How to determine the color of a xenon lamp. Let there be light: which xenon lamps are better to install

Many motorists are faced with the issue of providing better road lighting. Today, there are many types of lighting sources for cars, including halogen, LED and xenon lamps. Moreover, the latter, despite their cost, is preferred by more and more of our compatriots. shines and how to choose the right gas-discharge light sources - read below.

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Concept and characteristics of xenon

Some car owners install xenon lamps because such a light source looks more aesthetically pleasing, while others choose xenon to ensure better visibility of the road surface. What is xenon, what is the glow temperature of this light source and how to choose the right lamps? We invite you to familiarize yourself with the basic information and characteristics you need to know about xenon.

Principle of operation

Gas discharge lighting sources were developed as lamps with increased brightness. In such light sources, the lighting flux itself is brighter as a result of the glow of a special gas initiated by a discharge passing between two electrodes. The electrodes themselves in the lighting source are located in a special flask, which is filled with xenon under high pressure. When turned off, the pressure level is about 30 atmospheres, when turned on - about 120. To ensure normal work optics, an additional control unit must be used.

Colorful temperature

We have figured out what xenon is, now we will pay attention to the main characteristics of these lamps. The color temperature of xenon is considered one of the main parameters, which is measured in Kelvin. This parameter characterizes the spectrum, as well as the intensity of the lighting flux.

If you want xenon bulbs to shine well, when purchasing you need to pay attention to the glow temperature, which can be different:

1. 3200-3500 kelvin. In this case, the lighting skein will be yellow; in appearance it is practically no different from traditional halogen lamps. The only difference is considered to be a higher light intensity of about 1500 lumens. It must be taken into account that it is better not to use such sources as head lighting, since they are very weak. As practice shows, the best option is to use yellow xenon in fog lights.
2. 4-5 thousand kelvins. In this case, the luminous flux with such an indicator of the glow temperature will be characterized by a neutral tone, as well as slight visual distortions. But it should be noted that in this case the lighting sources will have a higher intensity, the parameter is more than thousands of lumens. These technical features make gas-discharge light sources the most optimal option for use as head lighting. In addition, such xenon bulbs are installed on most modern vehicles during their production.
3. 5-6 thousand kelvins. If the temperature level is more than five thousand Kelvin, this will lead to a higher decorative effect, but a lower practical effect. In practice, such light sources provide white illumination - from the outside it looks really beautiful, but you need to take into account that the intensity of the luminous flux will be lower. Accordingly, the driver’s perception of such light deteriorates. That is, the main objects and obstacles on the road will be presented in black and white, and the details may not be visible at all. In many countries today the use of such lighting sources is prohibited.
4. Another option is from 6 to 12 thousand kelvins. The use of such lighting sources is only advisable if you want to impress other car enthusiasts. Indeed, the visual effect will be worthy, but in fact, such xenon does more harm than good. The luminous flux intensity parameter will drop to two thousand lumens, and the driver vehicle will no longer be able to distinguish details on the road. Moreover, all obstacles and objects that appear on the way will be visible in uncharacteristic black and white colors, which is especially dangerous in terms of safety.

What to look for when choosing xenon lamps?

If you decide to buy such bulbs, then their choice should be made in accordance with the design of the optics that is used in your car. For example, if the optics are designed to use incandescent bulbs, then traditional xenon can be installed in such headlights. But if the optics of a vehicle are designed for the use of light bulbs with two filaments, then in this case it is better to give preference to bi-xenon light sources.

Typically, such light bulbs are equipped with a special metal curtain designed to cover a certain part of the bulb. So during installation, most likely, you will also need to change the reflectors of the lights. The bottom line is that a regular reflector, which is initially installed in production, helps to diffuse the light flux. And in order for xenon to work more efficiently, the flow of light needs to be focused, on the contrary.

If you use HID bulbs with standard diffuser reflectors, it will blind oncoming drivers. And here, you see, it’s not far from a traffic conflict.

