Re: CFLs - retrofitting low ESR capacitors

"Jamie" = Maynard A. Philbrook, radio ham KA1LPH and total f****it

If you're referring to the inverter supply? I think those caps are > already of low ESR types. If not, they should be.
** Wot absurd craplogy.

.... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison
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"Stupider than Anyone Else on Earth "

** There are no fairies left at the bottom of this mad bitch's garden.

They all vacated decades ago in acute embarrassment.

.... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

"larry moe 'n curly"

Another problem is opening up the CFL to get to the circuit board and reattaching the cover because regular glues don't work, and you want a strong bond that won't fail at high temperature.

** Most CFLs use no glue at all, the halves snap fit together.

Silicone adhesive ( eg Silastic) will handle the case temp easily - can be used to secure loose glass tubes in the case too.

.... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

Can those who have opened them up tell us how best to do it and what usually dies? I am amassing a collection of duds that didn't reach anywhere near their promised lifetime (especially the more expensive higher wattage ones) and I'm idly curious as to what use could be made of them. From Larry's photo, there's quite a bit of electronics in there, (which incidentally makes one wonder whether their lifetime energy saving is really as high as is claimed, but that's another matter).

Chris

Reply to
chrisj.doran%proemail.co.uk

What ever you think of the question (stupid, incomplete, a waste of time etc), she did NOT ask you. A question is not an excuse for you to insult anyone. If you don't like it don't answer

Reply to
David Eather

The only ones I've tried opening are old large MaxLite (in the photo) and 5-year-old 14W Commercial Electric (now Home Depot's brand), and both were glued. I opened them by carefully sawing around the perimeter. I ended up using a fine-tooth coping saw because my Dremel abrasive cutoff wheel gummed up with plastic. If the CFLs are snapped together, how do we unsnap them?

I know silicone rubber glue can take the heat, but is it strong enough? I worry about it coming loose when somebody screws in the bulb, causing the bulb wires (magnet wire - only enamel insulation) to short.

Reply to
larry moe 'n curly

So why do some CFLs keep the brightness more constant than others?

Aren't LEDs also temperature sensitive? Because I had a hot chassis TV with optical couplers for the composite video and audio, and the picture brightness & contrast would change slightly when it warmed up. There were also pots to adjust the couplers.

Reply to
larry moe 'n curly

**I can't answer that question. All the ones I use are fine.
**In the same sense that all semiconductors are, yes. Any decent LED lighting manufacturer will take care of cooling.
--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au
Reply to
Trevor Wilson

They will happily run a normal (straight or circular) fluro without any electrical problems, and would save power compared to an ironcore ballast.

If you were going to do this and fit them in a standard batten, I would replace the electrolytics with a decent name brand first as the cheap caps are unlikely to last the many, many years that a typical household batten does..

Reply to
kreed

It would be a huge hassle to get the case apart, and back together again, and I can't see it making any difference whatsoever.

All the CFL's I have here that have failed, it is always the tube that is the cause. The electronics - including the filter capacitor are always fine, so there isnt any point in replacing it even for longevity reasons.

Reply to
kreed

"kreed"

It would be a huge hassle to get the case apart, and back together again,

** Pretty easy with most I have bought .

All the CFL's I have here that have failed, it is always the tube that is the cause. The electronics - including the filter capacitor are always fine, so there isnt any point in replacing it even for longevity reasons.

** Generally, the electronics outlasts the tubes - but that is only because the tube fails so quickly, like a few hundred up to 2000 hours at most. I have a collection now of CFLs that are slow to come on, flicker or have lost 40% of their light output.

The electronics will fail early if the CFL gets hot in use because it is inside a small light fitting - like an Oyster or spherical ceiling lamp.

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.... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

Best use that could be made of them is to grind 'em up and use them for hardcore for road building ... :-)

Arfa

Reply to
Arfa Daily

Perhaps the greater issue will be failure of the lead-free solder due to internal temperatures in new designs of LED lighting which will be intended to replace a common lamps of significant wattage.

Powerful LEDs also create heat, and when a lot of 'em are fit into a small package, the heat will very likely be a reason for very short life from the new technology.

Combining the lead-free solder with the cheapest manufacturer that exists will probably reduce the projected (dreamed) lifetimes from 10 years to maybe 2 years.

At about $30 each (and it's likely more of them will be needed to reach comfortable lighting levels), the greatest benefit these lamps will have, will be separating consumers from their money.

Anyone that's been servicing consumer electronic gear in the past several decades has seen the impact that heat has on solder connections, and more recently, the widespread failures of lead-free solders.

-- Cheers, WB .............

Reply to
Wild_Bill

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**CFLs are not so different to regular fluoros. Each manufacturer has his/her own formulation for the phosphor coating. As a conseqence, the colour balance will be slightly different for each. I find that different lamps have different purposes. For my workbench, I need accurate colour rendition (for checking colour codes on components) and I use 36 Watt, quad phosphor lamps for that purpose. For other areas, I use different lamps.
**Well, yes.

If the first

**They are available in a wide range of colour temperatures. The range is increasing rapidly.
--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au
Reply to
Trevor Wilson

Who makes 100 watt heat pumps, that will work at -40°?

--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.
Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

There are some in the US that have been on 24/7 for decades, and still work. Some are over 100 years old. Cheap bulbs don't last, and neither do those that are used improperly.

--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.
Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

It won't make any difference but if the capacitors are failing, use

105° or 125° replacements for longer life.
--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.
Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

"Arfa Daily" wrote in news:bfbeq.813$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe02.ams:

the glass envelope.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
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Reply to
Jim Yanik

can be

Last time I looked that's what they stuck 'em in with in the first place.

Reply to
Ian Field

**Indeed. The ways to get incandescents to last a long time are well known. They are simply under-run massively. IOW: Use a 280VAC rated lamp at 240VAC and the thing will last MUCH longer. Of course, colour temperature edges much closer towards the red and efficiency is absolute crap.

Cheap bulbs don't last,

**Not so different to CFLs and LEDs. Funny about that.
--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au
Reply to
Trevor Wilson

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