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Re: [APD] 55W 2G11 Base 6500K Bulbs on the Cheap



That source can provide some very good bargains and too,
hard to find bulbs, such as, for example, candelabra-base
compact fluorescents. I've bought dozens of bulbs from
them.

Otoh, they sometimes substitute bulbs, so it can be hard to
know what you are getting with a particular order. As I
recall, they give an indication if they reserve the right
to substitute bulbs for a given model offered for sale.

Also note that, since bulb quality can vary from one model
to the next, and (ime) they carry higher and lower quality
bulbs, it can make sense to try one out and then order more
(or not) accordingly if you need a lot of bulbs. Otherwise,
if you only need one or two bulbs, I think it is best to
stick with a source like AHS that reliably provides top
quality bulbs. The source's reputation for the quality of
the product can mean more than the ratings, which only give
little snips of info about a bulb's performance. I do not
mean to disparage atlantalightbulbs.com; I'm just saying
that they sell a wide spectrum of bulbs of varying quality
but usually at relatively good prices.

I would not worry about the fullness of the spectrum, any
reasonably "white" fluorescent will happily grow plants.
Kelvin choice matters more to your own perceptual aethetic
sensitivities. Unfortunately, it's hard to tell what the
light from a bulb will look like from the temp rating.

A CRI rating in the low 80s is not bad, actually it's
pretty good -- not the best, but pretty good.

Good luck, good fun,
Scott H.

--- Jerry Baker <jerry at bakerweb_biz> wrote:

> First, let me preface this by apologizing to everyone for
> the number of 
> questions I have/will be posting here over the next few
> days and weeks. 
> I'm getting ready to set up a very large planted tank and
> I want to get 
> as much feedback as I can each step of the way.
> 
> I have found a source of 21.1" 55W 2G11 base 6500K bulbs
> for $10 each 
>
(http://www.atlantalightbulbs.com/ecart/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=FT55DL.865).
> 
> The manufacturer rates these bulbs at over 87
> lumens/watt. That's pretty 
> high for CF as far as I know. The CRI is a little low at
> 82, but the 
> rated life is 14,000 hours. All the specifications are
> here: 
>
http://www.eiko-ltd.com/Products.aspx?CatID=210&ProductIndex=DT55/65/RS.
> 
> They sound like good bulbs. Does anyone have any
> experience with them, 
> or have any advice as far as 82 CRI vs. 91 CRI for 5500K
> AHsupply bulbs?
> 
> I was thinking of mixing their 5000K bulbs with the 6700K
> bulbs with the 
> idea that the phosphors are probably slightly different
> and that I had a 
> greater chance of getting "full spectrum" by mixing two
> types of bulbs. 
> In addition, Kelvins are linear, so I would get an end
> result of 5850K.
> 
> Thanks for any thoughts or ideas.
> 
> -- 
> Jerry Baker
> _______________________________________________
> Aquatic-Plants mailing list
> Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
> http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo/aquatic-plants
> 


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