Taken from my thread on TacomaWorld about converting my Hella 4000 Halogen Pencil beams to HIDs (35 watt/ 5000şK color)... The past 5 weeks, I have been testing a couple different colors in an effort to find ones that come closest to the Kragen HIDs (white with a hint of blue).
Halogens are around 3500şK to 4000şK in color temperature (yellow-white) and HIDs (xenon) can be in a variety of colors from yellow (3000K) to Violet (12000K)... Most the kids with their street racers go with 6000-8000 or more blue+. However, the brightest and whitest light is 4300-5000şK. The bulbs most often sold are made in China and seem to have a lot of variety in color while labled the same. HIDs require a ballast to ignite... and ballast quality is not always there with Chinese brands.
Before the HID conversion:
On the light bar are a pair of Kragen 35 watt HID Euro Beams (outside pair) and a pair of Hella 100 watt Halogen Pencil beams (inside pair).
Went to someone's garage based business to get them converted...
They worked there, but that evening, one didn't come on and the ballast blew up... popped and then smoke! The light that did work, flickered or jittered when viewed shining on my garage wall. These were 4300şK bulbs, and seemed a tad yellow compared to my Kragens (white-blue).
He sent me a new ballast, and a new pair of bulbs and we wanted to try 5000şKs. The new ballast worked, but the new bulbs that were supposed to be 5000s were much too blue (he said they sent 6000Ks by mistake... but they looked like 8000K in color!:
I changed one of the 6000s back to the 4300 bulb:
A few days ago, he sent me another pair of '5000K' bulbs, and I switched one:
It was strangely more yellow than the 4300 bulb! (the other one was also the same color).
Today, another pair of '5000K' bulbs and 2 new ballasts arrived, and I did a complete switch...
Flipped them on, and as they warmed up the color does change a bit... watch them change in the next 3 images taken about 10 seconds apart (right away I am happy with what I see!):
Now, I kick on the Kragen 7" HID Euro Beams:
This is pretty close at color matching, and I am happy with these 5000Ks in color.
Looking at all 4 lamps on:
Kick on my stock head lights at low beam with fog lights:
My stock high beams on:
See how much dimmer and yellower the halogens are compared to 5000şK HIDs are?
So, guess what... the new lights look good in color, but they both flicker a little... I am going to test them a while, and even though the 6000s (or whatever the really blue ones were didn't flicker, nor do the Kragens, I am going to just see if they perform off road as they are now.
Maybe tonight, I will take them out and add some photos of how they illuminate the road.
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Grassy area by my house... Kragen Euro/Driving beams:
Flip on the Hella 4000s with 5000K bulbs:
Against my garage:
STOCK LOW + FOGS
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STOCK HIGH
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KRAGENS (HID Driving or 'Euro' Beams)
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HELLAS with NEW 5000s (spot or 'pencil' beams)
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Hella, Kragens and High Beams
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All on coming into garage.
So, finally got the true 5000şK color... very close to the Kragen HIDs... Only the jittering of the light being an issue, but until it fails, I will live with that.
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Today (9-11-11), I adjusted the Hellas up a tad so they would get further down the road... When I take new photos of how they look, I will add them here!
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