SilverStars

[imported_KEVIN]

:nixweiss I have had the stock bulbs, regular Silverstars and a European spec Phillips bulb (can`t remember the exact name) and I never noticed the cut off line being sharp like that until I got the Osrams. In addition, the beam pattern is a lot wider and longer. How they do that with standard wattage, I don`t know.

Scott,

I know what you mean about the cut off line, I think with the newer car reflectors that the cut off line is more defined,and more so when you update the bulbs to a true white light. I just changed out my wifes headlamps one burnt out last week, and I put in silverstars, I noticed the cut line as being there but not as defined as it was till after the bulb up grade.

The wife even noticed the difference,(amazing).

With my truck I run silverstars in the heads and fog lights,the heads are much whiter but do not push out really any farther, but the fog lights fill in that area in between, you know the dead area from the front bumper to where the light hits the road.

Also they fan out wider than the head lights, into the ditch,and across the other lane, great for seeing that deer that wants to jump out in front of you.

As it is now I rarely use my high beams, (here when when you go to high beams the fog lights cut out by law) so I actually see better in low mode, with out over driving my head lights even up over 75 mph.

Just my personel impressions.

Kevin

[imported_KEVIN]

Scott,

I was reading on another web site I belong to and this same thread was in their, in reading I got this link that was pretty interesting, you might want to look into the FAQ`s and such.

You can never have to much info.

Kevin

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...good/good.html

[White95Max]

That was an interesting read. I`m anxious to see how long my bulbs last.



Oddly enough, I had a dream last night in which one of my Silverstars burnt out.

[Horseman2475]

I have tried PIAA, and Silverstars. These bubs just came out. They are brighter and whiter than those bulbs.

For more light on the road. 25 - 50 ft. longer beam for improved driving comfort and safety. Choose from 9004, 9005, and 9006 series.

EACH PACK CONTAINS 2 BULBS!







# 9003-2PK 9004-2PK, 9005-2PK, 9006-2PK$19.99Choose

You can buy them here:



http://aidauto.com/

[imported_Dave Holmes]

KEVIN,

My foglights used to cut out when I put my high-beams on, too (`97 Maxima). They also wouldn`t come on unless my low-beams were on. I have since rewired them so I can run my fogs with only my parking lights. This also overrides that automatic high-beam cutoff, so they stay on. Really great for dark country roads where the highs give me good distance and the fogs light up that void between the bumper and headlight beam. Even greater for those idiots who like to ride around with their high-beams on because they`re too stupid to realize they have them on. They instantly turn theirs off when mine come on and the fogs stay on, too.



Dave

[imported_KEVIN]

KEVIN,

My foglights used to cut out when I put my high-beams on, too (`97 Maxima). They also wouldn`t come on unless my low-beams were on. I have since rewired them so I can run my fogs with only my parking lights. This also overrides that automatic high-beam cutoff, so they stay on. Really great for dark country roads where the highs give me good distance and the fogs light up that void between the bumper and headlight beam. Even greater for those idiots who like to ride around with their high-beams on because they`re too stupid to realize they have them on. They instantly turn theirs off when mine come on and the fogs stay on, too.



Dave

Dave,

Here we have these dudes call traffic enforcement cops. Their whole missino in life is to *%$# with you, they drive around and stop dump trucks cars, everyone that have lights out of any type, or if you have your lights modified. The fog lamp law is a big buck fine I don`t recall the amount, but it`s more than I care to pay. I have driven back roads and they are dark and never have had to use my high beams much but are back roads are very twisty,and hilly so you are always going back forth from high to low.

But I know what you are saying I`ve seem your setup in other states like Indy, etc. it works.

Kevin

[imported_Dave Holmes]

I understand the problem with laws differing from state to state. I am a former police officer in Louisiana. Here, our laws limit the number of lights, color, and stuff like that. We also have one for "failure to dim" for approaching traffic, which I chose to enforce a lot. A few of these laws wouldn`t need to be there if people could just drive with a little common sense and courtesy. But glad you filled me in on KY law concerning it as I`ll be traveling through later this month going from Louisiana to Ohio (but should be all interstate where my highs aren`t really needed). In Louisiana, we have a 6 lamp limit on the front of the vehicle. My highs and fogs only make 4, so technically it would be legal.

