[Elecraft] Saving Energy and staying dry (WAS: FCC rules part 18[CF bulbs vs. LED])

[Craig Rairdin]

> While it's likely most of us can afford the extra cost of leaving our 
> gear powered up to keep it dry, it doesn't sound like the right choice 
> for those who want to be good stewards for our planet. 

I don't know. What has the planet done for me lately? I see a lot of oil not
being pumped to make gas for my car, a lot of radioactive material not
generating electricity, and a lot of sunshine just bouncing off the surface
of the earth without doing any useful work. 

I don't consider the 5% I spend when my TV is shut off to be "wasted". It's
sitting there doing exactly what I want it to do: Be ready when I hit the
button on my remote control. Similarly, my computer runs all night, doing a
few tasks that I schedule for overnight but mostly just downloading email,
filtering spam, and waiting to be there first thing in the morning so I
don't have to wait for it to boot up.

It's like the batteries in my laptop, Wii-mote, or cell phone. When I'm not
actively using the device, the batteries are slowing dying. I'm not
"wasting" that energy -- I'm "using" it to keep those devices ready for me
to use at a moment's notice.

I want *more* things to be always on, ready for me to use them. I rented a
Prius once and one of the cool things was you just got in and pressed the
"on" button and started driving. That was nice. But I want the heater
pre-heated so I don't have to sit in the cold for the first five minutes of
my trip. I want the air-conditioner pre-cooled for similar reasons in the
summer. I want hot water as soon as I turn on the shower. I want coffee
ready when I get up. I want the lights to be green when I get to the
intersection.

If the planet really wanted my attention it would do something about the
weather -- or the Virginia Tech shootings. Now *that* would be impressive.

Craig
NZ0R