moan #2 - dimmable or not

It certainly seems strange. Dimmability is generally a function of the bulb unless it is florescent fitting which it doesn?t seem to be.

On the face of it, your assessment seems valid ;-)

As a side comment, the plethora of bulb types is a nightmare. We have some fittings which we especially like in a couple of rooms which are designed for ?golf ball? 40W conventional bulbs. We?ve had them about 20 years but they are perfect for the rooms they are in etc and have dimmers. Try as I might, I can?t find dimmable LED replacements which have a true equivalent light output. Ones with a lower output yes but not true equivalent.

It is a real problem with LEDs. Where you actually see the bulbs. Trying to find ones which look as good as the tungsten type.

Only type I've been impressed with recently were LED ceiling panel lights. Very even indeed to the eye - probably better than the equivalent florries. But not something I'd want at home.

I'd guess quite a bit of it is down to having the electronics built into the bulb - same as CFL. Not a problem on a panel.

Can be great fun watching people trying to find the right lamp in a supermarket.

My particular bugbear is that even after all this time, there still doesn?t seem to be an LED equivalent of a ?standard? bulb in terms of light distribution. The output is nearly all directed away from the base, unlike tungsten bulbs which have a much more spherical light distribution. I?ve yet to find a good 100W equivalent for a standard lamp (where I want significant downward spread of light for reading).

Tim

The Philips Hue E27 and B22 bulbs do.

Makes more sense to not use a standard lamp for reading.

Hmm, I've mixed views on that. I've replaced some bulbs with LED ones and the general shape etc is much the same- at least in for the higher wattage ones. Some of the decorative / mood lighting LEDs look quite good, if you like that kind of thing.

I've picked up a few LEDs occasionally in supermarkets, I have the impression that their actual output in lumens is often quite well down on those from LED hut (or even Screwfix).

Quartz halogens may be dimmable but the recycling mechanism that keeps the internal glass surface clean doesn't work if they are run too cool. There may be dimmed settings where their working life is compromised.

Put another way they never regain full brightness when you want it.

If they are LED based then some are indeed not dimmable or could even by damaged by attempts to dim them. LED fittings sometimes present too little load for old school dimmers to work at all.

Yebbut.

The lights don't HAVE any bulbs.

They are just the fittings.

Cheers

Dave R

There used to be some Lumilfe ones, but they seem to have ceased to exist, or at least to be available. The latest (not so cheap) golf ball ones I have found with illumination in all directions (except, obviously, the base) are Osram Parathom.

That's true, and there is another issue where the colour temperature of the bulbs varies. A few months ago I bought 10 bulbs, which had identical packs (there were several dozen - I just picked 10 of the boxes, checking the info was the same). When I tried them, I found 7 had one colour, and three another colour. It wasn't greatly different, and they matched within those groups, but were distinctly and obviously different when switched on at the same time in the same room.

Sometimes I'll ask if I can be of help - did a lot of research before refitting the house with LEDs. Sad, but I might qualify as a folk singer - I'm nerdLED!

The nearest is probably the 'filament' (COB). If I could find an easy way of modding my standard lamp I'd put in some sort of flexi-adaptor and use a GU10 or R50 - 63 to shine downwards.

PeterC snipped-for-privacy@homecall.co.uk> wrote in news:bfnx8lnuemmr$.69xu0l65shlf$. snipped-for-privacy@40tude.net:

Dificult it people don't even know what their existing lampholder is.

I keep on reading this. Yet to experience it in practice. With a vast range of halogen types, both mains and LV, all on dimmers.

Only time I've seen blackened halogen is car headlight bulbs. And not many cars have dimmers.

They used to have a "dim dipped" function, where the headlamp bulbs were wired in series when you had the side lights and ignition on. It was even a legal requirement I believe, in the late 80s and early 90s.

Indeed - might eventually get bayonet or screw, have a better guess then by knowing what the holder is fitted to, then no idea of size: E27/E14; B22/B15 etc. GU10 is usually OK but the rangeof MR and G bases...

There is nothing they can do to the fitting to stop you using dimmable lamps.

The outside up/down light fittings I fitted several years ago to a customers house had instructions that said "must not be installed indoors"

Chinglish is to blame.

Dim dip headlights are a history lesson in why the older generation hate the EU and voted to leave.