Chuck wrote:
Greetings all!

My wife and I are about to replace a bunch of our cheap outdoor house
lights, and came across the "Dark Sky" variety such as this one:

http://www.lightingdirect.com/index....d= dark%20sky

Our first question pertained to amount of light output. We don't have
huge demands in this area (we have been tolerably happy with our meager
"single yellow bug light bulb jelly jar" variety for eight years), but
we wonder if the hooded "dark sky" variety of fixtures essentially save
the night sky by producing almost no light at all.

Then we got concerned about the type of bulb these lights use (13w
Spiral G24q-1 4-Pin with 120V LVS Electronic Ballast). I presume these
kinds of lights are energy efficient, but I generally loathe
flourescent bulbs. I associate flouresecent fixtures with hum,
flicker, headaches, and a sterile cold lighting spectrum. I have
flourescent lights in my office, and I am so flourescent-aversive that
I absolutely never turn them on. I have no doubt there have been
improvements in flourescent technology over the last couple decades,
but would a hyper-sensitive person like me still detect a hum or
flicker?

We live WAY out in the country where there are neither lights nor
noises emanating from a nearby city or neighbors. While this fact is
what drove us to consider the "dark sky" options, it also means that
even minor hum and flicker is going to be noticeable.

Does "Dark Sky" lighting always mean "flourescent" or are there
incandescent "Dark Sky" types of lighting fixtures we should consider?
The cost savings associated with flourescent do not interest us; if we
want to save money, we are happy to turn the lights on for fewer hours
per year.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or guidance!

Chuck



Good for you. I wish more people would take the time to consider how
their outdoor lights affect other people and then select fixtures which
conserve both energy and the natural beauty of the night sky. Dark sky
lighting generally means using the minimum light needed, and aiming or
shielding lights so they illuminate the ground on your property, not the
sky or a neighbor's house. If you don't like CFL bulbs, go ahead and use
a regular incandescent fixture. BTW there are now CFL "bug" lights with
the yellow colored glass. I have two of them and don't notice any noise
or hum.

http://www.darksky.org/fixtures/fsa-res.html