I did the big wire and relays trick to some of our trucks and the gain in night-time vision was wonderful.

I then re-wired the fog and driving lights through SPDT toggles and relays such that, when I so desire, the fogs, or drives, or BOTH, come ON automatically when BRIGHT lights are selected by the dimmer-switch.

This simple modification was also a huge improvement.

Then, I finally got around to routing a couple wires from the dimmer-switch to a SPST toggle, one is HOT anytime the head-light switch is ON, the other is the DIM wire.

When the switch is ON, the DIM lights are always ON providing the head-light switch is ON; and, all the dimmer-switch does is switch the BRIGHTs ON and OFF.

Turning the toggle OFF returns head-light function back to normal.


I should have done this years ago.

With both elements of the bulbs ON, the sheer VOLUME of light is AWESOME and the improvement in night-time driving is DRAMATIC.


Whenever I read of doing this, I had no idea just how much increase in light there would be.

Another BIG PLUS is, should a head-light lose it's BRIGHT element, the DIM side will still remain lit, preventing any un-necessary harrassment; and, instead of ten thousand others telling me on the C.B. "Hey, you got a light out", they will be saying "Hey, you have one light dimmer than the other".

 

What took you so long? You lose so much side fill with just the brights lit. They punch out pretty far with relays, but you are blind to anything off to the side. You can't see the deer sneaking up out of the ditches if the low beams aren't on.

 

Being in Kentucky, where nine of ten mailboxes get a check on the first, minimum wage is thought to be the most the government will allow, and if you know where to shop you can buy gasoline and cigarettes at two-for-one with foodstamps, there are a lot of SLOW people around here; I guess sometimes I am one of them.

 

You want to see bright lights, see what happens when you feed SilverStars with 14.0 volts.

I built a regulator to reduce the voltage from 14.8 volts to extend the life of the lamps.

These are properly adjusted for 4" drop from centerline @25'



Jim