[lib]

I hope this one does not get as contraversial as the H4 thread... Lets keep all the HID comments mainly in this thread only if possible. Chances are the H4 people will threadjack this one.
Can someone post a picture of the Xe7 HID's with blacked out bezels? I have been debating getting them for a while but I am not a fan of the chrome. Also is there any possiblity of getting HID's without the protruding projectors? Someone mentioned that Sylvania is working on a new set of HID's that look more like the standard 6024 units. Any news of when they may be coming to a store near you?

[cincytj]

I did not want to post this question on the other threadso I will add my additional HID question. thanx for starting the thread.

I have worked on miniature mercury vapor arc lamps in the past and they had a fairly short half life. The lamp would be brightest about 5-25 hours after being new but generally the lumen out put would halve in 500-1000 hours. The newer lamps if cooled correctly, like those used in digital projectors, last about 2000 hours before they drop to 1/2 lumen output. Are the automobile HIDs any better and why? It seems they could not possibly be cooled correctly. If they are too cold or too hot they lose life, too cold is most damaging but both too cool too hot are significant.

[Oman Jeep]

Will ask on the Xe7R's - which are the reflector version. I've been in contact with the guy who's actually designing them...

As for the black-out thing, Rubi-Soho has gone that route. It's definitely different and if you don't want chrome, that's one option. It's certainly different as that much of the headlamp is never blacked out, but at the same time it has a good functional appearance, almost like a military Jeep in war-time trying to be less visible to overhead aircraft.

I'll let him post the pics as I'm not sure where his up to date ones are stored.

Just recently I got some pics from a guy who has the Tri-Bar variant and has blacked out his raised parts to match the safari-style guards on the turn signals. Looks great IMO... and would look even better with the factory bezels blacked out to match...










Personally I'm leaving mine chrome. From a distance they look closest to stock.




For reference, here's how the tri-bars look when you get them...



And zoomed out a bit... - it's the Raingler / Jeeperman Jeep.

[opiv]

Originally Posted by cincytj

I did not want to post this question on the other threadso I will add my additional HID question. thanx for starting the thread.

I have worked on miniature mercury vapor arc lamps in the past and they had a fairly short half life. The lamp would be brightest about 5-25 hours after being new but generally the lumen out put would halve in 500-1000 hours. The newer lamps if cooled correctly, like those used in digital projectors, last about 2000 hours before they drop to 1/2 lumen output. Are the automobile HIDs any better and why? It seems they could not possibly be cooled correctly. If they are too cold or too hot they lose life, too cold is most damaging but both too cool too hot are significant.

That is very interesting. I have heard similar information about plasma television technology regarding the short lifespan of the screen. I would think they would not cool very efficienctly but they seem to last from my experience. I have had the older Sylvania Xenarc HIDs for about a year and they seem as bright as the day I installed them. They are not quite as good as the Xe7 HID's since they do not have an even beam pattern and have hotspots but I am happy with them and will never go back to H4's. Once you go black (I mean HID) you never go back.

[Oman Jeep]

Originally Posted by cincytj

I did not want to post this question on the other threadso I will add my additional HID question. thanx for starting the thread.

I have worked on miniature mercury vapor arc lamps in the past and they had a fairly short half life. The lamp would be brightest about 5-25 hours after being new but generally the lumen out put would halve in 500-1000 hours. The newer lamps if cooled correctly, like those used in digital projectors, last about 2000 hours before they drop to 1/2 lumen output. Are the automobile HIDs any better and why? It seems they could not possibly be cooled correctly. If they are too cold or too hot they lose life, too cold is most damaging but both too cool too hot are significant.

I honestly do not know the answer to that so I forwarded it to their design guy that I've been in contact with before. Also asked if he has any idea when the Xe7R is going to be available.

When I get an answer I'll post it here assuming the thread is not locked.

In the mean time, I know that without a filament, HID's are much better suited to high-vibration usage, i.e. off road trails and the unsurfaced track between obstacles.

[opiv]

Call me crazy but I am starting to like the protruding Xe7's... sexy.

[TQ_xvi]

I, for one, am a big fan of the HID setup. It is on my to-do list.

During the installation, did you have to remove any of the stock girlle setup for the housing to fit properly?

[lib]

Originally Posted by Oman Jeep

That looks really good IMHO. I think I will go all black with mine since it is going on a black Jeep and would blend in well.

[Oman Jeep]

Originally Posted by TQ_xvi

I, for one, am a big fan of the HID setup. It is on my to-do list.

During the installation, did you have to remove any of the stock girlle setup for the housing to fit properly?

Just remembered I forgot to reply to your mail...

Nope, the metal grill (with the stamped 7 slots) is completely unaffected. The trim-bezel goes in again completely unaffected.

The only modification you have to do is provide clearance in the mounting bucket for the larger back-side of the unit.

The standard bucket you see here:


Click to enlarge

Needs trimming like this:


Click to enlarge

So the light can fit:


Click to enlarge

This is what you get before you start:



The lip around the edge goes in the same retaining-ring that the standard lights go in.

[lib]

Originally Posted by Oman Jeep

I honestly do not know the answer to that so I forwarded it to their design guy that I've been in contact with before. Also asked if he has any idea when the Xe7R is going to be available.

When I get an answer I'll post it here assuming the thread is not locked.

In the mean time, I know that without a filament, HID's are much better suited to high-vibration usage, i.e. off road trails and the unsurfaced track between obstacles.

I have a feeling that when the Xe7R is made available many of the people who are hesitant to get HIDs will make the switch. I think I will end up with Xe7's myself because I have absolutly no patience.

[Jerry Bransford]

Originally Posted by Oman Jeep

When I get an answer I'll post it here assuming the thread is not locked.

Threads only get locked Oman when they contain more useless long-winded arguments than content.

[opiv]

Originally Posted by TQ_xvi

I, for one, am a big fan of the HID setup. It is on my to-do list.

During the installation, did you have to remove any of the stock girlle setup for the housing to fit properly?

Also, the HID installation usually takes less than an hour. It took me an hour to install my Xenarc HIDs because I did not follow the directions when installing the wiring and had to fix my mistakes after the fact. It is very easy if you follow the directions.

[cincytj]

Originally Posted by Oman Jeep

I honestly do not know the answer to that so I forwarded it to their design guy that I've been in contact with before. Also asked if he has any idea when the Xe7R is going to be available.

When I get an answer I'll post it here assuming the thread is not locked.

In the mean time, I know that without a filament, HID's are much better suited to high-vibration usage, i.e. off road trails and the unsurfaced track between obstacles.

you wont see the difference since you cant see your old lights and your lights when they were new side by side. The lights I used were 150 watt Phoenix bulbs over driven with a 210 watt ballast. It may be that the lower wattage bulbs do not see the more drastic drops.

[rubi-soho]

ok here is a pic of my current blacked out lights..... the pic dosen't do them justice... it was really bright out that day, and I think they look much better in person than in that pic.... I'll take some more tomorrow and post em up....
Top-less even and mabye I'll get her to drop her doors also.....

[rubi-soho]

ok so she is ready to go.... tomorrow I'll have some quality HID poser shots
but in the mean time here are some that i took when they were apart.... you can see all the internals, the cut-off flap, lense, housing (and how thick it is) and the outer lense.....