Koito 85/80w H4U?

[Kabana]

Has anyone consider or used this instead of the discontinued Osram 64206?

Koito 0552 H4U 12v 85/80w High Power Halogen

https://www.sp.koito.co.jp/product/bulb/detail.html?pc=C170&cc=bulb_ct170

https://www.sp.koito.co.jp/catalog/digital/koito_acs_2019/html5.html#page=15

Koito doesn't provide specs, but does mention it's a high-power and high-efficiency halogen, I wonder if this is their version of the Osram 64206 Hyper albeit in H4U?

Can the H4U bulb be used safely in a HB2 headlamp?

 

[-Virgil-]

The only difference between H4 and "H4U" is that the "H4U" (a non-standard Japanese designation) has one of its locator keys much narrower than the others. See images here and here. This "H4U" will fit in place of an H4 or HB2, but the reverse isn't the case.

The Osram 64206 was never a very recommendable bulb. This Koito item might be better, or it might not -- someone would have to buy some and put them through sphere photometry (for example). I'm skeptical, given that the Koito catalog makes silly "60/55w = 100/90w" and "85/80w = 130/100w" claims for this product family. Even if we disregard that noise, this could easily be very much like the various "100/80" or "100/90" bulbs on the market; even from reputable makers, those tend to have real wattages not quite in line with their advertised wattages. Look at the test results for the Philips "100/90w" bulb here, for example.

As far as whether this "H4U" bulb could safely be used in a US headlamp designed to take an HB2 bulb, that's a different question than whether an "H4U" bulb could safely be used. It depends on the construction and optical characteristics of the headlamp (could be too much heat, could be too much glare) and, of course, on the wiring (could easily be inadequate).

 

[Kabana]

I knew you would be the one to answer this Virgil. I have seen virtually zero on the intrawebs of using the H4U in the place of HB2. I understand it can only be H4U > H4 and the reduced 3mm tab of the H4U is not an issue in the H4 headlamp as the wire bulb retainer will be holding it in place. I don't have a H4U on hand to test this this out, but I was wondering if my assumption was correct.

 

[Kabana]

As far as the 60/55w = 100/90w marketing claims Koito makes, this is very much a Japanese marketing trait. Not much different from the fashionamable halogens Philips and Osram beats up.

The Philips and Osram over wattage offerings are fairly mundane except for 64205, 64206 and 64217/18.

But maybe the Koito 0552 is a rock solid, no frills affair to not attract attention similar to the Osram 64206

Also I am not entirely understanding why you have omitted the rather useful "H4U LED drop-ins" comment posted by another member?

 

[-Virgil-]

As far as the 60/55w = 100/90w marketing claims Koito makes, this is very much a Japanese marketing trait

It's not a "marketing trait", it's a lie.

Not much different from the fashionamable halogens Philips and Osram beats up.

I'm not sure what you're trying to mean here. "Fashionamable" isn't a word, and "beats up" means something, but doesn't appear to belong in this context.

The Philips and Osram over wattage offerings are fairly mundane except for 64205, 64206 and 64217/18.

It's not clear what you mean by this, either.

But maybe the Koito 0552 is a rock solid, no frills affair to not attract attention similar to the Osram 64206

Osram's 64206 was not "rock solid", it was one of the most failure-prone H4 bulbs to come on the market.

Also I am not entirely understanding why you have omitted the rather useful "H4U LED drop-ins" comment posted by another member?

Nothing got "omitted" -- that word, like all others, has a meaning.

You thought it would be funny/clever/whatever to post a silly guessing game about light bulbs, leaving out the relevant information until a second thread some days later. It wasn't funny/clever/whatever, and your mess got cleaned up along with its byproducts, which were not useful in any way, shape, or form except perhaps for your own childish amusement...and had nothing whatsoever to do with LED drop-ins.

In future, please behave (and post) like an adult on this board, thanks.

 

[Lark Hunter]

the 60/55w = 100/90w marketing claims Koito makes

Ah yes. Getting more power out than you put in, thus rewriting that basic law of thermodynamics. I thought this kind of bull was just a hallmark of disreputable manufacturers, but the marketeers at Koito apparently felt the need to stoop to that level, too... I know it's hard to expect the average consumer to know that a watt isn't an accurate unit to measure luminous flux, and I suppose "more = better" is enough to dupe some. Guess it's not much different than the blue bulb products every bulb manufacturer fields to appease that same end of the market, but I can't help but be slightly more disinclined to even purchase the good stuff from a manufacturer who engages in this kind of tomfoolery.