Some time ago it has been said that incandescent lamps are a waste of energy, which is certain plus I strongly dislike orange-ish light, I strongly prefer fluorescent (white) tubes.
But recently re-appeared some kind of lamps that has an internal smaller filament lamp, which is so power waster as the older, and the later are considerably more fragile than the formers.
Which is the advantage over them, if any? I refer to measurable parameters like life time, luminosity (lumen per watt), etc.?
But recently re-appeared some kind of lamps that has an internal smaller filament lamp, which is so power waster as the older, and the later are considerably more fragile than the formers.
Which is the advantage over them, if any? I refer to measurable parameters like life time, luminosity (lumen per watt), etc.?
I guess you are referring to the g9 style lamp that is fitted inside say a gu10 spot light or a globe or candle lamp?
Personally I'd say there is no advantage to us, they are the work of the devil! I think the do it because of the high pressure gas fill they apply. Trouble is when they blow the current surges can be immense and as a result cause surges in the circuit and hence blow surrounding lamps. Swap out for LED
Personally I'd say there is no advantage to us, they are the work of the devil! I think the do it because of the high pressure gas fill they apply. Trouble is when they blow the current surges can be immense and as a result cause surges in the circuit and hence blow surrounding lamps. Swap out for LED
In the EU there is big push that phase out from filament lamps and as part of if these horrible things appeared. The joke is that the old traditional style Edison type lamp is everywhere and horribley inefficient. Looks nice though.
Another way around is to declare the lamp as a rough service lamp and in that form it can remain as a traditional lamp that we are used too.
Another way around is to declare the lamp as a rough service lamp and in that form it can remain as a traditional lamp that we are used too.
Yes, I know they are very inefficient, but surely authorities don't know that led light are not well to be used as series lamp testing electric devices, or, for example, to test AM tube transmitters (I used it with my 6DQ6 AM 80mts band when boy, using as phantom antenna). Do you imagine a led light under those circumstances?: "Big balls of fire", like the old song.
Yep even some of the led equivalents are shocking. In some cases literally. Often it is down to poor driver design and heatsinking rather than Led failure.
For amp testing I'd say the rough service lamps will be the best bet for the time being as the inrush currents of the g9 and gu10 lamps is not what you are after
For amp testing I'd say the rough service lamps will be the best bet for the time being as the inrush currents of the g9 and gu10 lamps is not what you are after
Rough service lamps? These "should" be more shock resistant in every way. Problem Is that in many cases what we think we are buying is NOT what we are actually buying. And even the best of us get caught out. You only have look at the major companies that purchased FTDI USB driver chips only to get caught out when FTDI locked out the clones
This is a consequence of the EU directive 2009/125/CE Energy-related-Products (ErP, also called European Ecodesign Directive), the follow-up of 2005/32/CE (Energy-Using-Products - EuP). All EU members should implement a progressive ban of incandescent filament lamps. The first under the axe were the traditional Edison lamps, in Italy this ban started in 2009 for the higher power lamps and ended in 2012 for all lamps. The halogen bulbs weren't banned, and this started the craze of repackage halogen bulbs in the former Edison lamp shape. The halogen lamps will be banned eventually; this started in Italy last year (2016) and is already difficult to source most halogen lamps on regular stores.
Another victim of the ErP is the transformer-based power supply (and the "heawy" wall wart power supply for small electronic devices). All power supplies are switching-based now. The leftower transformers from the residual industrial productions of this kind of devices in EU are often on sale on ebay. You may have noticed a number of "full box of small transformers" ads selling at low prices. Too bad they usually have weird output windings and even worse regulation.
Another victim of the ErP is the transformer-based power supply (and the "heawy" wall wart power supply for small electronic devices). All power supplies are switching-based now. The leftower transformers from the residual industrial productions of this kind of devices in EU are often on sale on ebay. You may have noticed a number of "full box of small transformers" ads selling at low prices. Too bad they usually have weird output windings and even worse regulation.
I generally find the LED bulbs to be very good. I buy them in bulk at Costco (huge box store in North America) for $3-4 apiece on sale. The light quality is good, rivalling that of an incandescent at one tenth the energy use.
If you do need accurate colour, say for an art studio, it's worthwhile getting a bulb with a good Colour Rendering Index (CRI). Daylight has a CRI of 100. A bulb with a CRI in the 90ies will be excellent. Also get one that produces warm light (3000 K) rather than daylight (4000-5000 K).
If you value your life and want good light, stay away from the eBay specials. I tried some cheap Chinese bulbs in GU-10. They were only a few bucks each and not worth even that much. I tried them in my kitchen and actually felt sick when I turned on the light it was that bad.
