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Miki Giunta
Starting Member
United Kingdom
1 Posts |
 Posted - 07/18/2012 : 01:52:26 AM
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Does anyone have any recent experience with LED bulbs? My 7 year old clf's are starting to burn out, and I am thinking of going led in those lights. But, I know when they first came out people said it was more of a spotlight or laser effect, as the light didn't flow to other parts of the room. Before I drop $40 for each bulb, I am wanting to do some research...
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Edited by - Miki Giunta on 07/18/2012 01:53:35 AM |
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jdale
Advanced Member
USA
1013 Posts |
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BLH
Advanced Member
3759 Posts |
Posted - 07/18/2012 : 08:42:25 AM
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I have used the Philips EnduraLED bulbs.
As jdale pointed out. They kind of look like an alien head when off with a Yellow plastic cover. The neat thing is internally they have intense Blue LEDs that make the Yellow Plastic emit white light. They do no act like a spot light and illuminate the ceiling from a table lamp.
Since you are in the UK. Bulbs that are 240 volts 50 Cycles may not have an equivalent to ours.
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Geo
Advanced Member
Canada
490 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2012 : 05:10:48 AM
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| Predictions are the CFLs prices will increase dramatically. First, the price of rare earth metals, controlled by China, as it drove other producers out of business, has been increasing steadily. Second, there is a lot of manual labor in their assembly and their disposal puts all kinds of unfiendly chemicals in the ground. So, some experts feel the future belongs to LEDs. |
GJN |
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stusviews
Advanced Member
USA
8461 Posts |
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Geo
Advanced Member
Canada
490 Posts |
Posted - 08/28/2012 : 08:24:46 AM
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True, but it is now hitting electronics manufacturing magazines. Apparently Japan has closed their production lines. In my experience manufacturing orders are placed for a minimum one year with price escallation formulas reviewed annually. The material price increases are real. Although I don't know what percentage of the CFL cost rare earth metals represent, the manufacturing margins are wafer thin and nobody can absorb cost increases forever.
For all I know, however, the price increase is artificial and may not apply to Chinese manufacturers. The purpose may be to drive the non-Chinese competition out of business. It wouldn't be the first time. I was in a situation when several components made in China cost me more than if I had the whole thing manufactured there.
But all that aside, I view LEDs as more perspective technically, ecologically and more suitable for manufacturing automation. |
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BLH
Advanced Member
3759 Posts |
Posted - 08/28/2012 : 09:23:36 AM
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Geo; I have read on some LED Lighting sites. That some LEDs also use rare earth metals. So they also could be effected. Though some LED manufacturers are looking at alternative ways to make them.
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Geo
Advanced Member
Canada
490 Posts |
Posted - 08/28/2012 : 11:23:51 AM
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I read the same thing, but the price of LEDs is so high, there is little impact at this time. And again, many are made in China. Nobody in the history of mankind ever got away with trying to control the market or people for very long. There's always been someone to break such a hold. Chinese cornered the rare earth market by first driving the prices too low. They are not the only country with those resources. The mines can always be re-opened. But like I said, I have other reasons for preferring LEDs over CFLs.
We could open the whole can of worms here. There are very few, if any, truly unbiased studies regarding incandescents versus other light sources. There are political as well as business factors public doesn't know much about. In Europe the ban on incandescent lights (Philips lobby?) has been a boon for their manufacturers. Many people now have more bulbs at home than they can use over their lifetimes. And there are companies in Germany importing incandescents under the name of "bulbous glass heaters" or something like that. Go figure. |
GJN |
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stevetaylor
Starting Member
Australia
1 Posts |
Posted - 09/15/2012 : 12:06:17 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Miki Giunta
Does anyone have any recent experience with LED bulbs? My 7 year old clf's are starting to burn out, and I am thinking of going led in those lights. But, I know when they first came out people said it was more of a spotlight or laser effect, as the light didn't flow to other parts of the room. Before I drop $40 for each bulb, I am wanting to do some research...
Hi.
Go for LED lights as they have many merits. The key strength of LED lightings are their reduced power consumption and longer life. Other than this, LED's do not contain Mercury or other toxic heavy metals and does not emit UV radiation.
LED has emerged as the future of household lighting.
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Geo
Advanced Member
Canada
490 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2012 : 3:37:11 PM
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| Yes, LEDs are more environmentally friendly and have more pleasant light than the CFLs. In terms of power consumption they are mutually comparable, so that's not the casting vote. As far as their life goes, who knows? It's generally the driver circuitry in both LEDs and CFLs that goes, not the light source. After many years uf usingt CFLs I'm yet to see one used daily lasting 4 years. Lifecycle primarily hinges on keeping the electronics cool. The longer life you're trying to design in, the more it costs. |
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LEDs
Starting Member
Canada
1 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2012 : 12:32:12 PM
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| I have read numerous articles dealing with the efficieny of CFLs and LED lights and despite the original price of the LEDs they do have a higher return on the investment than the CFLs. |
Edited by - LEDs on 10/03/2012 12:34:47 PM |
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Geo
Advanced Member
Canada
490 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2012 : 3:55:28 PM
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| It's a trade-off between quality, cost and life expectancy which affects the volume sold. It's usually an electronic component in a LED light or a CFL which fails. Just adding a few pennies in cost for better components would increase the expected life dramatically. But then the manufacturer would sell a lot less of those lights. Wouldn't he? |
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led bulbs
