Incandescent lightbulbs

[Bob Eager]

I have one that runs 8 hours a day at full mains voltage, and needs replacing about once every 15 months.

[PeterC]

Had a high mortality rate in a seed incubator, as the bulb was in a box. Just wired 2 bulbs in series and adjusted wattage as needed - ran for many years, of course, as the bulbs were seriously under-run.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

These generally use a special lamp - not the GLS type which may or may not become difficult to get. And there's no move to ban these.

If it does use a GLS type it should be possible to fit a CFL.

[Mark]

Are rough service bulbs also going to be phased out? I don't want a CFL in an inspection lamp!

[<me9]

I much prefer a fluorescent or LED inspection lamp. Much cooler and less prone to break.

[dennis]

May strobe too.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Doesn't apply to CFLs. Or any modern fluorescent inspection lamp I've seen. I suppose a cheap mains LED could flicker - but who would use a mains LED for an inspection light?

[dennis]

Unless they have changed the laws of physics CFLs and fluorescent lamps flicker. They may flicker at a higher frequency than 50 Hz but they flicker.

[Mark]

If I was buying a new one I might consider a different type. For now I don't want to have to throw out a perfectly good lamp because they won't let me buy a bulb that fits. The same goes for dimmer switches, light fittings etc in the house.

[Andrew Gabriel]

They can't flicker at higher than 5Hkz, because at that frequency you no longer have a quiet period when all the electrons have decayed back to their base state and photo production ceases. (This is also why fluorescent tubes become about 10% more efficient when operated above 5KHz). Since all high frequency control gear runs at much higher frequencies than this (for other reasons), there's no high frequency flicker from fluorescent tubes.

You can still get some 100Hz (not 50Hz) flicker due to ripple on on the SMPSU's DC supply, but it's never going to be enough to get the illusion of a stationary moving item.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Then by that definition so does a tungsten bulb. The important thing is if it's visible. And it ain't on a high frequency fluorescent

[someone]

Very interesting story, Dave. What town is this? I have a Really Old hand-wheeled sewing machine (weighs a ton) which works perfectly but I can't get a needle to fit it. Your Aladdin's cave sounds right up my street.

someone

[Andrew Gabriel]

There used to be a Singer sewing machine shop in West Street in Reading when I lived near Reading many decades ago. A quick Google search reveals it's still there but seems to be a Sewmaster sewing machine shop now, although still with Singer machines. They haven't really grasped the Internet yet ("For Internet prices, please phone xxxxxx";-), but it used to be an aladin's cave of tiny machine parts inside.