[Hallicrafters] CF and fluorescents in general

[rodk0eqh at wbsnet.org]

Couldn't resist adding my 2 cents here on this topic.

We run a store where I have 26-8ft lamps, 2-7 inch circular, and 4-CF
lamps running during business hours.  We have additionally 22 more in
stock room and shop area used only when occupied.

These are all equipped with line interference filters and the only time we
get any significant noise from the place is when we have a bulb going bad.
It usually lets us know with noise and begins to flicker.  RadioShack used
to sell a fairly good filter, 15-1111, but it has been discontinued.  I
think our secret is the line filters, and all are 3-wire grounded
fixtures.

We sell the CF lamps, both the 16W/60equiv, the 23W/100equiv and even PAR
type and new a dimmable CF lamp. There are -3- "temperatures" of lamps
available,
Soft White, Cool While and Bright White.  All have different color
spectrum and you have to watch which one will "look" best for you.  I like
the bright white where I can get most light from it in small areas.

Heat is heat, and watts is watts.  If I were to use nothing but
incandecent lamps, I could not afford to pay the light bill let alone the
added heat generated to overcome with A/C in summer, with electricity at
11.2 c/Kwhr, we need to keep effeciency as high as possible.

I have only 4 incandecent lamps at home, in outside porch light and some
in security light outside.  Plan to try the CFL PARs in there soon.

My light bill has dropped since changing all the lamps in house and store
to CFLs where we can, biggest noise problem was a cheap dimmer unit we
found and got it unhooked.  Biggest noise generators are the PC's and
monitors, they just don't seem to be getting any better.  Noise floor
increases when have TV's, DVDs' on display plugged in.

Yes some of the very early models of CFLs generated HF noise, however
there have been a LOT of standards raised on them.  Mercury, only a teeny
little bit, much like regulary lamps, to get them started.

Rod