Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site ihlpl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ihlpl!res From: res@ihlpl.UUCP (Rich Strebendt @ AT&T Information Systems - Indian Hill West; formerly) Newsgroups: net.auto,net.flame Subject: Re: Halogen headlights -- ARGH! Message-ID: <314@ihlpl.UUCP> Date: Thu, 29-Aug-85 19:00:57 EDT Article-I.D.: ihlpl.314 Posted: Thu Aug 29 19:00:57 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 31-Aug-85 09:05:47 EDT References: <1343@umcp-cs.UUCP>, <305@ihlpl.UUCP> <1119@homxa.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 74 Xref: watmath net.auto:7968 net.flame:11749 Continuing a discussion: >>> Halogen headlights are obnoxious! They serve virtually no useful >>> purpose, except for sadists who enjoy blinding other drivers! >> >> [ Amen, writ large ] >> >>There is no reason (other than a desire to be a public SOB) for a driver >>to equip his car with headlights that destroy the night vision of any >>driver who has the misfortune to encounter him. There are laws >>covering the use and misuse of ordinary high beams -- there should be >>comparable laws governing the misuse of Halogen headlights. In fact, I >>would favor the complete BANNING of these nuisances. >> > > Properly aimed halogen headlights spill LESS light into the eyes of on-comming > drivers. Halogen lights have a very sharp cut-off in their beam pattern that > allows them to brilliantly illuminate the ground in front of your car but > provide hardly any light much above the grill level of an on-comming car. This is true if the cars meet on a straight stretch of road. Consider the case of two cars on a curve, when the car on the outside of the curve is right in the beams of a Halogen-equipped car. Instant Blindness!!!. > About the only way to tell if an on-comming car with properly aimed lights > has halogens or regular lights is that the halogens are bright white in the > lower half of the lens and the upper half of the lens looks as if it is > in shadow. Regular lights are noticeably yellow and the entire lens is > illuminated. This is a good description of the outward appearance. > These of course are subtle differences that an IDIOT CRETIN > such as your self would not notice. You probably could not tell if the > headlight blinding you was a halogen or not, best you can figure out is > that it is misaimed. Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. I was pleased with the high level of intelligence and maturity that this posting evinced, then I hit this passage. . Since I am not stunted in stature nor suffering from a thyroid deficiency, it appears that you are attacking my mental abilities. Unfortunately, this contributes only heat to the discussion, not enlightenment. Which brings me back to the original discussion: > If by chance you and are referring to halogen > DRIVING lights (accessory single beam lights that usually mount above or > below the bumper and produce "pencil" beams) you are correct that use > of these on approaching traffic is obnoxious. I personally believe that > these should be keyed with the high beams and have a separate power switch > so they can be turned off completely. Interestingly enough, most states > require that these NOT be keyed with the highbeams and simply have an on-off > switch. Under this scheme people sometimes leave them on with their lowbeams, > totally inappropriate. I do find the add-on lights even worse than the factory-supplied units. I think that another viable alternative to the control schemes that you discuss above would be to make these lights (if they are not to be banned) an alternative to the normal lights. That is, set them up so that they are off if any other lights are in use, and so that the other lights are extinguished when these are turned on. This tends to alleviate the problem of encountering the vehicle which is projecting about 73 Mega Candlepower from a collection of 23 lights distributed around the nose of the vehicle (seen most often on pickup trucks which have been raised 23 feet above the ground). > Obviously, state law makers share your degree of > technical knowledge and sophistication. Alas, another cutting remark in an otherwise well stated and informative article! Rich Strebendt ...!ihnp4!iwsl6!res