| Author |
Message |
    
Anthony Melillo (Tonym)
| | Posted on Monday, April 15, 2002 - 08:48 am: | 
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What's your opinion on Amber Fog Lights ?
I'm going to be adding Hella 500 lights to my Discovery via a light bar on the front bumper, and I'm considering Amber or Clear fog lights (I don't have the stock fogs).
Are there any state restrictions regarding the color ?
I'm in northern NJ and have to climb/decend a winding steep hill often with some fog around. |
Milan
| | Posted on Monday, April 15, 2002 - 12:15 pm: |
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I find light placement, the quality of the reflector and the lense and its pattern more detrimental to how the light performs than the lense's color. |
Jon Williams (Jonw)
| | Posted on Monday, April 15, 2002 - 01:06 pm: |
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Traditional fog lights are yellow because the yellow light doesn't reflect off the fog as badly, and actually penetrates to improve visibility.
Most "fog lights" on vehicles these days are not really fog lights at all. Automakers have added these things for people who think they look cool and have so named them "auxiliary lights," because their functionality as true fog lamps is nearly non-existant. They usually only have about a 38W bulb, which is about as bright as my Mag-Lite and won't cut through any of the murk we have around here that's called fog. Fortunately most European makes still use 50 or 55W bulbs, and design prism lenses on their fog lights that actually aim the light beam (and most are made by Hella). Some are yellow, most are white. As long as they're mounted low to light under the fog, it doesn't make much difference.
One option you have with amber fog lights is that you can mount them at a higher position and they'll remain effective, due mostly to the characteristics of amber light that I mentioned earlier. You may have noticed some imports that have amber fog lights to the inside of the regular headlights, mounted at headlight level. That enables them to use them instead of headlights in foggy conditions and in rain, and still retain a lighting spread similar to their headlights without causing any glare to them and other drivers.
So basically, it's up to you and your preference. To my knowledge, there's no DOT restrictions on amber fogs (otherwise other cars wouldn't have them as OEM). The only restriction is fog lamps can't be on with the high beams. |
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