"Daniel J. Stern" wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2005, Sawney Beane wrote:

I'm more mistrustful of bayonet bases than Edison bases. Most bayonet
bulbs I deal with are automobile tail lights, which may have been
corroding and vibrating for decades.

Vibration: Poor socket design.
Corrosion: Failure of US specifications to require nickel-plated bases.

I meant I've had more trouble with bayonet bulbs getting stuck in
the socket and maybe having the glass break loose from the base, but
it's like comparing apples to oranges because the bayonet bulbs have
served under worse conditions than household bulbs. I don't know if
I've had less trouble with bulbs in Japanese cars.


Neither is due to the bayonet base design per se.

I'm willing to believe that the bayonet design might be better than
screw bulbs for automobiles with their vibration and moisture. I've
never tried a bayonet household bulb, but screw-in bulbs have served
me well in buildings.


An American can save money by buying unfamiliar foreign brands of
Edison-base bulbs. They may be more troublesome than the familiar
brands. I can buy an American brand with confidence

Are you *sure*? That used to be the case, but many of the American-brand
lamps now available are (badly) made in China.

You're right, I'm not sure. Decades ago, I began replacing
incandescents with flourescent strip lighting for better efficiency,
more diffuse light, and longer bulb life. More recently,
helix-style screw-in fluorscents have performed so well for me that
I may never use up my small supply of household incandescents. The
American incandescents in my closet are several years old. The
foreign ones in my closet look different. It makes me uneasy, but
now I don't recall if I've actually had a bad experience with one.

You've caught me talking through my hat. slap slap Thanks, I
needed that!