Eiko ClearVision Supreme

http://www.eiko.com/Products.aspx?CatID=722
https://www.headlights123.com/clearvision_supreme_solux_halogen_headlights.php

These are starting to get ballyhoo'd in the Jeep world.

What are they? Just another PIAA type tinted bulb?
That's what they look like....

http://youtu.be/DloqmPCBAbI

I think that one LOLcat said it best when he said "DO NOT WANT".

Also, this post seems to cover it.

Just another "whiter light" scam, by a company known for cheap 3rd-rate bulbs. And there's a takedown article (looks like it was written by a Mr. Gee Guess Who) here.

Anything with a filament and blue glass is for parties, not cars. Physics says, "You can't filter yellow photons into blue ones, so blue glass removes yellow." And physics says, "Tungsten filaments mostly emit yellow light." Blue gunk = junk.

Edit: The product page hits all the biggies.

*Picture of blue bulb
*"Whiter Light" false claim (Blue isn't white)
*"Brighter" false claim (80% output isn't brighter.
*"DOT Legal" false claim
*"Photoshopped 'comparison' picture" (Pixels are identical except for contrast +%)

I don't know that "DOT legal" is necessarily a false claim on these. They very well might be compliant.

Part of their hoopla is that they last longer than Sylvania Silverstars too.

Well, I guess, but the same can be said of a soaked piece of value-brand 1-ply toilet paper! ;-)

In the interest of general knowledge, can someone talk about the "illumination sphere" or whatever the measuring device is that measures the amount of light emitted from a bulb? Mr. Stern's article on that site is the first time I've heard of such a device, and it's the first time I've seen mention that the blue ring on bulbs such as the Philips Xtreme Power is there to actually REDUCE some of the measured light emitted from the bulb, though in spatial directions that won't matter anyway.

I was under the impression that claims of "more light" from these types of bulbs used a lot of marketing license...that is, there may be 80% more light in one certain area of the beam. They do this by optimizing the size and placement of the filament within the envelope, etc. The light output from the filament itself (meaning the "brightness" I guess) is still within legal limits.

Mr. Stern's article on that website almost reads that the filament really does produce extra-legal levels of light/brightness/whatever the correct term is. And the bulb makers then add a filtering ring to an inconsequential part of the glass envelope to reduce the total light output back into the legal range. Though because this filter is applied to an inconsequential part of the glass envelope, there really may be more light reaching the reflector than one would think if one assumes that all bulbs are simply "1000 lumens + 15%" (or whatever the range is for a particular type).

Could we have a discussion about how the light is measured on these bulbs? I think it'd be beneficial to many...it would certainly be to me.

hokiefyd said:

In the interest of general knowledge, can someone talk about the "illumination sphere" or whatever the measuring device is that measures the amount of light emitted from a bulb? Mr. Stern's article on that site is the first time I've heard of such a device, and it's the first time I've seen mention that the blue ring on bulbs such as the Philips Xtreme Power is there to actually REDUCE some of the measured light emitted from the bulb, though in spatial directions that won't matter anyway.

Click to expand...

Integrating sphere. More here.

I was under the impression that claims of "more light" from these types of bulbs used a lot of marketing license...that is, there may be 80% more light in one certain area of the beam. They do this by optimizing the size and placement of the filament within the envelope, etc. The light output from the filament itself (meaning the "brightness" I guess) is still within legal limits.

Click to expand...

It is more light, in terms of higher intensity in the beam-- this is done by making smaller, more tightly-wound, and more precisely placed filaments, so that the reflector can focus the light properly. (Think of a Mag light wherein you can tighten the spot to make the spot brighter, or you can make it floody. Same bulb, same lumens, different focus.)

Mr. Stern's article on that website almost reads that the filament really does produce extra-legal levels of light/brightness/whatever the correct term is. And the bulb makers then add a filtering ring to an inconsequential part of the glass envelope to reduce the total light output back into the legal range. Though because this filter is applied to an inconsequential part of the glass envelope, there really may be more light reaching the reflector than one would think if one assumes that all bulbs are simply "1000 lumens + 15%" (or whatever the range is for a particular type).

Click to expand...

Yes, the filaments do produce more light such that the total output, were it not for the cleverly placed blue ring, would be higher than allowed. But the ring filters sufficient light to keep the bulb from exceeding what is allowed. Remember, the light from a halogen bulb's filament is mostly red, orange, and yellow. Even a small amount of blue filtration removes a substantial portion of light, as blue light is just a very small portion of the bulb's output.

Alaric Darconville said:

Yes, the filaments do produce more light such that the total output, were it not for the cleverly placed blue ring, would be higher than allowed. But the ring filters sufficient light to keep the bulb from exceeding what is allowed.

Click to expand...

Thanks for reiterating, and for stating it better than I did; that's a key point that I had misunderstood.