CFL's and X-10

I suspect not. I don't see anything that would lead me to believe these are anything special. Considering that they put the words "no dimming" in small print with an asterisk I think it's just their way of saying "at least these modules won't allow you to try to dim undimmable CFL's and ruin them." However, if I get a chance, I'll drop them a note asking what makes these different from regular appliance modules.

-- Bobby G.

Thanks for the tip. I've bought a lot of different brands and different models of the same brand and different lot numbers of the same model and they've all been different. The bulb makers are constantly changing their products At one point, I was optimizing for low noise, but since I use filters almost everywhere, that's no longer as important as optimizing for fewer "relights" and flickering.

I wish I didn't have to be in the business of approving bulbs for each particular fixture in the house but that's the hand X-10 dealt us until they come out with a *real* CFL module that preserves local sense without allowing the bulbs to flicker or relight themselves. Instead of hiring an engineer to solve the problem, they turned to deceptive marketing. )-:.

There's a thread about CFL's in alt.home.repair I was tempted to cross-post, but the temptation faded. (-:

It seems to say that nearly every CFL user has at least one CFL sticking out beyond the rim of a lampshape or they are using a too dim CFL somewhere because the equivalent one doesn't fit or have ended up using two CFLs where they would have used a single incandescent before.

I've got a few very expensive bulbs I got from Smarthome that are dimmable via X-10 (more dimmable than most would be a better way to put it) but they have an oversized base that seriously limits where I can use them (that's a continuing theme in CFL-land). I'd really rather see the market move towards a high-eff. incandescent bulb.

I understand CFL save lots of bucks, and I use them where possible, and I appreciate the tip but I'd really rather have the HE incandescents that

1) don't afflict my X-10 gear, 2) don't darken considerably over time, 3) don't care if they're cycled on and off by a motion detector, 4) don't care if they're installed base up or down, 5) dim at least two or three steps on X-10 without buzzing 6) don't cause "relighting" or "flickering after turnoff" problems 7) didn't have even a teensy weensy bit of mercury in them (-:

Thanks again for the pointer but the real fix either needs to come from X-10 or the light bulb makers themselves. The problem is, if they can save a penny (it's probably a much smaller number) per bulb by using a cheaper component, they'll do it. Sometimes that means death to X-10 signals. .

There should be lettering on the base of each bulb with maker, wattage and other good data. I would jot that down if I were you simply because I wouldn't bet that you could get the exact same model from Costco next year, especially without a model number or UPC to go by. Surely, they are marked on the bulb. Alas, I am not a member of Costco, either, which kind of queers the deal but perhaps others might be interested in knowing what your bulbs say. I've been using the HomeDepot N:Vision bulbs with mixed results. .

"Bobby Green" wrote in news:Yq-dnaK2h4iHrMPVnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@rcn.net:

I want to add one to this list. Living in the desert, I have nine ceiling fans in my house. I have been using CFLs in the lamp assembly for some of them. In this application, the CFLs are pointed downward at an angle, are subjected to any vibration from the fan, and have a service life no better (and maybe worse) than an incandescent bulb. Thus:

8) Don't become unreliable in common household applications such as in ceiling fans.

I also should add another one at the request of my wife: 9) that they fail benignly, without filling a room with acrid burning plastic smell and smoke. While I realize that they aren't going to catch fire, and that electrically speaking a CFL failure is a lot less likely to blow a circuit breaker than a tungsten bulb, my wife is very sensitive to burning smells and the CFLs really spook her.

That reminds me of a pet peeve: CFL bulbs that say "remove by grasping plastic base, never by glass tube" as if there's ever been enough ROOM in a standard lamp head to get your fingers and the bulb's electronics bay in there at the same time. Hopefully, in a few years, the big bulb makers will be able to develop incandescent bulbs that convert the IR portion of the light back to visible light and HE tungsten bulbs can be used in all the places that CFL's have problems. Or maybe universally as CFL's flicker on into history with the eight track tape machine.

-- Bobby G.

I don't know where RG gets his CFL's but I've used them for some time and have not seen a single one give off any odor at all. They last a long time, cost less to operate than incandescents, save precious resources and con tribute far less pollution in the process.

Mine has asthma and is extremely sensitive to smells like burning. She used CFL's in her (now our) condo in Brazil for years without any of the ill effects Bobby reports. Then again, neither she nor I am on a compaign for or

*against* CFL's.

