Electrically adjusted window tint - added a video of sample at the end
 

I searched here but did not find this matter being discussed - probably need a better search term...

There is a product on the market, Vario Plus Sky, an electrochromatic tint film, that changes the level of tint based on the voltage applied.

Has anyone here had any experience with this material and where it is available? Their website is not really clear on that (no pun intended)... lol...

Ð*лектро тонировка Vario Plus Sky на Mercedes-Benz GL 500 (7) - YouTube

I would imagine that stuff is pretty expensive - probably too expensive for us regular guys. :D :rofl:

Looks like the same tech as LCD in glass windows for houses instead of using blinds.

Oh this would be awesome when I get pulled over by cops for my tints...

that is exactly the point - "what tint, officer???":nanana:

I need that in NYC.

Oh I would mess with them so bad.

I had a cop in NYS use his tint meter.. I think it was his new toy and he wanted to play with it. I'd adjust that baby right as he put his meter on.

Well it actually doesn't change the tint. How it works is the actual tint is applied to the glass. There's a special film (electrochromic film) applied that can be clear or milky white (depending on voltage applied).

So when the special film is clear you can see through the tint. When opaque it looks mirrored (special film + tint). So, it does NOT change the tint level - only whether you can see through it or not. ;)

Of course, I could be wrong and maybe there are different applications.

As my sides are already 35% (and dark enough at that) I want this for the front window!!

actually, there are several types of the film, using different technologies, one of them being opaque, and would not really work nice in the automotive application...

there is another one, PSLD (or something to that effect), that one actually darkens gradually, depending on the level of voltage applied, as opposed to instanteneously turning opaque, as in the SCD (or other 3-letter abbreviation, don't remember exact letters)

Ð*лектро тонировка Vario Plus® | VarioPlus.ru

I think even a tint that works like those transition lenses on glasses would be cool.

Yeah, looking back at that video it looks like its variable but similar tech. There is definitely a slight tint already on the windows. Also, this one you can still see through it even when it goes dark so its not completely opaque as you said.

Why bother with expensive stuff,look at russian redneck way and save!!!
Даге�тан�ка� тонировка (убирающа���) - YouTube

LOL I'm sure people will be tempted. :D

"solar control" looks to be the stuff over at eliteautotune.com.

I know exactly what you are talking about. I wondered the same exact thing. That would be awesome. I just haven't really taken the time to research it. I bet that it's expensive though.

the double glass, when one is rolling over top the OE is about $500 installed, supposedly done in one of russian satellite republics...
the one at E.A.T. is the one i was talking about, they have both types, the opaque and the solar one...

i guess, there are some US distributors... now I need to find out how much greenbacks is involved in this ordeal...

It seems that the only correct way to it is by removing the glass from the carriers and properly routing the wiring... not sure, if the rear glass needs to be tinted... on the other hand, some E53 did not have the cold package, so the rear windows were not factory tinted... in that case, the stationary glass needs to be tinted too, and the wiring somehow neatly hidden...

Hiding the wires could be easy, just below the eindow in the part that isnt visible, theres plenty of glass when you roll the window up thats behind the door panel.

i reallllly want and need this!

Also i am Still laughing at the no pun intended part xaxaxxaxaxaxaxaxa! pippets

Also you know how some mercedes and some bmw glass is double paned? i dont think the officer can fit his meter over that?? so maybe he cant measure those..

As of like last year or something its illegal to have tint up front in russia:(

В США и Европе, массово, стекла с регулируемой электротонировкой, как готовый продукт, начали появляться примерно с конца 2008 года, этот продукт пока очень новый (естественно очень дорогой).

so apparently there is a way to get it in US

The glass they are using for this "tint" is double pane, minimum thickness is 5/15".....and $450 for a piece 8.5" x 11".

Attatched is a pic. i think you have to order the whole window..

