H4 telescopic HIDs w/ super slim ballasts

[bmwhd]

I don't have pictures from the same distance (I'll try to take some soon) but I do have this:

See how it has a small extra section at the bottom?

Note, this pattern looks like hell because my bike was on a slope and I'd not aimed the bulbs yet. Now they look a lot like yours but with more foreground light. I'll get a more accurate picture as soon as I can.

 

[Fred W]

OK folks, here's the latest update on this. The driveway was dry (albeit freeken cold) tonight so I pulled the feejer out and unplugged the left side bulb's solenoid connector (that acuates the telescopic action) while in the low position to get a feel for what one might expect with one (left side) low only bulb and one (right side) telescopic Hi/Lo HID bulb installed. I think for most of us mere mortals (non desert, night-time running jackal types) this is a big improvement.

1st picture is two HIDs at low beam (repeat prior experiment with better aim forward than before):

Now, here was the 2 HID headlights in high beam (from before) Note again the remarkable loss of intensity low down and on the ground. :

And now here is what the beam pattern looks like with the left beam in Low and the right in High Beam (just by disconnecting the connector going to the left solenoid for the Hi/LO)

Note: much better fill in the foreground and still good intensity up at the horizon. I believe that this could be improved even further with the use of an actual dedicated "Low Beam Only" capsule. The alternative would be to put a switch on the dash to allow the left side to change when desired or just leave in the low beam position when desired. I haven't worked out the details on that, but I don't think it would be terribly difficult if so desired, even as just a prototype.

The only thing that I'm not sure of is which side should be the "always low beam". Initially I assumed (yes, Ass U me) that the side closest to oncoming traffic would be best to be left in low, but perhaps this is not so. If you look at the last picture there is some dropout to the outside right that would be kind of nice to get better illuminated when cranking along at night (catch a few more kamikaze critters), but I'm not sure if it would be worth losing the light on the left side.

Then again, I have never intended this to be a replacement for the Aux light prairie burners that light up the night with the eyes of god, just a reasonable upgrade for the rest of us poor slobs.

More to come...

 

[Zorlac]

Thanks for documenting your effort with the pics Fred, the Hi/low combo looks pretty good.

Have you measured the actual running current into the ballast after the HID bulb is warmed up?

I hope these lamps and ballasts are reliable for you over the long term.

 

[Fred W]

Thanks for documenting your effort with the pics Fred, the Hi/low combo looks pretty good.

No problemo. Its something I would have done for my own edification, so sharing with my buds here is a no brainer.

Have you measured the actual running current into the ballast after the HID bulb is warmed up?I hope these lamps and ballasts are reliable for you over the long term.

Not yet, but perhaps when things get a tad warmer in these parts I can do that. I would estimate that we lose some of the gains of the 35W arc tube vs. the 55/60W halogen filament by running the solenoid(s) as well as losses in the voltage step-up (ballast) as pointed out by Warchild.

My next tweak will be to try the same thing, but with an H4 Low beam only HID lamp instead of the unplugged telescopic lamp. Does anyone have a line on a single one of these? Must have the separate + and - HV connectors (not a duplex connector)

Then I'll see what happens to the remaining telescopic beam when the smaller moving shield is trimmed back some.

I'm also keeping an eye out for a possible upcoming self contained HID aux light group buy. That seems like it could be a winner.

 

[ngarider]

Yeah, I'm looking forward to what WC has for us in the HID aux thing that's been hinted at.

And anyone who runs these chinese HID setups and doesn't carry an H4 bulb and a flashlight is a moron. With my old kit, I did have a middle of the night swap. Thankfully the GenI is easy to get around.

 

[Fred W]

OK, I lined up a pair of H4 fixed Low beam type bulbs, so I should have these in a week or so.

 

[Grumpy]

Yeah, I'm looking forward to what WC has for us in the HID aux thing that's been hinted at.
And anyone who runs these chinese HID setups and doesn't carry an H4 bulb and a flashlight is a moron. With my old kit, I did have a middle of the night swap. Thankfully the GenI is easy to get around.

