LED bulbs not so bad
I've read all the threads on LED light bulbs. Not a lotta good things
to say. Directional, wrong spectrum, etc. Me? I like 'em, so far. I have a regular shaded lamp with a CFL in it. Takes at least 30-60 secs to come up to full brightness. For reading, I have one of those flex-neck lamps with a directional hood (like pole lamps). I put a 60W LED bulb in it. I bought the cheapest bulb I could find at WallyWorld fer $2.58. In a directional hooded lamp, it works great. Full brightness, instantly. Plenty bright enough fer reading when bounced off a white wall. Not that I endorse them, without reservation. I'll be damned if I'll spend $1K+ fer an LED grow light. Not until they settle on what spectrums are best fer veg/flowering, first. But, fer a couple bucks, good enough fer reading. ;) nb |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/27/2015 4:31 PM, notbob wrote:
I've read all the threads on LED light bulbs. Not a lotta good things to say. Directional, wrong spectrum, etc. Me? I like 'em, so far. I have a regular shaded lamp with a CFL in it. Takes at least 30-60 secs to come up to full brightness. For reading, I have one of those flex-neck lamps with a directional hood (like pole lamps). I put a 60W LED bulb in it. I bought the cheapest bulb I could find at WallyWorld fer $2.58. In a directional hooded lamp, it works great. Full brightness, instantly. Plenty bright enough fer reading when bounced off a white wall. I saw some 60 equivalent watt units listed for $0.99 recently... Not that I endorse them, without reservation. I'll be damned if I'll spend $1K+ fer an LED grow light. Not until they settle on what spectrums are best fer veg/flowering, first. But, fer a couple bucks, good enough fer reading. ;) Depends on how you expect to use them. Here, most "area lighting" is from recessed cans. So, very easy to find an effective LED lamp that pushed all its light out *one* "end". CFL's, by comparison, try to throw most of their light out the *sides* so not-quite-so-good. Temperature performance of CFL's also makes them less than ideal. No so with LED's. When dimmable BR30's and R20's become more affordable, we'll switch to them and just keep a couple of CFL's for (bedside) "reading lamps" (where the light needs to radiate in all directions) and (big) CFL "floods" for the up-lights in the office. Still looking for high intensity floods (LED, probably) for the recessed cans in the garage (high ceiling means they have to throw a lot of light) |
LED bulbs not so bad
Don Y wrote:
On 11/27/2015 4:31 PM, notbob wrote: I've read all the threads on LED light bulbs. Not a lotta good things to say. Directional, wrong spectrum, etc. Me? I like 'em, so far. I have a regular shaded lamp with a CFL in it. Takes at least 30-60 secs to come up to full brightness. For reading, I have one of those flex-neck lamps with a directional hood (like pole lamps). I put a 60W LED bulb in it. I bought the cheapest bulb I could find at WallyWorld fer $2.58. In a directional hooded lamp, it works great. Full brightness, instantly. Plenty bright enough fer reading when bounced off a white wall. I saw some 60 equivalent watt units listed for $0.99 recently... Not that I endorse them, without reservation. I'll be damned if I'll spend $1K+ fer an LED grow light. Not until they settle on what spectrums are best fer veg/flowering, first. But, fer a couple bucks, good enough fer reading. ;) Depends on how you expect to use them. Here, most "area lighting" is from recessed cans. So, very easy to find an effective LED lamp that pushed all its light out *one* "end". CFL's, by comparison, try to throw most of their light out the *sides* so not-quite-so-good. Temperature performance of CFL's also makes them less than ideal. No so with LED's. When dimmable BR30's and R20's become more affordable, we'll switch to them and just keep a couple of CFL's for (bedside) "reading lamps" (where the light needs to radiate in all directions) and (big) CFL "floods" for the up-lights in the office. Still looking for high intensity floods (LED, probably) for the recessed cans in the garage (high ceiling means they have to throw a lot of light) LEDs are not matured yet. I have a reservation on LED head lights/tail lights on new cars. They're like LCD display, narrow view of angle. |
LED bulbs not so bad
On Friday, November 27, 2015 at 5:43:30 PM UTC-6, Don Y wrote:
I saw some 60 equivalent watt units listed for $0.99 recently... At Lowe's...not sure how long that sale lasts. |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/27/2015 7:00 PM, Tony Hwang wrote:
LEDs are not matured yet. I have a reservation on LED head lights/tail lights on new cars. They're like LCD display, narrow view of angle. That's why you put *optics* in front of them! We've been very pleased with the LED headlights on our vehicle (haven't ever been *behind* it to comment on tail lights). Oncoming vehicles frequently flash their "brights" suggesting they think *we* have ours on (but we don't). Turn signals illuminate the overhead signs ("next exit 2 miles"). Time will tell how they fare with our heat... |
LED bulbs not so bad
Don Y wrote:
On 11/27/2015 7:00 PM, Tony Hwang wrote: LEDs are not matured yet. I have a reservation on LED head lights/tail lights on new cars. They're like LCD display, narrow view of angle. That's why you put *optics* in front of them! We've been very pleased with the LED headlights on our vehicle (haven't ever been *behind* it to comment on tail lights). Oncoming vehicles frequently flash their "brights" suggesting they think *we* have ours on (but we don't). Turn signals illuminate the overhead signs ("next exit 2 miles"). Time will tell how they fare with our heat... If you try to see LED tail lights from about 45 deg. angle it is very hard to see if it's on or off. When I remote start my car from a distance, it is little difficult to confirm car is started and running. When driving in blowing snow LED lights seem to glare more. And under the sheet of thin ice in winter.(maybe because it does not produce some heat like old lights) Also replacement LED light assembly will cost more. (can't replace individual element in an array) |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/27/2015 6:19 PM, bob_villain wrote:
