Author Topic: confused about compact fluro  (Read 4332 times)

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birdhouse

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confused about compact fluro
« on: December 31, 2009, 10:19:50 AM »
hello-

i have tried to find the answer for this problem elsewhere but have had no luck.  


i have been trying to make a lamp that emits "sunlight" to use during the dreary winter days.


i bought a bulb online that claims to have this type of light output.  it is a 70 watt (actual) compact fluro that fits into a G 24 Q-2 base.  i can not find a base of that wattage anywhere.  contacted the company and they will not sell the bases to me.  


the bulb has four pins on the bottom with a square snap in plug.  i realize that the bulb bases for these contain the ballast as well.


so then i started thinking...  watch out... since there are four pins maybe i could use a T-8 style ballast for a 4 foot tube fixture?  my bulb is 70 watts, but i'm guessing that is between two 35 watt sections within the bulb (4 pins)?  a 4' T-8 uses two 34 watt bulbs, so maybe that would work?  although i would have no idea on how to wire it.  i'd rather not just start connecting wires to see what happens as the bulb cost me 25 bucks and i don't want to ruin it.


thanks in advance for any sources/solutions/ideas!  


birdhouse

« Last Edit: December 31, 2009, 10:19:50 AM by (unknown) »

dnix71

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Re: confused about compact fluro
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2009, 03:11:41 PM »
Where do you live? Why would you buy a lamp with a non-standard base?


6500K CFL's are cheap and easy to obtain.


http://www.lampsplus.com/products/26-Watt-Daylight-6500K-CFL-Twist-ENERGY-STAR-Light-Bulb__35256.htm
l


Inexpensive and standard edison base.


A 70 watt fluorescent tube is made for outdoor lighting.


http://www.lightsofamerica.com/en/Products/9265.aspx This one is 65 watts, and really really bright.


The G-24 Q2 base is used in Lights of America porch lights, but those are not self-ballasted.


http://www.lightsofamerica.com/Product%20Categories/Security%20Fixtures.aspx


The fixture at the top uses that base but those CFL's are only 2700K, not daylight at all.

« Last Edit: December 31, 2009, 03:11:41 PM by dnix71 »

birdhouse

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Re: confused about compact fluro
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2009, 03:43:27 PM »
dnix-  thanks for the reply!


i live in portland, or.


first off this is a present for a friend.  i think it's a little nutty.  the more i read about these devices is that for them to work they must be close enough to you to be uncomfortably bright.  thus the 70 watt bulb.  i got the bulb here:  


http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/light_boxes_55_ctg.htm


i think the base/ballasts are only made by that company, so i may be screwed.  


maybe i'll scrap the bulb and use those bulbs in your link above.  sounds way easier!


birdhouse

« Last Edit: December 31, 2009, 03:43:27 PM by birdhouse »

ghurd

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Re: confused about compact fluro
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2009, 04:20:44 PM »
'a lamp that emits "sunlight" to use during the dreary winter days'.


If this is related to the 'winter blahs',

they make/made a FL bulb for standard fixtures just for that.

I would say the emitted light was pink, and found it strange, if not mildly unpleasant.

But the brochure said that's what it was for.

G-

« Last Edit: December 31, 2009, 04:20:44 PM by ghurd »
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frepdx

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Re: confused about compact fluro
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2009, 06:48:55 PM »
Birdhouse, you have to checkout this store; http://www.sunlanlighting.com/Introduction.html


She has all kinds of wierd stuff stacked from floor to ceiling. I've never seen so many different bulbs in my life.

« Last Edit: December 31, 2009, 06:48:55 PM by frepdx »

Flux

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Re: confused about compact fluro
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2010, 12:40:30 AM »
Viewing this from the UK I can't help much but my findings here is that most of the component parts for fluorescent lights are not readily available. A limited number of bases are available from RS and a few others but most of this stuff must only be available to special bulk order to manufacturers.


I think I know the base you mean and I have been able to source one version of it here.


