Don Klipstein spake thus:

In article m, David
Nebenzahl wrote in part:

I've used all kinds of compact fluorescents, a real mongrel collection
including some I got for a buck from one of those
everything-made-in-China dollar stores, and *none* of them have ever
hummed. (Nor whistled.)

I have tried 57 "models" of 19 "brands" of $.99-$2 compact fluorescents
from dollar stores, and none have met their claims of light output. Some
that I got fell short of claimed light output by a factor of more than 3,
regardless of time spent warming up and room temperature. None
significantly outshone a 40 watt 120V "standard" incandescent. Most did
not claim to be UL listed, and most did not have FCC IDs. Some that came
in packages saying "softwarm white light" produced a cold bluish
"daylight" light. Most of the few that actually had a warm color had low
color rendering index. A couple of them failed quickly and spectacularly.

Well, you're addressing an issue I didn't raise, but since you did, I
have to say that even the dollar-store specimens I've bought put out the
amount of light claimed. But yes, some of them had just horrible colors,
ghastly bluish/greenish. Won't buy those again.

Never seen any of those infant mortalities you describe. Guess I'm just
lucky.

'Round heah' (SF Bay Area), the best deals on CFLs are at various places
where stores sell bulbs subsidized by the local greedy *******s^H^H^H^H
utility company (Pacific Gas & Electric in this case); my favorite
electronics shop in Bezerkeley is selling the 23-watters for $1.25 each.

And regarding brands, you can safely ignore the advice given by someone
here to only buy big name brands (GE, Sylvania, etc.). The ones I've
been buying both at this electronics place and at Home Despot are by
Feit Electric, and they work fine.


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