[JrZook]

I've messed around with a few brands of reflector type headlights but they all just seem to be a bloody crap design! Yes with descent globes they are wayyy brighter than the stock sealed unit and that's about it. The light is not focused at all and pretty much goes everywhere! The metal coating under the reflectors has been of pretty poor quality thus the light reflected back on to the reflective coating of the main headlight body has lost intensity and has been wasted.

The focal point between low and high beam is so great that once you have adjusted your low beam correctly the high beam is wayyyy off and does next to nothing. The light output is more intense but it is dispersed sooo much that it's basically useless.

Using a higher intensity/power globe may help but the point here is that without focus, the headlight it self is highly inefficient and the output is wasted.

For roughly the same price as these reflector type units (~$120), I found these free formed semi-sealed headlights from Narva at supershit



With the same globes I've been using in the previous sets (Phillips crystal vision) the light output is amazing from these! The light is focused and intense and it's actually where you want it to be, directly in front of you, on the road! For once high beam is actually usable and the focal split between low and high beam has been designed properly!

Just a bit of food for thought for those in the market to upgrade headlights. Best headlights at a reasonable price I've put in the zuk so far!

Dan

[SierraDan]

Sweet, I was curious about how good those were. I bough the ones from eBay and they were okay.. but crap at sealing and as you mentioned high beam was kinda of pointless..

[royce]

Ewww crystal vision

Dank can get a nice cheap housing that is well focused too, and good value

[JrZook]

royce wrote:

Ewww crystal vision

Dank can get a nice cheap housing that is well focused too, and good value

Have already tried them, they were the set I just pulled out, since a stone got flicked up and smashed a lense. They were ok, better than the egay ones I had in before (which were shitloads better than stock) but the high-low beam focal points were too far spread and the back of the reflector didn't have the nicest of finishes which I don't think was helping to focus the light efficiently.

May have been just the pair that I had?

The way I see it, I would rather the light reflect once from the bulb to the housing then straight out, instead of from the bulb, to the back of the reflector, then to the housing and then out. If the back of the reflector doesn't have a very nice finish, light intensity and focus will be lost.

I'm aware that a lot of factory vehicles do run these reflector type of headlights and they work very well but they have been designed and built of better quality hence that would be reflected in their non-budget prices.

[royce]

JrZook wrote:

The way I see it, I would rather the light reflect once from the bulb to the housing then straight out, instead of from the bulb, to the back of the reflector, then to the housing and then out.

I dont get what you mean by this


Sometimes when the low beam is set too high it will make the high beam washed out as well

[JrZook]

royce wrote:

JrZook wrote:

The way I see it, I would rather the light reflect once from the bulb to the housing then straight out, instead of from the bulb, to the back of the reflector, then to the housing and then out.

I dont get what you mean by this


Sometimes when the low beam is set too high it will make the high beam washed out as well

Talking about how the light travels from the source (bulb) and out of the headlight with that reflector in the middle. Source light is reflected twice before it exits.

I had a look at the light pattern when both high and low beams are on at once. With these Narva ones the high-beam pattern overlaps the low and extends the light envelope further out as you would expect. With the other reflector type there is no overlap and a significant null between the 2 beams due to the focal point of the high being too far away from the low.

To get any descent light on the road from the high beams you have to adjust your lights so low that the low beam becomes pretty much useless and may only extend vision a meter or so in front of the vehicle. Even then the high beam is not much chop as it rather exits the headlight at a wide angle and looses intensity.

[royce]

you mean the reflector in front of the globe? that more for show and stop scattered light

[JrZook]

royce wrote:

you mean the reflector in front of the globe? that more for show and stop scattered light

Didn't seem to help with that.

I'd rather have something that works well then just for show. Not many semi-sealed headlights around that don't have that reflector thing inside of them. Seems to be all the rage these days.

[GRPABT1]

Are they the polycarbonate Narva housings? I just bought the glass/tin Narva semi sealed H4 ones for $45 each. Hope you didn't get touched.

[ChrisRinai]

i fitted a pair of these a week or so ago with metal, Hella buckets/chrome rings and 55/100w globes. i reckon they are great.

the whole headlight is polycarbonate.

[Rossco]

do any of these have the parker light as well?

[ChrisRinai]

Rossco wrote:

do any of these have the parker light as well?

yes, the Narva ones i fitted ( pics above ) have the option for park lights ( which i wired up ), also come with a rubber plug if you dont want parkers

[royce]

JrZook wrote:

royce wrote:

you mean the reflector in front of the globe? that more for show and stop scattered light

Didn't seem to help with that.

I'd rather have something that works well then just for show. Not many semi-sealed headlights around that don't have that reflector thing inside of them. Seems to be all the rage these days.

Scattered meaning direct from the globe and out the front

Mine work fine, you must have your buckets in upside down or something

[coily96]

my work sells about 6 types of these, prob the ones found on ebay. We call the clear ones crystal, the have hole for parker or no hole
sealed or semi sealed. We also sell them to supercheap by pallet load. Im yet to fit any and test them out

[JrZook]

royce wrote:

JrZook wrote:

royce wrote:

you mean the reflector in front of the globe? that more for show and stop scattered light

Didn't seem to help with that.

I'd rather have something that works well then just for show. Not many semi-sealed headlights around that don't have that reflector thing inside of them. Seems to be all the rage these days.

Scattered meaning direct from the globe and out the front

Mine work fine, you must have your buckets in upside down or something

LOL! Maybe the Narva's are built upside down hence my upside down buckets cancel out that effect and everything work well