new bulbs for energizer folding florescent lantern

Hi Folks,

A long while back a remember a discussion of the energizer 4D folding florescent lantern where someone mentioned that they had replaced the tubes that come with it with some soft white ones from Home Depot.

As I was standing in Home Depot today with nothing more in my basket than the water filter cartridge for the fridge that I had been sent to replace I remembered that I had wanted to do that. So I head over to the bulb isle and picked up 2 phillips soft white 4 watt tubes for it.

These are much nicer to see under than the very blue lamps that it came with. Worth another $8 to make it a very nice lantern in my opinion. And now I have 2 spare tubes. I think I need another one of these things now... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Yep. I can pick GE 3400K tubes locally for £1.20apiece. Makes it like an entirely new light.

Reckon the original ones appear very slightly brighter to the eye, but the light quality of the new ones is just sooo much nicer.

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Reckon the original ones appear very slightly brighter to the eye, but the light quality of the new ones is just sooo much nicer.

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Yes, I agree. The old ones looked a little brighter, but were not as usable.

And if I get a second one.. then I could add connections so that the 2 of them could be used in series from a 12v source... hmmm.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

James S, I believe I was the one you are referring to. I still use them all the time, too. They are SO much nicer than the stock blues for general flood lighting.

hey Phaserburn, yes almost certainly you /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif thanks for jogging my memory.

I am mr lantern today, just picked up that coleman pack away 8D which will get some external connections for a 12v hookup shortly /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

it is hurricane season afterall!

Hey James, how do you like the 8D packaway? How does it compare in output to the 4D folding?

It is considerably brighter than the 4D folding. But again it's a cool blue bulb. I just posted to This Thread that I had got one /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

As you'll see they are also looking for a warm white 14 watt spiral bulb to replace it with but there seem to be some problems finding one that has a compatible pinout.

But I like the lantern. With the top down the form factor is excellent. I'm a little wary about the friction stops that hold it open and closed, but it is smart enough to shut off the light if you close the lid with it on. I think if you were carrying it by the handle and gave it a good swing it would pop open on you.

For me though they are all about using in the house during a power failure, or perhaps on a kids campout on the back porch /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif So I doubt I'll be backpacking lugging lots of D cells with me. An in any case D Cells are the first to sell out at the grocery stores around here when there is a hurricane heading in anyway. So at that point I'll be using some other source of DC power.