Best bet for Lighting?

[getuhgrip]

Are there any stringent do's and don'ts when selecting lighting? Do today's tube lights still buzz electronics from the ballast?

[Obi-Wan zenabI]

I have mostly CFL's in my studio now that I'm using it mainly for rehearsal and not currently recording. Keeping heat and elec. consumption down is important for me.

I'm wondering if the CFL's are known to cause similar interference to regular flourescents...

[apl]

I got four of these lamp sockets, some white extension cords, four ceiling hooks, and four 9W (light output of 40W) curly-Q bulbs. Wired up the sockets with the cords (after cutting the ends off), put a hook in the middle of each quarter of the room, hung the bulbs off the hooks, ran the cords into and behind the nearest acoustic treatment in the wall-ceiling corners over to a corner to drop it to an outlet that's controlled by the switch at the door. Bright lights, no heat, and I haven't noticed any electrical noise.

[apl]

Wikipedia says CFLs run at 40kHz, so it shouldn't be a noise problem.

[anscari]

Apart from electrical noises and heat, the comfort factor is very important. I simply can't stand being under a fluorescent light for long periods of time, it is not a natural light and even if you can't see it, the flicker of the light makes your sight tired after a long exposure.

I get dizzy with fluorescent light, so I guess it has to be not so good, my take would be classic lightbulbs, which have the most natural light of them all, and they do not heat as much as, for example, halogen lamps.

I would also keep away from CFL, I spent a LOT of money changing all the lightbulbs in my house for CFLs, just to get them out after a week because at night, my house seemed a discoteque (all the bulbs had a very weird and intense regular intermitence...).

My conclusion with lighting systems is that lightbulbs are still the best option available... they're very inneficient, but they make 0 electrical noise and they do not heat as much as others, apart from that, they give a very, very nice light.

Or you could go with leds, if you want a StarWars-like studio. I don't know nothing about using leds as a "serious" way of lighting... any insight?

[avieth]

Can't beat LED lighting. Too bad it's ridiculously expensive.

[drossfile]

Originally Posted by avieth

Can't beat LED lighting. Too bad it's ridiculously expensive.

sure you can. it's called "incandescent."

seriously, though--the problem with led lighting is its terrible color rendition. it's pretty tough on the eyes after awhile. it's basically the same shortcoming as with fluorescents, but much more so.

eventually, once the color rendition and cost issues get fixed, leds will be the norm, especially in commercial buildings. the power consumption on those things is crazy low.

[Rod Gervais]

Unfortunately = the problem with incandescent lighting is that it has been given it's death shot - They will no longer be allowed to manufacture it after somewhere between 2012 and 2014

So if you like them - you had better begin stockpiling them......

read it for yourself: http://www.metaefficient.com/news/us...ght-bulbs.html

Sincerely

Rod

[Obi-Wan zenabI]

The CFL's that I have been getting from Lowe's/HD have been better than ones I've gotten in the past. There are warm/medium/cool-- I have a 100 watt medium (they call it daylight) that I hate-- too clinical and cool for me. I hat to imagine what the cool color is.

But the warm color is remarkably close to incandescent, IMO-- and I certainly have no love for flourescents. I think they've gotten good enough to use. I just sat under one and read 100 pages of a hardcover without any eyestrain or whatever.

Sure, firelight is nicer than X,Y,or Z, but it's time to sacrifice a little luxury for conservation. CFL's are pretty painless.

Note that the only detractor for CFL's in this thread is running European power--- a different voltage and Hz.

[Rod Gervais]

Originally Posted by Obi-Wan zenabI

The CFL's that I have been getting from Lowe's/HD have been better than ones I've gotten in the past. There are warm/medium/cool-- I have a 100 watt medium (they call it daylight) that I hate-- too clinical and cool for me. I hat to imagine what the cool color is.

But the warm color is remarkably close to incandescent, IMO-- and I certainly have no love for flourescents. I think they've gotten good enough to use. I just sat under one and read 100 pages of a hardcover without any eyestrain or whatever.

Sure, firelight is nicer than X,Y,or Z, but it's time to sacrifice a little luxury for conservation. CFL's are pretty painless.

Note that the only detractor for CFL's in this thread is running European power--- a different voltage and Hz.

Sorry sir - but you are mistaken.......

The lights contain mercury (as do standard fluorescent bulbs) are consider a hazardous waste - and (if broken) a contaminate whose potential health hazards have not yet even been fully examined.

A broken or burned out bulb cannot be just thrown into the garbage - but must be taken to a special facility certified to handle the hazardous waste contained within. If the garbage goes to an incinerator - you cannot place the bulb in the garbage or it will release toxins in the air.

