2007-01-13Post Count : 18452 Merit : 252
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Wed Feb 17, 2010 5:04 pm
I did take a chance with the EuroLights (on a tip from another Riviera owner), but after 3 years of operation, I'm not worried about it. The reflective coating in the lenses seems unaffected. Neither the bulbs nor the lenses felt uncomfortably warm to the touch.
'70 Ninety-Eight Holiday Coupe 455cid • 116k miles ^^^ SOLD ^^^
Eldo Expert
Name : Mark Age : 59 Location : West Salem, Oregon... FINALLY Joined : 2009-04-09Post Count : 3174 Merit : 104
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:22 pm
AA wrote:
I did take a chance with the EuroLights (on a tip from another Riviera owner), but after 3 years of operation, I'm not worried about it. The reflective coating in the lenses seems unaffected. Neither the bulbs nor the lenses felt uncomfortably warm to the touch.
Ah, I didn't catch that the Euros were the old ones, I thought they were a new experiment...
Eldo Expert
Name : Mark Age : 59 Location : West Salem, Oregon... FINALLY Joined : 2009-04-09Post Count : 3174 Merit : 104
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Thu Feb 18, 2010 4:31 am
. Drum roll please, maestro...... My Report on... The Latest & Greatest "HIR-Technology" Low-Beam Headlight Bulbs!!
... Settle in for a long read my friends, as I've spent a lot of hours on this project and this writeup, and I'm going to quote or link to much of what I found in my research... These HB4/9006-adaptable HIR2/9012 low-beam bulbs truly DO give hundreds more lumens for the same 55 watts of power consumption and external heat as a regular halogen bulb, and are rated at many times more hours than the other "premium" replacements for the 9006... especially the vaunted yet despised SilverStars. ( I stress 'rated' because it'll take a long time to personally verify, but hey, if you can't trust Philips, who can you trust? ) These bulbs are also several hundred degrees Kelvin whiter than standard clear-glass halogen bulbs, a fact I confirmed when comparing my new low-beams with my brand-new NAPA/Wagner 9005 65-Watt Halogen high-beam bulbs...
My own condensation of "HIR" is this: Halogen Infrared Reflecting bulbs were invented a decade ago by GE, and the main advancement is the coating of the inside of the glass envelope with an opalescent chemical that reflects the IR spectrum back to the filament, making it glow brighter with what would otherwise be waste-heat. Instinct says that this should make the filament life shorter, just like over-wattage bulbs, but I haven't found any evidence to that effect on the Net, so I guess they can make the filament heavier without sacrificing the extra light...
As I said, good ol' General Electric invented the technology, but in typical modern-corporate-American fashion they then failed in the execution - their bulb was a wire-supported type that was too damned delicate to stand up to the rigors of automotive use. When you look at it, it really does look idiotic. Enter Toshiba... they licensed the technology from GE and created a much stronger, tail-light-style bulb with an even larger 'globe' around the filament and a large glass base for strength. Finally, following the success of the Toshiba bulb, (even having it spec'd as an OEM low-beam for John Deere tractors,) they offset the production to China, which I believe resulted in the spotty quality of the first set of bulbs I received, and the eventual discontinuation of the bulb by Toshiba... As I mentioned earlier, the bulbs that I first received were flawed: the IR coating petered out less than halfway up the globe around the filament; purely an assembly line QC issue. Candlepower.com sent me the 3rd-Generation-HIR Philips bulbs as a replacement for the defective Toshibas...
Here is a comparison of the 3 generations of HIR bulbs (out of order in the photo,) 1st=GE, 2nd=Toshiba, and 3rd=Philips... My gut tells me that the spherical envelope around the filament was a good idea, but Philips has done a good job with the production quality on their typically-tubular capsule. And while the Toshiba's were labeled HIR2/9012 - 55Watt - P.R.C. (People's Republic of China,) the Philips units are labeled HIR2LL/9012LL (LL = LongLife) - 55Watt - Made in Germany... The Philips bulbs also have a quartz envelope instead of glass, as well as the IR coating, supposedly to further increase the infrared reflectivity.
I didn't know that Toshiba had discontinued their version when I first ordered my bulbs, especially with all the great reviews online about the John Deere OEM bulbs that people have used on their cars... This would be a good place to mention that the 9012 bulb specification merely has a taller & wider tab at the 12 O'Clock position than a 9006. The only mod necessary is to take dikes or toenail clippers (my own choice, because of their natural curve,) and trim the top and the left side of that tab to match the old bulbs you're taking out... Took me about 2 minutes per bulb to do it in small, careful bites so that it wouldn't crack the plastic, and the new bulbs then fit in easily.
Here are my own photos of the bulbs, the round Toshiba and tubular Philips side-by-side (you can somewhat see the Infrared Reflective "purple haze" coating on them):
This is a photo, with a poor choice of background, that shows how the Toshiba IR coating peters out less than halfway up the filament:
Interestingly, this photo shows bubble-like flaws in the glass of the round Toshiba bulb, and also how the shadow of the coating stops quite low, while the Philips quartz envelope and IR coating are very uniform, with slight longitudinal striations...
