Is it me or these new light bulbs?
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I used to live over in Nacogdoches and it does get chilly. 15F a couple winters back. That was cold.
I'm sure the guys up Canada way are dying laughing.
I'm sure the guys up Canada way are dying laughing.
In Southern California, the CFL is subsidized by Power company Southern California Edition, therefore the price is usually 20-25 cents each and sometimes supermarket gave a box of 4 CFL bulbs when I spent $50 or more in groceries.
Many CFL bulbs in my home lasted more than 3-4 years, I my electricity usage went down about 80-120 KWH per month since I changed all regular to CFL. I don't have central air, so that we actually use less power in summer than in winter.
Many CFL bulbs in my home lasted more than 3-4 years, I my electricity usage went down about 80-120 KWH per month since I changed all regular to CFL. I don't have central air, so that we actually use less power in summer than in winter.
The first batch I bought died out fast. Since then I have good results. It's nice to be able to leave lights on, lol thusly defeating their intended purpose.
I've had one die out in 6 months. Thought maybe something is cheap and ready to go back. But only one went and the rest been going for 4 years with no problem. Maybe I'm lucky.
Kestas
Staff member
Originally Posted By: eljefino
One dreadful thing about CFLs, and this goes for "warm" and "cool" varieties, is they do not reproduce well in digital photography. They must have "holes" in their spectrum that CCDs miss. I like available light photography and often have to go B&W to have it look ok.
Not just CFLs, but any incandescent or fluorescent light gives off false color. Even the painted walls affect the ambient light. You should get acquainted with the "white balance" feature of your digital camera. I taught all the camera users in our lab how to color correct before taking pictures. No more pink, blue, magenta, or orange pictures in our reports!
One dreadful thing about CFLs, and this goes for "warm" and "cool" varieties, is they do not reproduce well in digital photography. They must have "holes" in their spectrum that CCDs miss. I like available light photography and often have to go B&W to have it look ok.
Not just CFLs, but any incandescent or fluorescent light gives off false color. Even the painted walls affect the ambient light. You should get acquainted with the "white balance" feature of your digital camera. I taught all the camera users in our lab how to color correct before taking pictures. No more pink, blue, magenta, or orange pictures in our reports!
You can buy lights that are optically balanced, maybe not CFL's. When I have toured a dog guide school they have the buildings brightly lit with color balanced lights for the benefit of the low vision people. Anybody legally blind, 20/200, can have a dog guide. Only about 10% of the visually impaired have no vision at all.
Note, when I spotted an Ott-Lite on clearance at Radio-shack, I grabbed it. It is just like the ones at the school. It also has a fold out magnifier.
Note, when I spotted an Ott-Lite on clearance at Radio-shack, I grabbed it. It is just like the ones at the school. It also has a fold out magnifier.
Some of the older CFL's were huge, and gave off yellow light.
They were terrible, they had to warm up for quite some time.
I bought a case of the newer style sylvania ones.
20 bucks on ebay for a case of 20 I think.
The ones in the bathroom gave up after about 6 months.
The rest have lasted about a year, then they go bad.
They were terrible, they had to warm up for quite some time.
I bought a case of the newer style sylvania ones.
20 bucks on ebay for a case of 20 I think.
The ones in the bathroom gave up after about 6 months.
The rest have lasted about a year, then they go bad.
Originally Posted By: Kestas
Originally Posted By: eljefino
One dreadful thing about CFLs, and this goes for "warm" and "cool" varieties, is they do not reproduce well in digital photography. They must have "holes" in their spectrum that CCDs miss. I like available light photography and often have to go B&W to have it look ok.
Not just CFLs, but any incandescent or fluorescent light gives off false color. Even the painted walls affect the ambient light. You should get acquainted with the "white balance" feature of your digital camera. I taught all the camera users in our lab how to color correct before taking pictures. No more pink, blue, magenta, or orange pictures in our reports!
I can do that, but some colors of the spectrum are effectively underexposed by a couple stops, so fixing them brings up grain and other nasties. Greens and blues in particular just don't look lively under the fake pinkish "warm" CFLs. Solution might be to run different brands in different fixtures... but then that would make stuff wacky in its own way.
