Xenon color temperature, xenon color. Let there be light: which xenon lamps are better to install Which xenon is better in the rain

The color temperature of xenon is a characteristic of the light source that determines the color perceived by the eye. Each color has its own temperature, measured in Kelvin. The human eye sees best in daylight. The color represents a model that tells how the gas inside the bulb must be heated in order for the lamp to shine a particular color. Many manufacturers offer a range of three main types of color temperatures to choose from:

3500K - yellow is suitable for foglights as the main lighting is not suitable
4300K - white-yellow is the brightest light, this is the temperature set on factory cars in the original
5000K - white color of xenon glow
6000K - cool white with a slight blue, this light is chosen by 90% of buyers
7000K - blue, the brightness is much lower, it’s hard to drive with such light
8000K - blue light purple, brightness is even worse

Thus, the beginning of visible radiation from an absolutely black body is observed already at 1200K, and corresponds to the red edge of the spectrum, i.e. in other words, red has a color temperature of 1200K. We continue to heat our spiral, while measuring the temperature, and this is what we see: at a temperature of 2000K, the color of the light becomes orange, and at 3000K, yellow. At 3500K the spiral will burn out, as the melting point of tungsten will be reached.

However, if this had not happened, we saw that when the temperature reached 5500K, the color of the radiation would be white, becoming bluish at 6000K, and with further heating up to 18000K, increasingly bluer, which corresponds to the violet end of the spectrum.
The higher the temperature, the more it will give off blue light, and the less, the more yellow it will give off.

Standard xenon, which is installed directly at the factory, has a xenon glow color of 4300 Kelvin. If you are installing xenon in order to achieve the best visibility as possible, we advise you to install xenon with a color of 4300K. When installing xenon with a color temperature of 5000K, the loss in brightness is minimal, about 100-200 lumens. Therefore, many set the average color - 5000K.

With a xenon glow color of 6000K, the illumination indicator drops significantly, and in bad weather (rain, snow, slush) there will not be enough lighting.

As you know, the main characteristic of xenon is its color temperature. In simple terms, it can be explained 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 safety, 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 your car look unforgettable, but installing xenon at the wrong temperature can 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.

The safety of any vehicle directly depends on the illumination of the road, so every motorist must monitor the condition of the headlights of his car, with very frequent cases of their modernization.

The new generation of xenon-based lamps has become a serious rival in popularity to such widespread halogen lamps, while most automakers have begun to install xenon lighting as standard. Owners of cars without a modern lighting device independently install xenon lighting in various ways, and often do not think about which xenon is better to choose, making unacceptable mistakes.

Factory and “garage” xenon - what are the differences

Factory and garage installations often differ in operational parameters, because... A number of features of the xenon light flux are not taken into account:

Xenon lamps belong to the category of economical lighting devices, i.e. with half the consumer power, they emit three times more luminous flux, which not only increases the illumination of the road section, but expands the boundaries of illumination. Therefore, modernizing automotive lighting requires changing the technical parameters of the headlights.
The radiation intensity of the ultraviolet spectrum of xenon lamps is much higher, so unadapted materials in the headlights quickly become unusable.
Xenon lamps light up and operate due to high voltage, which requires adaptation of the electrical wiring of the on-board system with proper installation and reliable insulation of the high-voltage section, because A voltage breakdown between different wiring can lead to failure of the entire on-board system with catastrophic consequences.
Independent choice of xenon lamps with different glow temperatures (xenon 4300k or xenon 6000k) is not always adequately correct, which leads to spectacular lighting with refraction of the perception of the environment. Therefore, before purchasing, you need to know exactly which xenon to choose for you.
The installed equipment, depending on the manufacturer, is of different quality, so the so popular “China” with its affordable price can turn out to be quite reliable and quickly fail. Chinese xenon models “sin” by simplifying the electronic system using cheaper materials, so the price dependence and brand celebrity still justify the reliability of the purchased xenon kit. Confidence in equipment from European manufacturers depends only on the presence of the “counterfeit” parameter, which can identify crude or high-quality fakes, or rejected goods by the manufacturer itself. Of course, the price of various kits from Chinese and European manufacturers can differ tens of times, which directly indicates the quality of the assembly of the unit, the materials used in it and which xenon will last longer.

