H11 globe output vs hours

[lashfay]

Hi, I am running H11 phillips OEM globes. These are now six years old and are on during daytime driving. It appears to me that the globes are not as bright as they were when new.

So my question is: Will there be an expected drop in output from globes as they get older and accumulate run time hours?

- Dave.

 

[-Virgil-]

Yes, definitely! The halogen cycle does not redeposit tungsten onto the filament in a perfectly smooth layer. Over time, the filament surface gets to be quite rough, and you get what is called dendritic growth. This greatly reduces the emissivity of the filament, dropping not only the output (flux in lumens) but also the filament luminance. Result is decreased headlamp performance. Replacing the globes with new OE ones would help; replacing them with an Osram Night Breaker (or, better, a Philips Xtreme Power, if they would ever get around to making it in H11) would give a larger improvement at the expense of shorter bulb life. The question to ask is whether super-long bulb life is really usefully worth anything if what you get is years of dim and progressively dimmer headlamps.

 

[lashfay]

Here in Australia were due to be getting the Night breaker plus globes in under a different name (due to tradmark issues) this month. They will be branded Brown & Watson Blue Plus 90%. For any Aussie buyers you can get them thru Repco and Super Cheap Auto - that came straight from Osram Australia.

Which brings me to ask, if they have a blue tint to the glass, with a small section in the middle not tinted how will these perform in the wet? I hear alot of reports that blue tinted globes are not much good in the wet and reduce light output.

Im thinking that this might be why you suggest the Phillips x-treme's are a better globe?

Since I use these during the day, I have no daytime running running lamps will a daytime running module be something I should be looking into installing? Narva have one which will run the head lights at around 70%. Im not sure how this is done, as undervolting globes is bad I thought?

Its not easy trying to find a no nonsense globe!

-Dave

 

[-Virgil-]

The clear window for the filament to "look" through on the Night Breaker means you just get a blue appearance from certain angles when peering at the headlamps; the beam itself isn't filtered blue. Yes, the Xtreme Power is better because it has a smaller blue area, but I would not hesitate to use the Night Breaker if I had a car with H11 -- I would definitely not use any of the fully-blue globes. You don't say what sort of car you've got. If it has projector low beams (or reflectors with a full-cap style globe shield) you can do even better by simply swapping in an H9. About the same life rating as a Night Breaker H11, but much more light (2100 lumens) and much higher luminance. And no blue!

Undervolting halogen globes is not a good idea, no. You may want to look at Stern's indicator DRL module; I'm not 100% certain but I think amber is a legal color for DRLs in Australia under the relevant ADRs (see for example Peterson's #417 amber ADR-compliant DRL for big trucks and buses).

 

[Alaric Darconville]

However, don't use Peterson's #179 for any regulated lighting functions.

 

[lashfay]

Thanks the info. I did check the ADR's for DRL and the colour temp is 2856 degreese K. The car is a WL Holden Caprice which has projector type H11 low beam and H9 high beam with reflector with no cap, you can see the globe. I have seen people talking about fitting up the H9 into a H11.

Is there any recomendations on H9 globes that people are happy with? I have only been researching H11 and H4 (for another vehicle).
and is there any extra heat that needs to be addressed?

Here is a picture of the car and headlights. Thanks - Dave.

 

[-Virgil-]

Thanks the info. I did check the ADR's for DRL and the colour temp is 2856 degreese K

No. The ADRs do not specify color temperatures for vehicle lighting functions. That 2856K you saw is part of the spec for the output of an ordinary filament lamp (bulb) used to test the colorimetric compliance of lamps such as indicators, brake lights, and so on.

The car is a WL Holden Caprice which has projector type H11 low beam

By all means, swap in an H9! Any major brand (Philips, Osram, Narva, GE) will be fine; those are all pretty much alike.

 

[lashfay]

Thanks very for your help. I have made up my mind - I'll pickup a set of H9 globes and put them in tomorrow.

-Dave.

 

[Phatty McPatty]

What is the life expectancy for an H9 and H11 respectively? I searched the forum (and elsewhere) and the closest thing to an answer was "less than an H11." Also, does anyone know when H9B will be available in the US?

 

[-Virgil-]

What is the life expectancy for an H9 and H11 respectively?

There is no life expectancy for car bulbs. There is rated lifespan, which often bears no relationship to actual longevity but can be used for comparison purposes.

Regular H11: 1000 hrs (B3), 2000 hrs (Tc)
H11 Night Breaker, the best-performing H11 on the market: 100hrs (b3), 180 hrs (Tc)
H9: 250 hrs (B3), 500 hrs (Tc)

Reminder, B3 is the hour figure at which 3% of the test lot has failed. Tc is the hour figure at which 63.2% of the test lot has failed. Figures are at 13.2v.

Also, does anyone know when H9B will be available in the US?

It already is.

 

[Phatty McPatty]

Reminder, B3 is the hour figure at which 3% of the test lot has failed. Tc is the hour figure at which 63.2% of the test lot has failed. Figures are at 13.2v.

Thanks, I was always curious what B3 and Tc meant.

It already is.

Great, do you know a vendor that offers them? Sylvania doesn't list vendors, Daniel Stern and Candlepower Inc. don't carry them. Thanks.

 

[-Virgil-]

Great, do you know a vendor that offers them? Sylvania doesn't list vendors, Daniel Stern and Candlepower Inc. don't carry them. Thanks.

Hyundai dealer can probably get you fixed up. What are you planning on installing them in? They only fit in headlamps meant to take H9B.

 

[Phatty McPatty]

I was hoping they could go in a Santa Fe with projector H11B low beams. What are your thoughts, not a good idea?

 

[-Virgil-]

Should work as long as the lamps are aimed correctly.

 

[ahmadr]

It already is.

Can you (or anyone else) tell us where to find the H9B in the USA?

Hyundai / Ford / Amazon have the H11B, but they don't have the H9B

 

[-Virgil-]

As far as I know, the H9B is pretty much only available at dealers of cars so equipped. You might check with Candlepower, though.

 

[ahmadr]

As far as I know, the H9B is pretty much only available at dealers of cars so equipped. You might check with Candlepower, though.

And that is the 2011+ Lotus Elise and 2008-2011 Tesla Roadster. Anything else?

Thanks

 

[-Virgil-]

Not that I know of offhand.

 

[ahmadr]

Well, I called the local Lotus dealer, but the parts guy was clueless about the part.
He said that the parts diagram only shows him the part number for the full housing on the 2011+ Elise, and that he'll call up Lotus and ask. We'll see if he gets back with me...