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Originally posted by Kompressor:

Someone told me they're simiilar to stadium lighting HIDs, which use Mercury and sodium vapors. But if you've ever seen those lights start up, they take a good 3 or 4 minutes to light up to 100%. To solve that start up problem in car lamps, Xenon was used.

Correct, instead of using a filament to create the light, and electrical charge is passed thru the gas to create a glowing arc. Sodium vapor lamps (Like street lamps or those in stadiums) are not well suited for auto applications due to their yellowish tinge and large ballast.

 

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Originally posted by hurricane:
The newer halogen bulbs have some xenon gas in them and these are often referred to as xenon bulbs. But they work just like the old halogen bulbs - a glowing filament. HID are filled with pure xenon gas and using extreme voltage to produce an arc that creates the ultra-white light.

no this is incorrect. Halogen bulbs have halogen gas and a tungsten filament. No xenon gas in a halogen bulb. Some xenon lamps have filaments too, but they are called "xenon" bulbs. HID have no filament, and you are correct there.

 

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Ok, you got me

Here's something your internet search dind't uncover: Halogen bulbs were originally developed as industrial drying elements, and not as light sources.

 

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Ok, you got me

Here's something your internet search dind't uncover: Halogen bulbs were originally developed as industrial drying elements, and not as light sources.