What Did You Do To Your 2ND GEN RAM Today?
Legend
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,914
Likes: 4
From: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Filled up the tank and was surprised at the mileage, been getting around 315 miles a tank in my daily commute from Fredericksburg to Lorton and back, recent fill up would suggest getting a solid 15mpg...
Considering the regular stop and go traffic I think that's purty damn good.
Considering the regular stop and go traffic I think that's purty damn good.
Record Breaker
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,898
Likes: 162
From: Cle Elum, WA
Nothing's wrong with them when used for their intended purpose, which is increasing illumination of the roadway immediately ahead of and to the sides of the vehicle during low visibility conditions when distance vision doesn't matter because it simply cannot be had by any means.
The limitation is the working of the human eye. In low light conditions the iris opens up (pupils dilate) to allow more light into the eye, and in brighter conditions the iris closes (pupils constrict) to reduce the amount of light getting in. There's no one size fits all solution, which is why it's difficult to see beyond a campfire -- your pupils constrict to limit the light input due to the brightness of the fire, and anything that's not very near the fire (or another light source) is shadowy or invisible to you. Fog lights, by design, are like that campfire.
So it's a clear night and you're running at highway speeds, 55-75MPH, with your fog lights on. You've got a bright pool of light just ahead of and to the sides of the vehicle, and your eyes react to how much light is being reflected back into them by closing the iris. They're adjusting for optimal vision in the brightest part of your view of the world, just ahead of and to the sides of the vehicle -- which means being not adjusted for the dimmer view out at the leading edge of your headlight pattern. You're looking past a campfire, basically, and you cannot have the same visual acuity at the distances you'd otherwise have were the fog lamps off.
Ain't no big thing if everything you need to see is self illuminated (like other vehicles, traffic signals, the 7-11) or highly reflective (like the signs, the retroreflective paint on the pavement, etc.) because the light coming from those sources is bright enough to compete with the fog lamps. But if you need to see not so reflective things like an Angus bull standing on the pavement, those fog lamps make sure you cannot see him until you're closer to him -- until he's in the brightly illuminated area to which your eyes have adjusted. What's happening there is that you're overdriving your headlights but can't perceive it as such because your perception is of a goodly quantity of light reaching your optic nerves. That's what makes it so dangerous: The perception of light makes you feel safer even though you're at greater risk.
It's a simple enough thing once you think about it: You want to detect dark obstacles on the road as early as possible so you have time to decide and react to prevent a horrible thing from happening. In low visibility, at appropriate speeds, fog lamps can save your life by giving you that. At highway speeds, fog lamps can cost you your life by denying you that. That's why the factory only gives you the choice of having either high beams or fogs but not both at the same time.
A related thing that most folks never think about is their instrument panel illumination. Those people you see on the two lane brightly illuminated by their dashboard lights are night blind and don't even know it. They feel safe. They'll even argue that they're safer because they can see the gauges better -- as if the tachometer is more important information than the presence of a large animal or a boulder on the roadway.
So that's my rant.
The limitation is the working of the human eye. In low light conditions the iris opens up (pupils dilate) to allow more light into the eye, and in brighter conditions the iris closes (pupils constrict) to reduce the amount of light getting in. There's no one size fits all solution, which is why it's difficult to see beyond a campfire -- your pupils constrict to limit the light input due to the brightness of the fire, and anything that's not very near the fire (or another light source) is shadowy or invisible to you. Fog lights, by design, are like that campfire.
So it's a clear night and you're running at highway speeds, 55-75MPH, with your fog lights on. You've got a bright pool of light just ahead of and to the sides of the vehicle, and your eyes react to how much light is being reflected back into them by closing the iris. They're adjusting for optimal vision in the brightest part of your view of the world, just ahead of and to the sides of the vehicle -- which means being not adjusted for the dimmer view out at the leading edge of your headlight pattern. You're looking past a campfire, basically, and you cannot have the same visual acuity at the distances you'd otherwise have were the fog lamps off.
