This is quite confusing, should this post go in this thread or in the psychopathic motorbike thread?
I am referring to the example this evening of an idiot biker, on main beam, overtaking a line of slow traffic on the wrong side of the road and over double white lines, just to save 5 seconds and causing opposing traffic to have to stop to save his life.
I do find the "organ donor" handle somewhat offensive, but I am beginning to warm to the idea.
:climbsdownoffsoapboxandlooksforquietcorner:
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Ahhh yes...motorcyclists.
Is it me, or do they ALL go around with full main beam on now, rather than dipped headlights?
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And another thing........
People who insist on lighting up rear foglights when there's no fog - especially on a clear but wet night........... illegal but no-one ever does anything about it.
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and front foglights only(`cos they can)
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I find Bi-Zenon headlights far too intense and dazzling most of the time. I think they are an expensive options list fashion accessory. I don't think they offer any more than conventional halogen.
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and front foglights only(`cos they can)
Poseurs, the lot of them.
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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FiF and LD, I look at a bike forum from time to time and on there bikers like the idea that main beam makes them visible and noticeable. I hate the idea and my specs. make a face-full of main beam quite uncomfortable. So, yes it's likely that more of us will be annoyed by bikes with full beam on.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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As a car driver I too am annoyed by being dazzled.
As a motorcyclist if my lights annoy you, at least that means you've seen me !
Double standards I know ! But hey, it's my life.
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Ahhh yes...motorcyclists. Is it me, or do they ALL go around with full main beam on now, rather than dipped headlights?
In my experience, they all do. Sort of ~ get out of my way, you've no right to be on the same road as me.
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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I've also noticed that an increasing number of people seem to think it's ok to use full beam on dual carriageways when there's no-one in front of them - totally disregarding traffic in the opposite carriageway.......... [Rant over!]
There seems to be an ever increasing trend for a "Blow you, I'm all right Jack" attitude amongst all road users.
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L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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I'm sorry but I have to diasagree on the comment that Xenon lights are just cosmetic. They are vastly, vastly superior to Halogen once you get used to them (and they do take a lot of getting used to).
Once you get used to driving behind HID/Xenon, all Halogen lights seem absolutely apalling and dangerous by comparison. They are a real advance and a far more important option to choose on any car than a multitude of other things I could list.
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I have to agree, I would be most reluctant to buy a car with halogen again, after my current one with HID. It is an ealy HID (5 years old) so now, they are probably even better with these biXenon ones that change the beam pattern when on main beam. Lighting at the edge of your field of view (verges, side roads) seems far superior, the light cast is more even, and colour rendition is better)
I have a theory for those who complain they dazzle them, maybe they need to clean their windscreens or spectacles, as I agree Xenon projectors do have a hot spot which would cause a starburst/flaring on dirty glass.
Also, maybe they look at them too much due to not liking them, their eyes tune into them.
Maybe also, as their own headlights aren't very good, their eyes are more used to the dark than someone who has better lights. When someone coming towards you has main beam on, they always say don't put your on, but I think this is wrong, as I have found it has more to do with differentials in light than brightness. If both have them on, its almost as comfortable as both with dipped, as the main beams coming towards you are within a much brighter scene.
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pd said>>
"I'm sorry but I have to diasagree on the comment that Xenon lights are just cosmetic. They are vastly, vastly superior to Halogen once you get used to them (and they do take a lot of getting used to).
Once you get used to driving behind HID/Xenon, all Halogen lights seem absolutely apalling and dangerous by comparison. They are a real advance and a far more important option to choose on any car than a multitude of other things I could list.
pd,
Agreed. First time drove behind HID was distinctly unimpressed. Then got a car with them fitted, and as you say halogens now seem second rate.
Been dazzled more times by incorrectly aimed halogens, fogs and undipped lights that any vehicle with HID. Where such a vehicle has dazzled then it has been due to circumstances where the light source made absolutely no difference, eg approaching over a brow.
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In previewing the above post got 2 error messages along the lines of
"warning unknown modifier on line 38 together with what appeared to be an inoperative link.
yet no line 38 and all appeared OK. Didn't change a thing before posting.
??
just wondered what it was and letting you know in case of a bug somewhere.
