OT: Dubai lamps

It costs more, because there's twice the number of 'filaments' in there so that each one can be run at a lower temperature. I think there was an exclusivity deal with Philips (now expired?), but not sure if the idea of adding more filaments is particularly novel/patented. So I think another manufacturer could offer it - but whether customers will want to pay is another matter.

I'm not sure you'd really notice lamps dying after 50,000 hours instead of

Theo

Now available in UK

Who's going to take one back first, if they don't live up to their 45 year claimed life?

Note the 4000K colour temperature before you buy. Cool white.

Tim

It was exclusive to Dubai for a while, now you can get them here, called "Ultra Efficient"

Available from John Lewis and Argos, IIRC.

Now available in 3000K warm white as well, also the range of wattages has increased, initially only 40 and 60W, now 75 and 100W, and frosted glass available too, seems like they're ramping up the range quite a lot ... still no BC22 though.

I was under the impression that 3000K was considered warm white, 4000K as daylight equivalent and 6000K as cool white.

I have found warm white too yellow for my liking, I have some exterior floods rated warm white and they are awful, I only got them because I could not source anything better at the time. I have some some cool white Christmas lights and frankly they would make a polar bear shiver.

My own preference is for daylight equivalent which I find produce a good working light without the harshness of cool white.

Richard

You could be right. 4000K is too cool for me.

For a working light I’d agree.

Tim

Just had a thought. Many folk here seem to express a preference for “natural daylight” temperature bulbs but I find them too cool for general lighting. Could it be that cataracts are affecting folks’ colour preference? If you vision is already suffering from “yellowing”, I image one might prefer a less yellow light?

Tim

No cataracts here, yet!

I don't get yellowing with my cataracts which the ophthalmologist said are severe.

Are you sure? ;-) Many folk don’t realise (including artists like Turner) that they’re developing cataracts.

Tim

None, here. I had my eyes checked in the last month.

The CCT that looks normal depends on light level. Daylight at over 6000K looks good in daylight levels, 3000K looks good at the much lower electric lighting levels.

Lamps from different manufacturers rated at 4000K and CRI 80 don't all look the same. I like the light from Enlite GU10s much more than many others that claim to be equivalent. Exact part numbers: EN-DGU005/40, EN-GU005/40

A slightly better variant is the EN-DGU005H/40 which has a CRI of 90. However, these are quite hard to find.

John

Thanks all. It looks as though they have made it to the UK without the 'Dubai' branding (unsurprisingly).

Interestingly, John Lewis calls them 'energy efficient':

I bought a couple to try (along with the requisite ES fittings); the "warm white" has a decidedly green tinge.

Such a thing seems to be possible. I can't think of a reason they would use a phosphor that was that far off. Some of the phosphors use rare earths, so they're constantly playing with blends and trying to save money. But ruining the output is not going to sell bulbs.