Agreed! Would a spare lighting system count equally?

jim

 

[Fred W]

Yeah, I'm looking forward to what WC has for us in the HID aux thing that's been hinted at.
And anyone who runs these chinese HID setups and doesn't carry an H4 bulb and a flashlight is a moron. With my old kit, I did have a middle of the night swap. Thankfully the GenI is easy to get around.

Agreed! Would a spare lighting system count equally?

jim

Well, sort of. Most of these aux light setups are so damn bright you can't use them with oncoming traffic. so you'd still need to swap in some halogens if the HIDs somehow screwed the pooch.

 

[Ross Miller]

I bought a similer kit on ebay, i had a hard time finding one with the slim ballast( which are 100% neccessary) but eventually after requesting what i needed, one of the ebay vendors got me exactly what i wanted, he was out of australia and the hi/lo beam function is still functional, Instalation was difficult but with enginuity was sucessful, i dont have pictures but basically it worked liek this.

The two ballasts were placed in the region to the left of the forks under the plastic behind the glovebox.

One of the transformers, was placed in the same region the other further forward past the glove box

some wires were run under the gas tank by removing it, to the other region to the right of the forks, there behind the battery the hi/lo beam control box was placed, and in front of the battery the fuses were stuffed.

 

[Spridal]

Fred,

Any updates on the install? Is the unit still performing well? I'm thinking of stepping up and buying a set.

 

[Fred W]

Fred,Any updates on the install? Is the unit still performing well? I'm thinking of stepping up and buying a set.

The telescopic install has been completed (long ago now) and I have the fixed low beam capsules in hand. But all further modifications and reliability testing has been placed on temporary hold by my Mother. :blink:

Mother Nature that is. Spring has still not sprung here in the Northeast yet. It even snowed another couple of inches this past weekend. :angry: :angry: :angry:

 

[Warchild]

Mother Nature that is. Spring has still not sprung here in the Northeast yet. It even snowed another couple of inches this past weekend. :angry: :angry: :angry:

28-degrees F when riding in to work this morning. This winter has definitely sucked the major root.

It is goddamn April already..... let's get with the warmer temps, Mother Nature! :angry: :angry: :angry:

 

[SkooterG]

Mother Nature that is. Spring has still not sprung here in the Northeast yet. It even snowed another couple of inches this past weekend. :angry: :angry: :angry:

28-degrees F when riding in to work this morning. This winter has definitely sucked the major root.

It is goddamn April already..... let's get with the warmer temps, Mother Nature! :angry: :angry: :angry:

Quit yer crying bi-atches!!!

High 70s around here today.

 

[Fred W]

Mother Nature that is. Spring has still not sprung here in the Northeast yet. It even snowed another couple of inches this past weekend. :angry: :angry: :angry:

28-degrees F when riding in to work this morning. This winter has definitely sucked the major root.

It is goddamn April already..... let's get with the warmer temps, Mother Nature! :angry: :angry: :angry:

Quit yer crying bi-atches!!!

High 70s around here today.

ScooterDude, please refer to my avatar.

But, that's okee-dokey . We'll just compare riding notes in July and August.

I know, I know. But it's a dry heat... :blink:

 

[Spridal]

Installed a set last night. Took about two hours and the only panels I removed were the battery panel, the two panels behind the headlight adjustment knobs and the panel near the glove box.

 

[Fred W]

The configuration of having one fixed low beam HID and one telescopic HID was a qualified success. It allows great low beam performance and OK high beam performance. The only reason I don't call this a total victory is because the high beams were definitely better "down the road" when I had both of the telescopic bulbs actively telescoping. As you may recall the problem with that is when the lights go to high beam there is no "foreground fill" light immediately in front of the bike. All of the light output is cast far down the road first hitting the road surface a good 30+ feet in front.

With that in mind I have an idea on another alternative. I may try to find some relatively inexpensive aux lights to use as foreground fill lights.

When they are in low the lights will also be a bonus in adding to conspicuity. I'll likely need to use some sort of "blue tint" halogen bulbs to try and match the color of the HID headlamps.

These will not have to be $700 HID aux lights because all I want is to get some light into that first ~50 feet of road when the telescopics are in high. My goal is not to beat or match the prarie burner systems that the LD guys use out west. Being an east coaster, I just want some decent headlights for the New England area I live in without taking out a second mortgage.