It's getting difficult to find good quality bulbs any more. Most of what's available is sloppy, thrown-together junk coming out of China. If you can find bulbs made in USA (good luck), Korea, or Taiwan, those are preferable to Chinese ones. Skip Wagner; their stuff is junk. Philips, Sylvania, or GE are the brands to stick to, and whoever is charging $16/bulb for one of these is a thief.
Brighter 3057 bulb?
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Hamilton Felix
Enlightened
Not to cause too much thread drift, but:
If there's a 3357/3457 alternative for the 3057, can I find a similar brighter alternative for my single element backup bulbs on my 2000 Crown Vic? Hard to read those dusty old things, but I think they are 3156 bulbs.
If there's a 3357/3457 alternative for the 3057, can I find a similar brighter alternative for my single element backup bulbs on my 2000 Crown Vic? Hard to read those dusty old things, but I think they are 3156 bulbs.
Hamilton Felix
Enlightened
Thanks. I already use 3357 in the Jeep, so we'll give it a try in the Ford.
As an answer to why the 3x57's have two filaments. I own an '02 cavalier, and an '01 sunfire. both exactly mechanically the same, both have 4 3157's in the rear as running lights/brake/blinkers/backup. when driving during the day(headlights off) the headlight low beam filaments are under driven for a glow and the front amber blinkers(also 3157's i believe) are on. when it is dark(low beams on) the rear outer bulbs are on the low setting for running lights and the center backup lights are off. when using the blinker the appropriate side high filament is used. when braking both side high filaments are used. on the backup lights only the high setting is used. i have seen guys bend over the low beam pin on their backup lights so both filaments are used when in reverse. does this burn up wires/throw fuses/melt plastic? not that i have seen, though most of these have been on pickup trucks that have larger cavities in their taillights allowing better air circulation. also backup lights are only seldom used. as for cheaper when stocking parts, i doubt it. i also have an '03 malibu ls that had 4 bulbs in each taillight, 2 3157's and 2 3156's.
If so, there's something wrong with your car. The daytime running light function on those cars does not involve the park/turn lamps with their 3157 bulbs. It is provided by the high (not low) beams driven at 50% of line voltage.
Pointless exercise. Does not add enough light to the reversing lamps to make any perceptible difference.
That may be, but it remains true. Attempts to generalize from one vehicle to the industry as a whole usually result in incorrect assumptions. In some assembly and subassembly processes and supply contracts, it's cheaper and/or easier (therefore also cheaper) to minimize the number of different bulb types. In some others, it's not.
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"If so, there's something wrong with your car. The daytime running light function on those cars does not involve the park/turn lamps with their 3157 bulbs. It is provided by the high (not low) beams driven at 50% of line voltage."
I checked, you're right, no yellows on in drl mode. as for high not low drls whatever i just figured it would be the low beam filament, thanks for the correction though, useful information as i was planning on putting in a relay to reroute the power for drls to some infrared fog lights at the flip of a switch.(nightvision!!)
"Pointless exercise. Does not add enough light to the reversing lamps to make any perceptible difference."
I agree it is pointless, but try telling them that, just figured i would mention it.
"That may be, but it remains true. Attempts to generalize from one vehicle to the industry as a whole usually result in incorrect assumptions. In some assembly and subassembly processes and supply contracts, it's cheaper and/or easier (therefore also cheaper) to minimize the number of different bulb types. In some others, it's not."
obviously i could be wrong, it was just a guess. they are going to use whatever bulbs they need to be cheaper while maintaining a certain look and legality. i just doubt it because i dont see it being that much of a difference in cost. i think having two types of bulbs, one costly and one cheaper would save more money than all double filaments that cost more, especially in the case of a vehicle with 8 bulbs in the rear. granted in the case of a cav or sun with 4 that difference would be less.
I checked, you're right, no yellows on in drl mode. as for high not low drls whatever i just figured it would be the low beam filament, thanks for the correction though, useful information as i was planning on putting in a relay to reroute the power for drls to some infrared fog lights at the flip of a switch.(nightvision!!)
"Pointless exercise. Does not add enough light to the reversing lamps to make any perceptible difference."
I agree it is pointless, but try telling them that, just figured i would mention it.
"That may be, but it remains true. Attempts to generalize from one vehicle to the industry as a whole usually result in incorrect assumptions. In some assembly and subassembly processes and supply contracts, it's cheaper and/or easier (therefore also cheaper) to minimize the number of different bulb types. In some others, it's not."
obviously i could be wrong, it was just a guess. they are going to use whatever bulbs they need to be cheaper while maintaining a certain look and legality. i just doubt it because i dont see it being that much of a difference in cost. i think having two types of bulbs, one costly and one cheaper would save more money than all double filaments that cost more, especially in the case of a vehicle with 8 bulbs in the rear. granted in the case of a cav or sun with 4 that difference would be less.
