H7 projector bulb

[LEGGTLTD]

Hi, I just replaced the stock Sylvania H7 with a PIAA H7 GTX bulb. Surprisingly the PIAA doesn't project as far as the stock bulb. Are there H7 bulbs specific for Projector lights? I like the blue/white color but the visibility/projection is less than desired. Any thoughts? And ofcourse there is not refund/credit for the bulbs. So I'm stuck with them. Thanks, Will

[GTWag]

Any bulb that has a blue coating (or any coating) is going to emit less light than the stock bulb. I ordered some Osram Silver Stars from Powerbulbs.com and am very happy with them. No coating on the bulb, but they are slightly whiter, and brighter as well. Definitely not as "cool-blue" looking though, if that's what you're going for.

[bluesuby]

I think you'll find a number of people who found that PIAA bulbs are hyped. There's usually credibility behind "you get what you pay for", but then again, some things are just way overpriced.

[Ken S]

I'm afraid you're stuck with cooler-looking but inferior performance blubs. Unfortunately, PIAA bulbs and other "Superwhite" or "HID-look" bulbs never perform as good as standard bulbs. These products often have a tint on the bulb glass to filter out light to make them look whiter or even in some cases, blue. Unfortunately, the color coating decreases overall light output and perform worse than a standard bulb. Only European spec H7 bulbs by Sylvania/Osram or Philips will produce marginally more light than a standard H7 bulb. H7s are relatively new in design so they already use technology to get the most out the light output. Below are some articles regarding PIAA-type bulbs: [url]http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/superwhite/superwhite.html[/url] [url]http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/bad/bad.html[/url] Ken

[LEGGTLTD]

Well, that was an expensive lesson. I just put the stock bulbs back in. Maybe I can find a buddy to sell them to:D

[rodan]

I think I read somewhere that the PIAA bulbs were designed for a clear (non-faceted) lens w/ a faceted reflector, so they may not be ideal for a projector. I switched to PIAA extreme whites on my motorcycle (H4s) and it significantly improved the light output over the stock bulbs at the same wattage. I was thinking about using PIAA H3 ion bulbs in the Legacy fog lights, as I prefer an amber color for fogs, but I'm pretty happy with the headligts themselves...

[VXCL]

I am definitely using the piaa ion yellow h3s. used them in my friends sc400. they are awesome. they are not like is300 yellow though. more of a lighter yellow with a rainbow effect. great for the rain though.

[Xenonk]

Since you are using the GTXs, you basically bought them for the color as a priority first, the actual lumens isnt as high as their SUPERWHITE series (pure white). They also have the Xtreme White which is also a better choice than the GTX when it comes to performance. I went with the JDM PIAA Ion Crystal Bulbs (shines full YELLOW) for foul weather driving. I went for performance than looks of "HID". Sorry that I can't help you there.. I guess when they do blow (I dont know if the GTX is USA warranted, if they are, they are backed with a 1-year warranty), get yourself a set of the Xtreme Whites instead. The Superwhites are a step up from the stock halogens. Keefe

[PGT]

I got a non-US market PIAA set of bulbs for my '02 Wrangler. I used a Hella conversion kit for the (horrible) stock 7" sealed beam and replaced the H4's with the PIAA's. They are twice as bright and 100% better light coverage, but not DOT certified (nothing a 5 min swap before each annual inspection can't fix). They have a very whitish blue look and work great. I will yank the box tonight and figure out what model PIAA they are (and take a pic of the bulb for reference). I would love to get a set of these same bulb's in an H7 size, if I can track them down.

[Deer Killer]

[quote name='Patagonian GT']I got a non-US market PIAA set of bulbs for my '02 Wrangler. I used a Hella conversion kit for the (horrible) stock 7" sealed beam and replaced the H4's with the PIAA's. They are twice as bright and 100% better light coverage, but not DOT certified (nothing a 5 min swap before each annual inspection can't fix). They have a very whitish blue look and work great. I will yank the box tonight and figure out what model PIAA they are (and take a pic of the bulb for reference). I would love to get a set of these same bulb's in an H7 size, if I can track them down.[/QUOTE] Your state checks lightbulbs? *whoa* only about 1 car in a 20 have their lights aimed properly at all up here, even though each inspection station has a headlight measurement board.

[jaycee]

Ken, I liked the references you posted on those bulbs. I also found the things he had to say about HIDs interesting, particularly... [QUOTE]The emerging understanding is that there may be not only a split between the glare-sensitive and non-glare-sensitive amongst the populace, but also among those particularly sensitive to blue, violet and/or near-UV light, and those not particularly sensitive to these wavelengths—with these sensitivities NOT necessarily being linked! This helps explain why some find High Intensity Discharge headlamps menacingly painful and consider them hazardous to share the road with, while others consider them no problem at all. Researchers are currently working on tweaking the output spectrum of automotive HIDs to eliminate the useless-for-seeing spike in the high blue which causes this reaction in blue-sensitive individuals.[/QUOTE] Maybe there's hope that they'll design out the offensive aspect of HIDs for those of us whose eyes are sensitive to them.

[2Simpletons]

Just get some HIDs and you'll friggin' light up like daytime!

[LandShark]

Well, I guess that I'll be another test-case for PIAA bulbs. Already bought two sets of PIAA Xtreme White bulbs in both H7 and H3 sizes. I'm planning to put them in as both low beams and fog lights. I was hoping for a more balanced color between them rather than the yellower (but not yellow) color of the stock fog lights. I'm going ahead and installing them on Friday. I'll report back my objective opinion on color, brightness, clarity, balance, etc.

[PGT]

[quote name='Deer Killer']Your state checks lightbulbs? *whoa* only about 1 car in a 20 have their lights aimed properly at all up here, even though each inspection station has a headlight measurement board.[/QUOTE] They don't check for aim, only pull a bulb to make sure they are marked DOT. Unfortunately for the set I had, the tip of the bulb was coated solid blue (while the lamp itself was clear), which makes the reflector look blue when not lit. The inspector failed me the first time for the wrong color bulbs, even though they light up around 8000 K (bluish white). If I had a DOT marking, I could have told those guys to go pound sand, but nothing I could do would get these to pass. Swapping the bulbs is literally a 5 minute affair, so I dealt with it for an annual inspection. I really missed those PIAA's until I had the chance to swap them back in after the inspection. That set-up was that good. I sold the Jeep to a buddy at work and he raves about how bright the lights are that I installed....they come in handy on dark roads.