^^ yUp.....i was just typing that out lol. It Is a complete new window you get.

the BMW option for double glazing is S2-something... It was installed on some non-US E53, I even talked to a guy who needed some help with his car, and his car came with double glazing option... He was going to snap a picture of his glass but somehow it fell through the cracks...

the Electrochromatic (as opposed to Photochromatic, when the tint changes under the direct sunlight) is available with double glass pane (construction of buildings) and as a film (auto and construction). the film thing will require some labor, as the film needs to be cut and than "terminated" for the wires, that are to be soldered/glued onto the film and then wired up to power source. That is the reason I am saying, that the moving windows will need to be pulled out from the frame before properly installed.

it seems that this whole thing is doable, the main questions are - how much, and where...

it is sometimes so upsetting, that we, in the US, find out about some US made, and designed products from russian sources...

in 1991, i read about BitNet/InterNet in a russian speaking newsletter. the article said, it was the US backed/sponsered innovation... I started looking around at the time, and nobody in the US could even understand, what i was talking about...

Same with this, it seems that the company is US based, and we are pulling russian sources to locate that company... damn!!!

Quite true. i found out some things as well. but also i found out some news about something that happened in the US from a russian source. Ive never heard anyone talk about it here

and yeah i posted that pic before i had time to read the reply .

I have seen the glass here that goes opaque with the touch of a switch. The village I live in has this glass in rear of our ambulances. It is now a fairly standard feature on modern ambulances, as sometimes you want privacy for the patient.

There are also companies that sell a similar produce for interior and exterior household windows. These are quite costly though.

Very cool indeed but costly when some jack!#!ss! breaks your window and your insurance co won't help pick up the replacement cost.

I'd love to get that in my X!

Agree on the cost of replacement...

don't agree on easily breakable glass - these films and glasses can't take on a bullet (other glass from the same company does), but this glass will take a sledgehammer and will NOT break... Do a search for the video of these glasses and films, you will see some of them taking a sledgehammer to an E60 with this type of glass...

But, damn, this thing seems to be pricey!!! but soooo desirable!!!!

As its not "standard equipment" for the vehicle, it would require supplemental insurance.....which, if you can afford the glass in the first place, probably wouldn't be an issue (or shouldn't be anyway). :thumbup:

The E60 is just what im thinking about getting (the M5) and what id love to have this glass in.

On the topic of the color,
i wonder if you tint it with the 35% black regular tint and when you turn it on it would make the opacity look black(er) right?

That would be prefect for me, dark when it is bright out and light when it is not.

Didn't think of the supplemental insurance and my guess it will be minimal. So no problem there.

As for durability . . . hammering it and not breaking? NICE.

Now the question would be "worth the cost on a 7 or 8 year old car"? :dunno:

The idea of buying these things become more ideal when we are riding in our X5Ms.:D

it seems that some manufacturers of high end cars (BMW included) are toying with this technology, for the time being with the opaque sunroof that runs the length of the whole roof, but it also seems that the darkening tint is being looked into as well... probably it will be offered as an option on the top of the line, as 7-series, M-series, the S-class and the like...

Also, like anything else on the market, as time is passing by, the cost of the system will be dropped to the point that simple commoners will be able to afford something like that - reverse cameras are going to be mandated in US spec cars from 2014 on, meaning, that a very basic car will have to have an LCD monitor, the lowest end cars now have some kind of MP3 player... something that just a few years ago was considered to be a serious retrofit, or a serious mod....

So, hopefully, the electric tint will become more of a mainstream, maybe not in time for the E53 to fully enjoy the benefits of it, but nevertheless...

This could be another avenue for graphene, but it's still too early yet....maybe 5 yrs? Cover your windows and they become moniters!

i emailed the US distributor coule of days ago, but have not heard anything yet... i will try again later

You mean the one that's a glass replacement? I'd seriously consider a front window of the tinting stuff! Keep me posted!

i did that too as well a while back

i know that there is glass replacement for the side windows, not sure if there is anything for the front one... somewhere on the russian websites, i saw a number of like $8K for the complete install with the pre-fabbed glass... given the price doubling in russia and high taxes, i still suspect that this tint job may be in the vicinity of a couple grand US.

but, this is an UNCONFIRMED rumor...

here is an unconfirmed supplier of Vario Plus film...

