Subject: Re: ECO Bulbs

From: [email-masked] (Gary Weimer (64525))
Date: 3 Mar 1995 23:47:16 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Harry H Conover) writes:
|> 
|> Our local electric company had a special on these bulbs several years ago.
|> Unfortunately, from personal experience, they do have a down side, in fact
|> several down sides.
|> 
|> [slow lighting]

Bulbs using magnetic ballast take quite a few seconds to light, usually
flash on and off a couple times while lighting, and hum after lit.
Bulbs using electronic ballast usually light within 1-3 seconds, without
flashing and do not hum. Electronic ballast bulbs are also affected less
by cold temperatures, although temperatures below freezing may cause
problems. Placing a grounded copper strip against the bulb seems to help
it start better in colder conditions.

|> [poor light quality]

Fluorenscent lights are rated using a Color Rendition Index (CRI). A CRI
of 100 would be equivalent to sun light. A CRI of 85 is quite good.
A CRI of less than 80 is not very good. If a manufacturer does not tell
you on the packaging what the CRI is, it may be because it is less than
80.

As would be expected, you get what you pay for. Cheaper lights will have
magnetic ballasts and low CRI ratings. Do not go out and buy bulbs in
large quantities. Buy one and see how you like it. If you don't like it,
find out if it is magnetic ballast or has a low CRI. A good fluorenscent
bulb can actually look more like sunlight than incadecent bulbs.
Bulbs that you don't like can be placed in areas where their bad points
are not a problem (low CRI bulbs can be used in hallways, etc.).

Speculation:
It's probably not worth a lot of extra money to buy "full spectrum"
bulbs. Many are "full spectrum" for only the first couple hundred hours
of use (of the possible 10,000 hours).

-- 

Gary Weimer ([email-masked])

---

From: Jym Dyer <[email-masked]>
Date: 6 Mar 1995 08:46:04 GMT

> The ones that I bought were of the electronic ballast variety,
> purchased on strong recomendation from my electric utility.

=o= What brand?  I wouldn't be surprised if someone cut a deal
to unload some obsolete junk.

>  (The bulbs went out with last month's trash.)

=o= A pity.  I put my annoying old-technology bulbs in places
like closets and the basement.
    <_Jym_>

---

From: [email-masked] (Anthony C Tweedale)
Date: 6 Mar 1995 19:04:27 GMT

bigdog ([email-masked]) wrote:
: [email-masked] (Nick Pine) wrote:
: [snip, snip]
: -{My digital light meter said I was reading in 0.4 footcandles
: -{of light, vs. the ISES recommended level of 50 footcandles. I didn't go blind.
: -{Neither did Abe Lincoln, who read in funny yellow candlelight....
: [more snip]

: The "turn on some light, or you'll go blind...." myth, is just that.
: The eye is a capable organ...and the muscle in the iris does what it does..
: Some folk just don't see as well as others, and there is the "accustomed" 
: aspect too...

in fact, i've heard that dim light is good for the eyes, it exercises the 
muscles around the eye--perhaps the ones that get flabby at middle age to 
cause shortsightedness?
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From: [email-masked] (Curt Phillips)
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 17:07:49

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (bigdog) writes:
>From: [email-masked] (bigdog)
>Subject: Re: [deleted pitch] vo-lumens
>Date: Fri, 03 Mar 95 18:28:12 GMT

>[email-masked] (Nick Pine) wrote:

>[snip, snip]
>-{My digital light meter said I was reading in 0.4 footcandles
>-{of light, vs. the ISES recommended level of 50 footcandles. I didn't go blind.
>-{Neither did Abe Lincoln, who read in funny yellow candlelight....
>[more snip]

>The "turn on some light, or you'll go blind...." myth, is just that.

  A large part of your need for light depends on how old you are.  The aging 
eye requires MUCH more light than younger eyes.  In some information I have 
seen, at 65 years old a person may need TWENTY TIMES as much light as a 20 
year old to achieve the same level of visual acuity.  IES sets standards based 
on average and/or worse case scenarios, so it's not surprising that a given 
individual may find they need less or more light.  In my lighting work, I've 
often found that older people need more light than the IES standard... a 
certain amount of this may be reluctance to change, but certainly part of it 
is legitimate.
  The eye IS an adaptable organ, but (as with so many things) as it gets older 
it is less so.

============ All opinions expressed are solely my own ======================== 
Curt Phillips, CEM  KD4YU (ex-WB4LHI)| "I don't want to achieve immortality
N.C. Division of Energy              | through my work.  I want to achieve
[email-masked] | immortality through NOT DYING."
Energy/Recycling BBS 704-547-3114    |             -- Woody Allen

---

From: [email-masked] (Jim Devenport)
Date: 7 Mar 1995 16:25:40 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Nick Pine) says:
<snip>
>Again, a matter of taste. And sometimes one's values influence one's taste.
>
>Nick
>
I have a running contention (aka argument) with my wife and family...
they absolutely HATE the light from tube flourescents and complain often 
about the so-called "warm" flourescents I have jammed into some of the
reading lamp fixtures.  I, on the other hand, have always LIKED the
brightness of flourescent light and ESPECIALLY like it when reading the
monthly electric bill under it.  I'm convinced it has something to do 
with who is PAYING for the bill!
By the way, I have one (Since they are SO expensive) rapid-start VHF
flourescent bulb that NO ONE has ever complained about... I think it is
because it starts instantly just like an incandescent bulb and they
don't notice any flicker and thus don't realize it is (SHUDDER)
flourescent light.
Even I get impatient with the GE "squatty-fat" screw in flourescents when
they blink, flutter, and sloooooowly come to life when I flip the switch,
but since my fam likes to leave lights on all the time, even in broad 
daylight (gripe gripe whine), I still prefer even them to incandescents.
Jim Devenport