The country roads I drive on have a lot of deer, possums, armadillo, skunks, and other creatures I`d rather not hit. And they are not very well traveled at night, so my high/fog combo works great. In KY, I imagine you have a lot of hills that would limit light traveling on the road very far (I grew up in the hills of eastern OH). Here, everything is flat, so light can travel a pretty good distance.



Dave

[AL-53]

My co-worker got some new bulbs called Nighthawks from GE....He had Silverstars in before but one burnt out after 7 months...so he got a pair of the NightHawks and saved the Silverstar as a spare...



He says the GE`s are much brighter and a more white light...The bulbs are not tinted...



I have been looking for bulbs for my 04 Ford...I think I am going with these...I like the looks of the light, the way it illuminates the road..



He also said there is no light absorbsion in the rain and also some nice light for fog...



AL

[kompressornsc]

There was a recent test in Consumer Reports. I don`t have a subscription, but maybe someone here does and can post it. The NightHawks were the only aftermarket bulbs that actually outperformed OEM-and even then only on one vehicle (Ridgeline). I can`t remember all the bulbs tested, but Silverstars were one of them, and the decrease in actual light output was significant.

[AL-53]

Here is a email I got from Daniel Stern`s Lighting....

\

On Mon, 26 Dec 2005, Alan wrote:



> I am looking for bulbs for my 2004 Ford Ranger.....no blue tinted

> ones...lol....what do you reccomend...



Swing by Wal-Mart for a set of GE NightHawk 9007NH bulbs. Don`t substitute

any other brand or type (especially not Sylvania Silverstar!)



He recommends the NightHawks....so I will try to find them and try them.....I believe they were cheaper than the silverstars....



AL

[drewski59]

There was a recent test in Consumer Reports. I don`t have a subscription, but maybe someone here does and can post it. The NightHawks were the only aftermarket bulbs that actually outperformed OEM-and even then only on one vehicle (Ridgeline). I can`t remember all the bulbs tested, but Silverstars were one of them, and the decrease in actual light output was significant.

Yeah, I got that issue.



The Nighthawks were the ONLY aftermarket bulb to outperform OEM, but only on a Honda Ridgeline. In all of the other vehicles they tested, all the aftermarket bulbs, at BEST, could only match the light output and range of the OEM bulbs.



The conclusion of the article was: Save your money and just buy regular bulbs, unless you really, really want the whiter look. They really offer no safety benefit or higher illumination!



Hope this helps some...



:wavey

[Scottwax]

There was a recent test in Consumer Reports. I don`t have a subscription, but maybe someone here does and can post it. The NightHawks were the only aftermarket bulbs that actually outperformed OEM-and even then only on one vehicle (Ridgeline). I can`t remember all the bulbs tested, but Silverstars were one of them, and the decrease in actual light output was significant.

Too bad they didn`t test the Osram Silverstars but they technically aren`t legal in the US because they aren`t DOT approved.

[Scottwax]

Scott,

I was reading on another web site I belong to and this same thread was in their, in reading I got this link that was pretty interesting, you might want to look into the FAQ`s and such.

You can never have to much info.

Kevin

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...good/good.html

"What should I get instead"



....and Osram SilverStars"



The Osrams are clear bulb lights but definitely whiter light than stock.

[JasonD]

There was a recent test in Consumer Reports. I don`t have a subscription, but maybe someone here does and can post it. The NightHawks were the only aftermarket bulbs that actually outperformed OEM-and even then only on one vehicle (Ridgeline). I can`t remember all the bulbs tested, but Silverstars were one of them, and the decrease in actual light output was significant.

January 2006



Replacement headlight bulbs: A bright idea?

A package of Nighthawk replacement bulbs and a rearview mirror.

GREAT WHITE HYPE Premium

replacement bulbs may be cosmetically pleasing, but when they’re compared with less-expensive standard halogen bulbs, there’s often no performance advantage.



