H.I.D. color
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H.I.D. color
I'm looking to buy some HID lights and the two different colors are 4250k or 5400. Does anyone know what difference the color would make?
Here's the website If intrested-http://www.suvlights.com/product_info.php?products_id=46
Here's the website If intrested-http://www.suvlights.com/product_info.php?products_id=46
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From: Virginia
The color of the light is related to the frequency. The frequency of the light determines how it behaves.
The lower the frequency, the more penetrating power light has. You can see an example of this during sunrise and sunset. White light and sunlight is a mix of all the different color frequencies. But as the sun sets or rises, there is more atmosphere the light has to travel before you see it. The higher frequencies of greens, blues, and violets don't make it through all of the atomosphere, but the more powerful lower frequencies of reds and yellows to make it through, and that's why the sunrise and sunsets are colored red and yellow.
The HID discharge lights you are talking about are in the higher blue frequencies, which are really less powerful than the lower yellows of the regular lights, but I guess people like the different color light, and it's a byproduct of the type of gas they use in the bulb.
The lower the frequency, the more penetrating power light has. You can see an example of this during sunrise and sunset. White light and sunlight is a mix of all the different color frequencies. But as the sun sets or rises, there is more atmosphere the light has to travel before you see it. The higher frequencies of greens, blues, and violets don't make it through all of the atomosphere, but the more powerful lower frequencies of reds and yellows to make it through, and that's why the sunrise and sunsets are colored red and yellow.
The HID discharge lights you are talking about are in the higher blue frequencies, which are really less powerful than the lower yellows of the regular lights, but I guess people like the different color light, and it's a byproduct of the type of gas they use in the bulb.
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2000k = red
3000k = yellow
4000k = white
5500k = light blue
7000k = blue
9000k = dark blue
12000k = purple
The colors start at the beginning of the color spectrum and work their way towards the end of the spectrum as the color frequency increases.
The 4250k's will probably be a tad brighter but the 5400k's will look nicer.
3000k = yellow
4000k = white
5500k = light blue
7000k = blue
9000k = dark blue
12000k = purple
The colors start at the beginning of the color spectrum and work their way towards the end of the spectrum as the color frequency increases.
The 4250k's will probably be a tad brighter but the 5400k's will look nicer.
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Joined: Apr 2004
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From: central TX
4250 will also work better in wet conditions...
I'm sure the 5400K will perform adequately, you just need to decide if you are leaning more towards looks or functionality. Looks go with 5400K, functional go with 4250.
I personally preffer the looks of the 4250. I think it looks more natural. They certainly won't be confused with any halogen bulb either way.
I'm sure the 5400K will perform adequately, you just need to decide if you are leaning more towards looks or functionality. Looks go with 5400K, functional go with 4250.
I personally preffer the looks of the 4250. I think it looks more natural. They certainly won't be confused with any halogen bulb either way.
Last edited by tdister; May 2, 2007 at 01:32 AM.
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From: Vancouver Island
Those numbers must be the color temperature. Daylight is around 6500K. Here's an illustration borrowed from the Wikipedia entry for Color Temperature:
Posting Guru
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From: central TX
Keep in mind the 5400K bulb is likely just a 4250K bulb with a blue coating on it to filter out the more yellow colors (i.e. dimmer). There are some 5000K uncoated bulbs out there, if you want "whiter" light, I would go with them. From what I hear, coated HID bulbs tend to not last nearly as long as uncoated.
FWIW, I have seen nothing to say that "daylight" is necessarily better than other temperatures. With a coated bulb you aren't getting any more white light, you are just getting less color from the low end of the temp. scale so that the avg. temp. is higher. The light output color (X000 K) is an average of the spectrum that the bulb puts out. Yellow is needed for foul weather performance.
Let me guess, a bulb conversion swap instead of doing a proper projector version...
I would "take with a grain of salt" any words coming from a company who sells "DOT approved" auxiliary lighting. The DOT neither approves nor has specs for aux. lighting.
FWIW, I have seen nothing to say that "daylight" is necessarily better than other temperatures. With a coated bulb you aren't getting any more white light, you are just getting less color from the low end of the temp. scale so that the avg. temp. is higher. The light output color (X000 K) is an average of the spectrum that the bulb puts out. Yellow is needed for foul weather performance.
Let me guess, a bulb conversion swap instead of doing a proper projector version...
I would "take with a grain of salt" any words coming from a company who sells "DOT approved" auxiliary lighting. The DOT neither approves nor has specs for aux. lighting.
Last edited by tdister; May 3, 2007 at 04:03 AM.
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