In modern night riding, helmet lights are typically purchased with a few different types of light bulbs. LED, Halogen, and HID are the three most common types of lighting used for night riding. Most riders are familiar with LED and Halogen, but because of the more recent development of HID lights in general, some are unfamiliar with how HID's work and what kinds of features they provide for night riding.
Even HID lights come in a variety of versions such as mercury vapor, metal halide, and high-pressure sodium lights, but they all work on the same basic principles. HID's are typically used to cover large distances and illuminate large areas. You might notice their bright white color at baseball games or theme parks.
These High Intensity Discharge lights, or HID's, produce light by heating the gases within a fused alumina tube to the point of evaporation. The tungsten electrodes within this alumina tube begin to heat up, striking the tungsten electrodes and producing a bright, and purely white arc of light. HID lamps must have a device that discharges the gas and limits the flow of electrical current. This is known as a ballast, and is also known for its use in fluorescent lighting. Without this ballast, the gastric reaction cannot occur, and the light cannot operate.
HID helmet lights are becoming increasing popular as night riding speeds improve. They produce a very bright, long distance beam, making it easy to see what is far ahead. Some riders especially like the natural white color of the light, showing actual colors and producing a clearer perception of surroundings. HID lights are also extremely power efficient compared to their luminous output. Some battery backs for HID helmet lights last as long as 2 to 4 hours, providing ample before switching to a new battery.
For extreme speed while maintaining peripheral vision, some riders choose to use one HID helmet light for distance and one or two halogen lights for closer vision. In this situation, the HID is most commonly mounted to the center of the helmet, while the halogens are mounted farther down the side of the helmet. This provides the ultimate in "see where you look" lighting. Remember, that the faster the speed, the more your head will point downward. It is instinct to lead with the top of your head, looking upward with your eyes at higher speeds. So it is usually necessary to mount an HID light farther back on the slope of the helmet, so that the beam gives an accurate spotting of the trail.
The utilization of HID lighting for snowmobiling, dirt biking, atv riding, mountain biking and more, has brought night sports to a new level by producing longer, more powerful, crystal white beams. If you love night riding, you have to try an HID helmet light, at least to see the difference. Some riders are still partial to halogens, but everyone needs to see what all of the talk is about with HID.
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