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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64595
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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You are a good amigo Wil!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64595
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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9 months since last post in this thread...
On Jan. 4, after we returned from the Lost Mission found trip http://vivabaja.com/109 I edited the top of this thread with this: 1-4-09 EDIT: LIGHT HOUSING FAILED BAJA ROAD ... Cracked! Do not buy if serious
off road driving.... Trip to Gonzaga Bay did them in! Roberto was right to be concerned!
Josh repaired them with fiberglass, but the fact remains that ABS plastic lamps did not hole up to the Baja... or at least these Chinese made HID
lights sold at Kragen and now Off Road Warehouse (people want cheap)!
Well, a year later (last week, this past Father's Day) Josh surprised me with ...
stay tuned...
[Edited on 6-27-2009 by David K]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64595
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Hella 4000 (8") Metal 100 watt pencil beam lamps...
I installed them (with a Hella wire kit including a relay) and they work very nice... Let's see it the road to Gonzaga Bay does anything to them!!!
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4459
Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
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I have some HIDs that are not cheap compared to halogen but are compared to Hella or KC HIDs are very reasonable. We put 4 (2 spot and 2 flood) on a
Class 8 truck in the Baja 250 and they came through will flying colors. The 4 HIDs take less electricity than your 2 halogens and for some this is a
deciding factor. More light without having to install a larger alternator.
If the light bar is vibration free, those should last you a long time. Looks good.
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64595
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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| Quote: | Originally posted by arbee
They look nice. What is the difference between the pencil beam and the euro beam? |
Pencil or spot beam puts light further down the road/ dry lake bed, etc. The lighted area is not a lot wider than a road, but boy is the road lit up!
A driving beam (or euro beam as the Kragen HIDs were called) is more oval in shape, lights up an area about the same as your head lights with your
high beams on (high and low together)... but HID or 100 watt halogen are brighters... HID is a lot brighter.
I am researching HID conversions for my 100 watt H1 halogen bulbs... That would reduce my draw to 35 watts and give me 2-3 times more light!
With HIDs, it looks like the sun is out and you can see colors of plants or whatever.
[Edited on 6-27-2009 by David K]
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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I think that is cool you were given these lights for Father's Day.
I heard from a co-worker's husband that the Kragen HID lights
flickered when he drove his Baja Bug on the hard stuff at night.
Those Hellas should last you just fine.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64595
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Flickering may be a loose wire, and that needs to be fixed pronto... Tell him to exchange it at Kragen within the 90 day warantee, if it is not a
loose wire!
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
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The lights look very nice... but THREE pages of posts on lights? Wow.... Bob H
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64595
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Yah Bob... it is a brightest light thing, like some kind of mid-life crisis need maybe? 
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Yah Bob... it is a brightest light thing, like some kind of mid-life crisis need maybe? |
My posts about the Jeep have been as long or longer...
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3480
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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Question for light people
Seriously, short of a gift of lights, is it the fun factor, cosmetically speaking, that some are after? More light, more fun?
Got ''fog lights'' on all my vehicles, and don't find myself feeling deprived of light, at night.
Other than seeing what's down the road, do any light people have a vision problem? Is there a utility factor here that would justify the cost?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64595
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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There is a world at night that stock headlights just don't expose... If you either must drive off road at night, or just want to for fun... the more
light like the sun, the more you can experience the drive... It is a safety factor as well... specially when driving at speed.
Fog lights are short, wide pattern beams and are helpful when going slow or cornering as they light up wide left and right of the vehicle.
Driving lights are like your stock headlights on high beam, they spread the light out in an oval pattern.
Pencil beams are for long distance lighting straight ahead of you, about the width of the road... lets you see stuff before you are on top of it.
The type of headlights available:
Sealed beams are dim, warm, draw various currents depending on bulb, cheap.
Halogen are bright, hot, draw lots of current, cheap.
HID (Xenon) are brighter with light closer to natural daylight, cool, draw little current, expensive.
LED lights are the future... bright, cool, draw every little current, very expensive now.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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Driving from Bahia de Los Angeles to San Francisquito, having extra driving lights was essential. There simply was no other way after dark, unless
you are a local and know the road by memory.
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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I think having good lights for night driving is always a good ideal. Is it absolutely necessary probably not unless your racing. On my GMC I have the
high beams wired to the low beams and a set of 55 watt driving lites thru relays at just above bumper level. I also have wiring for a 100 watt pencil
beam on the top of the bumper guard putting it at hood level. I seldom use the 100 watt pencil except for chasing.
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roverdude
Junior Nomad
Posts: 74
Registered: 10-1-2005
Location: Garden Grove
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Mood: No Bad Days, Mornings Maybe...
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David,
Did you know you can convert those 4000 to HID with a simple kit for under $100!
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DonBaja
Nomad
Posts: 139
Registered: 5-9-2006
Location: OC
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Mood: Just Cruzin'
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David K I used this guy http://www.kbrowncustoms.com I think he is in your area also.
[Edited on 10-7-2009 by DonBaja]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64595
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by roverdude
David,
Did you know you can convert those 4000 to HID with a simple kit for under $100! |
Yes, I know... thank you. I have talked with the local San Diego HID converting company (1OFFMotorsports) several times about what is involved... For
now, the 100 watt halogens will do...
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by roverdude
David,
Did you know you can convert those 4000 to HID with a simple kit for under $100! |
Yes, I know... thank you. I have talked with the local San Diego HID converting company (1OFFMotorsports) several times about what is involved... For
now, the 100 watt halogens will do... |
David, can you explain to us what was said? What was your deciding factor for this decision?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64595
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Ken Cooke
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by roverdude
David,
Did you know you can convert those 4000 to HID with a simple kit for under $100! |
Yes, I know... thank you. I have talked with the local San Diego HID converting company (1OFFMotorsports) several times about what is involved... For
now, the 100 watt halogens will do... |
David, can you explain to us what was said? What was your deciding factor for this decision? |
Hi Ken,
I didn't make any firm 'decision'. HIDs are awesome with the true daylight they create.
I stalled because money is tight with this nightmare economy, and I rarely use the lights... I am waiting for things to improve before investing
$130-$200 in making my Hellas 'as bright as the sun'. I didn't even do a night run last weekend in Baja.
As for our conversations and emails, it was about how to install their HID bulbs and ballast modules in or on the Hellas, and I requested to pick them
up in person rather than mail order... since they are a local company. I even told them I understand small business and if it is based in a garage, I
understand fully! They only offered to mail them to me, however.
Anyway, they did send me a detailed photo installation guide on how to install them in my Hella 4000s. One other issue was a 3/4" or 1" hole needs to
be drilled in the lamp body and I am not real excited about doing that. I would have felt better if they would have allowed me to come to them and see
the product and perhaps install them right there.
These are the HID convert kits that Off Road Warehouse sells and that impressed me since ORW was so wise in solving my Tacoma suspension issues and
their staff (at Escondido/ San Marcos store) have always bee very helpful.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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For me, the Hella FF50s and KC 150w Daylighters have been sufficient. I would love a set of HID's, but these would be a want rather than a need.
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