Premium replacement headlight bulbs are marketed as a functional and cosmetic improvement over the conventional bulbs found in most cars. The bulbs try to mimic the whiter, brighter light of the high-intensity-discharge (HID) lights found on some pricey vehicles. However, while these bulbs emit whiter-looking light, they don’t provide a consistent performance improvement in our tests.



Changes in lighting regulations in the mid-1980s allowed automobile designers to create aerodynamic headlight assemblies. These assemblies use a replaceable halogen bulb rather than an entire replaceable assembly. Headlight performance varies considerably depending on the assembly’s design, including reflector design and lens shape.



Expensive HID lights are a more recent innovation. CR’s tests have shown that HID lights can be brighter, but illuminated distances are often comparable to those of halogen bulbs. Premium halogen replacement bulbs attempt to offer some of the benefits of HID lights while retaining the vehicle’s original headlight assembly.



Bulb replacement is usually a simple task for most backyard mechanics.





MEASURing The LIGHTs



CR tested five premium replacement bulbs, one from each of the top-selling brands: the APC Plasma Ultra White, GE Nighthawk, Philips CrystalVision, Sylvania SilverStar, and Wagner TruView. The bulbs are priced between $26 and $40 a pair (two to three times more than standard bulbs) and are sold in discount or auto-parts stores. All tested bulbs claim Department of Transportation-standard compliance; noncompliant bulbs may be marked as “for off-road use only.�



Tests were both subjective, to determine how well distant objects could be seen by the human eye, and objective, measuring bulb illuminance, or brightness.



Three test vehicles, a Chrysler Sebring, a Toyota Camry, and a Honda Ridgeline, were used to provide a variety of bulb sizes and original equipment (OE) performance.



Headlight distance is vital because the sooner an object is illuminated, the better the chance of avoiding it. Distance is measured outdoors on a moonless night, from a stationary vehicle. Black, unlighted signs were set up at various distances, and engineers recorded which were visible from each vehicle with each set of bulbs. Only one set of bulbs, the Nighthawk, improved low-beam sight distance for one tested vehicle, the Ridgeline. However, they reduced distance on the Camry. Generally, low- and high-beam distance either remained the same or decreased with replacement bulbs.



To test claims of increased brightness, CR measured illuminance, the quantity of light that reaches a particular area. Inside a dark building, a light sensor was placed at a distance 50 feet in front of each vehicle at different heights both on center and 8 feet to the right to simulate a roadway shoulder. Results showed some localized improvements, but no one bulb scored consistently better than OE. The Nighthawk and Plasma Ultra White improved illuminance in more tests than the other bulbs, some of which did not perform as well as stock bulbs.



Subjectively, all five bulbs emitted a whiter light than OE bulbs, which could appeal to buyers seeking the look of HID lights. Studies show that some drivers prefer driving behind whiter light than the more yellow light of most OE halogen bulbs, but that doesn’t mean you can see farther.



Some manufacturers claim that their premium halogen bulbs improve brightness without causing oncoming glare, a common complaint about HID lights. Oncoming glare is caused by a combination of bright lights and an inherent sharp light cutoff. This combination can exist in HID or halogen lights. Most of the tested bulb-vehicle combinations did not cause high levels of oncoming glare. But using whiter premium bulbs in the Honda Ridgeline increased glare to where it could be a discomfort for oncoming drivers.





Bottom Line



Our tests showed that while they do yield whiter-looking light, premium aftermarket halogen bulbs don’t offer a consistent performance advantage over original equipment bulbs, and they can perform worse. Much of a headlight’s distribution of light is dictated by its reflector and lens, factors that remain unaffected by changing the bulb. And the combination of higher cost and some manufacturer specifications of a shorter life span than standard replacement bulbs add up to increased costs.



Premium bulbs show no distance advantage



Only one replacement bulb, the GE Nighthawk, improved low-beam distance, and only on one tested vehicle, the Honda Ridgeline.

Chart comparing low-beam distance and 3 test vehicles. with a variety of headlights.

[imported_truzoom]

I still love my silverstars because they seem to light up the road better.