Good point about paint though, we bring little chip card samples home to see how they look in "our" light when buying paint.
Originally Posted By: eljefino
One dreadful thing about CFLs, and this goes for "warm" and "cool" varieties, is they do not reproduce well in digital photography. They must have "holes" in their spectrum that CCDs miss. I like available light photography and often have to go B&W to have it look ok.
Not just CFLs, but any incandescent or fluorescent light gives off false color. Even the painted walls affect the ambient light. You should get acquainted with the "white balance" feature of your digital camera. I taught all the camera users in our lab how to color correct before taking pictures. No more pink, blue, magenta, or orange pictures in our reports!
I can do that, but some colors of the spectrum are effectively underexposed by a couple stops, so fixing them brings up grain and other nasties. Greens and blues in particular just don't look lively under the fake pinkish "warm" CFLs. Solution might be to run different brands in different fixtures... but then that would make stuff wacky in its own way.
Good point about paint though, we bring little chip card samples home to see how they look in "our" light when buying paint.
If so, be an early adopter of the LED's. The more they sell, the faster the price will come down and the sooner the CFL is history.
I'm starting to like LEDs. I always hated the bluish tint, but now they're pretty close to white. I bought a high end LED setup for my bike, 400 lumens and they're as white as the (stock) HIDs on my car. They also drown out the Halogens on the girlfriend's car all the while using a tiny lithium ion battery with a 3hr runtime. This seems like the future to me.
Originally Posted By: lpcmidst128
I had a couple of Lights of America bulbs and those burned out prematurely, like in a year and I had one that burned out in less than a few months. Had one that made a pop sound and smelled like plastic burned smell.
Every Lights of America bulb I got die prematurely.
I had a couple of Lights of America bulbs and those burned out prematurely, like in a year and I had one that burned out in less than a few months. Had one that made a pop sound and smelled like plastic burned smell.
Every Lights of America bulb I got die prematurely.
Kestas
Staff member
BuickGN, you're right. CFLs are just a stop-gap measure until LED technology takes off and the price comes down.
CFLs are a stop-gap measure? My family has been using them for nearly thirty years! I must admit that I'm always surprised by what people recognize as "new" technology.
I love all the modern eco-weenies, who think they are ahead of the curve. Among other things, my family had an electric lawn mower way back in the early '80s. The thing still works, but only due to my ability to modify a couple of minor bushings to fit it a couple of decades ago. It's a Black & Decker and, when we moved to the Mid-West way back when, the B&D factory store didn't have a clue what we were talking about when we went in for the bushings. It's always nice to know that the company guys don't know their own products. I bought a new one earlier this year as I figured the original deserved a retirement after more than a quarter-century of service.
Looks like the "ahead of the curve" bunch are about twenty-five years behind it...
I love all the modern eco-weenies, who think they are ahead of the curve. Among other things, my family had an electric lawn mower way back in the early '80s. The thing still works, but only due to my ability to modify a couple of minor bushings to fit it a couple of decades ago. It's a Black & Decker and, when we moved to the Mid-West way back when, the B&D factory store didn't have a clue what we were talking about when we went in for the bushings. It's always nice to know that the company guys don't know their own products. I bought a new one earlier this year as I figured the original deserved a retirement after more than a quarter-century of service.
Looks like the "ahead of the curve" bunch are about twenty-five years behind it...
Originally Posted By: mikeg5
those of you who have totally changed over to them can you tell a difference in your power bill since the change?
also which brands are the better more reliable brands?
My family made the switch so long ago that I couldn't tell you how big a difference the bill would be. I can tell you that everyone always thinks I'm yanking their chain when I tell them what our electric bill is, though.
Just about everything we're using is a Philips, with a few GE thrown in.
those of you who have totally changed over to them can you tell a difference in your power bill since the change?
also which brands are the better more reliable brands?
My family made the switch so long ago that I couldn't tell you how big a difference the bill would be. I can tell you that everyone always thinks I'm yanking their chain when I tell them what our electric bill is, though.
Just about everything we're using is a Philips, with a few GE thrown in.
