[rk_sans]

Rajesh,
That's a very good video. Just tempts to go ahead and fix one for my i10. Will track this thread for further info on the clamps you have planned to get it done from your mech.

[jalex77]

Originally Posted by rajeshsundaram

Great! then your Alto will look like those Subaru's Impreza's (with the big aux lamps inside the front lower bumper) You may need to do some R&D to make the custom clamps, fitments and a good technician to do the job.

Yes,Thats the idea. And my regular mechanic might do the job. He's busy on every working day of the week and Sunday is the only time he and I can sit together and do some research on this. I am also looking on the option of finding someone around Cochin to do the job for me.

But first I need to get the lights. And still have to do some more research and make up my mind between the Rallye 700FF, The Rallye 1000FF and the Rallye 3000.

[Chevy_lover]

Hi Rajesh, nice pair of Hellas you've got! I completely agree with your choice and the reasons for installing them. Since I have driven extensively in TN, I know how difficult it is to survive with the illumination from the stock headlights alone. You surely need additional lights in the highways and Hella 500FF is a very good choice. I too have upgraded my headlights to Phillips Rallye 130/100W. But even these bulbs are insufficient!

I have installed two pairs of Hella Comet 500 on my Chevy. I have fixed it on my crash guard since I did not want to do any modifications on Chevy's bumper.

Here are some pics. See how well the road is lit up?







The first set of lights are focused on the road, in a way that about 200 - 300 feet of the road ahead is well lit up. I was happy with this set up for a very long time. Then during one of my frequent road trips to TN, I was literally blinded and forced off the road by some Volvos and other buses with 6 to 8 very powerful headlights/ projectors . Needless to say, the second set of Hellas were installed on my Chevy, the day I returned to Pune.

The second set of Hellas is focused straight ahead. It WILL blind anyone who tries to act smart with their headlights. Let me add that the second set of lights is used very very rarely, only as an act of self defense!

Now, the Volvos are so well behaved when they get a taste of their own medicine!!!

I have upgraded the bulbs in the Hellas too! Now they sport Phillips 100W H3 bulbs!!! The result?? Simply awesome, I must say!!! I regularly drive in the ghats with the help of my lights!

[Ragul]

Guys

How many Lux make for good lighting?

In a pic like this which is color coded from red/orange as highest to yellow green blue progressively lower.


Which part is the useful lightning going by the scale pic attached?

Thanks

[rajeshsundaram]

Originally Posted by rk_sans

Rajesh,
That's a very good video. Just tempts to go ahead and fix one for my i10. Will track this thread for further info on the clamps you have planned to get it done from your mech.

Thanks rk_sans. I might visit Erode during December 3rd week. Will consult my preferred technician there on re-doing it. Will shoot some quick snaps about the clamps tomorrow and post it here.

Originally Posted by Chevy_lover

Hi Rajesh, nice pair of Hellas you've got! I completely agree with your choice and the reasons for installing them. Since I have driven extensively in TN, I know how difficult it is to survive with the illumination from the stock headlights alone. You surely need additional lights in the highways and Hella 500FF is a very good choice. I too have upgraded my headlights to Phillips Rallye 130/100W. But even these bulbs are insufficient!

I have installed two pairs of Hella Comet 500 on my Chevy. I have fixed it on my crash guard since I did not want to do any modifications on Chevy's bumper.

Here are some pics. See how well the road is lit up?

That's some mighty setup Chevy_lover! Would love to see those 6 lamps in action live. Haha...

I too had the idea of upgrading my headlamps to 130/100, but decided not to attempt that. Not sure for how extent poor Alto's headlamp could bear the heat. Anyway, till now, 100/90 serves well.

Fitting the lights on the crash guard is always good. Offers vibration free illumination. Even Challa recommended that in a comment.

Originally Posted by Ragul

Guys

How many Lux make for good lighting?

In a pic like this which is color coded from red/orange as highest to yellow green blue progressively lower.


Which part is the useful lightning going by the scale pic attached?

Thanks

Ragul,

Basically two type of aux lamps colors are available. The yellow or similar colored ones serves well during rain and foggy weather. The regular (non-colored / blue) ones serves well for highway driving, safari's and adventure sports. Hella sells colored laminates that converts your regular lamps to weather lamps.

And there are two types of beam patterns. Weather Aux lamps produce wider beams in short throws, which are useful in Rain / Foggy weather conditions. The Driving aux lamps produce focused beams in long throw which are useful for highways and sports.

So in the above pic, both ends (yellow & blue) are useful in their respective aspects.

Guys correct me if i am wrong.

[whitelion]

Originally Posted by Chevy_lover

I have upgraded the bulbs in the Hellas too! Now they sport Phillips 100W H3 bulbs!!! The result?? Simply awesome, I must say!!! I regularly drive in the ghats with the help of my lights!

