Well I got these bulbd and fitted them just before Christmas. Cost

I've got these bulbs in my Octy vRS, would agree with your comments. Does anyone know if the Osram ones are better?

Osram ones are supposed to be better, but I could not find anywhere (other than online) that sell them.

I had the Philips ones in my Scooby and I thought they were better than standard, but not as outstanding as people claimed (especially compared to Xenons). I've got Osram Silverstars in my Furby for dipped beam (separate dipped and main beam bulbs) and they are much better than the standard bulbs but this meant that the 55W Philips main beam bulbs fitted as standard didn't really give me much more light on dark country lanes. For this reason, I've replaced them as well, with higher wattage ones.

Chris

I got the bulbs because I have never rated the Octy head lights. Then a few weeks ago I did a 24hr test drive in the new Octy. Its headlights (note not xenons) were so superior it just reminded me how dire my cars lights were. I have to say that despite having brighter bulbs they still do not compare at all well with the standard lights in the new model. So I assume it goes to show that the design of the head lamp reflector is much more important than the quality of the actual bulb.

Like I said in a previous post - they're about 20% better in my humble opinion. I'm happy with the improvement, it's not mind blowing but worthwhile. I take all marketing hype (+50% etc) with a large pinch of salt.

When I fitted one of the bulbs it didn't sit quite right in the holder, it had to be wiggled until it slotted into place. I guess this could have resulted in the beam being too low. Might be worth checking both bulbs are seated correctly first?

I ran with standard bulbs for a while when my previous vision+'s blew within a day of each other. I didn't think they were bad either, but obviously vision+ was obviously better when I changed them again recently. No experience of Osram, but they might be better, if only because powerbulbs list them above vision+ on their website.

From my experience of Osram, as a bulb manufacturer they are regarded as the best value for money bulbs, and you get no better... Whether thats true or not I reserve judgement!

A magazine review rated Osram +50% above Philips, but in turn rated the Philips +33% above the Osram version.

50% more light is like 50% more sound - barely perceptible - remember most physical sensation (light, sound etc) are LOGARITHIMICally perceived. i.e. for a sound to "seem" twice as loud it needs about 6db - 10db more energy - or 4 to 10 times power! The same goes for light.

Other thing to remember about using hi wattage (100W) bulbs - they take more current! Why is this important? Because modern cars have such skinny wiring, the extra current causes more volt drop along the supply wire - result? (remember W=VxI) the bulb's hardly any brighter!!!

My new bulbs arrived today. Osram Silver Star (+50%) for dipped, Phillips Rallye 100w for mains :eek: , and some freebie Blue Vision Plus sidelight bulbs.

Postie left them on the doorstep, right by the pavement. :(

I'll try and take some night time before/after shots when my Fabia arrives later this week.

The +50% bulb is not a 100W bulb, it is a legal 55/60W bulb.

My new bulbs arrived today. Osram Silver Star (+50%) for dipped, Phillips Rallye 100w for mains :eek: , and some freebie Blue Vision Plus sidelight bulbs.

Good choice And mind your knuckles when you fit them - not a whole lot of room in the Fabia!

Chris

Good choice And mind your knuckles when you fit them - not a whole lot of room in the Fabia!

Chris

Still need to get round to fitting my 100w rallye ones. Gonna be fun

Still need to get round to fitting my 100w rallye ones. Gonna be fun

Now there's a reason not to buy Xenons

Chris

someone obviously doesn't understand volt drop, it is what it says it is, VOLTdrop. volt is the same on a piece of cable REGARDLESS of voltage and current put on said cable. this is exactly why the national grip uses thousands of volts, because the volt drop is the same on the same bit of wire regardless of voltage or ampage. so say a 1m bit of cable has a voltdrop of 1v(very high but just for explanation reasons), if you put 10,000v down that cable then you end up with 9,999v at the other end at the same time if you put 2v down the same cable you end up with 1v at the other end.

so saying that higher wattage bulbs are pointless due to volt drop is rubbish. best thing to do is use the original wires to activate a relay and re-wire the headlights in big cable with this relay swithing them, and stick 130/100's in of course

Yes I know William! but I thought I'd mention the 100W for those contemplating going down that route.

In fact beefing up the headlight wiring to give an extra half volt at the bulb could probably make almost as much difference as changing bulb types!

IIRC The light output of a tungsten filament bulb goes up roughty as the power of 3.5 of the voltage increase so an extra half volt = 20% more light?

Another thing to remember William is that to acheive increased (and whiter) light output, the philips and osram bulbs run at a higher temerature (i.e. overrun) and will have a significantly shorter life - I found that +30% bulbs lasted only a year before they popped!

Has anyone tried the PIAA extreme white jobies, they draw 55/60w but are supposed to give out 100/110w (I think)...cost about

someone obviously doesn't understand volt drop' date=' it is what it says it is, VOLTdrop. volt is the same on a piece of cable REGARDLESS of voltage and current put on said cable. this is exactly why the national grip uses thousands of volts, because the volt drop is the same on the same bit of wire regardless of voltage or ampage. so say a 1m bit of cable has a voltdrop of 1v(very high but just for explanation reasons), if you put 10,000v down that cable then you end up with 9,999v at the other end at the same time if you put 2v down the same cable you end up with 1v at the other end.

so saying that higher wattage bulbs are pointless due to volt drop is rubbish. best thing to do is use the original wires to activate a relay and re-wire the headlights in big cable with this relay swithing them, and stick 130/100's in of course [/quote']

Volt drop is directly proportional to current Bengie. If youd had stayed awake during that O level physics class, the reason the National Grid uses Mega high voltage is so the current can be reduced and the volt drop is reduced leading to lower power loss....

Volt drop is directly proportional to current Bengie. If youd had stayed awake during that O level physics class, the reason the National Grid uses Mega high voltage is so the current can be reduced

So thinner cables can be used.

So thinner cables can be used.

That too!

It's not the volts that count or have an importance with respect to the cables, it's the current.

That's why the national grid are on megavolts but the cable is still (relatively) thin.

12V is fixed in the car, so if the power increases, so does the current. And it's the current that induces heat in small cables, thereby requiring larger cables to accomodate safely for the higher current.

Having said that, I know of some people who have been using 130W main bulbs with the standard octy (old one) wiring and didn't have any problems

just going on what i was taught during my apprentiship, an electrical apprentiship that is. so right back at ya

just going on what i was taught during my apprentiship, an electrical apprentiship that is. so right back at ya

I am not an expert in electricity, but as some one said voltage is not the amount of electricity but the pressure at which it is supplied. For example some one could hook you up to a generator and hit you with a million amps, but if the voltage is low it will not beable to cross your skin and harm you. However a few amps at 240V can penetrate the relative insulation of your skin and cause you serious damage.

It's not the volts that count or have an importance with respect to the cables' date=' it's the current.

[/quote']

sorry, but your wrong, voltage and current go hand in hand and the end product is power (V x I) - and I've got an electrical degree and 30+ years as a designer to back that up!

:P