Re: Fluorex Lights *& LOA

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

Giancarlo said, in part:

> I've read people having problems with what would appear
> to be faulty bulbs,


I haven't heard of such problems.  Just a few brands of
ballasts.


> but the ones that don't blow out straight away apparently
> have been burning
> for years without problems. 
So have the twin tubes.  The cheaper lamps tend to be
cheaper.  Some of the expensive ones tend to be cheaper (in
performance) too.


> The ballasts as with all
> self-ballasted bulbs
> IMO are not the best and I've had a GE burn out with
> fireworks in the garage
> which is why I no longer use them indoors.

In-the-bulb- ballasts needn't be cheap nor crappy.  But
they can be.


> The product is
> cheap even
> compared to normal flood light so no argument here, but
> we have to take into
> consideration that for what the light is made and
> marketed for we can't
> expect LOA to have to provide detailed accurate specs,
> after all it's just a
> cheap outdoor flood light. 
On the contrary, LOA and huge company and will probalby
sell millions upon millions of lamps and bulbs this year. 
It *can* damn well afford to be honest and forthcoming in
its product information.


> We would like to have these
> figures to evaluate
> their validity for aquarium use but then again how many
> outdoor flood lights
> carry such detailed info? Anyway, the comparison between
> the Fluorex 65W and
> 55W CF to my unaided eyes looks pretty good as far as
> intensity goes, color
> temp could be a little redder. The bulb is being tested
> by someone in the
> industry with the proper testing equipment so we'll soon
> have more accurate
> specs. I would never suggest these over something like a
> AHSupply CF kit but
> you hear a lot of different economic lights being used on
> the lower end of
> the budget and I think the Fluorex bulbs can hold their
> own in that
> category.

Some folks have even used twist-type cfs to their
satisfaction.  Always good to have options.  Flourex is one
of the more misleading although cheaper ones.  
> 
> This is a link to the message posted to the UniQuaria
> group with attached
> photos of the same tank with a AHSupply light and a
> Fluorex bulb. The color
> sure doesn't match but intesity doesn't look that bad.
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UniQuaria/message/62196
> 
> Some other photos taken of the bulb details:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UniQuaria/message/62179
> 
> As I said, it's an alternative to cheaper solutions. If
> you can/want to
> spend the money on AHSupply lights (which are priced very
> well) definetly go
> with them (I did). If you're looking at all the shelves
> at Home Depot and
> similar stores for cheap alternatives these could be of
> some interest. 

There are more effective cheap solutions, even at Home
Depot, and Wayne has repeatedly, as the occassion called
for it, posted what clearly seems like the best bang for
buck option around.  Hint: it didn't include LOA bulbs or
JBJ ballasts ;-)

Scott H.

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