Chevy_Lover, I bought Ford Figo in Jul-2011 and the Head lamps are not illuminating road ahead to my satisfaction. When Discussed with many and A.S.S.C. technicians I came to know that Reflectors are at fault. Similarly HL cluster of Ford Cars is a Sealed Cluster and If a general 90/100 upgrade kit is to be used then it attracts drilling holes in back Cap of HL cluster. If those holes are not properly sealed then HL start Fogging in rainy season. So only alternative left is having Aux. Lamps. I have shortlisted Hella 500FF and 700FF (Driving not Fog) since I want use them as Primary Driving Lamps and keep main HL with only parking Lights as far as possible or at most use them in low beam. I have few queries hope you dont mind answering them.

1. Whether only pair of Hella Lamps beams are adequate for proper illumination of road ahead in wet or dry weather. How is spread of light ? Can you see road side objects like Bullock Carts, Tractors-Trollies, cyclists, pedestrians etc. etc. well ahead of car. I drive at most by 100/110 on highways (NH4 like) otherwise on two lanes 60 to 80.
2. You have upgraded Hella Lamp bulbs to 100W is hella OEM relay is capable of supporting 100W bulbs or there is need to Upgrade relay too.
3. I Frequently visit Pune and would like to Buy those in Pune. Where can I get them in Pune and What is Price of 500FF and 700FF. If you provide Shop name address and Phone Numbers then it will be a great help.
4. Please help me in selecting between 500FF and 700FF. I feel 500FF will suit to my needs.

[Ushuaia]

Originally Posted by whitelion

Chevy_Lover, I bought Ford Figo in Jul-2011 and the Head lamps are not illuminating road ahead to my satisfaction. When Discussed with many and A.S.S.C. technicians I came to know that Reflectors are at fault. Similarly HL cluster of Ford Cars is a Sealed Cluster and If a general 90/100 upgrade kit is to be used then it attracts drilling holes in back Cap of HL cluster. If those holes are not properly sealed then HL start Fogging in rainy season. So only alternative left is having Aux. Lamps. I have shortlisted Hella 500FF and 700FF (Driving not Fog) since I want use them as Primary Driving Lamps and keep main HL with only parking Lights as far as possible or at most use them in low beam. I have few queries hope you dont mind answering them.

1. Whether only pair of Hella Lamps beams are adequate for proper illumination of road ahead in wet or dry weather. How is spread of light ? Can you see road side objects like Bullock Carts, Tractors-Trollies, cyclists, pedestrians etc. etc. well ahead of car. I drive at most by 100/110 on highways (NH4 like) otherwise on two lanes 60 to 80.
2. You have upgraded Hella Lamp bulbs to 100W is hella OEM relay is capable of supporting 100W bulbs or there is need to Upgrade relay too.
3. I Frequently visit Pune and would like to Buy those in Pune. Where can I get them in Pune and What is Price of 500FF and 700FF. If you provide Shop name address and Phone Numbers then it will be a great help.
4. Please help me in selecting between 500FF and 700FF. I feel 500FF will suit to my needs.

- Dont touch the stock reflectors, Good bad ugly, keep it unless you are ready to spend a bomb on upgrade
- I have 550 FF [rectangular], though earlier suggested on bull bar, I drilled the bumper to fix it
- I loved having it through strong rains while crossing over from Pune to Gurgaon
- In Pune you can try Poona Motors in East Street, Vinit (09370313451), call him up on Saturday's after 1-2 PM and let him know in advance before you go there. He'll get the stuff and even can help fit it. Tell him he fitted Hella's (550 FF) on a Delhi Zen (Ritwik)

[ramkya1]

Originally Posted by Ushuaia

- Dont touch the stock reflectors, Good bad ugly, keep it unless you are ready to spend a bomb on upgrade
- I have 550 FF [rectangular], though earlier suggested on bull bar, I drilled the bumper to fix it
- I loved having it through strong rains while crossing over from Pune to Gurgaon
- In Pune you can try Poona Motors in East Street, Vinit (09370313451), call him up on Saturday's after 1-2 PM and let him know in advance before you go there. He'll get the stuff and even can help fit it. Tell him he fitted Hella's (550 FF) on a Delhi Zen (Ritwik)

Hai,

Had a comet 500 for 2 years on the bull bar of my Scorpio CRDe, was a great help in night driving, stress of driving was considerably reduced and I could average higher speeds. Had a switch on the dash, left hand side to switch it on and off, so as not to blind oncoming traffic. Sold the CRDe last week, my new MhWAK needs additional lighting on the bull bar.

