Halogen H18 and H19

SubLGT

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 18, 2013
Messages
1,183
Location
Idaho, USA
Are these two bulbs in use now, in production vehicles? How will they be superior, or inferior, to older halogen bulb types?
 

Alaric Darconville

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 2, 2001
Messages
5,377
Location
Stillwater, America
ECE Proposal for Supplement 44 to the 03 series of amendments to R.37

H18 A high flux low beam light source category
H20 A high colour temperature light source category intended for high beam


The H18 category provides high luminous flux and low tolerances to achieve better beam performance in modern and future headlamps having a higher aspect ratio. The proposal, enhancing the H7-technology, combines the best in class geometrical tolerances with 13 per cent higher luminous flux than H7 to make up for the loss in reflector size. This applies to mainly the low beam but also to high beam.

The H19 category combines a higher efficacy (compared to H4, lm/W: high beam + 9 per cent; low beam + 20 per cent), an optimized shield design and tighter tolerances based on the H17 concept. This facilitates maximal optical efficiency in modern complex shape reflectors, leading to better beam performance than H4 in the compact car segments.
Part substance...

The H20 category emits white light of a colour temperature of 5,000 K that optimally matches the colour temperature of LED light sources and can therefore be combined with LED low beam.
Part style.

The H19 is "A high precision double-filament light source category".

Precision is key to optimal beam focus, don'cha know...
 

-Virgil-

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
7,802
Are these two bulbs in use now, in production vehicles?

Not yet.

How will they be superior, or inferior, to older halogen bulb types?

Superior. The H18 is an "H7 on steroids". Its nominal luminous flux is 1700 lumens (vs. 1500 for H7). Higher luminance and longer lifespan, too. Maximum wattage 69w at 13.2v (compared to 58w for H7). The H18 will not be a direct drop-in replacement for H7 -- the base keying arrangement prevents H7 from being installed in an H18 headlamp and vice-versa, but it will not be particularly difficult to defeat for someone who is determined to do so.

The H19 is a long-overdue update of H4. More flux, luminance, and lifespan from low and high beam. Much tighter filament precision. Symmetrical rather than asymmetrical low beam filament shield means much better optical efficiency on low beam with free-form reflectors...also means H19 does not work at all in anything but an H19 headlamp.

There's also H17, which is a long-overdue update of HS1 (which in turn is the very old 35/35w low-powered motorcycle headlight lamp). H17 has a symmetrical low beam filament shield, too, so not interchangeable with HS1.

That stuff about "smaller headlamps" in the proposal (and in Philips marketing material for H18/H19) is true; the automakers are basing their headlamp packaging around small LED designs these days, so if they want a halogen headlamp for their decontented/low-cost base models, they need higher-output bulbs for them. These higher-output bulbs can also be used to get better performance out of what have previously been considered regular-sized headlamp packages.

There's also H20, which is a very wasteful bulb: a 75w bulb producing only 1200 lumens (pathetic; the 65w H9 produces 2100 lumens). The poor output is because H20 has deep blue glass, to produce light that is claimed to be "5000K" for supposed color matching of nearby LED low beams.
 
Last edited:

haha1234

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 31, 2010
Messages
111
Interesting that they're not expanding on the HIR offerings.

Those H20's will have poor efficiency as well as a short lifespan; you'll have to replace them every month! Do you think non-blue H20 bulbs will be offered? They should've at least made the permissible output a wide range, say, from 1000-2000 lumens.
 

Ceilidh

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
38
Superior. The H18 is an "H7 on steroids". Its nominal luminous flux is 1700 lumens (vs. 1500 for H7). Higher luminance and longer lifespan, too. Maximum wattage 69w at 13.2v (compared to 58w for H7). The H18 will not be a direct drop-in replacement for H7 -- the base keying arrangement prevents H7 from being installed in an H18 headlamp and vice-versa, but it will not be particularly difficult to defeat for someone who is determined to do so.

Thank you for the information, Virgil.

Quick question: If the H18 does turn out to be a direct drop-in replacement for the H7, would you choose it over the Osram Rallye 65w H7? (I've installed the latter in my 2000 VW Golf (on your recommendation) and have been delighted with it; just thinking ahead to future replacement, when the Rallye bulbs burn out....) =)

Thanks very much!
 
Last edited by a moderator:

SubLGT

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 18, 2013
Messages
1,183
Location
Idaho, USA
...If the H18 does turn out to be a direct drop-in replacement for the H7, would you choose it over the Osram Rallye 65w H7?...

Good question. I also use the Osram 65W H7, but in a Subaru. As I recall, it puts out around 2100 lumen.
 

-Virgil-

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
7,802
Those H20's will have poor efficiency as well as a short lifespan; you'll have to replace them every month!

It's considered not an issue because the bulb is intended for high beams, which are relatively little usd.

Do you think non-blue H20 bulbs will be offered?

