CIE Blue StreetHawk and ViewPoints

cmb56

Member
May 22, 2010
746
Norrköping, Sweden
CIE blue and DIN blue are the same dark blue colour.
The UN-ECE R65 regulation state what colour spectrums that are approved for use in countries that use this standard.

There are a R65 regulation for amber, blue and also red.
Most countries in Europe follow this regulation but with some exceptions.

The Swedish blue is a colour that is in the lighter blue spectrum of the colours approved in the Swedish T regulation.

It is a little blue/green close to the more normal blue US colours but not exactly because in that case we should have used these.

There have been some lights that have been approved to the T regulation that used the original US blue colour of these manufactures.

The Whelen PAR46 A heads was approved and the Norwegian manufacturer Simarud used the North American Signal 300 that was also approved in Sweden with the original blue lenses.

The CIE/DIN blue is in the darker spectrum of this regulation.

A few manufacturers, like Federal Signal and Pintsch Bamag, made lenses for the Swedish market in the 70s through 90s in Swedish blue.

The costs to approve lights are high for a market like Sweden’s and when the UN-ECE R65 regulation begun to be used in Europe including Sweden there are very few lights that are approved to the T regulation nowadays.

If a light is approved in one of the UN-ECE membership countries it is approved in all others.
That will make in much cheaper but you will get the darker colour here in Sweden instead.

An approval number in the T regulation can look like this:
T001Bl.
In this case it is the very first approved light from 1970 when Sweden changed from red to blue.
It is a Pintsch Bamag RSN12-BQ.

A UN-ECE R65 approval number can look like this:
TB1 E1 003502
T = 360 deg. rotating or flashing light.
B = Blue.
E = ECE.
1 = the approval country’s membership number (1 = Germany)
003502 is the approval number for the specific light.
In this case a Hella KL 7000 LED.

Michael
 

cmb56

Member
May 22, 2010
746
Norrköping, Sweden
I forgot to mention what the 1 after TB means.

That is the light intensity class.
Class 1 or Class 2.

Class 1 is one light intensity.
Class 2 is two light intensities (day/night).

T = 360 degree rotating or flashing light.
X = Directional light.
A = Amber.
B = Blue.
R = Red.
1 = Class 1 - one light intensity.
2 = Class 2 - two light intensities (day/night).

TB1 = A 360 degree revolving or flashing light in blue with only one light intensity output.

Michael
 

gtpts27

Member
Jul 1, 2017
579
Virginia
I forgot to mention what the 1 after TB means.

That is the light intensity class.
Class 1 or Class 2.

Class 1 is one light intensity.
Class 2 is two light intensities (day/night).

T = 360 degree rotating or flashing light.
X = Directional light.
A = Amber.
B = Blue.
R = Red.
1 = Class 1 - one light intensity.
2 = Class 2 - two light intensities (day/night).

TB1 = A 360 degree revolving or flashing light in blue with only one light intensity output.

Michael

Thanks for all the info!
 

cmb56

Member
May 22, 2010
746
Norrköping, Sweden
I wish the US would switch to that deep blue.

Why?

You have a lesser light output through the lens with the darker CIE/DIN blue than you have with the SAE blue, California blue or Swedish blue.

I have seen most of these European blue lights since we changed to blue in 1970 and I prefer lighter blue all the time.

One of the darkest blue lenses in the US was the Sireno 202 lens and one of the lightest was the pre 1980 Dietz 7-40 lens.

The British manufacturer Britax had a blue colour called Sandridge blue that was very light blue and the lightest blue I know off was the British manufacturer Lucas very light blue special lenses.
I do not know what they where intended for but I got some to see how they performed.
Too light light blue!

The darkest blue I know of in Europe was the early Lucas BL6 lens that where nearly purple before they changed it to the CIE/DIN blue.

If I compare a Pintsch Bamag KLN12-BQ with Swedish blue lens with one with a standard CIE/DIN blue lens, I will always chose the Swedish one because it will be seen in a longer distance.

If you know the story behind the blue light usage in Europe and the dark colour you should probably have another opinion.

Michael
 

firebuff17

Member
Mar 28, 2011
774
CT
@cmb56
I do see and understand your points, they are valid.
Maybe it’s me being partially color blind (certain shades of blue to boot) that dark blue looks blue and is a sharp color.
Some of the blue that is used in the US look teal/light blue to me.
Again, you are 100% correct in the darker blue having lesser output.
 

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