Retroreflective material and HID lights

[KC2IXE]

Hi Gang,
Not sure if this is the right place, or over in the HID section, so feel free to move it

Yesterday, I heard that certain local companies have stopped doing work on narrow roads due to the SUPPOSID fact that "the new headlights don't reflect well off refective tape/cloth" (aka scotchlite etc)

Has anyone heard this? Does this hold true for WHITE retroreflectors, or just yellow/red etc. I could see how this might be true with yellow/red/green etc, as the color spectral density might be wrong. Heck, I know my LED lights don't seem to reflect of the red stuff at all - it might as well be plain red paint

 

[Tomas]

Hmmmm ... When you said that about your LED lights not reflecting well off red reflectors I immediately popped my LL123 off my belt clip (R2H Luxeon) and aimed it at the 3M red reflective tape on my 'chair. Damn near blinded myself. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

I then tried it at something more than 3 feet and found that it lit rear reflectors in cars outside quite well, too.

I don't know what they are talking about with the HID's, either.

 

[Deleted member 684]

I think he is refering to the new lights in the " the new headlights don't reflect well off refective tape/cloth" (aka scotchlite etc)" as HIDs. Since they have a different colour spectrum, how well would it reflect and so on.

 

[KC2IXE]

Like I said, my ARC AAA and ARC LS don't seem to reflect well of the Avery Retroreflectors. I have heard the Verizon has banned work on narrow roads because of the HID problem - all info is 2nd hand, so I have no one to ask

 

[Deanster]

While I have no knowledge of this specific issue, I do know a little about HID lights.

I think the issue has more to do with the design of the reflectors for the HID beams - the beams are so bright that the designs require much sharper 'cut-offs' to the top and sides than conventional beams, which have MUCH more side-spill. The beam is more 'concentrated' directly ahead.

Since what someone working at the side of the road wearing retro-reflective tape would be illuminated by is the side-spill, and perhaps the thinking is that without such illumination, workers are less safe.

 

[iddibhai]

i think it is also spill related, since brighter light sources (HIDs put out 2800-3200 lumens, depending lamp assembly which depends on optics used) vs incandescent which is regulated to 1000lms in the USA for dipped beams, give or take 15%. as such, HIDs have tigher controls over where light can so since it can easily blind oncoming traffic is not directed down and away from the road.