Probably not.

They should've at least made the permissible output a wide range, say, from 1000-2000 lumens.

Absolutely not! This is never done, and never should be.
 

-Virgil-

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
7,802
If the H18 does turn out to be a direct drop-in replacement for the H7, would you choose it over the Osram Rallye 65w H7?

I might...! H18 with much longer lifespan and excellent beam focus.
 
Last edited:

SubLGT

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 18, 2013
Messages
1,183
Location
Idaho, USA
The 1700 lumens from the H18 trumps the 2100 lumens from the 65W Osram H7/H9 Rallye bulb? Was not expecting that. Hmmmm.
 

-Virgil-

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
7,802
Look at the low beam performance comparison between newer 70/65w H4 design and older 100/90w H4 here. This would be something like that.
 
Last edited:

Ceilidh

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
38
Thank you very much, Virgil and Alaric (and to SubLGT, for bringing up the topic!),

I had no idea just how important beam focus can be. Looks like an H18 is in my VW's future.... =)

Cheers - C

P.S. -- Just out of curiosity: With a more poorly-focused but still decent bulb (e.g., Osram 65w H7 as compared to the more precise H18), where does the "wasted" light go? Is there a general rule of thumb (e.g., above-cutoff glare; overlit foreground...), or is it a matter of anywhere and everywhere? And are the effects equally strong for high beam vs. low beam? (Thanks in advance -- this is all very interesting!)
 
Last edited:

Alaric Darconville

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 2, 2001
Messages
5,377
Location
Stillwater, America
Thank you very much, Virgil and Alaric (and to SubLGT, for bringing up the topic!)
And thanks to Sasha for making the CPF! :) [/end wrangling for Brownie Points]
You're welcome, Ceilidh, for my part in this-- and SubLGT's bringing up the topic was a good thing.

I had no idea just how important beam focus can be.
Many people don't! Hence the proliferation of sloppily-made, hugely-filamented, highly-overwattage bulbs that sell like hotcakes.


P.S. -- Just out of curiosity: With a more poorly-focused but still decent bulb (e.g., Osram 65w H7 as compared to the more precise H18), where does the "wasted" light go? Is there a general rule of thumb (e.g., above-cutoff glare; overlit foreground...), or is it a matter of anywhere and everywhere? And are the effects equally strong for high beam vs. low beam? (Thanks in advance -- this is all very interesting!)
I shouldn't paint with too broad a brush, but usually into oversaturating the foreground, but potentially into the glare zones. Same with high beams, but at least when they put light into the glare zone there isn't other traffic to be bothered by it.
 

Marcturus

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 27, 2009
Messages
337
Location
230V~
It's considered not an issue because the bulb is intended for high beams, which are relatively little usd.
Is there some note that does limit H20 to the high beam function? I suspect there is a huge market for a variety of dim, but "official LED white + 100% legal" beamz, including faugx.
 

Ceilidh

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
38
Hello Virgil, Alaric,

Just wondering: have either of you seen the H18 available for sale anywhere? (And is it truly a drop-in replacement for the H7?) My Golf's Osram Rallye 65w H7 will likely (judging by hours of operation) be burning out reasonably soon, and I'd like to try the H18 if you still recommend it.

Many thanks in advance!
- C
 

-Virgil-

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
7,802
H18 is not a direct drop-in for H7; its base key (the tab that interrupts the circular shape of the base) is wider than the key on an H7. This could easily be defeated in most cases by widening the slot in the headlamp's bulb holder -- it would also be possible to narrow the tab on the bulb, but it would be difficult because the base is hard stainless steel.

As for availability: yes, they're in production, but as far as I know they're not in general distribution yet; one would have to obtain them directly from Philips or Osram, and they probably are limiting distribution to potential high-volume customers.
 

Ceilidh

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
38
Hi Virgil,

Thank you for the fast reply! I guess I'll stick with the Osram Rallye for now (beyond the availability issues, I'll have trouble removing and modifying the headlamp these days). =)

Silly naive question: is it possible for beam focus to degrade as a bulb ages? (e.g., There's no way a filament can get shift or thicken, is there?) I'm starting to notice some light above the cut-off (up and to the left, maybe 30 degrees off centerline) that seemingly wasn't there when I first put the (Osram Rallye) bulbs in. But most probably I'm imagining things, yes?

Hope your Christmas/Holiday season is going well, and thanks again for all the advice!
- C
 
Last edited by a moderator:

-Virgil-

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
7,802
is it possible for beam focus to degrade as a bulb ages?

Yes. A used filament looks scraggly and may even be wavy in shape rather than perfectly cylindrical.

My Xmas season would be going better if there weren't so many nimrods on the roads at night with no headlights, high beams, DRLs, etc. I also asked Santa Claus for an end to red turn signals, but he just went "Ho-ho-ho!".
 
Last edited:
Top