Heh, do you really want to know?
Alaric Darconville
Flashlight Enthusiast
Have you ever tried to *drive* with NVG?
Now, IR high beams with the Cadillac HUD of some time ago might be sweet...
If you feel like telling, sure. I imagine either you're trying for some kind of night vision setup or you're trying to defeat laser-based speed enforcement. In either case, a fog beam pattern is an odd choice.
I actually have. The experience involved a prototype set of Catseye Gen 3 NVGs, a rental car, a completely deserted road behind Dulles International Airport, and youthful exuberance. Every bit as fun as it sounds, for a few minutes anyway. I knew it wasn't the safest activity I could be doing at that hour so I put my toy away and drove home behind my halogens. NVGs bring with them a whole new set of problems, notably depth perception. Also, except for specific conditions, infrared NVGs as described above have long given way to image intensifier tubes, the physics of which are an interesting study in itself.
Alaric Darconville
Flashlight Enthusiast
For me, it was a CUCV, driven slowly (I might have hit 20), with a co-driver, and on a truly closed course. Nerve-wracking! I'm sure they've improved the technology since then (it was '90 or '91). It wasn't for a very long time (more of a "hey, let's see how this works!") so it didn't even count for any kind of certification or whatever. Lack of depth perception itself wasn't that big of a deal, it was the image graininess and low res and all that. Like REALLY low res. Plus, the absolute lack of peripheral vision. We don't realize how badly we need peripheral vision while driving!
yes, nvg, I put night vision right in my post. but as previously stated i will be doing testing and don't expect this to be safe for driving.
I looked up those image intensifier tubes, pretty neat, i will need to get some.
my current screen is something paltry like 480x640 so if the camera and lens do well i will invest in a dedicated screen. i currently have a pioneer avic-n2 headunit.
i figure get a 16$ license plate frame camera from ebay, use some film as an ir filter and see what happens. then i will get a couple different wavelength leds and see which works best. then i just need some perf, 100 more leds and to cnc a suitable housing. lots of scrap lexan at work. i will make them slim so they can fit in the slots in my cavs grill. they will be mounted to a bar that will swing up behind the grill when not in use. I dont want them to be noticed lest i be suspected of using them for illegitimate activities. at the very least they would be good for spotting when night hunting pests. as to whether they would defeat radar lidar, i dont know but i can easily find out which models are used in my area and look up their specs.
An infrared light aimed directly at would be interesting for defeating nv cameras, i suppose any sufficiently bright, focused beam would though. but infrared would do so without being visible to any people around.
I think if I were going to experiment with NV, I would obtain some visible-opaque, IR-pass filter material from Edmund Scientific or a similar place, and put it in front of some halogen "driving" (auxiliary high beam) lamps. Easy and effective, should be.
I had thought about using regular bulbs with filters but its inefficient and blatantly obvious. if i did led fog lights i could make the outer ring the IR leds so if i did get pulled over they would be less visible next to lit leds. either way i want to be able to conceal them with some sort of flip up action. leds would be smaller, lighter, and use less power so i could use smaller, more flexible wire that could handle movement better. making a housing for halogens that would focus, dissipate heat, seal easily, and still fit in the maybe 1.5" slots would be difficult.
alpg88
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2005
- Messages
- 5,370
there is a flir kit sold for cars, some cars have it installed by manufacturer, my uncle bought used bmw750 that came with it, i love that thing, it sees no light, only heat, no lights can blind it.
a kit for a car cost about 3k. I already tired to by it, few times, but everytime i got to paypal "place order" buton, i back off, i don't really need it, i drive for over 25 years without it, i do want it, but not enough to sink 3k on it, yet.
a kit for a car cost about 3k. I already tired to by it, few times, but everytime i got to paypal "place order" buton, i back off, i don't really need it, i drive for over 25 years without it, i do want it, but not enough to sink 3k on it, yet.
alpg88
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2005
- Messages
- 5,370
get sony handycam with nightshot, and build an ir illuminator, you want good quality 850nm ir leds, ledegin sells 10watters for $15 each, they also sell 40mm 15* lenses, i have build an ir light using 3 of those leds, i can see hundreds of yards, in total darkness with sony night shot camera. but my set up was not meant for cars, but i don't see why it can be used in a car.
850nm leds emit faint glow, it is visible, but only from short distance. some dashcams see ir better than others, that plus strong ir illuminator, and you got car nvg, but unlike flir, it can be blinded , and dust and fog will limit your view.
the link to new thread http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ning-for-in-vehivle-use&p=4259655#post4259655
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