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Mine are wired independently of the headlight, and can run with either high beam or low beam setting. I run them all the time, day or night.
They are tough to aim. You need to make a special tool to do it. Go to Napa and buy the cheapest 9/16 deep well socket you can find. The cheaper the better, because you are going to cut a slot in it. Chuck up a cut off wheel in a Dremel and cut a slot all the way down the length of the socket. When you are done, it will look a crude version of this. You don't need the wide area in the socket, just a slot will work just fine. It's only one wire you've got to fit in the socket. (if you don't have a dremel tool, or want one professionally cut like the one pictured here, shoot me a pm. )
Drop the turn signal, and it will hang by a wire. The wire goes in the slot you cut, and you loosen the nut holding the assembly. Go only a half turn at a time, so you don't pull the wire out. Aim your light and tighten the nut back down, trying to hold everything in place at the same time. It helps to have a third hand, so get your wife or girlfriend out in the garage with you. She can hold your beer in her other hand. It's not complicated, just awkward.
You can cut a slot in an offset boxed end wrench and it will work too.
I will turn mine off when not needed for these reasons: the bulbs have a live life - only so many hours, so that is saving hours.
Heat and load: the stator creates more heat with more load - not that it's important when the weather is cool, but I live in Atlanta.
Otherwise, they are on if there is ANY traffic to speak of - I agree that they stink for lighting in general (but the par 36's are pretty good) but as a safety factor, they can't be beat.
Incidentally, the par 36's I use have a 30 degree beam spread, which means THEY are seen better from off-center positions of other drivers.
Just in case anyone wants to save some bucks and have some spares: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...K%3AMEWNX%3AIT
Otherwise, they are on if there is ANY traffic to speak of -
Perhaps you missed this part? Around here it's actually fairly rare when there isn't any traffic, so they're on for the most part.
As for old ladies...they are YOUR responsibility - they aren't looking for YOU, you have to do the watching for them. Intersections scare me the most - but that's a subject on another thread.
There are the household type with a large bulb base and the 12v ones I had bought in the link I provided. They are interestingly enough used by DJ's for strobes and aircraft for landing lights!
When shopping for them, you have to be certain you're getting 12v and not 24v or 6v.
(and of course, not 110)
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