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Date:         Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:37:06 -0700
Reply-To:     Mike Miller <mwmiller6@ATT.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Miller <mwmiller6@ATT.NET>
Subject:      Re: Headlights
Comments: To: Al Knoll <anasasi@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAO+YcsJAVfeOFFVtD4an9L22Q5qS=wNLjwiPWaWcrXbgrvXZJA@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

I have the e codes, nice lights but no, they're not a pittance, at least not for me. They cost $5 or 600 used.

And I understand the Afghanis paid us to be able to send you back, something about crotchety old f*** I believe.

Nice seeing you albeit briefly at SyncroFest.

Mike from Cotati

On Apr 24, 2013, at 8:19 AM, Al Knoll wrote:

> Like pouring coffee into a drunk. The headlight optics stock on the > rectangulars is horrid. Add more lumens (watts is a measure of the power > the capsules aka bulbs draw) and voila a wide awake drunk. Still awful but > now really awful. > > Pattern: the shape of the illuminated area > Cutoff: the vertical component of the pattern > > For an ideal system the pattern covers just what you want to see, not the > oncoming drivers windscreen, with excellent road side illumination for the > occasional suicidal deer or other critter. > > The sharp cutoff european LHD standard is almost perfect for the > application. Either in bentstraits fashionable rectangular lenses or the > 7" sharp cutoff round lenses. These implementations if properly aimed > don't dazzle the bobbies and are an easy upgrade. > > The almost perfect comment is in regard to the inability to have both the > ideally > aimed high beam and the ideally aimed sharp cutoff low beam. Has to do > with the optics of the lenses, not a changeable feature. The relationship > between the COB center of beam between high and low is a compromise on > installations where the mounting center of the lens is too high > (vanagon). For normal driving one would like the cutoff slightly > depressed from the vertical so as to take maximum advantage of that near > perfect pattern, in town and on the road. Unfortunately that raises the > high beam pattern to illuminate the trees and not the road. Great for > jacklighting owls not so great for ordinary driving. > > The ideal system has compensation built into the reflector itself. The > independently aimable low and high beams allow virtually perfect pattern > aiming. Not so fast there bunkie! Stop the drooling and listen up. The > rectangular E-codes of bentbtst8 lore are a pittance compared with the > ultimate. A used pair of Marchal Ampilux 7" can often be found at a > bargain basement price of say 300 to 500 dollars. These can be > independently aimed and no they don't use H4s but rather two capsules per > reflector to permit the independent aiming. As close to St. Francis as > you can get for ordinary money. > > Aim them suckers frequently, that cutoff pattern is what you crave, ideally > aimed, and properly powered. > > Brazil makes an h4-h1 lens thingy that fits early busses, might be > adaptable for vanagons. > 'Nother solution is designing a four lens system that uses the larger > rectangular h4 lenses in all four spots. An artesian I seen oncet had em. > > Let there be light... > > Pensionerd (rumours of my capture in afghanistan were overated)


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