31 May
2010
31 May
'10
11:42 a.m.
On 30/05/2010 20:21, Tony Duell wrote:
Maybe I've been lucky but the short striplight tube I have over mine
doesn't seem too bad. Maybe the phosphor is unusual, though.
That, actually, is the only place I wouldn't worry too much about using
CFLs. The stobe effect isn't that major [1] and since I'm the only person
in the workshop, I can hear the motor of the machine I am using running.
It's more of a problem in a workshop with many people working where you
may hear a motor and think it's somebody else's machine.
[1] As an aside, some months back I needed a stroboscope to check the
performance of a couple of rewound motors (in an HP9125A plotter). I made
a simple unit using a 55 timer, a divider chain and 4 white LEDs. It
worked well. For a laugh (!), I made a second model using a crystal
osciallator an divider chain which would produce 100 or 120 flashes per
second, thus simulating a US or European mains lamp. I dug a spare floppy
drive out of my junk box, got it spinning and noticed the strobe
divisions on the spindle pulley were not that clear under the (strip
light type of flourescent lamp, choke ballast) light over my bench. But
wit hthe LED strobe they were very clear. So perhaps the srobe effect
Well
I've pretty much used CFLs here for a few years now, they last
longer (if correctly used), generate less heat, which is deffo an
advantage for the anglepoise that I use for close work :)
Oh so have I, I actually prefer them for most applciations. That is, in
all but 4 locations...
1) Over my lathe (the stroboscopic effect does seem to be noticeable) from a flourescent lamp is not that serious.
2) In the darkroom (the CFLs have a long enouhg
afterglow to fog film
after being turned off for quite some time)
Agreed. I bought a few "daylight" incandescents (the ones with the blue
coating) shortly before they became unobtanium. 3) In the copying stand (the light spectrum from
a CFL is useless for
colour photography)
You can now get pretty good daylight ones, and in fact you can get
lighting kits that use them because they produce much less heat for the
same light output as umpteen hundred watts of incandescents. But
ordinary domestic bulbs have a pretty awful spectral output, and
different brands have different characteristics. The proper daylight
ones are seriously more expensive than ordinary domestic ones. 4) As ballast resistors (you don't seriously
think a CFL will work there,
do oyu?)
Not much chance !