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Hobbsie
Joined: 13 Mar 2002 Posts: 2 Location: Orleans, MA
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Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2002 5:36 am Post subject: Help on Headlight styles |
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What's the difference btwn the various types of headlights? I just picked up a used '97 with dull lights and am investigating upgrades. I noticed ZKW Ellipsoid Free-form units for sale. How different that standard ellipsoids? DOT legal? Any help appreciated. |
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PJK
Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Posts: 1829 Location: Shingle Springs, CA
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Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2002 4:31 pm Post subject: Help on Headlight styles |
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quote: Originally posted by Steve Hobbs:
Go to this website for lots of automotive lighting info: http://lighting.mbz.org/
Hella also has a brochure describing the various headlight technologies.
The main technologies are:
1. Parabolic - This is the traditional headlight that has been around forever. The source is placed at the focus af a parabolic reflector which gives a straight beam which is shaped by the bumps in the front lens.
2. Ellipsoid - This uses an ellipsoid reflector to force light through a mask with the desired beam pattern, which is then projected with a convex lens. These lamps can give a very precice beam pattern.
3. Free form - This light uses a plane cover lens and forms the desired beam pattern with the shape of the reflector. These lamps are very efficient and widely used.
4. Free form ellipsoid - These lamps modify the shape of the ellipsoid reflector to not waste much light on the dark part of the beam forming mask so they combine the efficiency of the freeform lites with the precice beam of the ellipsoid projectors.
Phil
What's the difference btwn the various types of headlights? I just picked up a used '97 with dull lights and am investigating upgrades. I noticed ZKW Ellipsoid Free-form units for sale. How different that standard ellipsoids? DOT legal? Any help appreciated.
[ 03-18-2002: Message edited by: PJK ] |
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