On Friday, November 27, 2015 at 5:43:30 PM UTC-6, Don Y wrote: I saw some 60 equivalent watt units listed for $0.99 recently... At Lowe's...not sure how long that sale lasts. I was checking out the Utilitech 99-cent LED lamps at Lowe's today. Lamp life rated at 2000 hours. What's up with that? I didn't buy any. |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/27/2015 5:31 PM, notbob wrote:
I've read all the threads on LED light bulbs. Not a lotta good things to say. Directional, wrong spectrum, etc. Me? I like 'em, so far. I have a regular shaded lamp with a CFL in it. Takes at least 30-60 secs to come up to full brightness. For reading, I have one of those flex-neck lamps with a directional hood (like pole lamps). I put a 60W LED bulb in it. I bought the cheapest bulb I could find at WallyWorld fer $2.58. In a directional hooded lamp, it works great. Full brightness, instantly. Plenty bright enough fer reading when bounced off a white wall. Not that I endorse them, without reservation. I'll be damned if I'll spend $1K+ fer an LED grow light. Not until they settle on what spectrums are best fer veg/flowering, first. But, fer a couple bucks, good enough fer reading. ;) nb I've got all LED bulbs in my bathroom, now, where I've added shelves to put plants on. I turn them on and it's like being outside on a sunny day with no clouds in the sky. I read that LED are just as good for growing plants, plus, LED blue and red bulbs are also good for plants, so, I'll see for myself how it does this winter. I bought some carnivorous plants to keep amongst the other plants and they've already caught some tiny gnats. (venus flytrap, and octopus plant [sundew]). LOVE them both. One of the octopus plants is blooming pretty pink flowers. -- Maggie |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/27/2015 8:19 PM, bob_villain wrote:
On Friday, November 27, 2015 at 5:43:30 PM UTC-6, Don Y wrote: I saw some 60 equivalent watt units listed for $0.99 recently... At Lowe's...not sure how long that sale lasts. So far, I'm liking the LED. Nice bright lighting. -- Maggie |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/27/2015 7:57 PM, Tony Hwang wrote:
Don Y wrote: On 11/27/2015 7:00 PM, Tony Hwang wrote: LEDs are not matured yet. I have a reservation on LED head lights/tail lights on new cars. They're like LCD display, narrow view of angle. That's why you put *optics* in front of them! We've been very pleased with the LED headlights on our vehicle (haven't ever been *behind* it to comment on tail lights). Oncoming vehicles frequently flash their "brights" suggesting they think *we* have ours on (but we don't). Turn signals illuminate the overhead signs ("next exit 2 miles"). Time will tell how they fare with our heat... If you try to see LED tail lights from about 45 deg. angle it is very hard to see if it's on or off. When I remote start my car from a distance, it is little difficult to confirm car is started and running. As I said, I've never seen the back of the car... When driving in blowing snow LED lights seem to glare more. And under the sheet of thin ice in winter.(maybe because it does not produce some heat like old We don't have snow -- or ice. lights) Also replacement LED light assembly will cost more. (can't replace individual element in an array) Yes, headlights have been expensive for more than a decade. Last vehicle they were $400/each. Of course, you typically only pay that when you've collided with something. I can't recall the last time I *replace* a headlight (from wear). I am much more concerned with all the electronic kit that I'm at the mercy of a dealer to replace/repair. (I can still drive a car during daylight hours with a bad headlight; I can't drive it if any of the ECU's fail!) |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/27/2015 9:29 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 11/27/2015 7:00 PM, Tony Hwang wrote: LEDs are not matured yet. I have a reservation on LED head lights/tail lights on new cars. They're like LCD display, narrow view of angle. That's why you put *optics* in front of them! We've been very pleased with the LED headlights on our vehicle (haven't ever been *behind* it to comment on tail lights). Oncoming vehicles frequently flash their "brights" suggesting they think *we* have ours on (but we don't). Turn signals illuminate the overhead signs ("next exit 2 miles"). Time will tell how they fare with our heat... Sounds like you should tilt those headlights down a bit, so you don't keep (knowingly) blinding other drivers. That's quite inconsiderate to keep blinding other drivers after being asked many times, and knowing that you've been asked many times, to dim the brights. -- .. Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .. www.lds.org .. .. |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/27/2015 9:00 PM, Tony Hwang wrote:
