H3-light bulb for car: types, characteristics

In the design of a modern car, there are more than a hundred LEDs and light bulbs. The tasks of these elements are very different - from the lighting of the salon and the dashboard to ensuring the visibility of the traffic situation at night. Depending on the tasks that the lamp performs, it can have different sizes and characteristics. Today, several types of standard socles are widespread. Among them - H3-light bulb. There are several types of products with such a socle. All of them have certain characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.

Lamp H3 as a step in the development of head lighting technology

Every car owner knows that adverse weather conditions - rain, snow or fog - can adversely affect the visibility of the road. This is actual at night - the wet drops scatter, and also reflect the light from the car's headlights, thereby reducing the strength and intensity of the light stream. As a result, a wide glow is formed. It is called a light wall. Because of this luminescence visibility is significantly reduced. Against the backdrop of this wall, it is very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to distinguish objects on and around the carriageway. Bad visibility, and with it a high fatigue of the eyes, significantly affect the safety of traffic, increasing the risk of getting into an accident. In such situations, help fog lights, which in poor visibility conditions create a better light. Yellow, and in some lamps, the amber flow of light, due to a different wavelength, does not so much dissipate on snowflakes and drops. Therefore, the beam turns out to be more contrast. To get such light, use H3 bulbs in the fog lights and in the dipped beam headlamps. This detail is significantly different from other analogs. The food she receives is not on the plinth, but through a separate wire.

Anti-fog headlight

The fog lamp is very convenient in conditions of insufficient visibility. PTFs are used together with the head optics and the headlights. But with normal visibility, PTF is better not to include as head light. H3-light bulb is not designed for this. Moreover, in some European countries, you can get a penalty for the included PTF in good visibility. Modern models can be equipped with optics, in which fogs are already built. But most motorists install them independently. And since PTF is a necessity for the driver, auto lamps H3 are in great demand.

Features of cap H3

The product with this base is used only in fog lamps. The difference, which is only in this type of products - these are separate power wires. Today, the H3-bulb is manufactured using different technologies. Among the whole mass of products on the market, there are several types. Previously, industry produced only halogen lamps. But today xenon and LED solutions are very popular. They have higher technical characteristics. But they are quite expensive and not everyone decides to buy them. But also cheap halogen products have not lost their popularity.

Types of lamps

Several types of lighting elements can be distinguished with a H3 cap. These are halogen incandescent bulbs, xenon or metal halide, and also LED. What are they different from each other and what are the best to choose for your car? Below we will look at each type in detail.

Halogen - cheap and affordable

This is the most affordable, but quite effective option. The advantage of the H3 bulb is the price. You can buy it for 100 rubles. It is because of the affordable cost that these lamps are in demand. A light bulb is arranged very simply. The basis is a flask of quartz glass, which is filled with inert gases and halogen vapors. Most often this is bromine and iodine. This makes it possible to significantly increase the combustion temperature of the helix and improves the light output in comparison with an ordinary incandescent bulb. Now manufacturers produce halogen products in a very wide range. They differ among themselves by the temperature of the glow, an additional coating of the bulb, and other lighting characteristics. Among the shortcomings is low light output. This is only relevant for head optics. But H3-bulb is used most often in fog lamps, so the power of glow is not very relevant. Another disadvantage is the low service life. It is not more than 2000 hours. Also, the lamp can heat up to high temperatures during operation. Another significant drawback is the large percentage of radiation that is in the infrared range. This is the cause of the burnout of the reflector mirror.

Xenon headlight

These are modern lighting devices, which can now be found in the standard equipment of the head light. At the same time, the lamps are equipped with expensive equipment. This is the ignition unit and the tilt level control. There is also a H3-bulb "xenon". It works perfectly in fog lights. Due to its design, the lamp is characterized by greater efficiency, increased luminous efficiency, and a high level of reliability. This detail was invented in the last century, and already from the 2000s it began to be produced in an industrial manner. That the light bulb is brighter than the halogen, the inert gases in the flask are under a pressure of up to 30 kg / cm ² . Xenon lamp is good because its radiation is very close to normal daylight. The driver will not get tired in a long journey, and the eyes can better distinguish between road obstacles. Also among the additional advantages can be identified the possibility of a better focus, since the light source is practically point-like. Unlike halogen, the Xenon H3 bulb heats up to small temperatures and has a longer service life.

LED light sources - expensive but effective

These are the most modern light sources for a car. Many motorists have long replaced old and inefficient halogen lamps for these products. There are reasons for that. Autolamps LED have a lot of advantages.

Features of diode illumination

The power of the halogen lamp is only 55 W. This is quite a lot. Therefore, often the glass near the headlamp can burst, and the plastic parts are melted. In addition, halogen lamps often burn out. LED light-emitting diodes have all these drawbacks. They are more effective, they give a bright white light, consume a minimum of energy, which in the case of a car is a big plus. Load on the generator goes by an order of magnitude lower. There are LED lights with a warm white color or with a cold one. As for the technology of manufacturing H3 lamps, in the case of LEDs, modern SMD chips are used. Together with older solutions, they have a higher resource, and their light is even brighter and more saturated. Due to these diodes, the H3 LED bulb is as compact as possible. And the radiation characteristics and the matrix allow to spread the light flux by 160 degrees. This is significantly more than in conventional LED devices of past generations.

Specifications and types of LED products

Lamps for car H3 based on LEDs - this is the most modern and progressive solution for use in fog lamps or in the dipped beam. Distinguish products by power. In this socle, light bulbs with a power of one to 80 W are made. Appliances with low power can be installed in headlights, in parking lights, stop lamps and direction indicators.

Disadvantages of LED solutions

With all their merits, such lamps have drawbacks. Although at a cost they are not more expensive than xenon, the system as a whole can cost a round sum. But prices are constantly falling: as their popularity grows, manufacturers, especially Chinese ones, supply counterfeit brands to the market. The diode lamp has a complicated design and can seriously overheat during operation. Therefore, they must be equipped with radiators. Also among the shortcomings is the need to install a special control unit. Without it, the bulb will not be as effective as possible. And the light flux can be compared with halogen light.

Laser lights

This is a novelty in the world of automotive light. In 2014, BMW introduced a new car, equipped with laser lighting. Then, after BMW, laser light was used by other automakers. Such headlights make it possible to obtain a high range of light flux. Tests have shown that the road is illuminated at a distance of up to 600 meters. There is no such indicator for any light source. In this case, laser diodes have compact dimensions, which is convenient for their installation.

The result

There are many kinds of lamps with a H3 cap. But the xenon light should be installed only in those headlights for which it fits, or else you can earn a fine. Halogen products are inefficient, but they are characterized by low prices and high availability. LED light bulbs - this is a "lottery", because you can run into a fake. If we analyze the advantages, then it turns out that now the best characteristics are LED solutions. Remember that good H3 light bulbs of this type will not be cheap.