Light bulb ?

CanadianGuy · #1 05-26-2005, 10:28 PM

Wondering if someone knows what this light bulb is that I saw recently. I was walking into my local Sears' receiving department, I noticed a receptacle above me had a weird bulb in it. It was shaped like a regular incandescent bulb, but was very blue and almost looks like it is a fluorescent light. I know this is not much of a description.

I'm going to try and ask them if I can trade them for a regular light bulb... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

ACMarina · #2 05-27-2005, 09:10 AM

Maybe they're blacklight, to check for markings on boxes or something?

The_LED_Museum · #3 05-27-2005, 10:19 AM

If they won't trade you this bulb for a regular one, try asking them about this bulb: name, brand, wattage, type, etc.
Maybe you can even coersce them into unscrewing it and allowing you to examine it.
If you are successful in this, be sure to record the name/brand/wattage/type/etc. before handing it back.

PhotonWrangler · #4 05-27-2005, 02:35 PM

Could it be a mercury vapor lamp with a frosted coating rather than a phosphor coating? Those make a sickly greenish-blue.

CanadianGuy · #5 05-29-2005, 09:07 PM

Well, I haven't seen it again since, but I'm itching to go back and at least look at it again. May have been just a GE "Reveal" bulb. I haven't seen what they look like, though.

It was rather hard to look straight at, so I thought it was a compact fluorescent inside a regular glass shell. Has anyone seen something like that?

Thanks for the replies [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

PhotonWrangler · #6 05-30-2005, 11:00 AM

Yes, I've seen many CF lamps that are built into traditional glass envelopes, including those that are shaped like regular incandescent household bulbs. Some of them are quite bright and difficult to look at.

It could've been a G-E Real bulb also. In general a CF lamp will produce a slight bluish halo around it where a Reveal lamp won't. That might be how to tell them apart.

It sounds like color rendering is important to them at that location.

BTW, I can remember when "Reveal" style lamps (bluish envelope) were called Jeweller's Lamps because they would add a touch of sparkle when used in jewerly display cases.

Zelandeth · #7 05-30-2005, 02:04 PM

Sounds to me - given the location that it's most likely a CFL with a high colour temperature.