Don Y wrote: On 11/27/2015 4:31 PM, notbob wrote: I've read all the threads on LED light bulbs. Not a lotta good things to say. Directional, wrong spectrum, etc. Me? I like 'em, so far. I have a regular shaded lamp with a CFL in it. Takes at least 30-60 secs to come up to full brightness. For reading, I have one of those flex-neck lamps with a directional hood (like pole lamps). I put a 60W LED bulb in it. I bought the cheapest bulb I could find at WallyWorld fer $2.58. In a directional hooded lamp, it works great. Full brightness, instantly. Plenty bright enough fer reading when bounced off a white wall. I saw some 60 equivalent watt units listed for $0.99 recently... Not that I endorse them, without reservation. I'll be damned if I'll spend $1K+ fer an LED grow light. Not until they settle on what spectrums are best fer veg/flowering, first. But, fer a couple bucks, good enough fer reading. ;) Depends on how you expect to use them. Here, most "area lighting" is from recessed cans. So, very easy to find an effective LED lamp that pushed all its light out *one* "end". CFL's, by comparison, try to throw most of their light out the *sides* so not-quite-so-good. Temperature performance of CFL's also makes them less than ideal. No so with LED's. When dimmable BR30's and R20's become more affordable, we'll switch to them and just keep a couple of CFL's for (bedside) "reading lamps" (where the light needs to radiate in all directions) and (big) CFL "floods" for the up-lights in the office. Still looking for high intensity floods (LED, probably) for the recessed cans in the garage (high ceiling means they have to throw a lot of light) LEDs are not matured yet. I have a reservation on LED head lights/tail lights on new cars. They're like LCD display, narrow view of angle. One annoyance of getting a new car. The string of LED's around tail lights looks chincy, particularly on expensive cars. Those that want to grow their pot with them should look at spectra of light output. There is more UV but not sure how else they might affect growth. |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 07:42 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
Sounds like you should tilt those headlights down a bit, so you don't keep (knowingly) blinding other drivers. That's quite inconsiderate to keep blinding other drivers after being asked many times, and knowing that you've been asked many times, to dim the brights. To be clear, I'm not a proponent of road-rage but at some point, road rage may dim his lights off for him. Tick-tock! http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/10/22...exico-freeway/ |
LED bulbs not so bad
On Saturday, November 28, 2015 at 12:00:39 AM UTC-6, Muggles wrote:
On 11/27/2015 8:19 PM, bob_villain wrote: On Friday, November 27, 2015 at 5:43:30 PM UTC-6, Don Y wrote: I saw some 60 equivalent watt units listed for $0.99 recently... At Lowe's...not sure how long that sale lasts. So far, I'm liking the LED. Nice bright lighting. -- Maggie I put LED bulbs in my desk lamps at home. When I needed to examine something up close, I could bring the lamp down very near to something I was examining without getting sunburned like I would with an incandescent lamp. ლ(o—¡oლ) [8~{} Uncle Lamp Monster |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 2015-11-28, Tony Hwang wrote:
Also replacement LED light assembly will cost more. (can't replace individual element in an array) I think this issue was resolved several yrs ago, but I could be wrong. I recall fans of Suzuki motorcycles were outraged when they discovered they hadda replace an entire 4-LED light array, at huge cost, instead of a single small LED bulb. Suzy changed it to easily replaceable individual LEDs. I've seen the same issue with the newer LED stoplight assys. Usta see a few individual LED bulbs burned out. No more. Seems it's the total array or nothing. This is weird, as the Japanese usta live/die for selling entire assemblies. Are the arrays now cheaper or is it jes companies maximizing profits? nb |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 5:42 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 11/27/2015 9:29 PM, Don Y wrote: On 11/27/2015 7:00 PM, Tony Hwang wrote: LEDs are not matured yet. I have a reservation on LED head lights/tail lights on new cars. They're like LCD display, narrow view of angle. That's why you put *optics* in front of them! We've been very pleased with the LED headlights on our vehicle (haven't ever been *behind* it to comment on tail lights). Oncoming vehicles frequently flash their "brights" suggesting they think *we* have ours on (but we don't). Turn signals illuminate the overhead signs ("next exit 2 miles"). Time will tell how they fare with our heat... Sounds like you should tilt those headlights down a bit, so you don't keep (knowingly) blinding other drivers. That's quite inconsiderate to keep blinding other drivers after being asked many times, and knowing that you've been asked many times, to dim the brights. Tell the factory that! Car rides up higher than a regular car -- should all truck drivers deliberately point their lights at the ground (instead of "aiming" them as required?) Should folks not be allowed to use halogen and HID lights because they're brighter?? |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 2015-11-28, Don Y wrote:
Should folks not be allowed to use halogen and HID lights because they're brighter?? Halogen headlights usta be illegal in CA. Lotta bikers got busted cuz the CHP knew chopper riders invariably customized their bikes to include illegal halogen headlights for better see-ability. So, I was shocked when I got a new job in Silly-Con Valley (long time ago) that required me to commute at O-dark-thirty. Seems half the cars on the road had these newer, brighter, headlights. So bright, they gave me a headache. I usta let my hatchback rear window remain dirty jes to diminish the brightness of following vehicles. So, upside, can see better. Downside, $300 sunglasses! ;) nb |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 9:12 AM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Saturday, November 28, 2015 at 12:00:39 AM UTC-6, Muggles wrote: On 11/27/2015 8:19 PM, bob_villain wrote: On Friday, November 27, 2015 at 5:43:30 PM UTC-6, Don Y wrote: I saw some 60 equivalent watt units listed for $0.99 recently... At Lowe's...not sure how long that sale lasts. So far, I'm liking the LED. Nice bright lighting. -- Maggie I put LED bulbs in my desk lamps at home. When I needed to examine something up close, I could bring the lamp down very near to something I was examining without getting sunburned like I would with an incandescent lamp. ლ(o—¡oლ) [8~{} Uncle Lamp Monster I've got a couple of desk lamps with LED bulbs in them, too. They don't get hot at all, which is another reason that I like them. They don't compete with the AC in the summer time. -- Maggie |