Conclusions:

The factory installation of xenon involves the use of specialized materials in optical systems and high-voltage wiring, which guarantees their long service life.
Factory optics have a significant change in the quality of creating a light beam in accordance with highway lighting standards, ensuring the safety of all road users, i.e. Automotive factory xenon lighting does not dazzle oncoming traffic due to automatic correction of the position of the headlights and their design features of beam convergence.
Garage installation of xenon most often comes down to replacing the lamps themselves with the installation of a high-voltage module, which completely violates the principles of safe operation of xenon installations with a beautiful, but ineffective lighting effect.
Even independent installation of lens headlights with a responsible approach cannot guarantee traffic safety for oncoming traffic, because they require professional adjustment. Moreover, all independently purchased and installed lighting equipment is illegal from the point of view of traffic regulations and requires certification.
High-quality installation of xenon in a garage can only be done with a complete replacement of the headlights with specialized xenon ones with a certificate, while it is necessary to ensure that the headlights are adjusted to the established level with the connection of an electronic adjustment system and headlight washers, which make it possible to timely clean the headlight lens, which significantly reduces the overall light dispersion .

Prohibited! According to traffic rules, it is prohibited to install xenon lamps in simple headlights, as well as in a car that does not have auto corrector and washer, because The principle of reducing the luminous flux of xenon lamps is completely different from halogen lamps, which leads to greater illumination beyond the limits of the area permitted by standards with refraction of the perception of illuminated objects.

Driving a car that does not have special xenon headlights, washer and auto-corrector - entails deprivation of rights for a period of 6 to 12 months(Administrative Code 12.5 part 3).

Xenon choice: 4300k, 5000k. or 6000k.

If the problems with the features of the headlight housing for xenon are quite understandable, then the wide selection of lamps offered with different glow temperatures from “xenon 4300K” to “xenon 10000 K” always confuses the choice of creating spectacular or effective lighting. Most often, the temperature glow of xenon lamps is divided into three categories with pronounced operational features, which will be discussed further.

Xenon 4300k

The minimum standard used by many automakers as standard. The xenon luminous flux has a soft (warm) white color and is as comfortable as possible for perception compared to standard halogen lamps. It is worth noting that lamps with a lower temperature glow are extremely rarely used as main lighting, because their luminous flux is similar to halogen, so lamps 3200-4300 are installed only in fog lights.

Xenon 5000k

The temperature of the gas glow has a neutral tone with minimal visual distortion, because the luminous flux is as similar as possible to bright daylight. The installation of such lamps is widespread for effective lighting of routes in all weather conditions, because... the light flux is minimally refracted in both rain and fog, preserving the color shades of all objects.

Xenon 6000k

It has a glow temperature higher than sunlight, so the luminous flux has a blue color tint, which introduces visual distortions into illuminated objects, and in rainy or foggy weather creates a wall of light in front of the car, which is not safe for all road users. Of course, headlights with such lamps look very impressive from the outside due to the bright, cold light, but they have less benefit for illuminating the road.

Xenon lamps with an indicator higher than xenon 6000K acquire more and more deep blue tone in the luminous flux, which introduces significant visual distortions, so in many countries they are simply prohibited for installation on cars, and the very existence of xenon lamps 7000-12000 K should be perceived only as PR move by the manufacturer. Therefore, for use it is better to choose xenon of a “standard” temperature - it is effective from the point of view of lighting, and not dangerous from the point of view of the law, if, of course, everything is installed according to the rules.

Xenon lamp base

Do not forget that xenon lamps fit different sockets on different car headlights - this point should be taken into account when choosing. You can recognize the base of your headlight either by its markings or by the markings of the lamp itself.

Connection diagram

The xenon connection diagram is quite simple. Often, to change halogen lamps to gas-discharge lamps, it is enough to connect the plug coming from the relay, minus to ground and plus to the battery, into the standard wiring connector.

