

| Subject: | Re: Installed headlight relays, need new bulbs |
| From: | Al Knoll |
| Date: | Fri, 1 Oct 2004 11:38:43 -0700 |
Hola Leo! Perhaps I've mentioned this before but...now that you have minimized the voltage drop to your harness connectors you have overcome the 'intensity' part of the equation. Now you just have to focus on the rest. If you have the 'boutique' DOT rectangular unique-to-vanagons lenses/reflectors, adding more intensity really won't do what you have in mind. Rather like pouring coffee into a drunk, wide awake now but still drunk. If on the other hand you have Euro Code or E-Code rectangulars you can upgrade to 80/100W bulbs and have a very significant improvement. Aiming these reflectors properly will give you a very useful wide dispersion low beam. The high beam is of course rarely used except on dimly lit byways but it too will be much improved. The key is to have a high intensity low beam that does not dazzle oncoming traffic or the rear view mirror of the car in front of you. My system uses two 7" round sharp cutoff reflectors mounted in pre 85 round buckets with the h4 80/100w bulbs. With a well made reflector/lens assembly, additional driving lights are rarely needed. In a pinch the 7" can be readily replaced at local FLAPS with a standard headlight should one of the reflectors be damaged. The object isn't wattage but light intensity where it does the most good. Since the vanagon headlights sit significantly higher from ground level than on most cars and since the aiming points for most 7" reflector systems are fixed relative to high and low beam, properly aiming the low beam will give you a slightly depressed highbeam hotspot. No free lunch here. The end result is better illumination on the road and to the sides, good reflector/lens assemblies are the most effective way to reach this objective. Adding more 'lumens' or light power to good reflectors makes them brighter but still retains their dispersion or beam pattern. Adding more lumens to poorly designed reflectors makes their design flaws even more evident. Cheers, pensioner
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