I do agree that the incandescent bulbs do make good electronic loads, though. LEDs ... not so much. For testing of RF transmitters, you do need an actual dummy load, though. You don't want to radiate RF energy into places it shouldn't go.
Tom
If you do need accurate colour, say for an art studio, it's worthwhile getting a bulb with a good Colour Rendering Index (CRI). Daylight has a CRI of 100. A bulb with a CRI in the 90ies will be excellent. Also get one that produces warm light (3000 K) rather than daylight (4000-5000 K).
If you value your life and want good light, stay away from the eBay specials. I tried some cheap Chinese bulbs in GU-10. They were only a few bucks each and not worth even that much. I tried them in my kitchen and actually felt sick when I turned on the light it was that bad.
I do agree that the incandescent bulbs do make good electronic loads, though. LEDs ... not so much. For testing of RF transmitters, you do need an actual dummy load, though. You don't want to radiate RF energy into places it shouldn't go.
Tom
The Halogens (small bulb inside traditional bulb) are incandescents but better. Typically claim that 85W is equal to 100W old-style. Good ones have good life and are not fragile. Cheap ones are of course cheap.
For *light*, I am buying LED in Edison screw-base by the dozen. Love them. (Again there are cheap ones.)
The Halogens are useful alternatives to old-type incandescents for load-limiting and other non-light applications.
In traditional incandescents, the filament evaporates. It gets thinner and fails. Meanwhile the filament vapor darkens the glass, reducing output.
In Halogen, the filament evaporates onto the little bulb, but it runs so hot (quartz glass) that it re-evaporates back to the filament. A halogen gas helps the cycle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halogen_lamp
Because it can be run hotter, light/watt can be higher and bluer. As always, there is a trade-off of temperature, light, and life; traditionally lamp companies do not want to sell you too much life.
We have a 1991 Miata MX-5. Uses the US standard round "sealed beam" headlights. 7 inch diameter. I thought these were old-style sealed lamps like my 1979 Thunderbird. No, in 1991 they were the old 7" bulb with a little 1" peanut halogen bulb at the focus. Of course since then they have changed to reflectors which do not need to be sealed, a headlight is a big plastic molding with a little peanut lamp stuck in the back. We got 26 years on the original lamps, so I can not complain. I remember changing old-type sealed-beams every 5 to 7 years.
For *light*, I am buying LED in Edison screw-base by the dozen. Love them. (Again there are cheap ones.)
The Halogens are useful alternatives to old-type incandescents for load-limiting and other non-light applications.
In traditional incandescents, the filament evaporates. It gets thinner and fails. Meanwhile the filament vapor darkens the glass, reducing output.
In Halogen, the filament evaporates onto the little bulb, but it runs so hot (quartz glass) that it re-evaporates back to the filament. A halogen gas helps the cycle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halogen_lamp
Because it can be run hotter, light/watt can be higher and bluer. As always, there is a trade-off of temperature, light, and life; traditionally lamp companies do not want to sell you too much life.
We have a 1991 Miata MX-5. Uses the US standard round "sealed beam" headlights. 7 inch diameter. I thought these were old-style sealed lamps like my 1979 Thunderbird. No, in 1991 they were the old 7" bulb with a little 1" peanut halogen bulb at the focus. Of course since then they have changed to reflectors which do not need to be sealed, a headlight is a big plastic molding with a little peanut lamp stuck in the back. We got 26 years on the original lamps, so I can not complain. I remember changing old-type sealed-beams every 5 to 7 years.
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Interesting. My experience is exactly opposite. Halogen bulbs contained inside a traditional lightbulb shape typically last a few weeks or months (i.e. 10's or 100's of hours of use), instead of the 1000 hours use claimed (and routinely achieved by old incandescents). Most CFLs last years. Most LEDs fail within months - although I admit that most of these were cheaper brands so the usual Chinese junk.Mooly said:
My LED lamps were Philips brand and were on the 'bargain' shelf in Tesco (£3.15 each). 3yr or 5yr warranty as well (lol, I've got the receipts somewhere). The LED bulbs get regular use in the evenings and in winter are on for around 5 or 6 hours a day. One is in an uplighter with an oil filled rad pretty much underneath it but it has been fine.
The 'lamp within a lamp' ones are Duracell brand from Home Bargains
The 'lamp within a lamp' ones are Duracell brand from Home Bargains
I used cheap Chinese halogens (halogen bulb in bigger glass bulb), but they did not last. Recently I bought a box of GE bulbs, they are excellent. E14 thread, 42W (=equivalent of 55W traditional incandescent bulb), 630 lumen, 2000 hours, 8000 on/off cycles, 2800 Kelvin. "D" energy class. Also not expensive, because they are produced in my country.
I don't let in LED lighting in my house until it gets more mature.
I don't let in LED lighting in my house until it gets more mature.
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