LED bulbs not so bad
Don Y wrote:
Tell the factory that! Car rides up higher than a regular car -- should all truck drivers deliberately point their lights at the ground (instead of "aiming" them as required?) The height of the lamp isn't the issue. As you noted, it's the aim point and the coverage area. Misaimed headlights are frequently too high and stray into the oncoming lane. Should folks not be allowed to use halogen and HID lights because they're brighter?? They aren't. The DOT regulates how bright a standard headight can be. http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx...e49.6.571_1108 Table XVIII and XIX - note the Maximum Photometric Intensity column. People think High Beams means brighter - it doesn't. It means the aim point is higher. People also think some lamps are brighter because the color temp is different - more blue than incandescent or halogens. That's also regulated, but not as tightly. |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 12:21 AM, mike wrote:
On 11/27/2015 6:19 PM, bob_villain wrote: On Friday, November 27, 2015 at 5:43:30 PM UTC-6, Don Y wrote: I saw some 60 equivalent watt units listed for $0.99 recently... At Lowe's...not sure how long that sale lasts. I was checking out the Utilitech 99-cent LED lamps at Lowe's today. Lamp life rated at 2000 hours. What's up with that? I didn't buy any. I guess you get what you pay for. I looked at other cheap Utilitech bulbs and the 60W equivalent is only 5000 hours. Same size from Sylvania is 25,000 hours and is only a buck or so more. |
LED bulbs not so bad
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
I guess you get what you pay for. I looked at other cheap Utilitech bulbs and the 60W equivalent is only 5000 hours. Same size from Sylvania is 25,000 hours and is only a buck or so more. The other thing to keep in mind is "dimable" vs. "non-dimable." The dimable bulbs (i.e. Feits from Costco) tend to be large and heavy. The bulb base has extra electronics to managing the dimming. The "non-dimable" Philips bulbs (traditional style - not the flat ones) are much smaller and lighter weight. Depending on the type of dimmer you have, the non-dimable builbs may still work. |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 10:24 AM, Don Y wrote:
Sounds like you should tilt those headlights down a bit, so you don't keep (knowingly) blinding other drivers. That's quite inconsiderate to keep blinding other drivers after being asked many times, and knowing that you've been asked many times, to dim the brights. Tell the factory that! Car rides up higher than a regular car -- should all truck drivers deliberately point their lights at the ground (instead of "aiming" them as required?) Should folks not be allowed to use halogen and HID lights because they're brighter?? Properly aimed, they should not be blinding others no matter how bright. One possibility is some drivers just see they are brighter and assume you have the high beams on even if they are not blinded. Possible aim is bad from the factory. Unlikely, but stuff happens. The factory specs are less than the best. I sometimes do notice the Jeep SUV type is a bad aim for oncoming cars. I see a couple of them and they are brighter in my eyes than any other car. Another possibility is you have 6 bags of concrete in the trunk and the lights are looking up. Many cars have self leveling lights though. |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 8:19 AM, notbob wrote:
On 2015-11-28, Tony Hwang wrote: Also replacement LED light assembly will cost more. (can't replace individual element in an array) I think this issue was resolved several yrs ago, but I could be wrong. AFAICT, this varies with the make/model of the vehicle. I recall fans of Suzuki motorcycles were outraged when they discovered they hadda replace an entire 4-LED light array, at huge cost, instead of a single small LED bulb. Suzy changed it to easily replaceable individual LEDs. I've seen the same issue with the newer LED stoplight assys. Usta see a few individual LED bulbs burned out. No more. Seems it's the total array or nothing. This is weird, as the Japanese usta live/die for selling entire assemblies. Are the arrays now cheaper or is it jes companies maximizing profits? I think they are minimizing *production* costs. In our case, each "headlamp assembly" consists of 5 LED emitters -- 3 for "low" and 2 more for "high" -- mated to optics that focus the light in the desired dispersal pattern. Making this an assembly means you reduce the labor involved in aiming 5 individual elements along with their optics. You have two connectors instead of 5 (for each lamp), two wiring harnesses instead of 5, etc. As with many "production economies", this comes at the expense of *repair* costs (different from "maintenance" costs as the headlamps have high life expectancy -- higher than incandescent *or* HID; at least, "on paper" : ). Playing krinkle-bumper is where this turns up, in most cases. Who cares if the bulb is $20 if the PLASTIC assembly into which it fits is $400? Now it's a $420 bulb! (DIYer can't "fix" the molded plastic assembly *and* optics) Likewise, crumple zones mean little accidents (that previously would have transferred the impact energy to your neck, spine, etc.) now transfer it to the body shop! As I said, I am more concerned with all the electronics kit littered around the vehicle (true of virtually all vehicles nowadays). None of it likes heat -- yet most of it is exposed to heat in the normal course of events (esp in the engine compartment). We test drove a vehicle with forward facing "technology" (camera, "RADAR", etc.) mounted just inside the front windshield (forward of the rear view mirror). Sitting in the running vehicle while waiting for the sales droid, I watched error messages pop up on the driver's information display in rapid succession: - forward-facing-technology-feature #3 failure - forward-facing-technology-feature #1 failure - forward-facing-technology-feature #2 failure - forward-facing-technology-feature #4 failure (I forget the names of these individual features). Of course, it was easy to suss out that each of these features was related to the bit of technology packaged "inside the windshield"! When I asked the sales droid, his reply: "Oh, it does that when sitting out in the sun" (WTF? Are we only supposed to drive AT NIGHT??) Turns out the problem is related to heat build-up in a *stationary* vehicle -- air flowing over the windshield normally acts to cool this stuff (doesn't happen when you're parked *in* the sunshine). Likewise, it's relatively easy to find "bugs" in the systems in most vehicles -- without looking too hard! : I was able to crash the "infotainment system" in a Nissan (Murano, IIRC) purely by chance -- in the few minutes I was playing with it. I've already started a list of "anomalous behaviors" that I've observed in the various bits of technology. Some are just consequences of the implementation (e.g., if passenger and driver each have key fobs on their persons, vehicle tends to think first occupant is driver -- regardless of where seated!), some are poor design choices and others are "implementation screwups". Thankfully, most of the design choices *seem* to have been well thought out. In looking back at other vehicles, some of the same features were present but implemented differently -- in less "friendly" manners. E.g., when vehicle is in reverse, many vehicles automatically tilt the side mirrors downward so you can see what you are "backing into/onto". Some cars tilt both mirrors. Some cars tilt one or the other (configured by a user "setting" in a "configuration mode"). This vehicle puts that choice in the driver's hands at "run time" in a reasonably intuitive manner: - if the "side mirror select" switch (with which the driver normally chooses left, right or neither mirror to adjust with the "joystick" on the arm rest) is in the "none"/center position, both side mirrors remain "as is" when the vehicle is in reverse. - if the side mirror select switch is set to "driver's side mirror" (i.e., as if the driver would have wanted to adjust the driver's side mirror with the joystick), then the left mirror tilts downward when the car reverses - ditto for passenger's side mirror So, leave the switch in the center if you want to disable the "feature" (this also prevents you from accidentally disturbing the normal setting of the mirror by locking out the joystick). If you decide you need some help on one side or the other while backing up, just flip the switch to that side and the selected mirror moves downward. [I've not checked to see what happens if you try to use the joystick at this time] Other vehicles had cameras mounted around the vehicle to expose various views in the dash mounted display. IIRC, the Nissan had a downward facing camera in the passenger's side mirror that would let you watch the *curb* line while parking! These sorts of features are an excellent example of why -- contrary to most *naive* engineer's opinions -- providing too much flexibility in configuration is A Bad Thing; most users would be intimidated and not exploit *any* of that ability -- let alone exploit it *wisely*! One notable deficiency is a lack of *useful* information in an already BLOATED "owner's manual". There are many things that are not well documented. And, many others that could benefit from some detailed examples. I guess they expect you to get this information from an on-line forum, dealer, etc. And, of course, there are obvious documentation "errors" (cases where the software has evolved but the documentation hasn't kept pace). Then, there are amusing omissions! E.g., the navigation system can litter the map display with icons for hospitals, libraries, food stores, ATM's, dealerships (of course!), etc. But, no way to see where police stations are located! (I've not checked fire stations or post offices, yet). Amusing when you consider those things are probably more permanent (less likely to change than Joe's Generic Restaurant) than most of the "data" that WILL change almost monthly! Currently, the biggest "*simple* fix" screwup is a failure to add tactile indicators (i.e., "bumps") to the overhead garage door opener buttons so you can *feel* for the desired button in a darkened vehicle (instead of accidentally pushing one of the *other* buttons located nearby). It would be fun to design the "user interface" in a car! |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 8:04 AM, Frank wrote:
One annoyance of getting a new car. The string of LED's around tail lights looks chincy, particularly on expensive cars. Those that want to grow their pot with them should look at spectra of light output. There is more UV but not sure how else they might affect growth. Depends on the car. My Genesis has LED taillights but they have a full red lens so they don't appear to be a string of dots. Front DRL on a few cars look terrible, IMO. Cadillac is one of the worst, IMO, Audi not far behind. They they go out when the turn signal is on and it really looks bad. Some look like the designers got a new toy and they don't know how to play with them yet, but they must use them because the competition has them. |
LED bulbs not so bad
The dimable bulbs (i.e. Feits from Costco) tend to be large and heavy.
The bulb base has extra electronics to managing the dimming. The "non-dimable" Philips bulbs (traditional style - not the flat ones) are much smaller and lighter weight. Depending on the type of dimmer you have, the non-dimable builbs may still work. Philips "warm glow" bulbs are the best dimmable LED's I've seen and weigh less than CREE's non-dimmable bulbs. They're still heavier than a 60W incandescent bulb, but not by much. I just bought Philips 60W replaceable "warm glow" bulbs from Home Depot for $8 each. Sylvania's sunset effect bulbs are fairly light weight too, but I like the Philips bulbs better. Anthony Watson www.mountainsoftware.com www.watsondiy.com |
LED bulbs not so bad
Muggles wrote:
.... I bought some carnivorous plants to keep amongst the other plants and they've already caught some tiny gnats. (venus flytrap, and octopus plant [sundew]). LOVE them both. One of the octopus plants is blooming pretty pink flowers. ages ago i kept venus flytraps in a 10 gallon terrarium and they bloomed. did you ever think of how venus flytraps would be pollinated? :) they have yellow flowers on top of a stalk 8+" high. if you do get flower stalks they can be hand pollinated with a little brush and then the seeds will eventually come along. they look like tiny little eggplants. to get them to grow from seed can be a challenge. i had a bunch of them coming along and went on vacation and left my sister in charge of making sure they didn't dry out. heh. came home to shrivelled little nothings... poor tykes. songbird |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 9:24 AM, Arthur Conan Doyle wrote:
Don Y wrote: Tell the factory that! Car rides up higher than a regular car -- should all truck drivers deliberately point their lights at the ground (instead of "aiming" them as required?) The height of the lamp isn't the issue. As you noted, it's the aim point and the coverage area. Misaimed headlights are frequently too high and stray into the oncoming lane. There are two different issues at play. One is left to right aiming: the driver's side (inner) headlamp is supposed to point "right" instead of straight ahead. This keeps your lights out of the "other lane". But, height/elevation also plays a role. If you're lights are higher up off the roadway, they will cross a given point of elevation that lower mounted lights won't. E.g., an 18-wheeler's lights are more likely to be up *above* my eyes, pointed downward, than a MiniCooper's. In each case where "oncoming" drivers "flashed us", they were parked (at a light) directly across the intersection from us. I.e., close enough that our light cone hadn't fallen to a point BELOW the driver's eye level. Living in a world of pickup trucks, we had noticed this early on: "Why are everyone's headlights so bright?" But, you'd only notice when the offending vehicle was very close -- not "down the road a bit and headed in your direction". The "solution" is to get your vehicle *up* and out of the downward aimed lights sooner. Should folks not be allowed to use halogen and HID lights because they're brighter?? They aren't. The DOT regulates how bright a standard headight can be. http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx...e49.6.571_1108 Table XVIII and XIX - note the Maximum Photometric Intensity column. People think High Beams means brighter - it doesn't. It means the aim point is higher. Exactly. "High" and "low" aren't synonyms for "bright" and "dim". People also think some lamps are brighter because the color temp is different - more blue than incandescent or halogens. That's also regulated, but not as tightly. |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 8:46 AM, notbob wrote:
On 2015-11-28, Don Y wrote: Should folks not be allowed to use halogen and HID lights because they're brighter?? Halogen headlights usta be illegal in CA. Lotta bikers got busted cuz the CHP knew chopper riders invariably customized their bikes to include illegal halogen headlights for better see-ability. So, I was shocked when I got a new job in Silly-Con Valley (long time ago) that required me to commute at O-dark-thirty. Seems half the cars on the road had these newer, brighter, headlights. So bright, they gave me a headache. I usta let my hatchback rear window remain dirty jes to diminish the brightness of following vehicles. So, upside, can see better. Downside, $300 sunglasses! ;) We found the problem was the actual "height" of the lights. E.g., when a truck's headlamps are at the level of your head, while seated, it doesn't matter how bright they are; they're "in your eyes". People behind you tend to *stay* behind you. So, wherever their headlights are (focused) now, they will remain there for the foreseeable future. OTOH, an oncoming vehicle's headlamps will pass *through* the point of focus "in your eyes" before the vehicle gets to your location; it won't *stay* in that "unsweet spot" indefinitely (unless you are both sitting at a traffic interchange waiting for the signal to change!) |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 9:41 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 11/28/2015 10:24 AM, Don Y wrote: Sounds like you should tilt those headlights down a bit, so you don't keep (knowingly) blinding other drivers. That's quite inconsiderate to keep blinding other drivers after being asked many times, and knowing that you've been asked many times, to dim the brights. Tell the factory that! Car rides up higher than a regular car -- should all truck drivers deliberately point their lights at the ground (instead of "aiming" them as required?) Should folks not be allowed to use halogen and HID lights because they're brighter?? Properly aimed, they should not be blinding others no matter how bright. One possibility is some drivers just see they are brighter and assume you have the high beams on even if they are not blinded. See my other posts, here. The issue is elevation of the headlamp. The first time it happened, we (new to the car) went to "lower" the beam -- and ended up flashing the highs, instead. So, the other vehicle now *knows* we didn't have the highs on. Had he been in a pickup truck or other "high riding" vehicle, he would probably not have noticed. Or, had his vehicle been in relative motion to ours so he wasn't in the "bad spot" for the duration of the traffic light. It's also possible that seeing the "wider" light source (3 lamps each side instead of just one filament) led him to think it was two bulbs, side by side. And, they're "whiter" than normal incandescents. Possible aim is bad from the factory. Unlikely, but stuff happens. The factory specs are less than the best. I sometimes do notice the Jeep SUV type is a bad aim for oncoming cars. I see a couple of them and they are brighter in my eyes than any other car. Another possibility is you have 6 bags of concrete in the trunk and the lights are looking up. Many cars have self leveling lights though. There's a real spare in the trunk (instead of a bottle of sealant and a pump) but I doubt that makes much of a load difference (~100#?) |
LED bulbs not so bad
HerHusband wrote:
I just bought Philips 60W replaceable "warm glow" bulbs from Home Depot for $8 each. LED bulb costs are starting to come down. Costco sells a 3 pack of Feit 60W for under $9, but that inlcudes a local electric utility subsidy. Without the subsidy they are around 3/$15. |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 9:39 AM, Arthur Conan Doyle wrote:
Ed Pawlowski wrote: I guess you get what you pay for. I looked at other cheap Utilitech bulbs and the 60W equivalent is only 5000 hours. Same size from Sylvania is 25,000 hours and is only a buck or so more. The other thing to keep in mind is "dimable" vs. "non-dimable." The dimable bulbs (i.e. Feits from Costco) tend to be large and heavy. The bulb base has extra electronics to managing the dimming. The "non-dimable" Philips bulbs (traditional style - not the flat ones) are much smaller and lighter weight. Depending on the type of dimmer you have, the non-dimable builbs may still work. Non-dimmable bulbs in a dimmer circuit often consume *more* power (as well as almost ALWAYS forcing less efficient operation!) when used with dimmers that are "inappropriate"! |
LED bulbs not so bad
Arthur Conan Doyle wrote:
HerHusband wrote: I just bought Philips 60W replaceable "warm glow" bulbs from Home Depot for $8 each. LED bulb costs are starting to come down. Costco sells a 3 pack of Feit 60W for under $9, but that inlcudes a local electric utility subsidy. Without the subsidy they are around 3/$15. I tried GE, Feit, Cree, Philips, I liked Philips, Cree daylight ones. Also found out dimmable ones work as well with motion sensors. |
LED bulbs not so bad
Don Y wrote:
On 11/28/2015 9:39 AM, Arthur Conan Doyle wrote: Ed Pawlowski wrote: I guess you get what you pay for. I looked at other cheap Utilitech bulbs and the 60W equivalent is only 5000 hours. Same size from Sylvania is 25,000 hours and is only a buck or so more. The other thing to keep in mind is "dimable" vs. "non-dimable." The dimable bulbs (i.e. Feits from Costco) tend to be large and heavy. The bulb base has extra electronics to managing the dimming. The "non-dimable" Philips bulbs (traditional style - not the flat ones) are much smaller and lighter weight. Depending on the type of dimmer you have, the non-dimable builbs may still work. Non-dimmable bulbs in a dimmer circuit often consume *more* power (as well as almost ALWAYS forcing less efficient operation!) when used with dimmers that are "inappropriate"! By wasted non-energy producing ghost Wattage! |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 9:50 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 11/28/2015 8:04 AM, Frank wrote: One annoyance of getting a new car. The string of LED's around tail lights looks chincy, particularly on expensive cars. I'm waiting for the Tbird emulation frenzy to take place! : Those that want to grow their pot with them should look at spectra of light output. There is more UV but not sure how else they might affect growth. Depends on the car. My Genesis has LED taillights but they have a full red lens so they don't appear to be a string of dots. Front DRL on a few cars look terrible, IMO. Cadillac is one of the worst, IMO, Audi not far behind. They they go out when the turn signal is on and it really looks bad. Some look like the designers got a new toy and they don't know how to play with them yet, but they must use them because the competition has them. A lot of what goes into cars (appearance-wise) is to make the vehicle more noticeable to other drivers (safety). E.g., brake lights had been "low, on either side" of the car for ages -- why the sudden need to put a third one "up high"? Ans: because it isn't *expected* there (yet) so drivers notice it more readily. Ditto motorcycles running with headlight(s) on -- in daylight. Drivers -- when not deliberately distracted by their own amusements -- tend to "zone out" and fail to see lots of what's in front of them. |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 2015-11-28, Don Y wrote:
People behind you tend to *stay* behind you. So, wherever their headlights are (focused) now, they will remain there for the foreseeable future. ....unless they are following you at half a car-length and/or driving one of those 4WD "land yacht" trucks/suvs and their "illuminate Cincinnati" headlights are "in yer face". Sheesh! You relate all the proper technical answers, but seem to have never done any real life commuting or even any real driving. I think you need to get a "real life" clue. ;) nb |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 2015-11-28, Tony Hwang wrote:
Don Y wrote: Non-dimmable bulbs in a dimmer circuit often consume *more* power (as well as almost ALWAYS forcing less efficient operation!) when used with dimmers that are "inappropriate"! By wasted non-energy producing ghost Wattage! Yes. It's called a shunt. You jes lost any creds you may have ever had. nb |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 11:04 AM, notbob wrote:
On 2015-11-28, Don Y wrote: People behind you tend to *stay* behind you. So, wherever their headlights are (focused) now, they will remain there for the foreseeable future. ....unless they are following you at half a car-length and/or driving one of those 4WD "land yacht" trucks/suvs and their "illuminate Cincinnati" headlights are "in yer face". Sheesh! You relate all the proper technical answers, but seem to have never done any real life commuting or even any real driving. I think you need to get a "real life" clue. ;) Did you *read* what I wrote? "People behind you tend to stay behind you." I.e., if they are "half a car-length" behind you they will STAY half a car length behind you -- unlike oncoming cars where the distance changes with each passing instant! "So, wherever their headlights are (focused) now, they will remain there for the foreseeable future" I.e., "in yer face" -- and they will *stay* "in yer face"! You should, perhaps, think more carefully about what I've written before complaining about my lack of "real life" experience. (Or, should I be writing at a THIRD grade level, instead??) |
LED bulbs not so bad
Stormin Mormon wrote in alt.home.repair:
On 11/27/2015 9:29 PM, Don Y wrote: On 11/27/2015 7:00 PM, Tony Hwang wrote: LEDs are not matured yet. I have a reservation on LED head lights/tail lights on new cars. They're like LCD display, narrow view of angle. That's why you put optics in front of them! We've been very pleased with the LED headlights on our vehicle (haven't ever been behind it to comment on tail lights). Oncoming vehicles frequently flash their "brights" suggesting they think we have ours on (but we don't). Turn signals illuminate the overhead signs ("next exit 2 miles"). Time will tell how they fare with our heat... Sounds like you should tilt those headlights down a bit, so you don't keep (knowingly) blinding other drivers. That's quite inconsiderate to keep blinding other drivers after being asked many times, and knowing that you've been asked many times, to dim the brights. Agreed. In Virgnia, it's part of the annual inspection to ensure the tilt it maintained so you do not blind (and thereby endanger) other drivers. If folks flash their lights at you, you have something wrong and need to fix it. -- |
LED bulbs not so bad
Don Y wrote in alt.home.repair:
On 11/28/2015 5:42 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote: On 11/27/2015 9:29 PM, Don Y wrote: On 11/27/2015 7:00 PM, Tony Hwang wrote: LEDs are not matured yet. I have a reservation on LED head lights/tail lights on new cars. They're like LCD display, narrow view of angle. That's why you put optics in front of them! We've been very pleased with the LED headlights on our vehicle (haven't ever been behind it to comment on tail lights). Oncoming vehicles frequently flash their "brights" suggesting they think we have ours on (but we don't). Turn signals illuminate the overhead signs ("next exit 2 miles"). Time will tell how they fare with our heat... Sounds like you should tilt those headlights down a bit, so you don't keep (knowingly) blinding other drivers. That's quite inconsiderate to keep blinding other drivers after being asked many times, and knowing that you've been asked many times, to dim the brights. Tell the factory that! Car rides up higher than a regular car -- should all truck drivers deliberately point their lights at the ground (instead of "aiming" them as required?) Should folks not be allowed to use halogen and HID lights because they're brighter?? There is an angle higher cars ned to use to not blind others. It is the law. Higher car does not matter. -- |
LED bulbs not so bad
On 11/28/2015 11:11 AM, notbob wrote:
On 2015-11-28, Tony Hwang wrote: Don Y wrote: Non-dimmable bulbs in a dimmer circuit often consume *more* power (as well as almost ALWAYS forcing less efficient operation!) when used with dimmers that are "inappropriate"! By wasted non-energy producing ghost Wattage! Yes. It's called a shunt. No, dimmers don't work with "shunts". The problem with CFL/LED "ballasts" is that they don't represent nice resistive loads -- like the incandescents for which legacy dimmers were created (and still in use). See the 'scope traces at: http://sound.westhost.com/articles/incandescent.htm#wfm (N.B. the vertical scale has been changed by a factor of *5* from the "non-dimmer" example to the "dimmer" example that appears below it. [The rest of the page is probably worth reading -- if you're technically inclined. E.g., the table that appears a bit above the cited photos if you like to see numbers instead of graphs] You jes lost any creds you may have ever had. Hmmm... something about "real life" comes to mind... |
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