CFL's are ANYTHING but painless.......

this from the Maine DEP

http://www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/homeowner/cflreport.htm



Rod

[Obi-Wan zenabI]

Originally Posted by Rod Gervais

Sorry sir - but you are mistaken.......

The lights contain mercury (as do standard fluorescent bulbs) are consider a hazardous waste - and (if broken) a contaminate whose potential health hazards have not yet even been fully examined.

A broken or burned out bulb cannot be just thrown into the garbage - but must be taken to a special facility certified to handle the hazardous waste contained within. If the garbage goes to an incinerator - you cannot place the bulb in the garbage or it will release toxins in the air.

CFL's are ANYTHING but painless.......

this from the Maine DEP

http://www.maine.gov/dep/rwm/homeowner/cflreport.htm



Rod

I know this. Heck, I was a card carrying member of the Green Party back when everybody was buying their new '97 Expeditions...

I take my batteries to IKEA down the street and will do the same with my CFL's seven years from now when they are done. I hope I'm not being naiive in assuming that recycling does in fact keep the mercury out of the environment. My regular 40 watt flourescents are in storage and waiting to be taken to the waste station in New Haven.

This is a concern of mine.... I love my spicy tuna hand rolls!

It's important to be informed about this, though. I'm hoping that people in this nation are finally ready to make efforts like that to protect the environment. Those, to me, are painless.

But as for the electrical interference issues, I'm pretty much 'in the dark' about those... all opinions are IMHO/IME .

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

Quote:
Originally Posted by avieth
Can't beat LED lighting. Too bad it's ridiculously expensive.

sure you can. it's called "incandescent."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Rod Gervais]

Originally Posted by RICK FITZPATRICK

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

LMAO..........

Well I am all for incandescent lighting - and am in the process of buying all of the bulbs I can lay my grubby little hands on - I figure I'll have thousands of new bulbs by the time they are done and gone - enough lighting to carry me easily through the rest of my life.

And not because I am concerned about the mercury - but just because the incandescent lighting is a better product IMHO......... I like the light they produce and would take it any day over fluorescent lighting.

BTW- I recycle too - right into a 5 yard dumpster that's emptied twice a month. Everything goes there and from there to the incinerator. I have no concerns about the environment - it pretty much takes care of itself - look at how things cleaned up after MT ST Helens...........

I also pray for the return of Nuclear Breeding Reactors and the construction of new Nuclear Power Plants.

If you really want them to screw up the environment let them paste wind towers all over the Rockies and tidal power generators in the oceans - perhaps even huge photovoltaic covers over the cities........ then you'll REALLY see trouble.

There are no such things as environmentally friendly or truly renewable energy sources. However - nuclear power does come close.........

Whatever energy you take (regardless of it's source) will eventually compromise some part of the environment.

Sincerely,

Rod

[tc4b]

I can't believe no one has mentioned lava lamps or neon beer signs. What kind of musicians are you?

[omtayslick]

Originally Posted by Rod Gervais

LMAO..........

Well I am all for incandescent lighting - and am in the process of buying all of the bulbs I can lay my grubby little hands on - I figure I'll have thousands of new bulbs by the time they are done and gone - enough lighting to carry me easily through the rest of my life.

And not because I am concerned about the mercury - but just because the incandescent lighting is a better product IMHO......... I like the light they produce and would take it any day over fluorescent lighting.

BTW- I recycle too - right into a 5 yard dumpster that's emptied twice a month. Everything goes there and from there to the incinerator. I have no concerns about the environment - it pretty much takes care of itself - look at how things cleaned up after MT ST Helens...........

I also pray for the return of Nuclear Breeding Reactors and the construction of new Nuclear Power Plants.

If you really want them to screw up the environment let them paste wind towers all over the Rockies and tidal power generators in the oceans - perhaps even huge photovoltaic covers over the cities........ then you'll REALLY see trouble.

There are no such things as environmentally friendly or truly renewable energy sources. However - nuclear power does come close.........

Whatever energy you take (regardless of it's source) will eventually compromise some part of the environment.

Sincerely,

Rod

Thank you for injecting the voice of reason into this thread. I'm with you. And I'm tired of seeing expenses rise and the quality of life in the US declining for the sake of the enironment. Especially when most of these environmental schemes don't accomplish anything anyway.

[omtayslick]

Originally Posted by tc4b

I can't believe no one has mentioned lava lamps or neon beer signs. What kind of musicians are you?

And thank you too.

[apl]

I've got two lava lamps!

Anyway, here's what it looks like...