Here is a chart of various bulb data that I've found:
As you can see, especially in a car with Twilight Sentinal turning on all the time, most of the high-output bulbs aren't gonna' last very long... One thing to note: Even thought they are actually the same company, going all the way back to the FlashBars for Polaroid SX-70 Land cameras, OSRAM SilverStars are evidently not blued, so they throw more total light on the road (albeit with similarly dismal life.) Possibly, the Sylvania SilverStar ULTRAS are the same bulb... but then you're also approaching the same price as the HIR's, at least at my local Kragen.
Here are my before & after pictures... I'll admit that I should have tried to get a higher exposure, but my 2004 digital camera is somewhat crude, and I'm not very good with it. The porch light in the upper left corner does show the consistency of the locked camera settings, though, and if the total light doesn't appear a full 80% brighter in the photos, it does in person... Please, go ahead and use your PageUp & PageDown buttons to make quick comparisons of the different bulbs.
In the second photo, notice how much clearer the weeds and the reflection on the hood are... and how well the light pattern is still contained, unlike aftermarket HID mods...
(And considering that this is the back side of a supermarket, I'm really impressed with myself for getting back into the exact same position... ) The previous Sylvania Halogen replacement bulbs...
And the new Philips HIR2LL bulbs...
In real life, the light on the ground immediately in front of the car is good enough to search for lost jewelry at night , the distance the light travels almost makes the high-beams superfluous, and the number of oncoming drivers flashing me the first night made me lower the adjusters from where they had previously been for years, without ever getting flashed...
While these bulbs don't have the little coat of black paint around the tip like regular 9006's, the only thing that really bothers me isn't the fault of the new bulbs - It is that the friggin' factory-replacement headlight ASSEMBLY I installed on the left side does not have the original black-steel tubular shield over the forward end of the bulb. So, the new unit on the driver's side of the car is now sending out more lateral light toward oncoming drivers! Dunno' why, but that's what you get for your $150... And speaking of FFU's (Factory Fuck Ups) who the hell decided that the 'threads' for the starboard headlight bulbs should be reversed?!? I've never seen that mentioned in any headlight thread, and if I hadn't taken the whole right assembly out as well (cuz the bumper cover was already off for replacing the left assy,) I'd have gone nuts trying to remove that bulb through the engine compartment while not knowing that those bulbs are righty-loosey, lefty-tighty...
Here is a review/comparison, by a disinterested third party, of SilverStars, XtremePowers, and Toshiba HIR's at Yahoo... And I would reiterate that these Philips bulbs give all this extra light for no extra heat or power consumption, and less than the price of 2 sets of quick-blow blue bulbs... Compared with the deficiencies of other halogens, and the unsuitability, illegality, expense and unreliability of aftermarket HID conversions, I would really recommend these HIR2LL bulbs... A friend of mine with a Police Interceptor is jealous because he can't buy these for his dual-beam system!
Oh, and here is where you can buy the Philips bulbs I ended up with. They backed up their product (literally) 150%: http://store.candlepower.com/ph3rdge90h.html
Last edited by Eldo on Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:59 am; edited 3 times in total
Rickw Guru
Name : Rick Location : Lancaster, MA Joined : 2008-09-13Post Count : 6282 Merit : 119
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Thu Feb 18, 2010 5:24 pm
Excellent write up and that headlight lens assembly sounds like a back breaker of a job. I've used that company in the past for purchasing quite a bit of inventory for the motorcycle shop. (Candlepower) I've purchased their named product as well as the Bosch halogen upgrade kit for older bikes. Right now I notice they have that set up for sale at $22.00. We were glad to get them for $75.00 back then to replace the OEM sealed beams with the Halogen. Actually still have one in one of my bikes, all I've done is changed the bulb to a PIAA. But with all the new research on these other bulbs that put out more lumens, I may be testing some new stuff myself. At least on the bike it is only one bulb. So if it doesn't work out it's not that expensive. Although the Dual Filament bulbs always cost more.
Eldo Expert
Name : Mark Age : 59 Location : West Salem, Oregon... FINALLY Joined : 2009-04-09Post Count : 3174 Merit : 104
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Thu Feb 18, 2010 11:14 pm
Rickw wrote:
But with all the new research on these other bulbs that put out more lumens, I may be testing some new stuff myself. At least on the bike it is only one bulb. So if it doesn't work out it's not that expensive. Although the Dual Filament bulbs always cost more.
I forgot to point out that the HIR's only come in 9012 and 9011, analogous to our 9006 and 9005's. They don't make a dual-filament bulb... yet.
Eldo Expert
Name : Mark Age : 59 Location : West Salem, Oregon... FINALLY Joined : 2009-04-09Post Count : 3174 Merit : 104
Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs Sat Feb 20, 2010 4:28 pm
Gee, I'm kinda' hurt - as long and involved as this thread has been, and no one has any comments or questions about my new writeup of the HIR bulbs?
I'm gonna' kick the kids, ground the dog, and go sulk...
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Subject: Re: SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs
SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs