On Sat, 11 Sep 2010 02:42:34 +0100, "Arfa Daily"
wrote:


As to your experience with the CFL golf balls, you only seem to be seeing
what most of the rest of us are (although some on here claim that they
either can't see a difference, or don't care about it). The dreadful devices
seem only to have evolved in the number of different types of 'real' bulb
that they are now trying to emulate. Other than that, they are still slow to
wind up to their full output,

We have a disparate range of makes, types and sizes here and have only
'noticed' this slow start thing that seems to exist for you on all
such devices (assuming who haven't bout just the same make and model
etc g) is on a 7w mini es CFL 'spot' that we have in a clamp on desk
lamp, bought from Ikea.

does some experiments

Interesting. Turning this lamp on for the first time in ages (the 1 x
11W CFL we have laying on a bit of foil on a high shelf is normally
enough in this lounge g) I see several stages (well, now I can see
at all, blinded by the light).

Switch on and it instantly 'comes on'. I can't say 'lights up' as it
wasn't lit up as such. About .5s later it does 'light up' but only at
probably 1/10 brightness. About 1 second after that it looks like it
comes on properly and if you weren't looking into it as I was just now
you might think it was actually at full brightness. However, these
lamps seem to be made in two layers where there is one nearer the
inside (parallel to the plane of the other 'glass' and the other outer
layer on top, nearer the glass). Now the outer section of CFL seemed
to grow to full brightness over the next 10 or so seconds (like water
soaking into a cloth). I couldn't watch it to full completion and
still can't see properly after typing all this (with one finger).

However, this is the only CFL we have that seems to exhibit this
behaviour (or the others do but are not aware of it etc) and in this
lamp such is actually quite pleasant (ie, we don't use it as a torch
so the gradual ramp-up is actually quite sexy). ;-)

A thought on eyes in general then. A few years ago we went
motorcycling round the back lanes in Norfolk with a mate and both mate
and (my) missus said they were following the lights on the trailer I
was towing behind my bike as they 'couldn't see' much else clearly.
Maybe my night vision is 'above average' for a 54 year old and why I
HATE being blinded by cars fitted with HID lamps while I wait at a
roundabout or they follow me too close.

It seems the CFL 'light' thing is a Marmite one?

Cheers, T i m