CFL/LED Equivalent Wattage to socket wattage rating question.

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190112-1052 EST

I already spoke to the thermal problem in an enclosed and insulated fixture.

More specifically on RFI. I have some LED bulbs, from Home Depot, that are nice RFI generators in the middle of the AM band. These propagate the noise on the wiring in my home, to the pole transformer, and to two street lights. From this wiring noise is radiated to my car radio, or any battery powered radio. An AC cord attached radio may also receive some of this noise via the AC cord (conducted vs radiated).

My Comcast cable box generates a great deal of conducted or radiated noise in the AM band. Phase shift dimmers (chopped sine wave) vs Variac dimmers produce AM radio noise.

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gar said:
190112-1052 EST

I already spoke to the thermal problem in an enclosed and insulated fixture.

More specifically on RFI. I have some LED bulbs, from Home Depot, that are nice RFI generators in the middle of the AM band. These propagate the noise on the wiring in my home, to the pole transformer, and to two street lights. From this wiring noise is radiated to my car radio, or any battery powered radio. An AC cord attached radio may also receive some of this noise via the AC cord (conducted vs radiated).

My Comcast cable box generates a great deal of conducted or radiated noise in the AM band. Phase shift dimmers (chopped sine wave) vs Variac dimmers produce AM radio noise.
Click to expand...

People still listen to AM? :D
 
190112-1439 EST

Other things besides AM radios are bothered by RFI from LEDs. CFLs, 8' T12s, phase shift dimmers, and other devices.

I have a 4' Costco LED above my work bench, its noise level prevents me from making low level scope measurements. To avoid this problem I change to an incandescent. I haven't tried a filter yet. A very long time ago I installed filters in my fluorescents.

When a phase shift dimmer is operating I see a blip on the 60 Hz voltage waveform. I don't know if this couples to the other phase.

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Most bulbs do have their lumen output on the label these days. Unfortunately, "equivalent watts" [sic] is given a more-prominent position.
I do make a point of asking for light bulbs by their lumen output when an employee offers to help me make a selection. Unfortunately, even people working in the lighting aisle usually aren't familiar with lumens.
 
LarryFine said:
Because people equate watts with brightness, and don't recognize lumens.
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Marketing is powerful. That is all I know since that is all they tell us on the box since Edison days.

Now, with LED, its the color I look for. 2700 K by 78 LED at three watts is above my head right now.
 
LarryFine said:
Because people equate watts with brightness, and don't recognize lumens.
Click to expand...

I forgot we live in a country that takes so long to adopt the metric system we have to do it slowly and gradually. That's why we have wheel diameter in inches and tire width in mm, all on the same tire.

And why people still say they have both 110 and 220 in their garages, where they park their cars.
 
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