HID Lamps; Your opinions and experience

As I get older, and I find myself needing more and more light as the
lenses in my eye darken, I have noticed a definite need for more light
on night landings. My eye doc has recommended waiting a while on the
cataract surgery, as they are not so bad yet. Given that, I think
having a better view of the runway at night might save me my aircraft
and maybe my life if I were to install one. HID lamps seem to be the
cat's meow for this, but some things I have read have said they are
not worth the money. Some have said they are fantastic. I have never
seen a pair from behind the yoke as it is, and would like the opinions
of anyone that might have them in their airplane.
Also, what about installation approval issues?

Regards,
Bud

On Dec 31 2007, 8:38*pm, wrote:
As I get older, and I find myself needing more and more light as the
lenses in my eye darken, I have noticed a definite need for more light
on night landings. My eye doc has recommended waiting a while on the
cataract surgery, as they are not so bad yet. Given that, I think
having a better view of the runway at night might save me my aircraft
and maybe my life if I were to install one. HID lamps seem to be the
cat's meow for this, but some things I have read have said they are
not worth the money. Some have said they are fantastic. I have never
seen a pair from behind the yoke as it is, and would like the opinions
of anyone that might have them in their airplane.
* * *Also, what about installation approval issues?

* Regards,
* Bud

Just to give another perspective, the landing and taxi lights on my
DA42 are Xenon D15 lamps. I am NOT impressed with the amount of light
they produce. While I do see the light on the runway when I am close
(about ready to flare), the runway is not as well lit as I have seen
in some of the older Cessnas I have flown. They work, but are not
miraculous to me.

Cary

On Jan 2, 1:50*pm, Cary wrote:
On Dec 31 2007, 8:38*pm, wrote:

As I get older, and I find myself needing more and more light as the
lenses in my eye darken, I have noticed a definite need for more light
on night landings. My eye doc has recommended waiting a while on the
cataract surgery, as they are not so bad yet. Given that, I think
having a better view of the runway at night might save me my aircraft
and maybe my life if I were to install one. HID lamps seem to be the
cat's meow for this, but some things I have read have said they are
not worth the money. Some have said they are fantastic. I have never
seen a pair from behind the yoke as it is, and would like the opinions
of anyone that might have them in their airplane.
* * *Also, what about installation approval issues?

* Regards,
* Bud

Just to give another perspective, the landing and taxi lights on my
DA42 are Xenon D15 lamps. I am NOT impressed with the amount of light
they produce. While I do see the light on the runway when I am close
(about ready to flare), the runway is not as well lit as I have seen
in some of the older Cessnas I have flown. They work, but are not
miraculous to me.

Cary

I assume you have the D1S HID lamps as I can't find a reference to D15
lamps on the XEVision website. I notice that they profile the DA-42 as
coming standard equipped with them (nice plane by the way!). The
responses I got are similar to others I have talked to. It depends on
who you ask as to what they say. Guess I'll have to try and get a ride
behind some in order to make my own mind up. Thanks for the response!

Regards,
Bud

"Viperdoc" wrote in message
...
Just from the safety perspective I think they are worthwhile

This is a major point that seems to have been lost in this thread.

I don't do enough night flying to matter, but I DO fly in compressed,
crowded, uncontrolled, airspace. I like to fly with my landing light on for
increased daytime visibility, but they are only good for what? 50 hours? If HID
lamps put out the same amount of light as stock lamps, but lasted indefinitely
so that they could be always left on in flight, the increase in daytime
visibility alone would be worth the price of the upgrade.

Vaughn

I don't do enough night flying to matter, but I DO fly in compressed,
crowded, uncontrolled, airspace. I like to fly with my landing light on
for increased daytime visibility, but they are only good for what? 50
hours? If HID lamps put out the same amount of light as stock lamps, but
lasted indefinitely so that they could be always left on in flight, the
increase in daytime visibility alone would be worth the price of the
upgrade.

Along these same lines, I recently installed AvTek's Pulsar. It pulses my
wing landing lights in a wig-wag fashion, making the plane look like a UFO
coming in to land.

Because the unit never turns the lights completely off between "wags", their
life is supposedly extended tremendously. I've read AvTek customer reports
that claim hundreds of hours on each landing light.

We turn 'em on during our preflight checks, and don't turn them off till
we've reached cruising altitude. We then turn them on again during our
pre-landing checklist, and leave them on till we park. People comment on
how visible we are all the time.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I think he is telling you his Xenon bulbs are not HID's.

