Light bulbs

[Slegacy96]

Anyone have any thoughts on where I can get cool blue H3 Sylvania light bulbs?

[jamal]

Don't get cool blue. They aren't as good as clear bulbs, and in my opinion, it looks retarded. Get some Sylvania Xtra Visions. They're one of the best bulbs you can buy, and are half the price of silverstars. Also the silverstars or cool blues don't last very long, because they're overdriven in order to conform with DOT light output standards.

 

I believe there's an explaination on danielsternlighting. It has to do with visible wavelengths of lights.

 

Oh, here you go:

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/bad/bad.html

 

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/good/good.html

[Scottbaru]

Long wavelength (amber to red) light penetrates haze better and returns more accurately to the eye, short wavelength (blue) light scatters more easily. That even applies within the eye, blue dazzles a bit, especially older drivers. Blue is bad for headlights, and tinted wannabe headlights are embarrassing.

[Slegacy96]

I like em and I got one already and dont feel like buying two. Isn't is best to have yellow fog lights anyway?

[Scottbaru]

I like em and I got one already and dont feel like buying two. Isn't is best to have yellow fog lights anyway?

Theoretically, but only in very fine fog is it a real advantage. Mist, rain, and snow I see is larger than 1/2 wavelength of yellow, so it refracts most visible light. Fine fog is small enough it doesn't refract yellow, so there is some advantage in fine fog. I prefer white fogs, yellow is just something else to get used to in bad weather.

[95legacy]

hey guys..just wanted to put my 2 cents in. Don't forget that yellow foglights are also easier to spot against traffic. It is not just for you to see better but also the opposing traffic to see you when fog is dense or when rain is heavy.

[jamal]

I like em and I got one already and dont feel like buying two. Isn't is best to have yellow fog lights anyway?

 

Is it really that hard to spend another $10 so you can see better and don't look like a ricer?

 

Also, yes, yellow foglamps work well, but only in fog or heavy rain/snow, and clear fog bulbs are fine. Foglights shouldn't be used driving around normally because they put a bunch of light right in front of you, so you can't see as well farther down the road.

[hklaine]

I am running a set (from Daniel Stern) of Narva Gold H3 fog bulbs with the Narva H4 55/100 headlight bulbs. I am very happy with this setup, and all four bulbs were cheaper than (2) PIAA's.

 

I am also running a set of relays for power, but that's a different project that you can also read about on Daniel's site.

 

-Heikki

[jamal]

Awesome. One of these days I'll put in relays. I cleared my lenses by wet sanding with fine grit and putting on some clear coat, and I have a set of Hella FF1000 driving lights on my bumper, so I've got pretty decent light output (I drive a 93 Legacy). I still wouldn't mind some foglamps and/or cornering lights, though.

[Slegacy96]

Is it really that hard to spend another $10 so you can see better and don't look like a ricer?

 

 

Yeah but were talking more like at least $15 per bulb to get a decent set and Id have to buy two. And with the current rate of gas prices and college text books Im not exactly about spending an excess amount of money.

[jamal]

Ok, so $20. The Xtravisions are going to last more than twice as long as the cool blues, and they work better. But whatever, do what you want.

[Slegacy96]

Ok, so $20. The Xtravisions are going to last more than twice as long as the cool blues, and they work better. But whatever, do what you want.

 

Well no one sells the right size cool blue anyway

[Slegacy96]

Ok. So I've narrowed it down to two bulbs. Both yellow, both draw 55 watts. One has an output of 70 watts the other 100 watts. My old Legacy handled the 100 watt bulbs fine, however that was with a different housing. Can the multi-reflector housing handle the 100 watts without melting, as well as the wiring of course?

[95legacy]

Ok. So I've narrowed it down to two bulbs. Both yellow, both draw 55 watts. One has an output of 70 watts the other 100 watts. My old Legacy handled the 100 watt bulbs fine, however that was with a different housing. Can the multi-reflector housing handle the 100 watts without melting, as well as the wiring of course?

 

Have you looked into sylvania silverstars? that could also be a possible alternative

[Slegacy96]

Have you looked into sylvania silverstars? that could also be a possible alternative

 

I got them in my headlights.

[Scottbaru]

Can the multi-reflector housing handle the 100 watts without melting, as well as the wiring of course?

My brother ran 80/100 bulbs in his stock headlights with stock wiring on a '96 Legacy. I'm running 80/100 Hella bulbs in my stock '99. White, of course.

[Slegacy96]

My brother ran 80/100 bulbs in his stock headlights with stock wiring on a '96 Legacy. I'm running 80/100 Hella bulbs in my stock '99. White, of course.

 

Sweet, thats what I needed to know.

[Commuter]

I've been running 90/100W headlight bulbs in my 97 OB for about 4 yrs now. I initially tried to use a wiring harness, but the ground swap that Subaru uses with the Canadian DRL of that era messed things up. (My foglights would cause the headlights to jump from low to high beam!). So in the end, I just ended up putting the bulbs in with the stock wiring and took my chances.

 

The soft rubber boot around the plug hardened up and cracked over the first year. Every now and again, I'd lose connection on a plug and have to fiddle with it. After several attempts to "tighten" the connection, I finally broke one. They were slowly getting heat damaged and brittle over time. There was no evidence of "melting" though that I've heard some speak of. The wiring looks ok, except for a little bit of insulation hardening right at the plug.

 

A few months ago, I finally got around to changing the plugs out with some I bought from Canadian Tire Corp. So far, so good. Connection is fine.

 

YMMV.

[Tiny Clark]

Ok. So I've narrowed it down to two bulbs. Both yellow, both draw 55 watts. One has an output of 70 watts the other 100 watts. My old Legacy handled the 100 watt bulbs fine, however that was with a different housing. Can the multi-reflector housing handle the 100 watts without melting, as well as the wiring of course?

 

If they are rated at 55w on the package, they won't draw more than 55w. They may claim to have an "illumination" output the same as a 70 or 100 watt bulb, but the power draw is the same as a standard bulb.