Regarding plate bulbs

[white exec]

Don't confuse brightness with wavelength (colour), Marc!
The human eye is actually at its most sensitive to Green - right in the 'middle' of the visible spectrum.
Moving dramatically out towards blue lessens clarity and perception of detail, as does a dramatic shift towards red.
Try moving around and seeing things in a room (eg darkroom) lit totally red, then yellow (yellow = a red-green mix), then blue . . . and you'll rapidly opt for yellow as the best option.
Before condemning 3000K light, you need to check out your physics!

[Hell Razor5543]

I was given, several years ago, a Panther Vision baseball cap. It has 5 LEDs built in, one directly in the brim, and the other four (in two pairs) in little housings set further back in the brim. Pressing the button cycles through the option. Option 1 is a pair of green LEDs, 2 is for a pair of white LEDs, and 3 is for all three white LEDs (the third one is brighter and longer range). The short range LEDs are focused on a point about 6 - 10 feet in front of you, so you can see where you are putting your feet.

[GiveMeABreak]

Might just try the reversing light thing Marc. Could do with a bit more sometimes. Occasionally stick the rear fog lights on to give a bit of a lift in very dark places.
But LED number plate lights - not so good in many instances. Some I've seen are blinding and probably illegal and others, while they are bright, somehow fail to illuminate the number plate.

I do have LED sidelights. Crap and blue but last longer than incandescents, pass the MOT and I would never use them anyway, only dipped headlights.

I have LED lights for my number plate, but these are recessed of course, so do not shine directly out. They are not as bright as the others I have fitted , it doprovide a nice white light like most newer cars today, so I don’t see anything wrong with that as it’s no different Steve.

[myglaren]

Could be the choice of bulbs of course.

Had to replace one of mine last week. Second time in five years.
I was surprised to find a dozen of them in the heap.

[GiveMeABreak]

Don't confuse brightness with wavelength (colour), Marc!
The human eye is actually at its most sensitive to Green - right in the 'middle' of the visible spectrum.
Moving dramatically out towards blue lessens clarity and perception of detail, as does a dramatic shift towards red.
Try moving around and seeing things in a room (eg darkroom) lit totally red, then yellow (yellow = a red-green mix), then blue . . . and you'll rapidly opt for yellow as the best option.
Before condemning 3000K light, you need to check out your physics!

No, it’s colour temperature that I’m mainly concerned with Chris, well aware of Lumens and temp. I research these well before buying.

I’m not one of those blue tint yo-yos. I have proper crisp white colours for my LED side lights, and number plate. Also for the DRLs and Angular Lighting. My headlamps are OEM Bi-directional Xenons, which I upgraded the from stock D1S bulbs to Osram Xenarc Unlimited Nightbreakers which are far more powerful providing a much greater throw and are a nice and crisp white, instead of the yellowish stock Osram bulbs.

I did the same on my previous C5. Huge difference and really needed round these parts of twisting country lanes and narrow roads.

[white exec]

Think we're agreed on colour-temperature being important, and the need to avoid moving out towards the definitely blue.

Two of the best H1 (etc) halogens —- Osram Nighbreakers, including the 'new' Laser version, and Philips Xtreme — both have a light output of 1550 lumens, and at 3500K. This colour temperature is not a million miles away from "standard" tungsten-halogen bulbs, which are 3200K. Traditional old-style tungsten lamps were around 2700K - definitely Warm.

However, many car headlights (and particularly aftermarket 'conversions') are heading out literally into the Blue, with colour-temps of 4500, 5000, 5500K etc. As discussed, these do little for detailed illumination, and also suffer from objectionable scatter, as a result of their high-colour temperature, which equals short wavelength. No-one goes searching for 'enemy aircraft' with blue searchlights, and neither are our highway and street lights (which have to cope with mist, rain and fog) blue-tinted, and for good reason.

Must repeat, though: colour-temperature and brightness are not directly related, except in the sense that many modern, bright automotive bulbs have been heavily marketed with bluish output — more to do with fashion than good science.

[GiveMeABreak]

My Xenarcs are 4550 Kelvin, so in between cool white to daylight. They are 3500 lumens.

[Paul-R]

My Xenarcs are ... 3500 lumens.

Each or for the pair?

[GiveMeABreak]

That’s the output per bulb

[Hell Razor5543]

That is more then ten XMs or S1 Xantias could put out together!!!

[white exec]

3100 lm on XM dip, 6200 on main, in total, H1s.

[GiveMeABreak]

I can’t see that for an H1 somehow

These should be 1410 to 1550 lumens tops +/- 15 lumens according to ECE regulations, Chris....

Even the Osram 110% Xenarc unlimited Halogens are only 1550 lumens, and I’ve not seen anything brighter than that TBH.

[Paul-R]

Think Chris is talking about 100w (off-road use only ) bulbs Marc.

But seriously, I have got to think properly about converting to Xenarcs. I know you've said it's not worth doing because of the complexity but just what does need changing?

[GiveMeABreak]

Ahh a DIY job and mod then! That would explain it.

[GiveMeABreak]

Think Chris is talking about 100w (off-road use only ) bulbs Marc.

But seriously, I have got to think properly about converting to Xenarcs. I know you've said it's not worth doing because of the complexity but just what does need changing?

Xenons you mean

Now you’re at it!

What’s involved - Headlamps of course, headlamp ECU, one of the main wiring harnesses is different, not sure about the fuse box wiring for these, headlamp washer system, and a few other bits I would have to look up Paul.

But in case anyone mentions not needing to fit a washer and levelling system, I’ve already researched it under the new regs and also had confirmation from official sources to clarify that aftermarket / retrofitted options now need to be treated the same.

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