[Obi-Wan zenabI]

Originally Posted by omtayslick

Thank you for injecting the voice of reason into this thread. I'm with you. And I'm tired of seeing expenses rise and the quality of life in the US declining for the sake of the enironment. Especially when most of these environmental schemes don't accomplish anything anyway.

Gluttons, both of you. This kind of entitlement-infected American thinking disgusts me, many in this country, and many around the world. Your quality of life is someone else's famine, oppression, and starvation. I strive to do better than I do-- have been since before being green became a fad this summer.

And come on, Rod, you live here in CT with me where electricity prices were increased what, like 50 percent a few years ago?

And you side with the creeps with their multi million dollar waterview homes who don't want a wind farm in Long Island Sound or near their cottage in Aspen or Vail?

Overindulgence is as unhealthy for a nation as it is for your body. Stockpiling incandescents? Throwing away 5 cubic yards of trash/biweekly? And that's just recycling? Wake up! My family of four (two in diapers) often manages to only put out one small 20 gallon (sometimes two) can out to the curb.

http://www.rubbermaid.com/rubbermaid...d=HPProd280074

Would you like a wah-fer thin mint?

[Rod Gervais]

Originally Posted by Obi-Wan zenabI

Gluttons, both of you. This kind of entitlement-infected American thinking disgusts me, many in this country, and many around the world. Your quality of life is someone else's famine, oppression, and starvation.

Obi,

with all due respect - my quality of life has nothing whatsoever to do with anyone elses lack of that quality.

You will never make me feel guilty because I do well for myself - I worked my butt off to get where I am in life - sleeping 4 hours a night through probably 15 years of it just so I could stay ahead of the learning curve.....

The only thing that bother me about the cost of power is that there are so many better ways we could be producing it and aren't because a minority of the people in the country are afraid of nuclear power (yes a vocal minority - but a minority none the less) and our government tends to pamper those people a whole hell of a lot more than they should.

That aside - whatever the freight - I'll either pay it or move out of the state.... and I don't see myself moving at any point in time quick.

I strive to do better than I do-- have been since before being green became a fad this summer.

Nothing wrong with that - and I am happy for you - however I am in construction - do a lot of work with wood (currently building a 3 story wood frame apartment complex) and don't view the ecology in quite the same way as you do.

For example - we now have 4 times as much forest land in CT as we did when we first set foot on it's shores - and 10 times as much nation wide - so what's everyone crying about when we cut down a tree?

And come on, Rod, you live here in CT with me where electricity prices were increased what, like 50 percent a few years ago?

Them is da breaks - as far as I can see it - we are just now starting to catch up with the rest of the world with our energy costs........

And you side with the creeps with their multi million dollar waterview homes who don't want a wind farm in Long Island Sound or near their cottage in Aspen or Vail?

Obi, you sound like an intelligent human being - but apparently have bought into the mistaken idea that kind power is ecology friendly power - for free and self renewing - and that is a lie told to the people to make them feel good about it.

Picture (if you will ) hundreds and hundreds of wind mills sitting on top of the rockies - what do yuo suppose is going to happen to the prevailing winds from the west ( that we now count on to bring all that nice moist air all the way across the country from the Pacific Ocean) when we strip it of 25 or 30% of it's energy........ is it still going to have enough energy to get the job done - especially since they are also talking about tall wind towers in the mid-west - and towers in the Appilacian mountains........ and they are thinking in those directions all over the world -

It can't continnue to move around the world at the same rates if you strip energy from it to covert to electricity.

You have the same thing with tidal waters - and each photovotaic cell is a bit of sun power that used to warm the earth that no longer does or will......... you could place enough of them around the world to easily cool the earth several degrees.

I am not preaching gloom doom and dispair - but am simply pointing out that each and every source of energy has prices we are going to eventually have to pay.

Overindulgence is as unhealthy for a nation as it is for your body. Stockpiling incandescents? Throwing away 5 cubic yards of trash/biweekly? And that's just recycling? Wake up! My family of four (two in diapers) often manages to only put out one small 20 gallon (sometimes two) can out to the curb.

Listen - first off - 40 watts of light is 40 watts of light - it doesn't know of care in what format it is consumed....... it is complete bull that a 40 watt CFL produces the same lighting as a 60 or 70 or 100 watt incandescent bulb.

If you want 40 watts of light - put in a 40 watt bulb.

Next - the 5 yard dumpster was a typo - I meant to say 2 yard..... and that makes financial sense - I pay less than 1/2 the cost of disposal as my neighbors with their 3 or 4 different containers - AND it only takes one truck to pick up my garbage every 2 weeks - whereas they have 2 stopping every week at their houses. I am doing the ecology a favor.

Would you like a wah-fer thin mint?

