please help me find the cf nitelite i am want

nitebrite · #1 03-29-2004, 12:14 AM

hi all. i am sick of the low quality compact fluorescent nitelites made in the orient! i would like one that uses at least 4 watts has a photo sensor AND most importantly has a user replaceable bulb! like a bi-pin or something. also it must plug directly into a outlet, no cord. imho, the non-replaceable bulb units are not a good value nor are they safe.

if anyone knows of a product like this in the united states please name it and where you saw it.

thank you.

gwbaltzell · #2 03-29-2004, 06:29 AM

I don't know if I would call something like this a night light! I do use a screw-in 5 W Lights of America unit to light a long hallway. This uses a bi-pin replaceable bulb which means it has a built-in starter. This means it blinks when first turned on. Light output is similar to a 20 to 25 W incandescent! A photo sensor would have to be added and many of the screw in units are not suited to non-incandescent use. There is a 4 pin 4 W compact fluorescent bulb made. If you can find a ballast, building your own plug-in unit should not be hard. But neithter cheap or small. There are also a large number of cheaply made 4 W linear bulb battery operated units. Most of these actually instant start the bulb and so greatly reduce the bulb life. Also usually come with a cheap cool-white bulb. My one experience with a unit similar to what you want was a 3 W unit that came with an extra 3 W special bulb. By the time the bulb needed replacing the cheap plastic case had badly aged and barely last the second bulb. This had a switch not a photo cell. For a night light I use a LED unit made by GE.

nitebrite · #3 03-29-2004, 10:33 AM

actually it does not have to be a cf light. it could be an incan that is reblaceable and puts out at least 20 watts, must plug in and have photo sensor. or a very bright led 1w+. i had a nitelite with a .5w blue led, it sucked. if i could get a led nitelite with the output of a sf 14 i'd be set. if it is an led it does not need to be replaceable. i do not like these cheap fluorescent lights that yellow and melt plus the electronic starters are bad news.

gwbaltzell · #4 03-29-2004, 05:21 PM

I had forgotten the one mentioned on this thread. I don't know anything else about it.

nitebrite · #5 03-30-2004, 03:19 AM

those are screw ins. it looks like there is no plug in light that puts out over equivalent 15 watts with a replaceable bulb. anyways i have found that by the time the first bulb is dying in one of these cheapies the lense is all yellowed and brittle anyways. sad that they cant make a darn lense that can handle the ehat of that little cf bulb.

nitebrite.