[ale] More on LEDs...

[Ron Frazier (ALE)]

(think I hit the length limit - sending again - part 1 of 2 - maybe that could be increased a bit)

Hi all,

I find this whole topic very interesting.  I wish I could figure out a way to participate in the led market but the big box stores and online retailers eliminate most of the possibilities for little guys.  Anyway, I still find it very interesting as a consumer.  I spent a few of my after supper hours today roaming around looking at led bulbs just to get a better feel for what's out there.  I'm specifically interested in omnidirectional dimmable bulbs equivalent to standard sizes of incandescents.  I've got a few observations to add to the discussion in no particular order.

* Many bulbs have heat sink structures which would cast shadows.  Some have huge heat sinks blocking the line of site extending directly out from the bulb socket.  I personally would not buy these.  In my ceiling fan, much of the light I'm getting from my CFL's is directly out from the socket through the end of the bulb's coil.  Some bulbs have heat sink material blocking the area from the socket up to, say, the widest part of the bulb.  I would be reluctant to buy these as well.  If they were, say, facing upwards in a table lamp, they would tend to cast lots of horizontal and some upward light and not much down to the table.

* Batteries + is now Batteries + Light Bulbs.  They have a few led's in stock and presumably they will be getting more.  They're limited by their store space though.  They have the Switch bulb, which I think Mike W mentioned previously.  It's very technologically advanced.  According to the rep at B+L, it's filled with mineral oil to help with cooling.  The package raves that you can use their bulb any time, any where, any fixture, any orientation.  Very impressive, but the price is around $ 50.  Ouch.  If you break it with that oil in it, I expect you'd have quite a mess.  Also, the bulb is very heavy.  This might be a problem with some fixtures depending on how the socket is mounted.

* B+L has some other brands as well.  As someone mentioned previously, many bulbs, including some I looked at, are not rated for enclosed fixtures.  You have to read the fine print.

* I personally don't like to see the individual leds in the bulb.  I know a diffuser reduces the light output somewhat, but I like the appearance of the old frosted incandescent.  I prefer that over CFL's too.  The Cree's I mentioned previously do a very good job with this.  The only way you can really evaluate this is to look at the bulb in action.

* Home depot was probably the best source I found locally, and they're the only ones with the Cree's.  Lowes has a lesser selection.  Walmart had none.  I didn't make it over to Target, Ace Hardware, or any of the super markets.  Northern Tool & Harbor Freight might be options.

* Lowes is the only place I found a 100 W equivalent (~ 1700 lumen) bulb.  It's the Sylvania Ultra.  But, they want $ 40 for it.  Ouch again.  This bulb is big and heavy.

* There's lots of what I would call fraud regarding W equivalent ratings, particularly in the 40 W equivalent bulbs, for whatever reason.  According to the [  very handy 8-)  ]  chart I made, a 40 W incandescent bulb should produce 500 lumens.  I saw some claiming to be 40 W replacements that produced only 280 lumens.  I don't think so.

* Many, sometimes physically large, bulbs are not true lighting class bulbs.  They may be called deco bulbs, etc.  A physically large bulb may only produce 80 lumens, etc.  This is 1/10 of what a 60 W equivalent bulb should produce.  So, it's at the level of a night light.  If you can see through the bulb's shell and you see something like 30 individual led bulbs with their own lenses, like the kind you might put in a home made project, it's highly likely that the bulb has more bark than bite and doesn't produce lots of light.

So, given all that, let the buyer be ware.

* A floor rep at Home Depot said they will recycle small quantities of traditional FL tubes for consumers.  He said they cannot take large quantities for businesses.  Not sure about Lowes.

* I had this interesting thought.  Suppose you have a small table lamp or fixture which has a socket that's rated only for, say, 40 W.  But let's say you want more light.  Well, you could put one of those 100 W equivalent led bulbs in it, assuming it would fit, and still stay within the socket's rating.  That's pretty cool.  CFL would do that too.

* For value for the money, I'm currently most impressed with the Cree's I mentioned before from Home Depot.  I've had them running in my porch lights for a few weeks.  By appearance, they're almost indistinguishable from incandescents.

Notable features are: $ 13 cost, 60 W equivalent, 9.5 W actual (pretty good), 84 W / lumen, 800 lumens, 2700 K color temp, omnidirectional with no shadows, pretty good light out the end, no exclusion for enclosures, 25,000 hr longevity, AND 10 yr - 6 hr / day warranty (which adds up to 21,900 hr as it turns out), safety coated rubberized glass, dimmable.  Overall, I'm very impressed.  We'll see about the 10 year part.  This seems to be one of the most efficient bulbs.

* Believe it or not, I have found very tiny .5 W (actual) led night light bulbs to be very handy.  I have one, always on, over a basement door.  I have another, on in the evening near my bed until I go to bed.  The first lets me find the door knob in an otherwise dark corner.  The second gives just enough light to find the cradle to put up the cordless phone.

See a few more comments inline below.

Sincerely,

Ron

(see part 2 next)



--

Sent from my Android Acer A500 tablet with bluetooth keyboard and K-9 Mail.
Please excuse my potential brevity if I'm typing on the touch screen.

(PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy
mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages very quickly.)

Ron Frazier
770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
linuxdude AT techstarship.com
Litecoin: LZzAJu9rZEWzALxDhAHnWLRvybVAVgwTh3
Bitcoin: 15s3aLVsxm8EuQvT8gUDw3RWqvuY9hPGUU