Low Energy Stick Bulbs

[the_constructor]

Tesco are selling Low Energy Stick Bulbs @ 5 for 40p.

You can have any size that you want.

They obviously know something that I don't.... Do you ?

James

[Frank Erskine]

WTF's a "stick bulb"?

[Owain]

... from the limited range of sizes available

Owain

[Bill]

In message , Frank Erskine writes

those are a bit more expensive than the ones the OP mentioned. Never heard them called that before either.

[Bill]

In message , Bill writes

way they are just straight forward CFLs by the look of it.

>Although those are a bit more expensive than the ones the OP mentioned.

[John]

Isn't "Stick" being used to differentiate from the spiral roundish ones?

[Rob]

Morrisons had 5 Philips for 50p recently - plenty of stock, screw/bayonet, and range of wattage.

Guess - massive stock build-up? Or could be loss leader, or less likely environmental concerns. Or they just don't cost much to make anyway, financially at least, so that's not a bad markup. Dunno.

Rob

[pete]

Having just taken one apart, I was surprised by the amount of electronics it contained in the base. So I would think the cost of manufacture is high-ish (for a mass-produced item, anyway). Loss leader? possibly - maybe some govt. department is giving away subsidies or summat. One possibility is that people simply aren't buying them in the numbers that the manufacturers expected. Either they only replace "normal" bulbs when they blow, or they're still buying filament bulbs instead, or possibly because these CFLs aren't very bright - so consumers spurn them.

[Tim S]

pete coughed up some electrons that declared:

Having evaluate 3 brands of R63 spot in CFL over the last 3-4 years (Megaman, Philips and Your (sp?) )

The Megaman probably started out as the best, but one out of two now takes ages to strike up fully. The Your crap, was well, crap. Philips still going but light was never that great.

Screwed a couple of Tescos 60W R63 filaments in and immediatedly double the light. So I've ordered a batch of filament concluding CFLs in funny formats are still rubbish. Got some GLS in 60/100/150/200W on order. The only CFLs on that order were the only ones that I've found any good which were the 25 and 30W spirals.

[Graham C]

Sainsburys are selling Philips 11W =60W 10 year CFLs at 5 for 50p. Just bought 5

Installed one in my cupboard under the stairs, replacing a 40 watt tungsten.

Didn't look too bright - so I took a reading of the white wall with my Olympus OM1, then replaced the 40W tungsten.

The 40W tungsten was 2/3 stop brighter than the supposedly 60W CFL.

Now 'Which' magazine will tell you that modern CFLs are just as bright as tungstens. Experts will also tell you that you can't use a camera light meter to compare the two levels. Bottom line was my eyes said the Philips CFL doesn't do what it says on the box.

Graham

[David Hansen]

On 15 Jan 2009 11:19:15 GMT someone who may be pete wrote this:-

It's very strange. I have almost no tungsten lamps in my house. If the nay sayers were to be believed I should be stumbling round in semi-darkness. I'm not, so I conclude that the nay sayers are speaking round objects.

If they wish to make fools of themselves by speaking round objects that is something for them. However, the problem is that some people may believe them without judging for themselves or after bad advice.

[unopened]

I conclude that you habitually wear night-vision goggles and/or use a white stick for guidance. (Sorry, couldn't resist)

The problem is that people are making absolute declarations about whether CFLs are good (or not), when the true picture is more shaded.

It is true that the distribution pattern of light emitted from certain CFLs is considerably different to the GLS lamps they (nominally) replace. When combined with certain types of light fixture, this conspires to perceptibly decrease the illumination compared to using a GLS lamp. It is also true that the equivalences published between CFL wattage and GLS wattage are skewed, because the GLS lamps the CFLs are compared to have considerably lower 'brightness' (measured in lumens) than the type of lamps usually bought and installed by people - specifically, the comparison is with 'Softone' lamps, which are dimmer (for the same wattage) than pearl or unfrosted GLS lamps.

Unfortunately, CFLs are perceived by many as being marketed as 'drop- in' replacements for GLS lamps. Anyone with a modicum of knowledge about lighting knows this not to be the case, but the 'general public', being regarded as 'dumber than a sack of hammers' are not given easy access to the information to make their own minds up.

I'm very happy that you have successfully used CFLs in your own home. That's great. Other people, with differing requirements to you, have tried CFLs and found them wanting, and I hope you would have the courtesy to politely acknowledge that fact.

Cheers,

Sid

[Andrew Mawson]

OK what the heck are 'stick bulbs' ???

AWEM

[Tim S]

[e-mail] coughed up some electrons that declared:

Yep - my response was graduated. I said IMO daylight spirals were very good and funny formats + Tesco value set were crap.

I must admit that the chunky Megaman dimmables (self dimming, via clicking the switch a lot) are good for lounge and bedroom lighting, but I wouldn't have them anywhere I'd want clear light to read by - they are not as good as a filament bulb.

Like MMR[1], once "they" are suspected of lying, many with assume all information from the same source is tainted.

[1] I was strongly considering single jabs for my sprogs, just because I didn't know the extent of the bollocks being spouted by all sides. The only way ours ended up with MMR is that our GP said his son had just had it, after said GP researched the issue. Good enough for him, good enough for me. Put a lot of people off though - so now we have an increase in childhood measles...

Cheers

Tim

[Rob]

Well yes, I'd agree with all of that, except to add a polite suggestion that, in certain circumstances, they try a little harder - to save money and avoid waste.

Rob

[dennis]

There was only bollocks on one side.. As has been stated many times there is no link between mmr and autism.

However there is a link between brain damage and/or death and measles.

and I hope the parents take the blame well.

[Tim S]

dennis@home coughed up some electrons that declared:

"Say's who?" Well, we can answer that now.

But at the time it was less than clear.

[dennis]

It has always been clear to those that actually read about it.

[Tim S]

dennis@home coughed up some electrons that declared:

Question Dennis: do you have kids?

[John]

A convenient terminology - but a stick can't be a bulb. It can be a "lamp"

The terminology creeping in is Stick, Mini-Spiral; Bulb, Globe, Candle.

Seems okay to me.