When buying xenon, you need to consider two main factors:

1. Service life of the ignition unit and the gas-discharge light bulbs themselves. The higher it is, the better. Keep in mind that if one bulb fails, both will have to be replaced, since the quality of light changes over time.
2. Another indicator is the period during which the light bulb will not lose its color.

Price issue

Video “Which is better - bright halogen or inexpensive xenon?”

Practical testing and comparison of these two options for automotive lighting is shown in the video below (the author of the video is the Test Lab channel tests Autolamps).

When faced with replacing a xenon light source, many drivers do not know what color lamp they need. Let's look at this issue in more detail.

What is xenon color temperature?

This is the brightness of the lamp during operation, which, for example, is compared with the color of the glow of the Sun - 5000 K. Today there are many spectra of xenon glow.

Xenon lamp color:

• 3000 K - yellow light;
• 4300 Kelvin - white-yellow light;
• 5000 Kelvin - snow-white light;
• 6000 K - shines with white light with a slight bluish tint;
• 8000 K - rich blue color of the glow;
• 10,000 K - blue spectrum;
• 12,000 K - violet light;
• 15,000 K and above shines with a rich pink light.

It is worth noting that xenon light is very bright; if the car’s headlights are not equipped with auto-corrector, then the light will blind drivers who are moving in the oncoming lane. Ultimately, this will lead to the creation of traffic accidents on the road.

Optimal color temperatures are considered to be lamps with the following indicators:

• 4300 Kelvin;
• 5000 Kelvin;
• 6000 Kelvin.

Anything above these values ​​is not permitted for road use. Such light sources can be installed in the optics of cars that participate in auto exhibitions or on automobiles. After which, it is recommended to remove them. Otherwise, you will be stopped by traffic police officers, penalties will be applied to you, and the lamps will be confiscated without subsequent right to return them.

What color lamp should I choose?

The color temperature of a xenon lamp directly affects the light output. It is measured in Lumens. The level of illumination on the road at night depends on this indicator.

The ratio of lamp color and luminous flux power

Xenon color Luminous flux 3000 K 2800 Lm 4300 K 3200 Lm 5000 K 3000 Lm 6000 K 2600 Lm 8000 K 2200 Lm 10,000 K 1800 Lm

The table shows that the higher the color of the lamp, the lower the level of luminous flux, and accordingly, a poor level of visibility will be noted in bad weather and at night. That is why experts have identified three colors of xenon lamps, in which driving a car is comfortable and safe.

Xenon for all occasions

Let's consider the optimal colors of lamps and for what conditions they are ideal.

1. 4300K ​​lamps produce soft white light with a hint of yellow. This light is best used to illuminate the road in bad weather. It is the yellowish spectrum of light that penetrates the wall of precipitation, illuminating the road and not reflecting droplets into the driver’s eyes. Such lamps are perfect for installation in car headlights, including fog lights. The luminous flux level is the highest.
2. Devices operating with a color value of 5000 K produce uniform white light. They are also mounted in the head optics of the car; their luminous flux is slightly lower than that of previous devices. Such lamps illuminate the road well in dry weather. They are not suitable for bad weather.
3. Xenon lamps with 6000 K produce a bluish light. They can be used in head optics (low/high beam), but they are not suitable for fog lights. Devices with such color are often chosen by drivers who want to give the optics a beautiful external glow, making them stand out among the huge flow of vehicles. It is worth noting that despite the fact that the color temperature of the lamps is higher, the luminous flux is much lower.

Remember! Over time (after 500 hours of operation), the light of xenon lamps changes the spectrum of the glow, their color temperature becomes greater. If you had 4300K ​​lamps, then they will shine at approximately 5000K, etc. Please take this fact into account when purchasing lamps.

Having carefully studied this material, you will be able to independently choose the color temperature of the lamps that suits you best for driving in a given situation.

Professional managers will select lamps specifically for your needs, specifically for

When choosing xenon, everyone asks the question - What temperature should I set?

How many kelvins should I choose? In this article, in our own words, we will try to explain what’s what. I would like to immediately note that people confuse the two concepts COLOR and LIGHT, so I immediately want to answer the main question - that there is the same amount of light in all lamps and it is expressed in lumens. A xenon lamp has approximately 2500-3300 lumens, so that it is clear what to compare with, while a halogen lamp has about 1500 lumens.

