Zelandeth
Flashlight Enthusiast
Will get a page for this up as soon as my webhost sorts itself out, can't upload to my site just now...grrrr...
Spotted something in Tesco today when looking for a 100W Halogena bulb...which they've stopped stocking, great (mutters something profane about the store in question). Initially, looks like one of those standard CF bulbs with the GLS shaped diffuser over the tube. However, this initially normal seeming 9W bulb has a trick up its sleeve. Or under its bulb as the case actually is.
It's a bulb with two modes. One of which runs the 9W CF lamp, another which runs two amber LED's hidden away under the outer bulb. It's intended as a nightlight, and serves that purpose well, seems a bit brighter than those neon nightlights, and the colour's pretty similar as well. However, it allows you to instantly switch from that to the equivilant of a 40W incan instantly in the same fixture, simply by switching the supply off and on again twice within three seconds.
It initially powers up in the LED mode, so I can see another possible application for this. Put in whichever fixture you can reach the switch for from the bed - i.e. if you just need to make your way across the room for something, no need to totally blind yourself with a bright bulb, however, if you need more light, just flick the switch a couple of times, and you have a decent amount of light.
I'm not actually sure if the LED's run all the time or not, as their output is totally masked by the light from the tube, not sure how I'd find out either. The only possible worry I can see with this lamp, is whether the heat buldup in there will cause trouble for the LED's, as though far, far less than from an incan, the CF tube will still put out a fair amount of heat. Only time will tell I guess, though I have yet to decide whether to put this into service (Where?!?) or to keep it as an exhibit for the collection/museum. Couldn't afford this one, let alone buy a control sample!
Performance seems to be okay - it's not blinding, but it wasn't designed to be. Output does seem to be on par with a 40W soft white incan, as it claims. Warmup time is up there with the best of them, and the colour's good. Eyeball figure would be 3000K, give or take, slightly cooler than the "Mercury 15W 2700K" lamp on my lighting page, but not by much.
The only niggle I have really, is the choice of LEDs. They're obviously water-clear case types, ans project a clearly visible ringy pattern onto the opal outer bulb, with a shadow cast by the U-tube inside. Diffused LEDs would have made things look much tidier. Will clarify this with photos once I have a working upload feature again!
Not sure if I'm the only CF and flourescent enthusiast here or not, but I hope this is of interest to someone!
Spotted something in Tesco today when looking for a 100W Halogena bulb...which they've stopped stocking, great (mutters something profane about the store in question). Initially, looks like one of those standard CF bulbs with the GLS shaped diffuser over the tube. However, this initially normal seeming 9W bulb has a trick up its sleeve. Or under its bulb as the case actually is.
It's a bulb with two modes. One of which runs the 9W CF lamp, another which runs two amber LED's hidden away under the outer bulb. It's intended as a nightlight, and serves that purpose well, seems a bit brighter than those neon nightlights, and the colour's pretty similar as well. However, it allows you to instantly switch from that to the equivilant of a 40W incan instantly in the same fixture, simply by switching the supply off and on again twice within three seconds.
It initially powers up in the LED mode, so I can see another possible application for this. Put in whichever fixture you can reach the switch for from the bed - i.e. if you just need to make your way across the room for something, no need to totally blind yourself with a bright bulb, however, if you need more light, just flick the switch a couple of times, and you have a decent amount of light.
I'm not actually sure if the LED's run all the time or not, as their output is totally masked by the light from the tube, not sure how I'd find out either. The only possible worry I can see with this lamp, is whether the heat buldup in there will cause trouble for the LED's, as though far, far less than from an incan, the CF tube will still put out a fair amount of heat. Only time will tell I guess, though I have yet to decide whether to put this into service (Where?!?) or to keep it as an exhibit for the collection/museum. Couldn't afford this one, let alone buy a control sample!
Performance seems to be okay - it's not blinding, but it wasn't designed to be. Output does seem to be on par with a 40W soft white incan, as it claims. Warmup time is up there with the best of them, and the colour's good. Eyeball figure would be 3000K, give or take, slightly cooler than the "Mercury 15W 2700K" lamp on my lighting page, but not by much.
The only niggle I have really, is the choice of LEDs. They're obviously water-clear case types, ans project a clearly visible ringy pattern onto the opal outer bulb, with a shadow cast by the U-tube inside. Diffused LEDs would have made things look much tidier. Will clarify this with photos once I have a working upload feature again!
Not sure if I'm the only CF and flourescent enthusiast here or not, but I hope this is of interest to someone!