You only have the lamp so you need the base and the associated ballast circuitry, which is again different for 110v 60 Hz so I can't help there. Here most ballast sizes are available in electronic versions but not very cheap. By the time you find a base and a 70W CF ballast you will have spent more than buying a complete unit that the Chinese turn out very cheaply.


I am not sure what light is used for this application, I think it is called SAD or something in Europe and is more understood in the Arctic countries. It I think is more concerned with brightness than colour temperature. I know someone who uses a High pressure sodium lamp and that is yellow /white not daylight spectrum.


Flux

« Last Edit: January 01, 2010, 12:40:30 AM by Flux »

DamonHD

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Re: confused about compact fluro
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2010, 02:21:49 AM »
I think that I get a touch of something like SAD and I (a) try to sit near a window during the day and (b) get out in any sunshine regularly.


I have one of the original big Philips SAD lights (top right here):


http://gallery.hd.org/_c/light/_more2003/_more05/bright-light-anti-SAD-illuminating-bedroom-windows-
walls-radiator-duvet-seen-from-bed-JR.jpg.html


which is a big fluorescent maybe 70W.  With the other two things I do I'm not using the SAD light these days other than occasional general lighting: his has a quite pleasant coolish light temperature.


I think that the components of the light spectrum may be important since all sorts of photo sensors other than just those in your eyes (eg in your skin) drive various independent body clocks.  (I seem to recall that a recent New Scientist report was suggesting ~70 clocks!)  I suspect that a good blue-ish hue is a good start.


Rgds


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« Last Edit: January 01, 2010, 02:21:49 AM by DamonHD »
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RandomJoe

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Re: confused about compact fluro
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2010, 04:46:16 AM »
I have always wondered about the effect of color temp on SAD.  Perhaps I don't actually suffer from SAD, never seen a doctor about it, but I sure do tend to light the room like the surface of the sun during the winter...


Thing is, for me the very blue color temps are just as bad as no light at all for my mood.  They make me feel physically cold and depressed.  I don't even like sitting in an office building for any length of time, since almost all use "cool white" 4100k tubes.


I get the best "mood lift" with the warmest bulbs I can find.  My office at work has 3500k (just plain "white", but looks pinkish to me - all the store had when the company asked) and at home I use "warm white".  The temps vary quite a bit there, my CFLs are around 2900k and the fluorescent strips are 3000k.  I actually prefer even warmer, but am not going out of my way (or spending extra dollars!) to find them.


I don't have any single Very Bright Bulbs, I just turn on several fixtures to flood the room with light and pretty much eliminate shadows.  Couple of floor lamps that shine most light on the ceiling and a desk lamp are usually sufficient, although I have used even more on occasion.


But yes, the best solution if at all possible is to get outside in the sun!  Bit of a problem this time of year, though, when I'm headed to work in the dark and the sun is setting as I come home...

« Last Edit: January 01, 2010, 04:46:16 AM by RandomJoe »

DamonHD

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Re: confused about compact fluro
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2010, 04:56:49 AM »
Note that the single effective colour temperature may not be terribly important if it really is a multitude of narrow-bandwidth sensors that contribute, and though used to like a warmer colour I'm wobbling.


Also, sitting close to the light is likely to help, by the inverse square law.


So again, I used to flood my room with 100W+ of warm CFL, but now a brightish work light, even as low as 3W (cool) seems acceptable.


Rgds


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« Last Edit: January 01, 2010, 04:56:49 AM by DamonHD »
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birdhouse

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Re: confused about compact fluro
« Reply #9 on: January 17, 2010, 12:16:23 PM »
thanks for all the replies.  sorry this is late, but ended up using three cfls 27 watt actual draw.  full spectrum jobbies from the big box.  nine bucks each.  set em up with three switches and mounted the whole rig in a plywood box painted gloss white.  


she loves it.  says she can feel the difference by using it.


told her about sitting close to it as well.  


thanks all!

« Last Edit: January 17, 2010, 12:16:23 PM by birdhouse »