My problems with CFL are that some of them don't fit a few of the fixture with narrow opening, and height clearance issue, especially with the older fixtures.
Those who do clear aren't as bright or as cheap.
BTW, IKEA usually has very good price and decent quality on the CFLs.
Those who do clear aren't as bright or as cheap.
BTW, IKEA usually has very good price and decent quality on the CFLs.
Originally Posted By: rshunter
CFLs are a stop-gap measure? My family has been using them for nearly thirty years! I must admit that I'm always surprised by what people recognize as "new" technology.
I love all the modern eco-weenies, who think they are ahead of the curve. Among other things, my family had an electric lawn mower way back in the early '80s. The thing still works, but only due to my ability to modify a couple of minor bushings to fit it a couple of decades ago. It's a Black & Decker and, when we moved to the Mid-West way back when, the B&D factory store didn't have a clue what we were talking about when we went in for the bushings. It's always nice to know that the company guys don't know their own products. I bought a new one earlier this year as I figured the original deserved a retirement after more than a quarter-century of service.
Looks like the "ahead of the curve" bunch are about twenty-five years behind it...
Why the wait? I am still running the GE Electrak I bought in 1973. Only lawn mower I have ever owned.
CFLs are a stop-gap measure? My family has been using them for nearly thirty years! I must admit that I'm always surprised by what people recognize as "new" technology.
I love all the modern eco-weenies, who think they are ahead of the curve. Among other things, my family had an electric lawn mower way back in the early '80s. The thing still works, but only due to my ability to modify a couple of minor bushings to fit it a couple of decades ago. It's a Black & Decker and, when we moved to the Mid-West way back when, the B&D factory store didn't have a clue what we were talking about when we went in for the bushings. It's always nice to know that the company guys don't know their own products. I bought a new one earlier this year as I figured the original deserved a retirement after more than a quarter-century of service.
Looks like the "ahead of the curve" bunch are about twenty-five years behind it...
Why the wait? I am still running the GE Electrak I bought in 1973. Only lawn mower I have ever owned.
Originally Posted By: labman
Originally Posted By: rshunter
CFLs are a stop-gap measure? My family has been using them for nearly thirty years! I must admit that I'm always surprised by what people recognize as "new" technology.
I love all the modern eco-weenies, who think they are ahead of the curve. Among other things, my family had an electric lawn mower way back in the early '80s. The thing still works, but only due to my ability to modify a couple of minor bushings to fit it a couple of decades ago. It's a Black & Decker and, when we moved to the Mid-West way back when, the B&D factory store didn't have a clue what we were talking about when we went in for the bushings. It's always nice to know that the company guys don't know their own products. I bought a new one earlier this year as I figured the original deserved a retirement after more than a quarter-century of service.
Looks like the "ahead of the curve" bunch are about twenty-five years behind it...
Why the wait? I am still running the GE Electrak I bought in 1973. Only lawn mower I have ever owned.
Hahaha! I'm glad to see we weren't the only ones around with one, having bought ours about '80, or '81. Why the wait? Confidentially, we got tired of using a reel mower...
Originally Posted By: rshunter
CFLs are a stop-gap measure? My family has been using them for nearly thirty years! I must admit that I'm always surprised by what people recognize as "new" technology.
I love all the modern eco-weenies, who think they are ahead of the curve. Among other things, my family had an electric lawn mower way back in the early '80s. The thing still works, but only due to my ability to modify a couple of minor bushings to fit it a couple of decades ago. It's a Black & Decker and, when we moved to the Mid-West way back when, the B&D factory store didn't have a clue what we were talking about when we went in for the bushings. It's always nice to know that the company guys don't know their own products. I bought a new one earlier this year as I figured the original deserved a retirement after more than a quarter-century of service.
Looks like the "ahead of the curve" bunch are about twenty-five years behind it...
Why the wait? I am still running the GE Electrak I bought in 1973. Only lawn mower I have ever owned.
Hahaha! I'm glad to see we weren't the only ones around with one, having bought ours about '80, or '81. Why the wait? Confidentially, we got tired of using a reel mower...
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