Ain't no big thing if everything you need to see is self illuminated (like other vehicles, traffic signals, the 7-11) or highly reflective (like the signs, the retroreflective paint on the pavement, etc.) because the light coming from those sources is bright enough to compete with the fog lamps. But if you need to see not so reflective things like an Angus bull standing on the pavement, those fog lamps make sure you cannot see him until you're closer to him -- until he's in the brightly illuminated area to which your eyes have adjusted. What's happening there is that you're overdriving your headlights but can't perceive it as such because your perception is of a goodly quantity of light reaching your optic nerves. That's what makes it so dangerous: The perception of light makes you feel safer even though you're at greater risk.
It's a simple enough thing once you think about it: You want to detect dark obstacles on the road as early as possible so you have time to decide and react to prevent a horrible thing from happening. In low visibility, at appropriate speeds, fog lamps can save your life by giving you that. At highway speeds, fog lamps can cost you your life by denying you that. That's why the factory only gives you the choice of having either high beams or fogs but not both at the same time.
A related thing that most folks never think about is their instrument panel illumination. Those people you see on the two lane brightly illuminated by their dashboard lights are night blind and don't even know it. They feel safe. They'll even argue that they're safer because they can see the gauges better -- as if the tachometer is more important information than the presence of a large animal or a boulder on the roadway.
So that's my rant.
In Iraq when running a convoy no civilian cars were allowed between military rigs. If they tried to get in between us we were allowed to use whatever means necessary to get them to stop trying to get in between us.
I got to put a few rounds thru some dumba$$ drivers hood. And if that didn't work we were allowed to put a round thru their windshield as long as there wasn't someone in the passenger seat. You just never knew if they were a suicide bomber or not.
I drive at night with my dash lights turned down as much as I can but still see the dash. Sorry for the rant it was just nice to see someone else who understands why you should drive with the correct lights on for conditions.
Grand Champion
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,011
Likes: 6
From: Meeker, CO
I completely understand the need to rant. The wreck ain't necessarily over just because the idiot who caused it is dead, and knowing those idiots are all around doesn't make it easy to just relax and enjoy the ride.I can relate to the hammer lane campers... It's not near as bad here as it is out there, but it's still annoying. Especially when it's some diesel dummy on a long grade who's pulled out because he can go 1.25 miles per hour faster than the guy in front of him. I can appreciate that once he loses the speed he's not getting it back until breaking the summit, but I don't freaking care -- Mister Diesel Dummy, the selfish *****, is not the only vehicle on the road, and is doing the same damn thing to everyone stuck behind him that he absolutely refuses to allow being done to him.
End of rant!
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 87,479
Likes: 4,223
From: Clayton MI
It's called "Lane Discipline". And it seems to be sorely lacking in america. That's why you will never see an autbohn in the US. Granny would be poking along at 45, in the fast lane, and get rear-ended by John-hair-on-fire doing 150.....
Record Breaker
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,898
Likes: 162
From: Cle Elum, WA
I spent 6 years in Germany and loved driving on the Autobahn. You should see the guy in a Porsche twin turbo coming up on a slow mover and all you see is smoke from him trying to slow down and not hit the dummy. The fastest thing I had was a Triumph Spitfire and it wasn't that fast. Now doing 100 MPH in a full size Chevy van is a trip but I don't suggest you do it for to long. Our cars are not built to do those speeds. Now having a crotch rocket over there is a blast. I had one the second time I was over there and it would do 120+ but I'm not that skilled of a rider to keep those speeds up for extended periods of time.
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 87,479
Likes: 4,223
From: Clayton MI
I spent 6 years in Germany and loved driving on the Autobahn. You should see the guy in a Porsche twin turbo coming up on a slow mover and all you see is smoke from him trying to slow down and not hit the dummy. The fastest thing I had was a Triumph Spitfire and it wasn't that fast. Now doing 100 MPH in a full size Chevy van is a trip but I don't suggest you do it for to long. Our cars are not built to do those speeds. Now having a crotch rocket over there is a blast. I had one the second time I was over there and it would do 120+ but I'm not that skilled of a rider to keep those speeds up for extended periods of time.
I had a Honda CB900C for many a year, and THAT was a GREAT bike. Comfy, plenty of power, and easy to sit on for extended cruises. Even with a passenger. I loved it. 
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 87,479
Likes: 4,223
From: Clayton MI
I REALLY want a 1983 CB1000C.... only year they were made. Trouble is, due to health issues, riding a bike really isn't a good idea for me.
