Dark Ages are Over!

		The Dark Ages……are over! Lights of the past, present and the future!

	Before there were electric lights in cars, there used to be burning candles on cars. That has lasted for over 100 years with very little change until recently. During the 1930s, European light makers developed the first controlled light beam and output vehicle headlights. They adjusted the reflector and installed a front lens to focus the lights. They also invented the fog light during this stage to improve driving in fog. These light were great for endurance races which permitted high speed travel during hours or darkness. Dark Ages began to diminish after WW II when the United States passed a law that required the use of sealed beam headlights. The light units used replaceable bulb filaments. This appeared to be a great idea but corrosion began to destroy the European-style headlights. Within time, the Europeans overcame this problem by sealing the lights and developing halogen light systems. The United States lawmakers continued to use the ancient sealed lights as the Europeans moved on to brighter ideas! This caused many Americans to import illegal lights from German manufactures such as Bosch and Hella. Others imported PIAA lights from Japan. 90% of information that we use for driving come from our eyes. During a bright sunny day, a driver must react every 250ft to maintain control and process all road signs and advisories. That means while driving at a speed of 100kph, you must check for signs and road conditions every 2 to 3 seconds. That's a very lot but if you add in the factor of darkness, this multiplies! This becomes tricky and a much higher level of attention is needed to maintain that level of awareness. As we become older, out visual acuity decreases. Add in fatigue, heavy traffic, bright lights and glare from oncoming vehicles, and you can understand why the Europeans light manufacturers have worked day and night to improve the automotive light options. Not until the mid 80’s did the Americans finally decide to approve Halogen bulbs for road use. The American highways finally became brighter. As time passed and vehicles had begun take a more aerodynamic form, the lights were integrated more into the vehicles. The lights were better than the previous but sometimes too bright and poorly aimed. Manufactures began making projector style headlights which improved the beam pattern and reduced glare. Optional Light sources Thomas Edison’s style of light was built from a small thin wire filament that was heated while an electrical current passes through it. When this active filament is placed inside a sealed glass bulb and filled with halogen gases, this produces a very bright light and extends the life of the filament. However, there is another option for producing light. Xenon! Xenon lights are made by placing two electrodes near one another and passing a very high voltage through them until an arc is formed between them. They are very unstable in the normal atmosphere but when placed inside a vacuum or in the presence of a gas such as Xenon, it becomes very controllable and produces more light. The voltage required to make this arc can be in excess of 25,000 volts. High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights produce up to three time the light of an average halogen light and more then ten times the life expectancy. H.I.D.s were very expensive and could only be found on high-end luxury and sport vehicles and as they became more common, the price has fallen drastically. Currently, H.I.D.s are the best light sources for vehicles. Initially the price of H.I.D. light systems were in excess of $2000 and has now reached the hundreds. By the year 2008, 10% of vehicles will be originally equipped with H.I.D.s. European light manufactures have led the way in automotive light technology. Although H.I.D.s are superior, they do have their inferior times. When misaligned or dirt covers the lenses, they can produce a significant glare for oncoming traffic. All European cars equipped with H.I.D.s are required to have headlight washers and auto leveling motors. These regulations are nonexistent in the United States. Options If you own an older car or would like to purchased a new car that is not equipped with a H.I. D system, there are options for brighter lights. Many people upgrade their headlights to Sylvania Silverstar halogen bulbs for a cost below $50. These will produce a 4000K color temperature which is very close to the standard H.I.D. system. The next option is to install H.I.D. bulbs in place of your halogen bulbs. Many companies sell kits that advertise on the WEB that include all the necessary hardware (high voltage ballasts and wiring to convert halogen units to H.I.D.). A wide range of color temperatures are available. Some may reach the 10,000K mark. Many auto turners build H.I.D.'s from other OEM equipped vehicles such as Mercedes and BMW. Although you can install H.I.D.s on your car, they are not always appropriate for your vehicle. Some may overpower the reflector and lens which produces a glare for oncoming traffic. This may also affect the beam pattern and reduce visibility. Some U.S. States prohibit a H.I.D. conversion and in Europe the appropriate measures must be taken to include TUEV approval. When making this conversion, ensure they are installed properly or you could have wasted several hundreds of dollars and hours of time. Do your research prior to this commitment. Types of lights Driving, fog and cornering lights are produced by top light manufactures such as MTEC (http://www.xenonwhite.de), Hella (www.hella.com), PIAA (www.piaa.com) and Osram Sylvania (www.sylvania.com). They spend millions of dollars supporting their technologies in international rallies and endurance races. The typical driving light produces a wide beam pattern and can also supplement the vehicle’s high beam lights. Fog lights should be mounted low on the vehicle and produce a flat and low pattern the work in conjunction with the vehicle’s low beams to provide improved visibility in fog. Cornering lights are designed to provide extra light to the sides of the vehicle to see better as you enter a curve. This is the reason BMW has integrated the Angel Eyes into their light. BMW angel eyes are built using fiber-optics and halogens. They use a lighted box with a high-intensity halogen bulb to light the fiber optic cables. Hella has also built a system that uses a light bending technology called DynaView. It uses a lateral acceleration sensor to determine when a vehicle enters a turn. The future Hella has produced headlights for BMW that shift their light beams to illuminate the turns you enter. This was originally equipped on the Citroen cars and several American cars in the 1930’s. Light Emitting Diodes (L.E.D.s) are the leading technology of the future. LED headlights are expected to hit the automotive market by 2008. L.E.D.s have some advantages which make them superior. L.E.D.s run cooler than halogen and H.I.D. bulbs. They can also be packaged into smaller spaces and could last the lifetime of the vehicle. When L.E.D.s are packaged together, they can produce a vast amount of light. Although lights are very important, Cadillac and BMW use night vision systems to produce images on an internal screen or motion points on the windshields. This works great during low light areas and also in fog. Computer recognition software will soon alert drivers of obstacles and recognize lane changes. Peugeot uses this technology to alert the driver upon lane changes buy vibrating the seat. Lighting technology has improved in the recent years and other gadgets will also assist drivers in during night journeys. I look forward to having a car that automatically takes me to a destination with a touch of a button. Until then, I will not be satisfied. Halogen lights produce a white color and H.I.D.s produce a blue-white accent. The sun produces a brightness level of 4870K. K stands for Kelvin degrees. Regular Headlight bulbs 2000K Standard Halogen bulbs 3200K “Blue” Halogen bulbs 3500K High-end Halogen Bulbs 4000K Standard H.I.D. systems 4100K Sunlight (At noon) 4870K Xenon H.I.D. 5400K Future LED systems 6500K Lights can be purchased at the following locations: MTEC (http://www.xenonwhite.de) - Great products and pricing! Hella (www.hella.com) PIAA (www.piaa.com) Osram Sylvania (www.sylvania.com)