Federally mandated LED lightbulbs to cost $50 each

[DarrinS]

How well do they work in a dimmer circuit?

I suppose the circuitry could turn off some of the individual LED's to simulate a dimming bulb.

[Wild Cobra]

I suppose the circuitry could turn off some of the individual LED's to simulate a dimming bulb.

I don't think they will work in a dimmer circuit, but I had to bring that into question.

I think I will buy one today out of s and giggles.

[coyotes_geek]

I'm generally not an early adopter of any technology. The one exception being some Apple products. I paid more for an iPod touch than I paid for my iPhone4.


I know they have been replacing traffic lights with LEDs for quite a while. One of the unintended consequences is that LEDs don't produce enough heat to melt snow, and have been responsible for some accidents as snow covers the lenses.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/02/us...wt&twt=nytimes

The snow melt thing certainly is a downside to using LED's for traffic lights, but the benefits more than make up for it. One incadescent bulb in a signal burns out and that color on the signal is completely out. Each color on an LED signal is a bunch of individual LED's so one going out still leaves you with a functioning signal.

How well do they work in a dimmer circuit?

Haven't tried them on a dimmer circuit yet. If I remember I'll give them a try this weekend.

[DarrinS]

One incadescent bulb in a signal burns out and that color on the signal is completely out. Each color on an LED signal is a bunch of individual LED's so one going out still leaves you with a functioning signal.

That's true, they do have some built-in redundancy. I have noticed while waiting at some lights that one or two of the LED's were out, but, overall, the light still functioned. I guess you have to lose more than 30% of them before the whole thing needs to be replaced.

[coyotes_geek]

My two second google search about LED's & dimmer switches tells me that you either need a special LED-specific dimmer switch, or a special dimmer switch compatible LED bulb.

[ChumpDumper]

Darrin is afraid the traffic lights in his living room will be obscured by snow.

LEDs can definitely dim. Stage lighting adopted LEDs in a big way and you can rest assured those dim and fade. Wouldn't doubt that the circuitry is different.

[DarrinS]

Darrin is afraid the traffic lights in his living room will be obscured by snow.

Yep, that's it.

[ChumpDumper]

Yep, that's it.

What is it then?

[DarrinS]

What is it then?

If the govt is going to start limiting peoples choices, just make the newly mandated alternatives as good as the originals -- whether that be bulbs, appliances, cars, whatever. I know that is a really radical and "extreme" concept.

[ChumpDumper]

If the govt is going to start limiting peoples choices, just make the newly mandated alternatives as good as the originals -- whether that be bulbs, appliances, cars, whatever. I know that is a really radical and "extreme" concept.

And the snow in your living room has what to do with this?

[boutons_deux]

"If the govt is going to start limiting peoples choices"

you mean like forcing seniors out of Medicare and into the clutches of for-profit insurers?

[Winehole23]

snow melt

[DarrinS]

snow melt

Fatal accidents at intersections are hilarious. It's actually a real problem if you read up on it.

[Winehole23]

Where do you live, Sir?

[TeyshaBlue]

Fatal accidents at intersections are hilarious. It's actually a real problem if you read up on it.

Sounds like alot of correlation with very little causation. Too many external factors (snow is, like, slick you know) to peg a lack of snowmelting on traffic lights as a critical factor in an accident.

[DarrinS]

Where do you live, Sir?

Did I say it affected me, personally? I'm sure it does snow in many areas that have traffic signals.

[Winehole23]

Do the wintry conditions mitigate the desirability of LED lamps?

[Winehole23]

Sounds like alot of correlation with very little causation. Too many external factors (snow is, like, slick you know) to peg a lack of snowmelting on traffic lights as a critical factor in an accident.

Oops. Ran into a buzzsaw right there. Occupational hazard.

[Winehole23]

Because I made fun of Darrin, I mocked traffic casualties everywhere. Haw haw haw. Typical grandiosity and emotional mawkishness. I like pe bourgeois propriety, I like it plenty, but sometimes Darrin makes me want to throw it away; I'm not sure how I feel about being on the same side.

[DarrinS]

Because I made fun of Darrin, I mocked traffic casualties everywhere. Haw haw haw. Typical grandiosity and emotional mawkishness. I like pe bourgeois propriety, I like it plenty, but sometimes Darrin makes me want to throw it away; I'm not sure how I feel about being on the same side.

You read like Faulkner -- a long-winded gas bag. Read some Hemminway and put down your thesaurus.

[MannyIsGod]

You're a stupid and snide little , Darrin. It not anyone else's fault they have a larger vocabulary than you and that certainly not a detriment. You constantly get destroyed through you're idiotic postings on this board and resort to telling people that they should be like others or making irrelevant observations because when you post on the subject your posts rarely stand up on their own. Well, that is when you don't just disappear. To call you weasley would be an insult to the animal. Grow some ing balls.

That being said, the annoying ankle biting is right about snow and ice build up on the new LEDs being a problem that wasn't predicted. It was easily solved though. Add a weather shield, a small hear, or something like Rain X and you're good to go.

[ChumpDumper]

You read like Faulkner -- a long-winded gas bag. Read some Hemminway and put down your thesaurus.

Hemmingway would think you are a whiny too.

[Winehole23]

You read like Faulkner -- a long-winded gas bag. Read some Hemminway and put down your thesaurus.

That's ok. I don't like your style either.

[DarrinS]

That's ok. I don't like your style either.

Nice and concise.

[Winehole23]

Put down the thesaurus, dude.