Automakers routinely install lamps with a strictly defined temperature glow, taking into account maximum safety for road users and maximum results for the perception of illuminated objects, so you should trust their recommendations. If you have an uncontrollable desire to create increased lighting efficiency, it is allowed to install lamps with a slight increase in the temperature of the gas glow within 6000K.

Xenon is known to many for its brightness and efficiency. Compared to halogen lamps, xenon consumes 2 times less electricity, and the glow intensity is 2.5 - 3.5 times greater. To decide which xenon is better, it is not necessary to test the lamps yourself. Reviews and characteristics of each individual lamp allow you to get a fairly accurate idea of the selected model.

Xenon lamps are becoming increasingly popular among motorists, and their resistance to wear and durability make the product a top seller. Xenon works according to certain principles.

creates a starting current, which is equal to 20,000 - 30,000 V. The created spark enters the bulb and begins to start the glow process.
Thanks to the charge that gets inside the bulb, an arc appears, providing a stable glow. Xenon gas disperses the arc and makes the glow softer and more uniform.

With proper care and no voltage surges, xenon lamps last more than 4 years.

What you need to pay attention to when choosing xenon lamps

First of all, you need to know the purpose of the lighting fixtures. For fog lights it is better to take xenon with one glow temperature, and for low and high beams with another. Xenon lamps are produced in the range of 3,000 - 12,000 K. Each car owner independently chooses which xenon is best installed in his car, but do not forget that the light from the lamps should not interfere with other road users.

Manufacturers produce xenon lamps with different light temperatures, which differ in color and make movement more comfortable in different conditions. The temperature features are as follows.

3,000 K. Yellow light. The yellowish glow does a great job of illuminating the road in rainy and foggy weather. Most often, such xenon lamps for cars are installed in PTF. The light from xenon with a temperature of 3,000 K is not the brightest, so it is better not to install it as the main one.
4,300 K. White-yellow light. Xenon shines pleasantly and provides good visibility in any natural conditions. It has the highest brightness and can be installed both in PTF and in high or low beam headlights. One of the most popular types of xenon lamps. Some motorists do not like it because of the slight yellowish glow.
5,000 K. White light. Popular with many car enthusiasts. The lamps illuminate the road well in rainy weather and fog. The color flow is pleasing to the eye and, if the headlights are adjusted correctly, will not dazzle drivers driving in the oncoming lane.
6,000 K. Cool white. The light blue tint is almost invisible. Xenon has proven itself well in areas where the weather is predominantly dry.
7,000 K. Blue light. The pronounced blue color is most often used for tuning, since driving with such lighting is quite problematic. In dense fog or heavy rain, the road is practically invisible, and the natural phenomenon is a wall from which the rays are repelled.
8,000 K. Blue light. The blue tint is practically unsuitable for driving as the main light source. If the road is slightly wet, the light flux will be reflected and blind the driver.
10,000-12,000 K. Violet light. The glow is not at all suitable for use as main lighting. Mainly used for tuning cars.

The choice of which xenon is better to install should be made by the car enthusiast himself, taking into account personal preferences. You should definitely refrain from using xenon lamps in the blue-violet spectrum, since such lighting will not allow you to see the road well enough and can cause an accident.

Which xenon is better: 4,300 or 5,000

Among the advantages of lamps with a temperature of 4,300 K is their versatility. If a lamp with a temperature of 5,000 K is installed in the headlights, then it is better to install xenon in the PTF in a yellow tint. There is no clear answer as to which xenon shines better. In theory, due to the brightness of the light flux at a temperature of 4,300 K, effective and high-quality lighting is achieved.

Car enthusiasts also note that 5,000 K and 4,300 K are practically the same in brightness, but the first has a more noble white tint. In addition to xenon lamps, there is bi-xenon, which allows you to simultaneously control the low and high beam and is produced at a given temperature.

Another useful article telling you how to produce correctly and competently.

Which xenon is better to put in lenses?

It is better to install lamps with a power of 35 or 50 W in the lenses. Since most often all lamps are replaced with xenon kits, it is better to give preference to ready-made kits from trusted companies. In addition to the xenon itself, you will need ignition units.