FiF
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I have driven cars with Bi-Zenon lights and I accept that maybe I need to get used to them. I also ride a bike with twin headlights, but they are still pants compared with a car. I think I think I am just used to riding in the dark! My Rover has twin halogens which I think are brilliant.
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Would someone please explain (honestly) what the terminology HID and Bi-Xenon lights mean?
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L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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HID stands for High-intensity-discharge.
It has been used for decades in high-end floodlights such as those at sports grounds. The technology is similar to a camera flash that has a constant arc in a tube rather than a split second spark flash. The word Xenon is used a lot in relation to HID, as it\'s the name of the gas which the tubes are filled with. Some halogen bulbs are also filled with Xenon, which can confuse the issue, but they are not HID and still use a glowing filmaent instead of an arc. The arc through the Xenon gives off plasma light.
Xenon lights take a few seconds to \'warm up\' before they are warmed up, the light they give off is blue/green/purple and not at full brightness. This makes them less suitable for main beam, which are kept as halogen. More recently, biXenon has veeb developed, this may still be used as dipped and a supplement in conjunction with halogen main beam, or as a full subsitute for halogen in both main and dipped beams.
BiXenon changes the beam angle from main beam to dipped. This can be achieved by bending the spark via an ionised side electrode, a servo moving a shield or reflector, or the whole projector unit swivelling.
See this PDF
tinyurl.com/sqfy
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Guys
Disagree with the advantages of dipped Xenons. Previous motor fitted with xenons (Primera), whilst lit up the road much better for the 20 or so yards in front, then have the cut off with complete darkness beyond which is characteristic of xenons.
This doesn't come across too well in words but put simply 20 yards ahead of the vehicle - fantastic, 21 yards and beyond pitch black. New motor (x type) fitted with halogens but in projector form, now 20 yards ahead not as good, but light continues to fall say 21-35 yards ahead but decreasing all the time. This at least allows "some" illumination beyond the cut off and IMO makes for safer nightime driving on dipped.
A lot of my journeys are on unlit country roads and like the original theme of the thread I try to ensure I don't dazzle oncoming drivers by switching to dipped before they are in line of sight, it is in this period that I prefer conventials.
True the Nissan was 4 years old but the brother in law drives a brand new laguna with xenons and prefers his SWMBO's volvo S40 because of the same issue with cut off.
P45
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I think a comment my father made about the lights on my car sums up the benefits of HIDs. I drive a Vectra with HID and he a Skoda with "ordinary" halogens. Driving on a lit A road he asked if I still had main beams on!
The light is far superior to halogens and picks up road signs at a greater distance with greater clarity.
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pd and others - surely this is the point of this thread? The new technology bulbs give better illumination for the driver behind the bulbs, but yone in front is worse off. Rather like the advance in gun science from 1880 onwards. Newer cars have to have stronger lamps in escalating self-defence. Things may be OK if roads are level, all lamps are properly aimed and the owners remember to dip them. Otherwise (as has been said) I'm all right, Jack.
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When I do drive a Halogen equipped car I can't, in all honesty, say I find on-coming cars with HID lights any more blinding than Halogen. In fact, on the whole, I find them less blinding. I think there is still a tendency to for the eyes to be drawn towards them as they are "different".
As far as the HID cut-off is concerned, yes, it is usually sharper but every single HID equipped car I've owned has been delivered with hoplessly misaligned lights (always too low) from the manufacturers spec. If set correctly (and they need to be spot on) they should allow excellent driver vision without blinding on-coming traffic.
The other advantage of HID lights is that they pick up reflective surfaces (signs, cats-eyes, lines etc.) way beyond the obvious beam pattern.
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Perhaps this is the crux of the issue.....manufacturers should be forced to sell cars with correctly aligned lights, especially given that they need not be checked until the first MOT is due at 3 years old?
Ian L.
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I find HID etc lights very distracting and blinding. It may be down to misalignment but if so, then most (nearly all) I have come across following me or coming towards me are misaligned.
They seem to be especially bad when following me on anything other than the flattest of roads where each little bump causes the light to flash at me which is very annoying and off-putting. I must admit to never having driven in a car with these lights, so can't comment on the benefits from the driver's point of view, but from the person driving towards and especially the person being followed, I find them very irritating indeed.
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