Know the Hella distributor, he was very co-operative on my first purchase, but limited in technical details. The Comet had a throw of about 200- 300 mtrs and now I am considering the Hella 550 FF [rectangular], the one you have, as it would go well with the design of the MhWAK headlight. Drilling the bull guard would be one of the best ways to fit it. Questions:

1. What's the distance of the beam? The dealer said it would be under 200 mtrs ony, a 300 + throw would be nice on highway driving. Strangely enough I could not find this information published even in Hella site!!
2. Does it spread or is it a narrow beam?

Thank you in advance for you inputs.

--Ramky
======

[whitelion]

Originally Posted by Ushuaia

- Dont touch the stock reflectors, Good bad ugly, keep it unless you are ready to spend a bomb on upgrade

very true, Thats why I got impression that 90/100 is not a clean and simple way to improve night visibility.

- I have 550 FF [rectangular], though earlier suggested on bull bar, I drilled the bumper to fix it
- I loved having it through strong rains while crossing over from Pune to Gurgaon
- In Pune you can try Poona Motors in East Street, Vinit (09370313451), call him up on Saturday's after 1-2 PM and let him know in advance before you go there. He'll get the stuff and even can help fit it. Tell him he fitted Hella's (550 FF) on a Delhi Zen (Ritwik)

Thanks for Contact info, Tomorrow i will contact him and get pricing info first. BTW how much did you paid ?

Can you please tell me that how is beam pattern for those lamps ? Is it a wide strip type or Like a spot beam ? How is roadside visibility w.r.t. my points in above post.

[condor]

Originally Posted by ramkya1

.. I am considering the Hella 550 FF [rectangular],

Questions:

1. What's the distance of the beam?
2. Does it spread or is it a narrow beam?

Ramky:

1. Hella 500FF is round, not rectangular.
2. Check the diagrams in the documenation for each lamp (on hella website) - you can find the distance
3. Beam is narrow for driving lamps & wide for fog lamps. So when you buy the 500FF's, make sure the box says driving lamp kit.

[Ushuaia]

Originally Posted by condor

Ramky:

1. Hella 500FF is round, not rectangular.
2. Check the diagrams in the documenation for each lamp (on hella website) - you can find the distance
3. Beam is narrow for driving lamps & wide for fog lamps. So when you buy the 500FF's, make sure the box says driving lamp kit.

Condor,

500FF is round, Ramky was referring to 550 FF which are rectangular

Originally Posted by ramkya1

Hai,

1. What's the distance of the beam? The dealer said it would be under 200 mtrs ony, a 300 + throw would be nice on highway driving. Strangely enough I could not find this information published even in Hella site!!
2. Does it spread or is it a narrow beam?

======

1. 550 FF is rectangular and the beam is more like a spot, dealer is correct its below 200. I have adjuster nut to change the angle of throw. For 300+ you should get or retain Comets. I would suggest an array of 4 would provide you a nice spread. However distance between 2 adjacent lamps in an array decides Hit or Miss

I have a zen in which was being modded so, I drilled onto the bumper and fixed the lamp in between both headlamps. Also I run 130/100 since I have older glass/ceramic setup in 2003 Zens. So it pretty much worked for me, I used another trick, adjusted the beam throw in a manner that both beams provide a broader patch. Current bolt-on is such it can fit any Hella's in future.

One more thing, if you are able to fix a horizontal load bar on your roof grabrails then you can fit a removable array of 4 comets and the throw would be awesome. Thought MV Act says all additional lights should be at or below headlamps. But you could use it for your long drives.

Originally Posted by whitelion

The beam is narrow, but in rainy season the light really provided me with an accurate view of what was ahead alongwith a 130/100. If you want a wider spread, which usually doesnt look good in small hatches (boxy design) then you could opt for 500. 550 worked effectively on Hyd - Sholapur stretch
Let me not spill his pricing, but he'll be competetive that much I can assure. Try to be there when Vinit is in, he's a nice dude!!

[Chevy_lover]

Originally Posted by whitelion

Chevy_Lover, I bought Ford Figo in Jul-2011 and the Head lamps are not illuminating road ahead to my satisfaction. I have few queries hope you dont mind answering them.

1. Whether only pair of Hella Lamps beams are adequate for proper illumination of road ahead in wet or dry weather. How is spread of light ? Can you see road side objects like Bullock Carts, Tractors-Trollies, cyclists, pedestrians etc. etc. well ahead of car. I drive at most by 100/110 on highways (NH4 like) otherwise on two lanes 60 to 80.
2. You have upgraded Hella Lamp bulbs to 100W is hella OEM relay is capable of supporting 100W bulbs or there is need to Upgrade relay too.
3. I Frequently visit Pune and would like to Buy those in Pune. Where can I get them in Pune and What is Price of 500FF and 700FF. If you provide Shop name address and Phone Numbers then it will be a great help.
4. Please help me in selecting between 500FF and 700FF. I feel 500FF will suit to my needs.

