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| The following is an email sent to the ICON mailing list on 11/29/99 | |||
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Insulators: Fluorescent Lamp Basics |
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| Hi
ICON'rs I figure I'll throw in my 2 cents worth on fluorescent light source basics. A lot of lamps have been mention here for possible use as light sources for display cases. Each type of lamp is designed for a specific use. I will try to explain some basics in this fluorescent lamp. 1. Lamp Model Numbers Take for example a typical home lamp F40T12/CW found in shop lights. The F stands for Fluorescent lamp The 40 stands for 40 Watt lamp (48 inches long, Wattage determines length) Lesser Wattage would be a shorter lamp and more wattage would mean a longer lamp. The T12 stands for Tube and 12 for number of 1/8 inches in diameter (12/8=1.5 Inches Dia.) So: T12=1.5" Dia T10=1.25" Dia T8= 1.0" Dia T5=5/8" Dia After the slash is the Color Temperature of the lamp CW=Cool White or 4100K WW=Warm White or 3000K-3500K Now this old lamp (F40T12/CW) is being phased out to F40T12/CW/ES, which is 34 Watts Energy Savings. Basically they are driving the lamp less. 2. Correlated Color Temp. (CCT) Let me quote out of my Philips Lamps Book. "Describes the apparent color, or chromaticity, of a light source. A fluorescent light source of 3000K, for example, Warm White, or 3000K Ultralume has a warm chromaticity, while 5000K lamps such a Colortone 50 or 5000K Ultralume have a higher blue content and considered to be cooler in color." Just for reference the Sun is around 6500K. Now our brains do the converting for the eye to determine white light. If your next to a Incandescent lamp and reading you say its a white light. If your next to a fluorescent lamp you will say the same thing that it is also white light. But if you put a Incandescent lamp next to a Fluorescent Lamp or Sun you will see that the Incandescent is so much orange. (much warmer lamp, 3000K) 3. Color Rendering Index, CRI (Most Important and Not Printed on Lamp) Again out of the Philips Book. "CRI is a relative value that indicates the color rendering quality of illumination provided by a light source. The higher the Index number, the better the quality of illumination. While one lamp may have the same apparent color in CCT as another, its ability to render colors properly may be more or less than another light source. For example, Warm White 3000K, 53 CRI lamps will not render colors of objects in an illuminated space as well as 3000K Ultralume, 85 CRI lamps." The Max or best number is 100. This means that ALL the colors fall Exactly on the Reference color spots. So 53 mean that the colors are 53% OFF. So higher the BETTER. This is Typical for a shop light (53-62 CRI) from Home Depot. So we need a Better lamp to Show off our Insulators!!! The better lamps are the newer T8 series lamps. They have the more expensive Phosphor's. Of course the better the lamp the higher the cost!!! Now Agro or Aquarium lamps CRI is not quoted in the Lamp Book so I feel that CRI is LOW. Now here is MY choice for lamps from Philips to display insulators: F32T8/TL950 5000K CRI=98 48" 32W Philips Order Number 046677-20905-6 I think that they are 8-10 bucks range... Don't quote me here.... This type of lamp is use in museums and art galleries. Other lengths for the same type of lamp: F25T8/TL950 5000K CRI=98 36" 25W Philips # 046677-22159-8 F17T8/TL950 5000K CRI=98 24" 17W Philips # 046677-22154-9 If you notice they have a super high CRI so you will pay for this, but it has the BEST COLOR RENDERING! I am sure there might be a GE or Sylvania equivalent The following may be easier to find: F40C50 (T12) Colortone 50 5000K CRI=92 48" Or GE Chroma C50 (I think same spec.) Just as an example: F40DX (T12) Daylight Deluxe 6500K CRI=84 48" A super CRI Low K Lamp: F32T8/TL930 3000K CRI=95 48" Philips # 046677-20904-9 I don't think you will get these type of lamps from Home Depot. Check out the Yellow Pages under Lighting. Our contact here in Chicago is WESCO, 723 OAKLAWN, ELMHURST, IL (630) 530-6900 I think they ship and deal with individuals Give them a call......... If any body needs info on Philips Lamps send me an E-mail and I will get you the tech stuff on them. Hope this helps Clint Mason Advance Transformer/Philips Lighting Chicago |
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