Heck - I just love thin mints........

Seriously - if I caught someone dumping chemicals into the ground - I would probably break both of their legs - I do take conservation of our resources seriously - but I do not go to extremes - nor do I buy into the global warming retoric or the we are destroying the earth bull that the extremists preach.

The earth has it's own ways of making adjustments - and it all evens out in the end.....

As far as being a part of the NIMBY's - nope - not me - I firmly believe (probly more so than you ever will ) that as long as my neighbor doesn't so anything to physically damage my property - that he/she should be able to do anything they want to with their property.

I used to live in Sterling Ct - and one of the things I loved most about it was that it had no zoning (still doesn't) - so if I bought property across the street from your home and wanted to build a garage - or a store - or put a traliler on it - OR SET UP A MICROWAVE TOWER - that was up to me - not you - and I fully supported owners rights to do with their property as they wished. I still do.

Yes, I still believe that - so no - I do not have a problem with someone putting wind towers around my house - I am only opposed to the lie that are being spread that they will not/ can not have any adverse effect on the environment.

Which is not to say that I don't believe we should use them - only that we should do so knowing the potential effects that might take place.

Respectfully,

Rod

[apl]

So what do y'all think of my cool lights?

[omtayslick]

Obi-Wan,

I am not a glutton. I wish that the entire world could enjoy our standard of living. And they could, if not for political considerations. Starvation is not a lack of resources problem, it's a political problem. The USA could feed most of the world single-handedly if we were allowed to.

I am all for "green" solutions that work. The fact is, most of them don't. They're just somebody's idea of good PR. Most of this stuff is politically motivated as well.

Take wind power as one small example. I live in Indiana, and windmills are being erected at an incredible pace. They are very impressive. One blade for these things takes an over-sized semi-trailer to haul it. I watch them rolling down the interstate every day.

But now lets examine the facts. Put up a windmill, get free unlimited power, right? Not exactly. If you put up enough of these to replace the power generated by a conventional power plant, there is no way to store the power. It would take an incredible amount of batteries to do this. (and then what do you do with the spent batteries?) So what happens when the wind doesn't blow? They have to leave a conventional power plant idling (using energy) to take up the slack when the wind isn't enough. Because you can't fire 'em up like turning on a light switch, so they have to be ready to go.

So, at this point in time, wind power is practical on a small scale only. Someday, when someone develops a storage scheme that is practical it will be viable on a large scale. When that day comes I will be all for it. But right now, it's a salve for the masses, and great PR for the politicians.

There are similar holes in most of the other green schemes.

Don't accept what they tell you at face value. Dig a little for the facts.



With sincere best intentions,

Tom

[tc4b]

Originally Posted by omtayslick

There are similar holes in most of the other green schemes.

How's that fossil fuel scheme working out?

[Sir_Doof_Alot]

As far as lighting goes.. I just use a 2 40watt bulbs.

In another room that I am planning on turning into a studio, I have 4 of the lights like APL has in his studio. I would much rather have the 2 40 watts though, as they seem to put out more light. The fluorescent bulbs just don't seem as bright to me. However, just for a microphone room, it will be adequate.

I love how this thread turned into an environmental argument.
I would have to agree with Rod Gervais on his views. I can't stand being lectured about how the environment is in ruins. There is no such thing as global warming!!

I was actually watching something on Discovery I think, and they said the average temperature was going to drop almost 30 degrees in the next 1000 years. Well Mr. Gore.. Which is it?..

[Rod Gervais]

Originally Posted by Sir_Doof_Alot

Well Mr. Gore.. Which is it?..

Awww........ don't go picking on poor old Al - he's still got egg on his face over the whole "I invented the internet thinggy"......

Which (BTW - for those who might be interested) was actually created by the military a long time before the public ever began to operate in that world....... but Al was feeling unimportant and wanted to be the center of attention - so he had to say something........................

[Rod Gervais]

Originally Posted by tc4b

How's that fossil fuel scheme working out?

Not 1/2 shabby all things considered - and when they finally let us open up the new fields in Alaska - the Gulf - and along the shores of southern california - we'll be knee deep in roughly another thousand years worth of supplies.

Plus they are almost ready to begin the removal of oil shale deposits in the upper west and midwest....... it looks like blowing off charges followed by pressurizing the lines will get the job done - and there is more than a thousand years worth of fuel sitting there as well by all estimates (the problem has always been a cost effective way to get it out of the shale deposits.) The estimates are 2.9 billion barrels of oil shale worldwide - and the US has 2 billion of those barrels sitting here.

Nope - things are looking up all the time - better things are coming down the road.

Sincerely,

Rod