IMO, LED's are highly over hyped. I see people spend
hundreds of $$ putting in LED lighting only to be
disappointed with quality of light. When I tell them the
payback is 40 years or so, well I just make folks mad.
On Dec 5, 2012, at 2:53 PM, Mick Abraham wrote:
Hi, Knuckle-Busters~
It's lighting retrofit time and also time for me to review
"what I thought I knew" about various lighting
technologies.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Round one of the conversion involves >>well known RV
brand<< T8 tubular fluorescent fixtures (3' long
single tube). These have 24vDC ballasts which (in various
brands) have failed way too often...and the tubes also are
failing too soon.
I've mostly decided to convert the circuits to good ol'
American AC instead of DC, then I gotta select ballasts
(to stay fluor) or convert to LED. Some of the List
members handle lighting retrofits for better energy
efficiency, etc. so I need a refresher course.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
For AC ballasts, I'm focusing on the "Programmed Start"
type which seem less destructive to the tubes when cycled
on and off frequently. I could drive three tubes with one
ballast but then a single bulb failure sends the whole
group to black since the tubes connect in series.
Is there a way to test a fluorescent tube using a
volt-ohmmeter or other non-exotic method? The cost benefit
of sharing a ballast among three fixtures goes smaller if
it's a hassle at lamp replacement time. A failed ballast
would be tricky to spot with three lamps adding more
variables.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
I see there are now T8 tubular LED lamps which of course
deliver more lumens per watt and of course they are still
costly. With no ballast to buy, if I compared devoting a
$25 ballast to each fixture against converting to a $50
LED tube, "it's only double the cost" to go LED.
Is LED now ready for prime time? I got on that band wagon
too early because the "white light" units were moonlight
blue, they seemed dimmer than a flashlight, color
rendition was poor, and worst of all:
My early LED purchases stopped working properly >>as
should not be the case if LED is done right.<<
Admittedly, my early LED buys were--don't get me
started--designed for DC and I think the battery voltage
fluctuation may play havoc with LED and also with the DC
fluorescent ballasts.
Final question: how could I be sure that new LED lights
won't "roach out" in a few years? My untrained eye has
never helped me avoid crummy tech before, so I guess it
comes down to identifying one (or more) major
manufacturer, maybe with a long warranty and a good
likelihood of staying in business.
My friends and I must stop buying junk that's going to
break--even if it is all hyped up about being the "New
Latest Environmentally Correct Energy Saver". Those
>>well known RV brand<< fluorescents are a
case in point to say nothing of round two: DC driven
CFL's!
Thanks & Jolliness,
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