Still getting used to LED lights

[iowabear]

I just have two LED bulbs that I specifically bought for a hard-to-reach fixture. 

 

The rest of my bulbs are CFLs and this batch really seems to be holding out a long time.

 

Electricity here is expensive but I live alone and only keep the lights on in the room I'm occupying.  It doesn't make any financial sense to change the CFLs until they burn out.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Well, here is an LED desk lamp that seemed to be the only kind Walmart sells (there was a One Regular Incandescent there, but the store refused to sell it, prompting me to wonder why & when the last time that it COULD!)

The Kama flashed, flickered and arc'd at first, and the diodes even lit up unevenly, as in incompletely, but the inherent defects fixed themselves, so it operates normally, replacing a couple incandescents which I had before, one secured with a clamp, but the gooseneck son them were seemingly breaking...

Again, I wish I could have stuck with the Conventional Incandescent design, but I grew to like it, or get used to it, and I'm praying it giving me a long life--I really don't recall having to change light bulbs in the former units that frequently, and I don't mind it being left on or squawk about it being left on as the halogen (that somehow lost its glass lens) that is in the last picture, I'd briefly on that desk, employed...

-- Dave

 

[luxflairguy]

After moving into my 500 sq. ft. apartment in Dec '17, the first several bills( including heat) were in the $70.00 range.  I soon learned about that all afternoon DIRECT heat streamed in.  I have 8 free-standing lamps all  with LED's in them from various brands including WalMart, Lowes and HD.   All with "soft white" tones.  Like them all!  3 lamps are on 24/7--smaller wattages.  I use my full size oven rarely and bill now runs about $54.00 month.  My h2o is also electric but not having Washer/Dryer is a plus.  A/C season is starting and now I'm ready to keep it as low as I can!!    I Sumas, WA where I was before here, 1200 sq. ft.  was similar in price but had gas fired heat!  G

 

[iej]

I absolutely hate them. They need to be filtered to a much softer colour. The councils here seem to be opting for a white temperature that's just unpleasantly blue.

I can't imagine it's good for wildlife either. I'm hearing birds singing at night since the sodium lamp heads in my area were changed.

 

[dylanmitchell]

LED streetlights are harsh and blue

I hate LED streetlights. The only ones that I'd be willing to put up with are the smart dimming ones that have motion sensors and go to full light when a person or vehicle and sometimes the neighbors' cats go by.

What tech has the best light quality sodium vapor, mercury vapor or other? And are any of those dimmable or tolerant of motion sensor on-off cycles?

The best LED lights I have are the first ones Cree came out with that had the dope on the glass. Some of the first LED's Cree had that were $15 or $20 but I got several for a close out price when they were switching to the easier to manufacture but less vibrant LED's.

 

[tolivac]

HID lamps can be dimmed in steps-this does sacrifice life of the HID lamp.And the color quality can change.For the most part LED can be dimmed and their color quality changes very little.But-NO I prefer mercury and HPS streetlights.Most LED streetlights have TOO MUCH GLARE!And just don't light the way as well in rain or snow.LED tech needs to mature more-and it needs to have ANSI standards for drivers and LED "bulbs" or LED panels-as in the "waffle" style LED streetlights.If there is ANSI standards for LED lights-than they can be more easily repaired.At present if a LED streetlight goes out its replaced with a WHOLE NEW fixture-ANSI lights and HID lights could be repaired because of the ANSI wattage and voltage standards for ballasts and bulbs.

 

[cfz2882]

I hate LED street lighting for many of the reasons given above in reply 44-HPS,LPS are far superior for street lighting tasks than LEDs.. Funny when the goofy things go bad and start to strobe-those get fixed right away! LEDs do good for gas station canopy use though.

 

[sudsmaster]

Well, it went outside the other night to check on our streetlight, and it's the same old ugly "gray light" it had before the bulb was replaced.

I don't see why a better color balance couldn't be installed... they may save a few watts with the gray light, but the quality of life would be improved.

I might pen a letter to the City asking that the next time they replace our street lamp, they use a higher quality LED bulb. Or thingie.

And I confess even though the light is ugly, I was relieved in the middle of winter to see that bulb replaced. Adequate street lighting has been shown, I believe, to be crime-fighting.

The previous street lighting was low pressure sodium. An awful orange light. So the LED was an improvement over that.

 

[dylanmitchell]

Strobe I call those disco lights

Still a few CFL fluorescent pathway lights around here I call them disco lights when they start to flicker out.

There are some excellent LED lights my favorites is the 2014 era TW Series Cree LED Bulb with Neodymium that bluish covering that filtered the light and the Cree Surface LS series in my garage the LS4-40L-40K-10V. I think Neodymium that bluish covering is expensive but would make street lights less harsh and blinding. My garage is beautifully lit but I wouldn't want that light anywhere near my when trying to sleep!

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Well, the outer diodes in my LED desk lamp aren’t giving off any light, only the inner and center, and contrary to hard it is to notice in the pictures here, the light it gives off is noticeable dim...

— Dave

 

[sudsmaster]

There are a number of good choices in standard screw in bulbs with LED's instead of incandescent or CFL. Warm white, Bright, Daylight, Cool. Many are also dimmable. A simple goose neck lamp will hold most any of them.

 

And, if and when the bulb fails, just screw in a new one.

 

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I know, I have to go out shopping for a screw-in desk lamp, I got screwed out of one from left from a Walmart's remaining inventory that it wouldn't selll me...

Otherwise, there's the halogen bulb one that gives off plenty of light but I don't like it left on, which I don't mind this one being (or even an ordinary incandescent Bulb)...

-- Dave