Terry Smith wrote:
> The beam indicator light is to let you know the high beams areB on.
> Not sure why the call it "main," though.
Another British application of language usage.
Pre-1939, the majority of cars had different headlight functions than today.
The left hand lamp had
one filament that was 'dipped' using an electro-magnetic reflector in the lamp
itself. Hence the
name 'dip switch.' When operated, the dip switch dipped the LH beam and
extinguished the RH 'main'
beam - so the car was running only with one lamp on the LH side. The term 'high
beam,' was only
applied where the light emitted from the lamps was too high and illuminated
trees and buildings
rather than the road ahead.
Worth mentioning too, that the light 'spread' of these now ancient lamps was
limited in the extreme.
They were truly 'beams' rather than the blanket of light we know today.
Jonmac
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