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Headlight Question
Written by mikeyb_houtex on 5/17/2010 at 02:50 am

I know of no PC that has any *glass* enclosure. The halogen bulbs are of course
encased in glass... hence the reason you do not touch the glass capsule lest it
overheat and break.

And yes, in fact, we *are* talking about temperature. I have a little study
about Gen1 Mark VIII lenses that describe exactly why they are destined to fail
without exception... to the point that every single Gen1 Mark VIII with Halogen
lamp assemblies are going to be unroadworthy without serious modifications:
http://web.wt.net/~houtex/marklights.htm

Point is... I had the PIAA 90/100 watt in my PC before it blew. And I went back
to a standard 55/60... but the damage is done. The heat from the higher wattage
light (which, incidentally, IS a measure of heat, of sorts) has in fact
discolored the housing slightly.

Thankfully, with the extra room that the PC's lamp housing provides versus the
Mark VIII's, the damage is rather minimal, and the lamp works quite well with a
new standard H4 halogen replacement.

I am also a fan of the Silverstars. I just didn't, after getting a standard
55/60 watt bulb, see the need myself. But yes, even in the Mark VIII's damaged
housings, it was noticeable.

On the topic of HIDs... there are several 'papers' out there regarding a couple
of topics called 'Focal Length' and 'Arc Shape'. The filament of a bulb versus
the arc of an HID are quite different, and the HID has to be positioned
*exactly* to match the filaments. And no HID will produce a correct high beam
in a single capsule/housing lest you actually MOVE the capsule 'backwards'.
They are also not DOT legal, and generally produce quite the bit of glare when
used in a standard Halogen type assembly. Glare isn't something you want to
give anyone who might hit you. I do not recommend HID without an entire DOT
tested and approved assembly, something you won't get with a PC, unfortunately.

--- In ipcrc@yahoogroups.com, "cykleman" <cykleman@...> wrote:
>
> Okay, we're talking about light temperature, the heat is not a farenheight
equivalent. There is no temperature differentials in the heat the bulb gives
off. The other point is, if your PC is like mine, It's housing is glass, so
temperatures are of no concern. Your main problem is space. While HID uses less
electrical current, are definately brighter than halogens, last much longer, you
have to use an upgrade kit. The space is really limited on the PC. I use the
Sylvania Silver Star Halogens on my PC. I will not kid you, the difference is
visible.
> Kenney
>
> --- In ipcrc@yahoogroups.com, "Larry" <LND71@> wrote:
> >
> > Does anyone use the PIAA Bulb? If so which one and is anyone converted to
the H.I.D Bulb?
> >
>