View Single Post
  #43   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 09-12-2010, 11:43
Tom Line's Avatar
Tom Line Tom Line is offline
Raptors can't turn doorknobs.
FRC #1718 (The Fighting Pi)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Rookie Year: 1999
Location: Armada, Michigan
Posts: 2,565
Tom Line has a reputation beyond reputeTom Line has a reputation beyond reputeTom Line has a reputation beyond reputeTom Line has a reputation beyond reputeTom Line has a reputation beyond reputeTom Line has a reputation beyond reputeTom Line has a reputation beyond reputeTom Line has a reputation beyond reputeTom Line has a reputation beyond reputeTom Line has a reputation beyond reputeTom Line has a reputation beyond repute
Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandon Holley View Post
You said it.

Solid state lighting (LEDs) is an absolutely exploding business sector. An LED 2 years ago is like comparing a Playstation 3 from today to an N64 or a comparison similar to that.

LED manufacturers have continuously been bumping the efficacy (lumens/watt) of LEDs while fixture/bulb manufacturers have become better at maximizing their performance (better optical efficiency, thermal efficiency, etc.)

The problem with many of the former LED replacement bulbs is exactly what has been discussed here. They claimed to be a 60W equivalent, when in reality they were only something like a 40W equivalent. This gave the initial impression in the market place that LED bulbs just weren't that good, when the fact was it was just a little before their time.

My recommendation is to wait and judge for yourself if the bulb suits your needs, and don't make a decision about LED replacements based off of one bulb. Every brand is different and uses different LEDs, and some are much better than others.

As for reliability, again early systems ingrained a bad taste in consumers mouthes. A well designed (see: thermally managed) LED bulb can last for 50,000+ hours, I'll let you do the math to determine how long it would last in your application of choice. The length of time it lasts is almost always directly related to how well it is thermally managed; this is why they do not recommend putting them into enclosed fixtures.

I'm excited to see what these bulbs look like in person, I have high hopes.

-Brando
Brandon, forgive my skepticism. I've seen similar claims on the CFL's that everyone is being forced to swap two, and not once have I had one of the dozens I've used last anywhere near the advertised time. It seems that while the non-circuited bulb portion doesn't break, the board itself and the mini-ballast simply aren't up to the task of being turned on and off a couple times a day. In fact, I've gotten significantly less life out of most of the CFL bulbs that I have comparable incandescent, especially in locations like the bathroom where they are turned on and off 15 or 20 times a day.

I've talked with several barn and home builders and they've complained - they installed CFL bulbs at the request of their customers and have had to warranty large numbers of those bulbs. In one case a neighbor of mine who had a 40x100 pole barn built for his dog training facility has had to warranty nearly 30 bulbs - so many that GE has assigned him an engineer to contact directly, and they simply send him a free box of bulbs when he calls because they've gotten so many of his returns over 2 years.

I hope LED's are better. As far as I know they don't require the high voltage ballast that seems so fragile in CFL's.
Reply With Quote