Nadgradnje osvetlitve vozil ponujajo veliko možnosti

Ko gre za vožnjo v temi, sta kakovost in količina razsvetljave najpomembnejši za vašo varnost in varnost tistih okoli vas. V zadnjih letih so proizvajalci avtomobilov začeli vlagati veliko truda v svoje sisteme razsvetljave. Od dni razsvetljave z žarilno nitko do nadgradenj s halogenskimi plini, visokointenzivnimi razelektritvami (HID), svetlečimi diodami (LED) in – nazadnje – laserji, je razsvetljava prehodila dolgo pot. Tudi poprodajni trg se hitro razvija, zato si poglejmo nekaj možnosti, ki lahko vašo nočno vožnjo naredijo varnejšo.

Možnosti svetlobnega vira

Možnosti tovarniške zamenjave žarometov so najbolj priljubljene razpoložljive nadgradnje. Obstajajo tri osnovne možnosti:žarnica, LED in HID. Žarnice z žarilno nitko uporabljajo visokotemperaturno žarilno nitko, ki sveti do bele vročine, ko skozi njo teče tok. Napredek pri materialih in izbiri plinov, ki se uporabljajo pri izdelavi žarnice, sta izboljšala učinkovitost in dolgo življenjsko dobo ter povečala svetlobno moč. Pred nekaj leti so bile priljubljene zatemnjene žarnice z žarilno nitko – dajale so belo/moder videz visokodolarskih kompletov HID. Vendar vsakič, ko postavite nekaj med vir svetlobe in tisto, kar poskušate osvetliti, zmanjšate moč svetlobe. kul? ja Svetlo? Ne toliko.

Najnovejši bes so LED luči. Vozila, kot so Toyota Corolla, Acura MDX in nova Honda Civic, so na voljo z žarometi LED. Ti viri svetlobe so zelo svetli. Ko so vklopljeni, zelo hitro ustvarijo polno moč. Na poprodajnem trgu postajajo LED nadomestne žarnice za žaromete vse bolj priljubljene. Kakovost LED diod, ki so na voljo, narašča skupaj s povpraševanjem. Svetlobna moč (merjena v lumnih) pa še vedno malo zaostaja za HID žarnicami. LED luči pogosto stanejo več, ker se jih ne proizvede toliko – vprašanje ponudbe in povpraševanja. LED luči zahtevajo tudi zunanje hlajenje. Aluminijasti hladilniki, pleteni kovinski jezički in ventilatorji so pogoste rešitve za pomoč pri odvajanju toplote, ki jo ustvarjajo LED. To lahko predstavlja izziv glede namestitve in razpoložljivega prostora.

Lincoln Mark VIII iz leta 1996 velja za prvo serijsko vozilo s HID žarometi. Ta sistem deluje tako, da poveča napetost električnega sistema vozila 12 V na približno 100 voltov. Ta napetost gre na par elektrod v komori, napolnjeni s plinom. Enakomerna iskra med obema elektrodama proizvaja svetlobo. Vendar pa potrebuje približno 25.000 voltov, da luči začnejo delovati. Zato dobite majhno, svetlo bliskavico, ko prvič vklopite sistem HID. HID luči so med najsvetlejšimi na trgu. Barva svetlobe, ki jo proizvajajo, je bližja sončni svetlobi, z več modre vsebine kot pri žarnicah z žarilno nitko.

Svetla barva

Govoriti bi morali o barvi svetlobe, ali natančneje, temperatura svetlobe je ocenjena na Kelvinovi lestvici. Nižje vrednosti, okoli 3500–4500 K, imajo precejšnjo vsebnost rumene in oranžne barve in so podobne žarnicam z žarilno nitko. Navzgor po lestvici je 4500–6000 K bolj modro in bližje sončni svetlobi. Kljub temu, ko se vsebnost modrega poveča, se lahko poveča tudi nagnjenost k utrujenosti oči – pogled na modro svetlobo je lahko naporen. You don’t want to go too high for daily use. Bulbs rated at 6,000–10,000 K are for appearance purposes only. The light becomes more purple toward the high-end of the spectrum. These are fine for a show car, but not practical or safe for daily use.

Light Intensity

Many people believe there is a direct correlation between color temperature and light output. That depends, of course, on the manufacturer of the bulb. The thinking is that lower temperatures produce more light output. Ultimately, the amount of light that is produced will determine how much and how far you can see.

Light output is measured in lumens. More lumens means more brightness, which, for a given beam pattern, means that the road will be illuminated better.

Beam Pattern

When upgrading your headlights, it is critically important that you are conscious of the resulting beam pattern. The light that is emitted from the front your vehicle is in a specific pattern – not round like a flashlight. The beam has a flat line through it, ever so slightly below horizontal. This allows the light to illuminate the road without blinding oncoming drivers. The light should also be brighter near the edge of this cutoff, putting more light down the road rather than in front of the vehicle. Too much light in the foreground will cause your pupils to close slightly, reducing how far down the road you can see.

Likewise – and this is a great night driving tip – the brightness of the vehicle interior can have the same effect. Keep the dash and radio illumination as dim as possible. That can help you see further down the road.

If the new light bulbs you install change the beam pattern, remove them. They are not compatible with your headlights, and they will blind oncoming drivers. This is extremely dangerous and can cause accidents.

Headlight Styles

There are two types of factory headlight assemblies in use today:reflector style and projector style.

The projectors are fairly easy to recognize – they have smallish, 2–3” round lenses. Reflectors have a large, molded, mirror-finish bowl behind the light. While one is not necessarily better than the other, you do need to know which you have when you go shopping for upgrades. Aftermarket HID kits don’t typically work properly in reflector-style headlight assemblies. The beam pattern becomes uncontrolled, pointing light into the eyes of oncoming drivers. In many cases, depending on the specific design of the kit you choose, you can use an LED upgrade in those applications.

In projector-style systems, the shape of the internal reflector is designed to work with either incandescent or HID style bulbs. The position and shape of the light source differs between these two bulb types. You can often get away with putting HID bulb kits in a projector designed for Incandescent bulbs without any detrimental effects, but they may not be quite as bright or focused as an HID bulb in a projector designed specifically for that application.

Retrofits

If you are looking for the ultimate lighting upgrade, you may want to contact your local mobile electronics specialist about a retrofit. A retrofit involves removing the headlights from the vehicle, taking them apart, and installing new projectors with OEM-quality bulbs and ballasts. Most of these solutions use what is known as a bi-xenon projector. These projector assemblies have motorized shutters that move to produce a “high beam” light pattern. The output of these systems is among the best there is – perfect beam pattern, excellent cutoff and great light output. Some headlights are easier to work on than others, so contact a local specialist for details about your lights.

You can also make some cosmetic changes while the lights are apart. The installation of LED halo rings, and painting some of the interior components can have a dramatic effect on the look of the vehicle.

Wiring

When you want to change headlights, wiring is often involved. Many new vehicles have systems in place to detect when a bulb is burnt out. They can also modulate the voltage to high-beam lighting circuits to operate them as daytime running lights.

When it comes to wiring, nobody is better than your local car audio specialist retailer. Work with them to ensure that your new light wiring can provide enough current and operates the way it should. Relays, capacitors and load resistors may be required to achieve the results you want. Don’t ever skimp on wiring – it affects the reliability of the lights you install, and your safety is at risk.

A Word of Caution About Vehicle Lighting Upgrades

We want to remind you that your headlights are a tool. They are not toys, and their performance and reliability are of the utmost importance to your safety and the safety of those you share the road with. Lighting upgrades are a great way to improve your safety at night. Drop by your local mobile electronics specialist and discuss your options.