Compact flourescent bulbs with output similar to full spectrum or GE Reveal ?

Hi,

I've looked around for compact fluorescent bulbs with a more balanced light spectrum, similar to a full spectrum bulb or GE Reveal bulbs.

Has anyone found something like this? A pointer would be great if you have.

Reply to
Abe
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Standard 2700K bulbs, whiter 3100K bulbs stark white 4100K bulbs still more white 5100K bulbs shocking 6500K bulbs - slightly overcast day, but full sun exposure.

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- down at the moment, has a chart that graphically illustrates color temperature.

2700K come closest in color to a standard incandescent bulb. As the color temperatures rise, the light moves from a yellowish to white to gray white to blue white.

Your reaction to color temperature may vary depending on what region of the country you like in. Sun Belt folks tend to prefer the higher color temps. If you live in an area that has a significant heating season (I don't), you may prefer the warmer colors with 3100-4100K colors the max you will find acceptable.

I recently equipped most lamps in my house with 5100K to 6500K CFL. Not all color temps are available in all sizes. I am VERY pleased with the whiter light.

Reveal bulbs have a yellow filter on them so they should be in the range of 4100K to 5100K. Just looking at the photos on the GE web site, I see the difference between standard lighting and Reveal lighting as being the difference between 2700K and 5100K, but its difficult to be certain from a web site.

Walmart sells Light Of America CFLs, a brand of bulb that many do not trust, in the 6400K-6500K color temp range. I suggest you buy ONE of these and try it out with your family before you commit to a wholesale changeover

Reply to
Robert Gammon

Does there exist any LED lamps that one could use in a bathroom vanity?

Reply to
me

Thanks very much!

Reply to
Abe

Yes, see the link below

1.2W power used, light equal to a 25W incandescent, cool white in color (about 3100K)

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About $20 each or a bit less.

CFLs for the same light output and color temp are under $10, approaching $5 in many cases.

Reply to
Robert Gammon

Robert, I dont buy their ratings, since when did a Led have more LPW output then a flourescent bulb, last I checked White Leds were 18-25 LPW, the same as incandesants. Flourescent T5 go to 110 LPW with the average rating of all flourescents being from 40-80 Lpw. I dont believe their Lcd output rating.

Reply to
m Ransley

Which model would you get?

The P19s?

Reply to
me

The P19S appears to have a very focussed beam of light. Much like a spotlight in a recessed ceiling fixture.

For use on a strip light fixture in a bath area the SSGlobe CW will fan the light out better. Even so, its a 30 degree cone of light. Unless you have a diffuser in front of the lamps, it will look really odd.

I'd say try one of each, P19S, and SSGlobe CW and see which you you and your significant other like better before committing to a wholesale change

Reply to
Robert Gammon

Thanks for your advice!

Will try em

Reply to
me

GE "Reveal" are not what most would call "full spectrum" since they have a pair of deep gaps in the yellow. This is what makes them tick - lower ratio of yellow to red-&-green. Reds and greens are rendered more vividly than by light of the same overall color and color rendering index of 100.

Those things are "neodymium bulbs", and I have heard of a few of those being referred to as "full spectrum". Note that not all incandescents with bluish glass have neodymium glass. Most incandescents other than GE "Reveal" that do not claim "neodymium" have more ordinary bluish glass and a more ordinary spectrum (but generally high color rendering index).

As it turns out, triphosphor fluorescent lamps with CRI in the 82-86 range, which includes nearly all non-dollar-store compact fluorescents sold for general and home lighting purposes, have a spectral effect similar to that of neodymium bulbs. One difference is that their red spectral content is orangish, which is the most major of my minor objections to their spectral and color rendering properties. I have found compact fluorescents to render many red onjects as orangish.

Meanwhile, there is no widely accepted definition of "full spectrum" in the lighting industry.

But if you want compact fluorescents that are "whiter" than the usual

2700K ("incandescent color" and "warm white" ones), I can name some:
  1. Sylvania 3500K "Daylight" ones. 3500K is not the usual "Daylight" that is icy cold pure white to bluish (5000-6500K). These are what I would call a "semi warm white". I find them rather pleasant - basically "warm white" but whiter, and with the usual compact fluorescent color rendering index of 82. I have seen these only in 13 watt spiral, roughly equivalent to a 60 watt "soft white" incandescent in light output. I see these at Lowes.
  2. Philips "Daylight" / 5000K 15 watt "Outdoor". It can also be used indoors. It tolerates cold better than most others. It does have a greater requirement to warm up and takes longer than average to warm up, however. The color is basically pure white, and light output is near that of a 60 watt "soft white" incandescent or maybe a bit less. The color rendering index is the same usual 82 for compact fluorescents. I see these at Home Depot.
  3. Commercial Electric 19 and 23 watt "Daylight" spirals at Home Depot. I have found light output to be a little less than that of spiral compact fluorescents of such wattage. Check the package or the base of the bulb for color temperature - sometimes it is 5500K (only slightly bluish basically pure white) and sometimes it is 6500K (more bluish like a usual "Daylight" fluorescent). The color rendering index is the same usual 82 for compact fluorescents.

Note - at least some "full spectrum" compact fluorescents have the usual spiky spectrum of the usual compact fluorescents.

- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)

Reply to
Don Klipstein

Has anyone here actually tried one? I have yet to hear of a 1.2 watt LED producing the 180 lumens of a 25 watt incandescent. Also, 3100K is not "cool white".

- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)

Reply to
Don Klipstein

I do agree with you, but white LEDs are now getting better than 18-25 LPW.

As far as "regular size" (5 mm) LEDs go, Nichia's NSPW500CS gets somewhere in the 30's lumens/watt, possibly more.

As for higher power LEDs requiring heatsinking, I have seen both Cree "XLamp" and Lumileds "Luxeon" ones that get over 40 lumens with 1.2 watts. Ones of both brands that get 55-60 lumens with 1.2 watts are already announced and maybe just around the corner.

I am in the process of checking out others that may get 60 lumens per watt. Cree does have datasheets for supposedly-in-production LED chips where the datasheet indicates that they can be used for making white LEDs that get 60 lumens/watt.

- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)

Reply to
Don Klipstein

In article , Abe wrote in part the previously quoted stuff that I somehow managed to miss:

I do want to comment a little on some of these color temperatures:

  1. 4100K is not what most would call warm, but is the color of a usual "Cool White" fluorescent.
  2. GE Reveal gets nowhere close to 5100K. I usually find the color close to 3000K or maybe a bit above. If they expanded the "Reveal" line to 100 watt ones that last 750 hours, then I would expect maybe as high as
3400-3500 K or so. Unless you are talking about a different GE "Reveal" than I see in the stores - which are incandescents with bluish glass - specifically, neodymium glass, which has a special spectral effect that makes reds and greens more vivid than under light of color rendering index of 100 and same color temperature.

- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)

Reply to
Don Klipstein

They call it cool white on the web site. I use 3100K here to indicate that the light is not as yellow as 2700K. They have a graphic on the web site to indicate what THEY mean by cool white. And its whiter than the pics they use fro Warm White.

These LEDs are maturing fast. High current models are moving into the mainstream as light sources for LCD and DLP TVs in the next 12-18 months. Prototypes of these sets with functional LED arrays were shown at this year's CES.

Reply to
Robert Gammon

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