Dear friend, earlier I had two pairs of comet 500 lights. Its illumination, along with my Chevy's headlamps, was like this. It lit up the road like a Christmas tree!



My Chevy in 2010



This year I installed two Hella 700ff lights. The result is outstanding. I drove for 1525 kilometres in less than 24 hours non-stop, to reach Tirunelveli from Pune. The road was lit up perfectly by my Hella lights.

My Chevy now.



Now back to your queries.

1. You will be able to see even small pebbles on the road with either a Hella 500ff or a Hella 550ff. Which light suits your car better, is your choice. My suggestion is to keep your headlights in low beam, along with the Hellas. Never drive with just your parking lights!!! As the name suggests, those miniature lights are to be used only when you are parking!

When I drove to Kerala this July, I maintained about 120 kmph on the NH4 and about 130 kmph on the NH7, till Tirunelveli, at night. I could drive so fast only because of my lights.

Auxiliary lights work perfectly in dry weather. It will not work very well during monsoons. No matter how many lights you have, the rain water disperses the light beam. I had a difficult time when I returned from Kerala last month. It was raining continuously after Tumkur till Pune. I had to slow down to 80 kmph after Kolhapur.

2. I would definitely not trust Hella relays. Go for Roots or Bosch. I had installed a Roots relay for BOTH my Hellas in 2009. It went Kaput in 2011. I've installed Bosch now and it is working perfectly. I have another Roots relay for my 130/100W headlights.

3. Most shops do not stock Hella ffs. If you are able to get it from Pune Motors, its fine. If not, you may need to order it two - three days in advance. I will give you my friend's number, if required. He is the one who installed and maintains my Chevy's light system!!!

4. As I said earlier, which light suits your car better is your choice. Hella 700ff is very big and a thief-magnet. So the choice is yours!

You may need to install a bull bar to support the light. Hella ff series lights are quite heavy. You car's bumper is not a good place to install it.

[ramkya1]

Originally Posted by Ushuaia

Condor,

500FF is round, Ramky was referring to 550 FF which are rectangular

1. 550 FF is rectangular and the beam is more like a spot, dealer is correct its below 200. I have adjuster nut to change the angle of throw. For 300+ you should get or retain Comets. I would suggest an array of 4 would provide you a nice spread. However distance between 2 adjacent lamps in an array decides Hit or Miss

I have a zen in which was being modded so, I drilled onto the bumper and fixed the lamp in between both headlamps. Also I run 130/100 since I have older glass/ceramic setup in 2003 Zens. So it pretty much worked for me, I used another trick, adjusted the beam throw in a manner that both beams provide a broader patch. Current bolt-on is such it can fit any Hella's in future.

One more thing, if you are able to fix a horizontal load bar on your roof grabrails then you can fit a removable array of 4 comets and the throw would be awesome. Thought MV Act says all additional lights should be at or below headlamps. But you could use it for your long drives.

My comets are gone with the old car, they were awesome, just 2 driving lights, great beam and spot on, my original headlights lit up to about 200 mtrs and comets did the next 50-100; the result was dramatic; stress free driving. It was on the crash guard, too many lights up front and they would foul up the air flow through the grill. Moreover they were headlight high, don't want to mount it on the roof top, though it would be the best; in many underground parking places it could hit the low ceilings. As it is, my roof rails are just about scrapping the top in my office and flat. I can live with just 2 additional driving lights.

The old Comets were sticking out of the bull barsup front and could get hit first thing with anything that comes on the way, now I have to fabricate it to go inside the bull guard. Moreover, the cleaning guy switched it accidentally, it was one in the day time and melted the Hella white cover!!! This is a possibility for all Aux / Driving lamps.

@ Chevy Lover: Hai. WoW!! Great throw and nice photos.

The Hella relays which came with the kit lasted and is still on. As for the light, you said it right, if not bolted on properly, it could be stolen easily.

--Ramky
======

[rjstyles69]

Saw the Rallye 3000's on the hella website and they look sumptuous.Might just get them installed soon if I have the funds. Currently have the 3003's on my scorp and I find them good enough, but then no harm in having an extra set of lights . BTW how much does the 700FF's retail for ?

[whitelion]

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

Saw the Rallye 3000's on the hella website and they look sumptuous.Might just get them installed soon if I have the funds. Currently have the 3003's on my scorp and I find them good enough, but then no harm in having an extra set of lights . BTW how much does the 700FF's retail for ?

I got quote of about 6K but dealer has kept option of discount open, I expect about 10% to 15% discount so around 5.5K may be the final price.