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2006-10-10 Home Front Economy

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Posted by mhw 2006-10-10 11:43|| || Front Page|| [11130 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I suppose, but I really hate those squiggly things.

Posted by kelly 2006-10-10 12:56|| 2006-10-10 12:56|| Front Page Top

#2 Compact fluorescent lights suck great big green donkey nuts. Incandescent lights have a spectrum that is much closer to real sunlight. They are probably much more effective in preventing SADS (Seasonally Affected Disorder Syndrome), and the washed out aenemic spectrum of fluorescent lights makes everyone look like a corpse.

I'll need to see the spectral distribution for these new LEDs before passing judgement on them. The story of how they achieve white light output from LED's is a nice demonstration of engineering finesse.

LEDs normally emit a single frequency of light. This is why their color appears so "pure". It is monochromatic light (monotonic), just like a laser's but not coherent (uniphase). There are also laser LEDs like those used in your CD or DVD players and all sorts of telecom applications, but they are a different critter.

White light is a blend of many different visible frequencies of light. In order to achieve chromatic emission from a monochromatic LED, they use one that emits in the UV (Ultra Violet) range. The interior of it's dome lens is coated with phosphors, just like those used on a conventional television screen. When stimulated by the UV LED, the phosphors undergo secondary emission in the form of white light.

Quite a neat little trick.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-10-10 13:15|| 2006-10-10 13:15|| Front Page Top

#3 PS: Shouldn't this be posted in "Local News"?

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-10-10 13:16|| 2006-10-10 13:16|| Front Page Top

#4 Thanks for keeping us apprised, mhw. You are a dear. :-) I recently discovered that there are compact fluorescents shaped for the cans in my ceiling, and I've been slowly replacing as the old bulbs burn out (except where Mr. Wife notices). I read something that said that if each of us replaces just two regular light bulbs with compact fluorescents, we'll need one less power plant... or something like that. So I'm trying to do my bit.

kelly, I put them in the lamps in the trailing daughters' rooms, in my bedside lamp but not Mr. Wife's (he gets a nice halogen bulb because he shares your opinion), eventually as replacement for about half the cans in the kitchen and basement playroom -- so that the other half set the tone in the room, or so I fondly imagine.

Posted by trailing wife 2006-10-10 13:16|| 2006-10-10 13:16|| Front Page Top

#5 If you don't mind the high price, and want the best possible light, go for an "Ott" light.

John Ott was the time-lapse photography pioneer for Walt Disney studios. With a big budget, he experimented with all kinds of light sources until he found a superior natural light that was shielded from harmful radiation.

Plants, insects, birds and mammals all seemed to both look and grow better with that light, so he eventually decided to make it a commercial product.

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-10-10 13:41|| 2006-10-10 13:41|| Front Page Top

#6 Last time you commented on CREE I bought 2K shares and it promptly dropped five points.

But I'm a believer. Go CREE.

Posted by Penguin 2006-10-10 15:23|| 2006-10-10 15:23|| Front Page Top

#7 Incandescent lights have a spectrum that is much closer to real sunlight.

Oh really? Last time I checked the color temperature of sunlight was 5,500 to 27,000K (bluish) and your typical 60 watt incandescent was around 2,800K (orangish).

A cool white flourescent tube is about 4,300K and the fancy 'daylight' tubes are about 6,500K, making them "much closer" to sunlight than incandescents.

Anyone familiar with the process of 'white balancing' a camera knows this.

Posted by Parabellum 2006-10-10 17:43|| 2006-10-10 17:43|| Front Page Top

#8 Anyone familiar with the process of 'white balancing' a camera knows this.

And no serious photographer uses flourescent lighting.

Posted by Croluting Omush1137 2006-10-10 19:52|| 2006-10-10 19:52|| Front Page Top

#9 And no serious photographer uses flourescent lighting.

Thank you, CO1137. The vast majority of all camera film is made for shooting with tungsten lighting or outdoor illumination. The full spectrum and heavy red component of incandescent lamps mimics sunlight very well.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-10-10 21:03|| 2006-10-10 21:03|| Front Page Top

#10 When I go camping, I really like bringing LED lamps. They have much lower power consumption, hence I have to bring and replace far fewer batteries. I have handheld LED lights, headband mounted LED's for reading and even an LED lattern.

Posted by DMFD 2006-10-10 22:01|| 2006-10-10 22:01|| Front Page Top

#11 I just checked CREE stock, at .23 cents a share it's way, way, below trash.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2006-10-10 22:10|| 2006-10-10 22:10|| Front Page Top

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