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Comment Spelling and Living in the Cold (Score 1) 767

If you use CFLs, be assured that familiar dark spot will appear. Then the problems start arising in the CFL starting. LEDs have a tremendous MTBF. I'm talking about the LED element itself. Most current LED failures come from lousy power conversion supplies. When competition irons that out, Incandescent and CFLs will die in the future. Who cares about what the law says? It's the money and efficiency that will win regardless of the Morons on the hill in DC. If you like CFL's go out and buy a Plasma TV. Same technologies as CFJ but different gases. Try a CFJ in cold weather. They will pepper spot all over. Remember the dark spots on tubes, probably not, but the dark spots are called the Edison effect. A device to absorb these impurities in fluorescent devices were called 'Getters'. They weren't perfect, as I'm sure we've all seen. LEDs, 'Light Emitting Diodes', are diode junctions that use Gallium Arsenide and other chemical 'doping' to create the LED emit light. Note that the voltage used to excite LEDs are usually 2 volts. FYI, it takes alot less power to reduce the line voltage and drive a low current drain device, LEDs, than it does does to generate a high starting voltage to excite the gas in CFL devices. That means there is a high start up current surge to start the gas glowing. Incandescent lamps are basically a resistor element, lamp filament, that gives off that familiar power sucking light bulb. I cut a few corners here but I tried not to be overwhelming . So, buy what you like, I'll take LEDs anytime. BTW, LEDs work even better in the cold. They were developed at low temperatures and doped to operate at warmer temperatures. If you have a knowledgeable friend, Take a low emission LED with a 1.2K 1/4 watt series resistor, any standard 1.6 volt battery and place in a styrofoam cup with a 1/2 inch of Liquid Nitrogen. It'll light up the cup like a bright Chinese Lantern. Tnx for the ramble.

In my previous post I used some poor English and CFJ references should read CFLs. I don't live in Finland, I live in the Tropical Alaskan Interior. 1st day above 20 below in a week. I wouldn't - couldn't heat my home with electric. We have the highest power bills in the US. I live 11.5 kM SSE of Fairbanks, Alaska. We us heating oil, but we have a backup generator and wood stove. You must have cheap electricity in Finland. Also, electric heat is soooooooooo dry, you can shuffle your feet and draw a dandy spark touching door knobs, etc. Be your own Van de Graaff generator.

Comment Spelling and living in the cold (Score 1) 767

In my previous post I used some poor English and CFJ references should read CFLs. I don't live in Finland, I live in the Tropical Alaskan Interior. 1st day above 20 below in a week. I wouldn't - couldn't heat my home with electric. We have the highest power bills in the US. I live 11.5 kM SSE of Fairbanks, Alaska. We us heating oil, but we have a backup generator and wood stove. You must have cheap electricity in Finland. Also, electric heat is soooooooooo dry, you can shuffle your feet and draw a dandy spark touching door knobs, etc. Be your own Van de Graaff generator.

Comment Incandescent, CFLs and LEDs (Score 1) 767

If you use CFLs, be assured that familiar dark spot will appear. Then the problems start arising in the CFL starting. LEDs have a tremendous MTBF. I'm talking about the LED element itself. Most current LED failures come from lousy power conversion supplies. When competition irons that out, Incandescent and CFLs will die in the future. Who cares about what the law says? It's the money and efficiency that will win regardless of the Morons on the hill in DC. If you like CFL's go out and buy a Plasma TV. Same technologies as CFJ but different gases. Try a CFJ in cold weather. They will pepper spot all over. Remember the dark spots on tubes, probably not, but the dark spots are called the Edison effect. A device to absorb these impurities in fluorescent devices were called 'Getters'. They weren't perfect, as I'm sure we've all seen. LEDs, 'Light Emitting Diodes', are diode junctions that use Gallium Arsenide and other chemical 'doping' to create the LED emit light. Note that the voltage used to excite LEDs are usually 2 volts. FYI, it takes alot less power to reduce the line voltage and drive a low current drain device, LEDs, than it does does to generate a high starting voltage to excite the gas in CFL devices. That means there is a high start up current surge to start the gas glowing. Incandescent lamps are basically a resistor element, lamp filament, that gives off that familiar power sucking light bulb. I cut a few corners here but I tried not to be overwhelming . So, buy what you like, I'll take LEDs anytime. BTW, LEDs work even better in the cold. They were developed at low temperatures and doped to operate at warmer temperatures. If you have a knowledgeable friend, Take a low emission LED with a 1.2K 1/4 watt series resistor, any standard 1.6 volt battery and place in a styrofoam cup with a 1/2 inch of Liquid Nitrogen. It'll light up the cup like a bright Chinese Lantern. Tnx for the ramble.

Submission + - Incandescent Bulbs Get a Reprieve (arstechnica.com)

An anonymous reader writes: A new budget deal reached today by the U.S. Congress walks back the energy efficiency standards that would have forced the phase out of incandescent bulbs. 'These ideas were first enacted during the Bush administration, via the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Incandescent bulbs were unable to meet the standards, so they would eventually be forced off the market in favor of LEDs and compact fluorescent bulbs. But Republicans have since soured on the bill, viewing it as an intrusion on the market and attempting to identify it with President Obama. Recent Congresses have tried many times to repeal the standards, but these have all been blocked. However, U.S. budgets are often used as a vehicle to get policies enacted that couldn't pass otherwise, since having an actual budget is considered too valuable to hold up over relatively minor disputes. The repeal of these standards got attached to the budget and will be passed into law with it.'

Comment Re:8 Panel Cartoon (Score 1) 100

I'd love to see the link budget. BTW, a 'knife edge' effect exists that actually 'bends' the waves over mountain ranges. What bothers me about all the wireless is the reduction of the SNL as the broad spectrum noise floor rises. But, hey, if you can't touch, feel taste, smell or hear the RF pollution; does it really exist? A Spectrum Analyzer is a cool tool, but offers a scary future....

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