Silverstar ULTRA

**imported_truzoom** · 10-25-2006, 10:59 PM

Anyone seen the commercial yet? Anyone have a hunch these could be USDM Osrams?

Please don`t throw things at me for asking this question.. especially pinto beans.

Ipsum Lorem

**neonecko** · 10-26-2006, 12:41 AM

Hope they`re a lot better then the REGULAR silverstars. I had those things on my old Q45 and those things never lasted! probably replaced them twice and i only had that car for about a year. I`ve got hids now and they`re the greatest!

**Scottwax** · 10-26-2006, 12:45 AM

The ads show a tinted bulb and the Osram Silverstars aren`t tinted at all.

**Alex_Perry** · 10-26-2006, 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by neonecko

Hope they`re a lot better then the REGULAR silverstars. I had those things on my old Q45 and those things never lasted! probably replaced them twice and i only had that car for about a year. I`ve got hids now and they`re the greatest!

Might have been a wiring problem with your car. I put mine in back in `03 and I`ve had no problems. The only wish I have is better performance in the rain.

**imported_CDTGaticaW201** · 10-26-2006, 01:28 AM

Originally Posted by Alex_Perry

Might have been a wiring problem with your car. I put mine in back in `03 and I`ve had no problems. The only wish I have is better performance in the rain.

Sadly, because of the tinted color of the Silverstars light output, which is supposed to be less yellow, and more white/blue...you can`t expect better performance in the rain. I know there`s a scientific reasoning for it, I just can`t find any backup. But that`s white fog lights are yellow, because they penetrate rain and fog much better than whiter light.

The whiter/bluer light will help when it`s just dark, but rain puts a damper on performance. Before I get knocked around about HID`s, The reason they`re still more effective than halogens is because they`re just so god damn bright.

**Alex_Perry** · 10-26-2006, 01:35 AM

Originally Posted by CDTGaticaW201

Sadly, because of the tinted color of the Silverstars light output, which is supposed to be less yellow, and more white/blue...you can`t expect better performance in the rain. I know there`s a scientific reasoning for it, I just can`t find any backup. But that`s white fog lights are yellow, because they penetrate rain and fog much better than whiter light.

The whiter/bluer light will help when it`s just dark, but rain puts a damper on performance. Before I get knocked around about HID`s, The reason they`re still more effective than halogens is because they`re just so god damn bright.

It has something to do with reflecting off the rain drops and back at you. I`ve seen similar articles.

As much as I hate the look of a yellowish output, I might someday replace the bulbs in the driving lamps with a proper yellowish bulb designed for fog/rain/poor visibility. I`ve already wired my driving lamps to run without the headlights, so that might work better.

**velobard** · 10-26-2006, 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by Scottwax

The ads show a tinted bulb and the Osram Silverstars aren`t tinted at all.

Scottwax, I know you run Osrams in your car. Do you know of a source for these for the rest of us in the US? Did you order your`s from Europe?

**imported_CDTGaticaW201** · 10-26-2006, 08:16 PM

Most people I know have gotten the Osrams from powerbulbs.co.uk without any problems.

**imported_truzoom** · 10-26-2006, 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by CDTGaticaW201

Most people I know have gotten the Osrams from powerbulbs.co.uk without any problems.

Of course, OSRAM doesn`t make a 9007ST.

**paul34** · 10-26-2006, 11:01 PM

Yea, I`ve heard of the same issues of driving in the rain, combined with the reduced life of these higher-performance bulbs.

Of course, these are not "rice" - running HIDs without projectors is what I would call rice (and ineffective...).

**Scottwax** · 10-26-2006, 11:29 PM

Originally Posted by velobard

Scottwax, I know you run Osrams in your car. Do you know of a source for these for the rest of us in the US? Did you order your`s from Europe?

powerbulbs.uk for $38 shipped. I had them in about 8 days.

I wonder if there will be an Osram Ultra?

**velobard** · 10-30-2006, 10:46 AM

I saw a package of Silverstar Ultras this weekend. Their idea of a longer life span is just 30%, so that would take it from 150 hr to about 200. Still rather disappointing.

I checked out the Powerbulbs site and, as I should have expected, they don`t appear to have Osram bulbs to fit my car. I have no idea why Chrysler insisted on spec-ing 9006XS with a straight base. I might have to just convert my headlights to use the normal 9006 bulb with an angled base, but if I do that I`ll probably just buy the 9011 HIR bulbs.

**neonecko** · 10-30-2006, 10:56 AM

OFF TOPIC

The colour of the bulb changes as the Kelvin temperature changes. 3000K being Yellow and lets stop at 8,000k being blue on the spectrum. As the colour changes, the bulb `appears` to brighter to the human eye, but in reality, the higher kelvin you go, the worst usable light output you receive.

I`ve gone through my, blue coloured bulbs; 8000k HIDs in stock housing stages. Its so0o0o much nicer to have a cut-off line w/ projectors.

Heres what my retrofits look like on my 04 Honda Accord