The above makes me wonder if the author has ever seen, much less used a CFL. All the models I've seen have a rather bulky area containing the electronics. One I just examined has over an inch high module -- plenty of room to grasp and turh the lamp. However, there is no warning not to handle the glass tube. Unless there are other models with such a warning on them, I suspect Bobby is confusing CFL's with halogen bulbs. Those can suffer an early demise if the oil from your fingers gets on the glass.

Perhaps we'll also develope an infinite motion device as well.

Better yet, how about a discussion of the relavent issues on Usenet, unclouded by personal agenda.

Look at for a different view of CFLs

Let's see. The person speaking is Ted Poe, a right wing, Texas Republican.

Voted NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Jan 2007) Voted NO on allowing human embryonic stem cell research. (May 2005) Voted YES on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions. (Apr

2005) Rated 100% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-life stance (190 members). (Dec 2006) Grant the pre-born equal protection under 14th Amendment. (Jan 2007) Voted NO on revitalizing severely distressed public housing. (Jan 2008) Voted NO on regulating the subprime mortgage industry. (Nov 2007) Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation. (Nov 2007) Voted YES on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman. (Jul 2006) Rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance. (Dec 2006) Rated 25% by the NAACP, indicating an anti-affirmative-action stance. (Dec 2006) Voted NO on allowing stockholder voting on executive compensation. (Apr 2007) Voted NO on expanding services for offendors' re-entry into society. (Nov 2007) Voted NO on additional $10.2B for federal education & HHS projects. (Nov 2007) Voted NO on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance. (Jul 2006) Voted NO on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges. (Mar 2006) Voted NO on tax incentives for renewable energy. (Feb 2008) Voted NO on investing in homegrown biofuel. (Aug 2007) Voted NO on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC. (May 2007) Voted NO on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jan 2007) Voted NO on keeping moratorium on drilling for oil offshore. (Jun 2006) Voted YES on scheduling permitting for new oil refinieries. (Jun 2006) Voted YES on authorizing construction of new oil refineries. (Oct 2005) Rated 0% by the CAF, indicating opposition to energy independence. (Dec 2006) Voted NO on increasing AMTRAK funding by adding $214M to $900M. (Jun 2006) Voted NO on barring website promoting Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump. (May 2006) Voted YES on deauthorizing "critical habitat" for endangered species. (Sep 2005) Voted NO on deterring foreign arms transfers to China. (Jul 2005) Voted YES on reforming the UN by restricting US funding. (Jun 2005) Keep sanctions against Syria until WMDs are dismantled. (May 2007) Voted NO on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization. (Oct 2007) Voted YES on implementing CAFTA, Central America Free Trade. (Jul 2005) Block NAFTA Superhighway & North American Union. (Jan 2007) Voted YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations. (May 2007) Voted NO on granting Washington DC an Electoral vote & vote in Congress. (Apr 2007) Voted YES on protecting whistleblowers from employer recrimination. (Mar 2007) Voted YES on requiring photo ID for voting in federal elections. (Sep 2006) Voted YES on restricting independent grassroots political committees. (Apr 2006) Voted YES on prohibiting lawsuits about obesity against food providers. (Oct 2005) Voted YES on limiting attorney's fees in class action lawsuits. (Feb 2005) Prohibit non-legislated earmarks. (Jul 2005)

Did you expect to get an accurate, fact-based assessment out of that character?

did he say something that was factually incorrect?

Did he ever say anything that was factual?

dont expect a truthfull answer from bAss

"Tom Stiller" a écrit dans le message de groupe de discussion : snipped-for-privacy@news.verizon.net...

From

Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room ? Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out. ? Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more. ? Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one. Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces ? Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag. ? Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. ? Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag. ? Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces. Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug ? Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag. ? Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. ? If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken. ? Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

And more.

Sometimes even people you don't like are right.

Don't you mean "perpetual"??

That's for serious mercury spills. It has no more to do with using CFLs in your home than using a thermometer.

Yes, but what you quoted does nothing to make Poe honest or reliable. He's in lock step with the Idiot. Don't trust anything he says and, more importantly, beware of everything he does.

No, that IS the official policy for CFLs. It is basically the same as for thermometers. It is not that difficult.

My complaints on CFLs are:

SLOW STARTUP Really a problem for areas that I am in for a short period of time. A pain in the butt for rooms that I will be in for longer periods but have to endure low light for a significant time.

LACK OF DIMMABILITY There are rooms where I want different levels of light depending on the activity.

Or anything but insults from Petem and friends.

go tell oprah!

"B Fuhrmann" a écrit dans le message de groupe de discussion :

8pCdnYajctH3DPrVnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@posted.cpinternet...

did i ever insult you?

the only one that got it is the one that deserved it...

aint that most of asa people say about you?