Hella Marine H3 Halogen Bulb 70W 24V 1750lm Single

The Hella Marine H3 is a single-filament halogen bulb built for 24-volt electrical systems. It puts out 1750 lumens from 70 watts of draw, and it drops straight into any fixture that's set up for an H3 bulb with a PK22s base. If you've got a fog lamp, driving lamp, spot lamp, or work light that's gone dark, this is the replacement capsule that brings it back to full brightness.

H3 is one of the most common single-function halogen bulbs out there. One filament, one job. That's what sets it apart from a dual-filament bulb like an H4. An H3 handles a single beam pattern, so you'll find it in auxiliary lighting more than in a main headlamp. Fog and driving lamps, spotlights, back-up and work lamps on trucks and heavy equipment, deck and spreader lamps on larger boats. Anywhere a focused 24-volt light needs a fresh capsule.

Replacing an H3 comes down to matching three things: the bulb type, the base, and the voltage. This is an H3 with a PK22s base rated at 24 volts. If your existing lamp uses an H3 24V bulb, this is a direct swap. Check the number printed on the old capsule or stamped near the socket if you're not sure. H3 bulbs aren't interchangeable with H1, H4, or H7 fittings, so the type has to line up.

The 24-volt rating matters, so let's be clear about it. This bulb is for 24V systems only. That's the electrical setup you'll see on commercial trucks, buses, a lot of heavy equipment, and bigger vessels and work boats that run 24-volt house and accessory circuits. Drop it into a 12-volt circuit and it'll barely glow. Put a 12-volt bulb into a 24-volt circuit and it burns out fast. Match the voltage to your system and you're set. At 24 volts and 70 watts, it pulls right around 2.92 amps, so size your wiring and fuse accordingly.

The capsule itself is a compact T3-1/4 quartz envelope on a PK22s base with a short wire lead. Quartz handles the heat a halogen filament throws off far better than ordinary glass, which is a big part of why halogen capsules last as long as they do. Hella's halogen bulbs are also UV-reduced, so they're safe to run behind modern polycarbonate lenses without yellowing or hazing them over time.

One thing worth saying up front: this is a single bulb. One capsule in the package, not a pair. If you're replacing bulbs on both sides of a rig, order two. A lot of folks do that anyway, because when one halogen capsule reaches the end of its life the other one usually isn't far behind, and matched output across a pair of lamps just looks right.

Installation is straightforward, but handle the new bulb by its base, never by the glass. The oil from your fingers leaves a residue that turns into a hot spot once the filament lights up, and that hot spot is where the capsule will eventually fail. If you do touch the glass, wipe it down with a little rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth before you power it up. Keep the old bulb's orientation in mind, seat the new one the same way, lock it in, and reconnect the lead. That's the whole job.

This is Hella Marine gear, which means it's built to the same fit-and-forget standard the brand is known for. Decades of making lamps and bulbs that stand up to salt, vibration, and heat go into a capsule like this. It's a small, inexpensive part, but it's the difference between a lamp that works when you flip the switch and one that leaves you squinting into the dark. Keep a spare or two in the glovebox or the ditch bag and you won't get caught out.