Reply With QuoteI have two flashlights with LED's for hunting..very bright..one of them fits on the end of my cap so I can go hands free.
Incandescent tungsten-filament light bulbs face a global switch-off as governments push for energy efficient fluorescent lamps to become the standard. But the light could soon go out on those lamps too, now that UK materials scientists have discovered a cheaper way to produce LED bulbs, which are three times as efficient as fluorescent lamps.
Although the ultimate dominance of LED lights has long been predicted, the expense of the super-efficient technology has made the timescale uncertain. The researchers now say LED bulbs based on their new process could be commercially available within five years.
Gallium nitride (GaN) LEDs have many advantages over compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and incandescent bulbs. They switch on instantly, with no gradual warm-up, and can burn for an average of 100,000 hours before they need replacing - 10 times as long as fluorescent lamps and some 130 times as long as an incandescent bulb. CFLs also contain small levels of mercury, which makes environmentally-friendly disposal of spent bulbs difficult.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/...e-horizon.html
Interesting. I have a couple of flashlights that use LED's. I use them to see inside of relays. Their ultra bright light makes it easier to see inside the relays than regular tungsten lamps.
It's only a matter of time.
I have two flashlights with LED's for hunting..very bright..one of them fits on the end of my cap so I can go hands free.
I love my LED flashlights
In addition to my regular two I also got conversion kits for my minimags and 4-D maglite, from niteize.
Next time you're at a traffic light check out the taillights/turn signals on the vehicle ahead of you. Hard to tell with cars but on most of the trucks and buses I see they have LED signals and brake lights.
Its the price that kills their chances within the home.
For our kitchen lights, the LED replacement ones cost about 45 bucks. Reg bulbs cost 10.
Yeah, matter of time for them to come down but it's happening.Originally Posted by YARDofSTUF
Had one of these for a few months: http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/inova_x1.htm
Love it.
I tried a multi-LED bulb once and it was like a dim spotlight. Not very useful in lighting up a room.
"I was once banned from a bookstore for moving all the bibles to fiction"
I think LED bulbs project more of a spotlight, great for flashlights but bad for interior lighting. Give them some time and I assume they'll pay a lot more attention to design, seems like they could take that into account and shape the bulb exterior to help with that.
I imagine manufacturers will drag their feet before they jump on board simply because of the long life of LED bulbs... It's even harder to sell replacements than CFLs.
Technology is almost there, it only needs some tweaking.
GE controls the market as Philip alluded to. A simple prismatic diffuser negates any issues with LED technology for home lighting purposes. With an LED having a 50,000 hour rating, it doesn't help GE's bottom line to distribute them.
I can think of some applications where they need to get a lot brighter. As in those small bulbs used for chandlers. I don't think there's a replacement made for one yet and any cost unless it's one of those multifaceted LED Christmas bulbs in white and I've not seen one with that small base.
Another one is softer lighting like you get with incandescent. That bright white light would make most houses seem sterile.
It's only a matter of time as some of you have said.
Major railroads already use them for signal lights as well as for crossing lights for public warning. They work very well.
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