Forgot I cant edit previous post once there are more posts. So here is that pic showing the bulbs I tried, 100W slight blue tinting (but not very much at all-kinda dissapointed at both color and the fact they arent bright).



And here is both high beams and low beams both with 100W bluish bulbs on the right and stock 55W on the left. Although the high beam bulbs seem much bluer than the lows did, they still are significantly weak, leading me to seek higher wattage or a better performing bulb.



Again I must remind the stock bulbs on the left, even though brighter, are still dimmer than regular F150 lights. So how is it that nearly double the wattage is going to be so bright as to impead my long distance vision and attract the attention of officers? The color I decide to go with might, but all this talk about wattage is kinda pointless since wattage rating on bulb (usually power drawn) does not equal the 'brightness' of the bulb or how much usable light it casts on the road.

 

"So how is it that nearly double the wattage is going to be so bright as to impead my long distance vision and attract the attention of officers?"

Again, you COMPLETELY missed the point (about the long distance vision especially. My fault, I should have known better...). I wasn't even going to respond again, but here's something regarding the harness that should make some of this easier to understand, and for other's benefit: Pictures

I'm in the middle of making a whole lighting page/write-up, but for the sake of the subject here are a couple showing the diff. between OE harness and upgraded. All pics are low beam. '99 F150.

Brand new Sylvania OE style 9007 bulb powered thru the OE harness on the left (drivers). A well-used Xtravision on the right, powered thru an upgraded harness.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/tdister/100_0515-1.jpg

Same set-up, only the OE bulb on the left is now powered thru the upgraded harness.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/tdister/100_0516.jpg

Open both and jog back and forth, see the difference? I won't sit here and try to explain why it works, but it does. No? Did basically the same to my sister's '06 F150 not long ago, with very similar results (I bought her harness assembled though). I plan to add her truck to the pics eventually.

Both seem brighter in the 2nd pic because the beams overlap a great deal. Here is one with both being Xtravisions with upgraded harness. Sorry, it was meant for a different comparison and is taken at a different distance with slightly different settings. It still shows that they are similar in brightness for comparison to the other pics. http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/tdister/100_0520.jpg

Cameras don't give a perfect representation, but I played around with the settings and feel this is a very good representation of the results. They don't look exactly as they do in person, they do show that there is difference. Maybe this will help someone...

/please ignore the mess
//not sure how long my host will last. Someone let me know if it goes down, I've got them hosted on another site as well.

 

I woudlnt call the difference huge, but worth looking into. I have since added the hella ff100 set I was talking about earlier so I atleast have enough light to now feel comfortable, and I can see the sides of the road again instead of just a round patch in the middle. I have not swapped any of the bulbs out yet (since I didnt like the ones photo'd above I have removed them in favor for the oem).

I guess thinking back on it one of the main reasons I even posted this was that I wanted a tinted bulb but I wanted to know what was a good brand or a reputable ebay seller since alot of ebay sellers sell you junk that isnt really tinted that much at all and still pretty dull. Basically a tinted bulb that was still about as bright as an oem bulb. I see em out there on the road every once in a while so I know thier out there. I even thought about an HID conversion but they are costly and I havent researched yet to see if they make more heat or anything (meaning my headlight assemblies might not be up to par for hid). Plus I would hate to put the money from an HID kit into the projector headlights that I feel have less than ideal pattern and still have to run aux lights just to see the sides of the road.

 

It really makes a bigger diff. in person. Camera/monitors are a horrible way to compare lights, even side by side. I tried to take some pics of the beam in an actual road-use scenario, but if it's dark it isn't a good road for the demo-if it's a good road it isn't dark. Can't seem to find a suitable location.

I recently saw some projectors on an F150 at a local get together and, yeah, the beam was crap. He thought they were a little better, but also said he might be trying to justify the cost(once his wife was away). I took him out in mine and he agreed they (mine) were way better.

You say you removed your projectors or just the blue bulbs (I thought you mean the bulbs, but the OEM thru me off)? I understand the looks thing, it just seems like a '1 step forward, 2 steps back' kind of deal, as far as useful light is concerned between all the combos. I like form, but only if it doesn't disrupt function. Not everyone thinks like me though-a good thing.

I got some new PIAA Super whites and some Silverstars lent to me for the pics also. I really tried to go with an open mind, and yeah the PIAA did seem brighter at first(a little), but in real world, the Xtravisons and GE Nighthawks work much better. Pics to come in a seperate thread.

