# Osram Nightbreaker Bulbs



## OraLabora (May 26, 2006)

Just got a set of Osram Nightbreaker bulbs from powerbulbs.com. Here is the result. Car on the left is my wife's Passat TDI with standard H7 bulbs. Car on the right is my 2.0T wagon with Nighbreakers:








Here is the view on my driveway. The lights on my wife's TDI are adjusted a bit high. first picture is the TDI:








Second is the 2.0T. Note that even though the TDI lights are adjusted a bit higher, the Nightbreakers do a better job of illuminating on the right; count the plant humps poking through the snow (yes, that is snow, and yes that was taken tonight; local ski hill opens tomorrow). The Nightbreaker is brighter and you can see more of the little humps clearly.








All in all, not a huge improvement, but definitely a noticeable improvement. Every little bit counts in deer country.


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## Chnaane (Dec 19, 2003)

*Re: Osram Nightbreaker Bulbs (OraLabora)*

Nice pics. Wouldn't mind seeing a 3-way comparison between the stockers, the Nightbreakers, and the Osram 65w H7.


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## cristo (Jul 3, 2006)

*Re: Osram Nightbreaker Bulbs (Chnaane)*

Apparently, the nightbreakers are rated at 1500 lumens, similar 
to most other H7 bulbs. Wonder how they can really be 90% brighter. 
The Osram Hyper H7 (H9 bulb on H7 base) is 2100 lumens and is 
rated for 500 hours life, which is similar to stock H7 bulbs.


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## OraLabora (May 26, 2006)

*Re: Osram Nightbreaker Bulbs (Chnaane)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Chnaane* »_Nice pics. Wouldn't mind seeing a 3-way comparison between the stockers, the Nightbreakers, and the Osram 65w H7.

You'll soon find out, I just ordered some Osram 65w H7s; they are rated at 2100 lumens compared to 1500. They may look less "cool" but in deer country, more lumens on the road is what matters, not colour temperature.


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## Chnaane (Dec 19, 2003)

*Re: Osram Nightbreaker Bulbs (cristo)*


_Quote, originally posted by *cristo* »_Apparently, the nightbreakers are rated at 1500 lumens, similar 
to most other H7 bulbs. Wonder how they can really be 90% brighter.

That's a good question. Keep in mind how the various "plus" claims (+30, +50, +80, +90, etc.) are devised: The plus-numbers cannot be attained simply through greater intensity from the bulb, because of intensity and wattage restrictions contained in bulb regulations (US 49CFR564 in North America, ECE Regulation 37 everywhere else). See for example here, where you can find the legal specs from 49CFR564 for all permissible headlight bulbs operated at the US test voltage of 12.8. The H7 has an intensity spec of 1350 lumens ±12% at 12.8v, so obviously that's not where the +30/50/80/90 type numbers are coming from. The "Plus" bulbs do produce near the maximum allowable flux (1.12 x 1350 = 1512 max at 12.8v ... the spec in the rest-of-world R37 is 1500 ± 10%, or 1650 max at 13.2v) but that's obviously not the whole story. These bulbs have higher filament luminance and give better beam focus because the filament coil itself is smaller and more precisely focused in five axes so it is exactly smack-dab where the spec says it's supposed to be. Headlamp optics are calculated based on a point source. The smaller the filament, the more closely it approximates a point source, and therefore the better the focus of the resultant beam pattern. The better the focus of the beam pattern, the higher the beam peak intensity (that is, the brighter the "hot spot"). Depending on the particular bulb and the specific headlamp optic in use, the gain in hot spot intensity can indeed be up to 50% (80%, 90%, whatever) at some specific _but not uniform or predictable_ point in the beam. In practice, that means once Osram or Philips or whoever have designed their newest bulb, they throw the nearest convenient intern in a room with a bunch of headlamps and have him photometer them until the one that gives the single greatest increase (at some point in the beam) is found, then they give the intern a food pellet or something as a reward. Tungsram (GE Europe) called their 2nd-generation upgrade H4 "+60" either because they were lying or because they found a headlamp for a 1983 Tatra or something that had 60% more light in one particular spot. That doesn't mean the Tungsram "+60" H4 was better than the "+50" bulbs from Philips, Osram, and Narva, it wasn't. So, those "+30" and "+50" and "+80" and "+90" type numbers are not necessarily a trick or a scam, it just doesn't mean what most people assume it means. And at least these kinds of "plus" numbers aren't stupid lies like "55w = 85w" or "130w of light for just 55w of electricity".









_Quote »_The Osram Hyper H7 (H9 bulb on H7 base) is 2100 lumens and is rated for 500 hours life, which is similar to stock H7 bulbs.

Yup. More light and better cost-effectiveness than any of the "plus" bulbs, IMO.


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## cristo (Jul 3, 2006)

*Re: Osram Nightbreaker Bulbs (Chnaane)*

That's the best explanation I've heard so far.
Good post, Chnaane


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