Alan NV8A wrote:
> On 11/12/08 01:55 pm George Gorsline VE3YV wrote:
>
>
>> FWIW - I have CFLs throughout the house and also at the cottage. No
>> issues with RFI, but as noted cold start in the winter (before the wood
>> stove heats the cottage up) will give you slow firing and gradual
>> increase to normal brightness.
Likewise we have replaced virtually all our screw in bulbs with CFLs.
In the garage which is basically at the outdoor temperature it may take
3 or 4 minutes for the 150 to 200 watt equivalent to reach full brilliance.
>> They're getting nicer now that warmer
>> temperatures (colours) are available.
They are still fluorescents with a limited spectrum. I used to think
they really didn't have as many lumens out as say a 75 watt
incandescent, but when I measured both I found them to be very close.
As the CFL and most fluorescents are monochrome and of a single light
temperature, some people do notice the missing spectrum. Those that are
warmer tend to be more natural even if they are not full spectrum.
>> Early purchases didn't have good
>> life - lots of premature failures.
We had a few early failures, and still get the occasional one, but the
same is true of incandescents.
>> Note that the fine print says that
>> they aren't to be installed in enclosed ceiling fixtures - where most of
>> my failures have been.
I don't pay attention to that and have seen no difference, nor have I
found any case of heat build up.
>> Surprising given much lower heat buildup versus
>> incandescent. Would prefer to use LEDs when the price comes down as
>> while CFLs have lower energy consumption, they create a mercury disposal
>> problem.
>>
I think some one already mentioned this, but it's really a mercury
savings as the energy saved during the life of the CFL more than offsets
that released by a coal burning plant to generate that amount of
electricity.
The LEDs have much lower energy consumption than the CFLs and more
efficient than the CFLS are more efficient thatn incandescents.
Unfortunately those I find of useful output are "expensive" and that
should be in all caps. <:-)) They are developing some using a mix of LED
colors to simulate a full spectrum light.
>> LED Christmas lights seem to be RF quiet - at least relative to the
>> existing noise floor of downtown living. And in Toronto, the hydro
>> (power) company gives them away free every year - one string for every
>> two of the old style turned in. The one LED RFI problem I've observed
>> is probably a crummy power supply design in flashing "DON'T WALK"
>> countdown LED displays at some intersections in the downtown core.
>>
>
>
LEDs, like CFLs come with the RFI warning tag. I've not seen RFI out of
a CFL even with the integral starter (in the base).
> Some of our CFLs have not lasted very long, and they do take a little
> while to achieve full brightness.
>
> Yesterday at Sam's Club I picked up a two-pack of 45-watt-equivalent LED
> bulbs with a power consumption of 3.5 watts. These are intended for
> track lighting and recessed downlights. There is no delay, they seem
> brighter (certainly whiter)
They are monochrome, so the whiteness depends on the color temperature.
> than the 50-watt incandescents they
> replaced, and so far I have detected no RFI.
>
>
The smallest lights we use are 75, with most being a hundred so we are
looking at 26 watt CFLs. So with LEDs we'd be looking at roughly 8
watts. 3 Watt LEDs make a good, bright flashlight, but are not much
good for area lighting. However mix 3 3.5 watt LEDs of the primary
colors and it might make a good 75 - 100 watt bulb. However that light
is pretty much unidirectional, rather than omni-directional.
73
Roger (K8RI)
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