The whole point is that halogen lamp originally used in cars corresponded to 4300k, and during the period when Philips first released a xenon lamp, it was also 4300k, all this was done so that drivers could see the usual halogen light in front of them, but much brighter, and all the research at that time showed that 4300k color is the most receptive for drivers. After the advent of the diode, the world of lighting technology turned upside down. A new light source has appeared on the market that produces 2400 lumens, which is almost like xenon, but its glow temperature is 6000K. And during this period, the xenon lamp market began to survive and offer its customers products that shine in white, blue, yellow and even violet.
Three main lamp colors have appeared on the xenon market:
4300 - warm White color
5000 - white color
6000 - blue color

The most common color nowadays is xenon 4300k. The explanation for this is simple
The thing is that 4300k color shows itself best in bad weather, which is mainly fog and rain. Yellow light rays work best to pass through small water droplets and illuminate the road. That is why this color temperature is set on all cars coming off the assembly line.

The xenon temperature of 5000K illuminates the road in white and it seems to us that this is much more pleasant and beautiful, but for some people it seems that there is more light. Here I cannot disagree, the color of 5000k is much nicer and more beautiful, but in the rain this color will lose 4300k in its illumination.
Here, each driver has to make a choice independently, based on the purpose for which he uses the light on his car. If you often drive in poor lighting conditions, and on the road you don’t know whether you will run into bad weather in the form of rain and fog, and at the same time you want to have good illumination of the road surface, regardless of the fact that your car looks outdated due to the color of the headlights, then I would advise you to take xenon with a temperature of 4300K.

If you ride in conditions of partial illumination (for example, a city) or live in an area where rain and fog are very rare, then feel free to choose 5000k, it is really more pleasing to the eyes. As for the temperature of 6000k (blue color), it seems to me that this is really too much, with a blue color you will definitely go blind in drizzling rain, and in fog closer than 2 m your headlights simply won’t shine, but on the road your car will be unrecognizable , everyone will pay attention to you, but remember “Road safety comes first!” If you wish, you can now buy xenon in purple color, it’s something around 12000k, but the illumination will be poor.

As you know, the main characteristic of xenon is its color temperature. In simple terms can be explained in such a way that in order to see a glow of different colors, xenon must be heated in the lamp bulb to a certain temperature.

This temperature is measured in Kelvin. The quality of transmitted lighting also depends on it. However, it is not without interest to know that the higher the temperature of heated xenon, the more saturated the color will be with a blue tint, and the lower it will be with a yellow tint.

The lower the temperature of the heated xenon, the higher the brightness of the emitted light. Let's look at how xenon color temperature is distributed and its main characteristics:

At 3000°K, xenon glows yellowish. Used to operate fog lights. Such lamps provide an additional 10 meters (counting from the hood) of additional visibility in bad weather.

At 4300°K the light turns out to be a bright yellow-white color. Used by car manufacturers as standard light. Visibility is quite clear. This light provides additional security, making your car very visible to oncoming drivers.

At 5000°K the glow is cold white. Gives light of maximum brightness and ensures very high clarity of visibility on the road.

At 6000°K the light is white with a bluish tint. Actively used by car owners as a daytime lighting device

8000°K not very bright light with a blue tint

15000°K and 30000°K are deep purple and violet-pink colors, respectively. Visibility is very low. Mainly used in auto shows to give car headlights unforgettable shades.

A few more words about choosing xenon

Temperatures of 4300°K and 5000°K are the most optimal when choosing xenon lamps. Lamps with color temperatures from 8000°K are used for tuning and improving the appearance of a car. Why install xenon lamps, of course, is up to you. You can make it unforgettable appearance car, however, installing xenon with an inappropriate temperature may be completely useless on the road in poor visibility conditions. But by purchasing xenon lamps with temperatures from 4300 to 6000°K, you will be confident in the quality of road illumination, which will increase driving safety.