HID color temp

**m35s** · 03-21-2010, 08:47 PM

We all think that HID lights help diffuse laser on our vehicle but my question is- does the color temp of the bulb affects how much laser can be blocked by it? Meaning does a 4300K HID bulb do a better job compared to a 6000K HID bulb or vice versa or it has not been tested in lab yet?

**Stealth Stalker** · 03-21-2010, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by m35s

We all think that HID lights help diffuse laser on our vehicle...

Not all of us. Some of us believe it is more likely that HID light housings are simply less reflective than incandescent housings, and that it may have nothing to do with the lights themselves.

**The Chariot** · 03-21-2010, 09:03 PM

Never presume to speak for everyone.

I've seen plenty on this forum which goes against confirmation that HIDs always help.

**m35s** · 03-21-2010, 09:10 PM

So it really hasn't been confirmed through lab testing yet?

**Stealth Stalker** · 03-21-2010, 09:12 PM

Pretty sure that's what the FAQ says.

**srtga** · 03-22-2010, 12:01 AM

Originally Posted by Stealth Stalker

Not all of us. Some of us believe it is more likely that HID light housings are simply less reflective than incandescent housings.

Smaller as well...

**ELVATO** · 03-22-2010, 01:31 PM

If you can hit them, they are pretty reflective (when taking a flash picture of a car with projectors, you can see 2 bright dots of light). But, as you said they are smaller.

I'm of the camp that they don't help at all. The only thing that I saw delaying a reading a bit was aiming straight into a high beam, and keeping it there, something a LEO would not do.

Now, I'm not going to say HIDs don't affect the IR spectrum. I have had it to where, if parked close to a garage or wall, my ZR4s will go off if I turn on my HIDs (aftermarket, 4300k). Apparently, HIDs throw off a lot of stray IR when first warming up, but level off once up to temp.