http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/06/21/led-by-the-nose/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:06:13 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/06/21/led-by-the-nose/comment-page-1/#comment-5250 David Read Mon, 21 Aug 2006 14:10:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/06/21/led-by-the-nose/#comment-5250 Phil, I stumbled across this thread after a Google search for 'problems with LED lighting'. I see that these postings are over a year old but I'm wondering if you or anyone reading this might be able to help me. I bought a couple of those outrageously expensive LED indoor lights (PAR 30 floodlight). When I installed them, they immediately began to glow - a bit of a surprise since the switch was off. I thought I might have a faulty switch, so I tried another circuit - same thing. I started checking and it seems that, even though the switches are off, the circuits still carry a small amount of voltage (1v - 1.5v). My house is relatively new (8 years old). Was I the recipient of a bad batch of switches? Or is there something else going on here? Phil,
I stumbled across this thread after a Google search for ‘problems with LED lighting’. I see that these postings are over a year old but I’m wondering if you or anyone reading this might be able to help me.
I bought a couple of those outrageously expensive LED indoor lights (PAR 30 floodlight). When I installed them, they immediately began to glow – a bit of a surprise since the switch was off. I thought I might have a faulty switch, so I tried another circuit – same thing. I started checking and it seems that, even though the switches are off, the circuits still carry a small amount of voltage (1v – 1.5v). My house is relatively new (8 years old). Was I the recipient of a bad batch of switches? Or is there something else going on here?

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/06/21/led-by-the-nose/comment-page-1/#comment-5249 Corey Geving Mon, 25 Jul 2005 20:52:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/06/21/led-by-the-nose/#comment-5249 The other massive advantage of LED lighting is that their light spans a very narrow arc and is directional. This would help reduce light pollution immensely, in that streetlights and floodlights built with modern white LED tech would focus much more of their light downward, where it is needed, and very little (only whatever gets reflected back from the ground) would be "leaked" back into space. Which would make a lot of backyard astronomers very happy, since light pollution is the bane of their existence. Moths and baby sea turtles would also be less likely to be confounded by it. More light, better spectra, less energy, and better control over where the light goes. And I'm not even an LED salesman ... The other massive advantage of LED lighting is that their light spans a very narrow arc and is directional. This would help reduce light pollution immensely, in that streetlights and floodlights built with modern white LED tech would focus much more of their light downward, where it is needed, and very little (only whatever gets reflected back from the ground) would be “leaked” back into space. Which would make a lot of backyard astronomers very happy, since light pollution is the bane of their existence. Moths and baby sea turtles would also be less likely to be confounded by it. More light, better spectra, less energy, and better control over where the light goes. And I’m not even an LED salesman …

]]> http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/06/21/led-by-the-nose/comment-page-1/#comment-5248 Jon Niehof Tue, 19 Jul 2005 16:48:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/06/21/led-by-the-nose/#comment-5248 <!-- spamk : Comment text: 'Phil, you might want to try some full-spectrum CF's: http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/compact_fluorescent_32_ctg.htm They're a bit more expensive but pretty nice. They'll also still look a bit blue to you; incandescent lighting is very low-temperature compared to daylight.' matched HTTP: --> Phil, you might want to try some full-spectrum CF's: http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/compact_fluorescent_32_ctg.htm They're a bit more expensive but pretty nice. They'll also still look a bit blue to you; incandescent lighting is very low-temperature compared to daylight.