I have the 25 watt hid's and love them. Sure I would have gotten 50 if I
could at the time. But there is still room on my nose strut. ; )

John



wrote:
On Jan 2, 1:50 pm, Cary wrote:

On Dec 31 2007, 8:38 pm, wrote:


As I get older, and I find myself needing more and more light as the
lenses in my eye darken, I have noticed a definite need for more light
on night landings. My eye doc has recommended waiting a while on the
cataract surgery, as they are not so bad yet. Given that, I think
having a better view of the runway at night might save me my aircraft
and maybe my life if I were to install one. HID lamps seem to be the
cat's meow for this, but some things I have read have said they are
not worth the money. Some have said they are fantastic. I have never
seen a pair from behind the yoke as it is, and would like the opinions
of anyone that might have them in their airplane.
Also, what about installation approval issues?

Regards,
Bud

Just to give another perspective, the landing and taxi lights on my
DA42 are Xenon D15 lamps. I am NOT impressed with the amount of light
they produce. While I do see the light on the runway when I am close
(about ready to flare), the runway is not as well lit as I have seen
in some of the older Cessnas I have flown. They work, but are not
miraculous to me.

Cary


I assume you have the D1S HID lamps as I can't find a reference to D15
lamps on the XEVision website. I notice that they profile the DA-42 as
coming standard equipped with them (nice plane by the way!). The
responses I got are similar to others I have talked to. It depends on
who you ask as to what they say. Guess I'll have to try and get a ride
behind some in order to make my own mind up. Thanks for the response!

Regards,
Bud

On Jan 3, 11:59*am, wrote:
On Jan 2, 1:50*pm, Cary wrote:





On Dec 31 2007, 8:38*pm, wrote:

As I get older, and I find myself needing more and more light as the
lenses in my eye darken, I have noticed a definite need for more light
on night landings. My eye doc has recommended waiting a while on the
cataract surgery, as they are not so bad yet. Given that, I think
having a better view of the runway at night might save me my aircraft
and maybe my life if I were to install one. HID lamps seem to be the
cat's meow for this, but some things I have read have said they are
not worth the money. Some have said they are fantastic. I have never
seen a pair from behind the yoke as it is, and would like the opinions
of anyone that might have them in their airplane.
* * *Also, what about installation approval issues?

* Regards,
* Bud

Just to give another perspective, the landing and taxi lights on my
DA42 are Xenon D15 lamps. I am NOT impressed with the amount of light
they produce. While I do see the light on the runway when I am close
(about ready to flare), the runway is not as well lit as I have seen
in some of the older Cessnas I have flown. They work, but are not
miraculous to me.

Cary

I assume you have the D1S HID lamps as I can't find a reference to D15
lamps on the XEVision website. I notice that they profile the DA-42 as
coming standard equipped with them (nice plane by the way!). The
responses I got are similar to others I have talked to. It depends on
who you ask as to what they say. Guess I'll have to try and get a ride
behind some in order to make my own mind up. Thanks for the response!

Regards,
Bud- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Bud,
You are correct, they are D1S HID lamps (I read the AFM incorrectly).

Cary

Viperdoc wrote:
The safety factor is a big one, and reading the Aviation Consumer article
shows they also put out a lot more light than conventional bulbs.

Also, they use a lot less current- instead of two 250W bulbs, the HIDs run
on around 5W each, along with lasting around 2,000h.

So, I leave them on all the time.



My motorcycle uses about 35 watts for its HID.. and is as bright as a
100w offroad light.. (aftermarket kit)

I would find 5 watts for the equivalent of 250 watt incandescent
illumination suspect.. but I agree that the current is significantly
less for the light produced.

I will have to look in the nose of the velocity to see just what brand
of PAR 36 HID setup I DID get. Its very bright when viewed head-on even
during the day.. at up to 100 yards.

Dave

On Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:25:56 GMT, "Vaughn Simon"
wrote:


"Viperdoc" wrote in message
.. .
Just from the safety perspective I think they are worthwhile

This is a major point that seems to have been lost in this thread.

I don't do enough night flying to matter, but I DO fly in compressed,
crowded, uncontrolled, airspace. I like to fly with my landing light on for

The only thing that'd do is heat the nose gear well.

increased daytime visibility, but they are only good for what? 50 hours? If HID

50 hours? I've put close to 1300 hours on the Deb. The landing light
is in the wost possible place (on the nose gear strut.) It still has
the lamp that was on it when I bought it. That lamp has more like 100
hours on it.

lamps put out the same amount of light as stock lamps, but lasted indefinitely
so that they could be always left on in flight, the increase in daytime
visibility alone would be worth the price of the upgrade.

After meeting cars with them on I've learned to hate them with a
passion.

Roger

Vaughn