Vario Plus Window Smart Tint Film - Buy Smart Tint Film,Vario Plus Window Smart Tint Film,Black Electrochromic Tints Product on Alibaba.com

"minimum order - 30 sq. meters" at a price of $320-$600 per sq. meter ...that's commercial quantities......unless anyone wants to do a group buy?! :rofl:

so... 30 sq m by $600 = $18 000!!! that is assuming their high price... not accounting for the shipping...

How many square meters are in the glass footage of an X5? i would think, that for the side windows to be properly tinted with this stuff, the glass will need to come out the doors, but the fixed glass can stay put...

I wonder, what is the footage of
two front side windows - ?
two rear windows and the rear quater triangular fixed glass on the rear doors - ?
two rear fixed glasses between C and D pillars - ?
the rear hatch glass - ?
the sunroof, the regular - ?
the sunroof, the panoramic - ?
the front windshield - ?
the headlights - ?
that is not taking into consideration the electronics needed to run the tint and the installation... also, the losses involved in the fact, that the glasses are not square and there will be some film lost in the cutting and fitting process...

15 meters would be more than enough

15 sq meters is about $9000 just for the materials...

one of those days, i will take a ruler and do some rough measurements in metric, to see what i would come up with...

unless somebody beats me to it!!!

lol...

look in the back of your manual it shows size specs of the entire car, you can guess possibly.

here is another supplier, of course in China... the minimum is 1 square meter... but i am not clear on whether the film is clear/opaque, or clear/dark/darker/black...

Grey Swtichable Pdlc Film - Buy Switchable Pdlc Film,Pdlc Black Smart Film,Sff(self-adhesive Film) Product on Alibaba.com

here is a link to a video of a sample... i need your opinion about the feasdibility of this film - if it is suitable for a car application.

supplier offers a 20cm x 20 cm sample with a controller for $200 ($50 for film + $150 for controller)

here is a link to video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXjLt62CfiQ

That one looks like its a clear-opaque sort of film more than a variable 'tint' like one would use on a car window. If your goal is security while not in the vehicle it's great, but I'm after the stuff that can got from almost clear to say the equivalent of a 20% tint. Assuming that one controller could run a much larger piece of that film the price isn't bad at all!

just like yourself, i am not after opaque (white or black) tint, I am after a tint that goes from plain clear to very dark and everything in between based on a slider or a dial, not an off/on type...

the other vendors did not reply, and it seems that the company that makes what we want is located in Columbia... I need to see if any of my friends are in Bogota, and see if they can contact the factory for me...

My idea would be to apply the tint on all windows (except for windshield), have the front two windows on separate controller, the rest of the car on another controller (or, maybe just one single controller, I do not know yet) and have an ability to tint at will... i do not rule out the photoelement for the automatic tinting, but have to be mindful of the law enforcement, so, need a manual override...

still searching...

here is a youtube video of BMW using the smart glass/film technology on its MINIVAN!!!! did i say BMW minivan????

BMW Concept Active Tourer Using SPD-SmartGlass Technology - YouTube


OH MY GOD!!!!! :wow::wow:

Vario Plus just shared this video on Vkontakte, its pretty funny if you understand it:

It should start at 3:08

ox·y·mo·ron [ok-si-mawr-on, -mohr-] noun, plural ox·y·mo·ra [ok-si-mawr-uh, -mohr-uh] ox·y·mor·ons. Rhetoric . a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in “BMW Minivan”

:bustingup

The price has come down drastically, but I am still not ready to drop that much dough into it... just keep an eye on the developments...

http://shop.smarttint.com/DIY-Mobile-Kit--One-Size-fits-All--You-trim-to-fit_p_3341.html

"If power loss occurs you will lose all visibility." - hmmmm, that would be fun - especially for whoever wanted to do their windshield :)

Its a cool concept but regular old window tint is cheaper for me to do the whole car instead of one window at Smart Tint price lol.