"Steve Watson" wrote in message
om...

AFAIK, high and low beam are equal in optical brightness (and
electrical power). The main difference between them is the physical
location of the filaments within the reflector, so as to direct the
beam straight forward (high) or downwards (low). For garden/pond
application, you could probably power *both* filaments if you wanted
that much light. (Disclaimer: I'm a EE, not an auto mechanic, and the
above might vary between brands of bulb or automobile.)


Unfortunately the contacts are covered in caulk and is submerged, so I can't
test the resistance, but aside from the location of lamp within the
reflector. I would bet that the high beam bulb has a lower resistance then
the low beam bulb, allowing it to consume more watts.

Sameer