You say you've seen blue bulbs that performed better, keep in mind the housing/projector is going to change the look of effectiveness quite a bit. My buddy's cobra, with it's diamond cut/clear lenses, looks much brighter on pavement to the 'untrained' eye. My opaque style lenses with the exact same bulb and harness work dramatically better in real world scenarios where you actually need to see though (especially on low beam). The sharp cut-off of the diamond style light (like a projector) is too great and you/I end up focusing on the beam itself instead of further ahead. The cut-off fades out much less dramatically on mine, still lighting-up critters eyes, not enough to blind others though (never get flashed anywhere I didn't when stock anyway...). Mine are worse when completely OE, but with the upgrades applied to each, mine actually work better. Go figure. Sorry, that was just a long way of saying not to compare your lights/beams to other vehicle, if that was the case. It can be very misleading I've found. I tried some Lightning 'daimond cuts' and found the same thing compared to my OE lenses. Looked brighter, performed worse. My neighbors new Mazda3 has some projectors that are way brighter than mine to the eye in the city (under street lights, where they don't matter for your own vision), and where they actually do shine, but effectiveness is well below mine when they are actually needed. Even projector housings seem to have pretty dramatic variances.

Are you looking for more side lighting in low or high beam? Both?

I do have some possibly useful info for you: If you don't mind experimenting, you can try the HIR halogen bulbs like the Vipers use for your 9005 high beams. The aren't 'blue' but they are a little whiter (3600K) and much brighter. They do have some sort of coating, but not for color. It is a 9011 and from what I've heard it will drop right in. It won't change the beam, don't expect much of that from any bulb, and it might give hot spots bright enough to negate the increased side-lighting, but it's worth a shot if you like what you hear. I've seen a few sets in action and at first glance, looking at the beam, they can be mistaken for HID. I've wanted to try some, but don't own anything they'll fit in...

http://www.i-club.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=873

Maybe some lightly coated bulbs (ST or PIAA) with a harness for low + fogs, and the HIR for high? Not really gonna trick people into thinking they are HID on low (hopefully not a concern on high), but it seems like a solid comprimise. You could also wire it for low and high at the same time since they are seperate bulbs now. That should help with side lighting on 'high' (if that's the concern), at the possible expense of some long distance vision-if it isn't a legal concern.

Surely you don't need more side lighting with lows and fogs on? Yes/No? Have you tried fogs and high together? Probaly illegal in your area, but you could also prob. get away with it...

/Sorry if my posts came across with a 'tude. I apologize. I've got an excuse (completely personal, and lame), but it wouldn't be worth mentioning. Been stressful lately...I come here to unwind and sometimes end up unloading instead.
//and sorry for the length, I have a prob just getting 'to the point'. Always feel like I'm leaving info out.

 

No prob, I had an attitude earlier as well. And I am a notorious long poster

It does make a bigger difference in person with lighting. I have photographed all sorts of lighting (mostly comparing different types of bulbs for aquariums) and because of the way the camera can adjust its shutter and appurture, the effect typically comes out different than what the eye sees. I have found with my cam and aquarium bulbs the 'color' of them is amplified.

I removed the blue bulbs that I purchased a while ago and put the origianl bulbs back in - sorry to confuse. The blue ones I bought were rated 100W but yet dimmer (and not because of the heavy tinting either since they werent tinted hardly at all). I have still yet to try the extravisions you recomend. I havent worried about it too much since adding the aux lights.

Yes I know I am limited by the headlight assemblies no matter what bulbs I put in. The high beams arent that great either. And I think the whole thing is flawed, since the high beams strike the ground with thier hotspot way to close to the truck. But I cant adjust the lights up any further without the low beams being to high. My projectors also have much too sharp of a cut-off. Infact you can see a defenite line across the horizon, and usually all trafic signs are above that. The fog lights have a much more gradual cut-off, and illuminate the sides of the road better and even signs further ahead in the distance. Also because of this they do seem brighter to oncomming traffic but not any brighter than most low beams.

I have the hella's wired so I can switch em when the parking lights are on, so either low or high beam. I have not read anywhere that says I cant run em with the highs but like I said before I never run the highs - only a couple times a year I am out in the country at night - like hunting season.

To be honest, knowing what I do now I would not have bought these lights due to thier performance. But I did, they werent cheap, and I really like the look so I am not just going to throw them away. I am happy enough with the combination of them and the hella's that I am not worried about it much anymore. I am thinking about addidng a third hella if I can find one cheap though, so I can angle the side ones just a little bit further to the sides, and still have one helping out straight ahead. But no, I am not really needing much more side lighting, the hella's do a very good job (just might angle them a we bit more to the side yet if i get the third one). As for the high+low without the fog lights there is no side lighting as neither of the beams really do anything for side lighting, but the high beams are a little broader than the lows. I also worry about the temp in the housing running both high's and lows, since its aftermarket and not of the highest quality.

Those bulbs you linked look interesting... I'll look more into them.