[geeks] CHEAP compact fluorescent bulbs

[Mike Hebel]

Or how about these guys:

http://www.alwaysthinking.com/products/products.html

Even supports voice commands on the Mac.

Mike: "Flush the toilet!"
Mac:  "Command accepted!"
Wife: "Hey!  My Windows machine rebooted!"

*grin*

Mike Hebel

Mike Hebel wrote:

> Have you seen this article?:
>
> http://www.macworld.com/2001/06/22/howto/oldmac_ha.html
>
> There are others but this one seemed to cover some of the Mac bases.
>
> Mike Hebel
>
> Leo Green wrote:
>
> > Ah sweet!
> >
> > I bought about half of my current X10 gear from these guys a few years
> > ago, and last I saw, they said that CF bulbs were no good under X10.
> > Now if I can just find an app that'll program my radioshack X10
> > controller from my new powerbook...
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike Hebel wrote:
> >
> > > I've never used X10 but these guys:
> > >
> > > http://www.smarthome.com/903220.html
> > >
> > > claim to have searched specifically for X10 comaptible bulbs so there
> > > must be some sort of difference in how the less expensive bulbs handle
> > > the X10 signals.  I would think that unless they were buffered in some
> > > manner the ballasts on the bulbs would amplify any small amount of
> > > signal into something like a repeated starting arc in the bulb thus
> > > wearing it out.  But then I'm not a physics person so I'm probably
> > > grasping at straws.  Maybe a filter coil in the ballast circuits for
> > > the X10 frequency?
> > >
> > > Mike Hebel
> > >
> > > Leo Green wrote:
> > >
> > >> Anyone ever used these compact fluorescent bulbs with X10?  I
> > tried, and
> > >> the bulbs kept flickering, and they blew out within a month.
> > >> That's the only thing keeping me from going to CF's right now.
> > >>
> > >> FYI: I was using the X10 appliance modules, but even the lamp 
> module I
> > >> tried did the same.
> > >>
> > >> Chris Hedemark wrote:
> > >>
> > >> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > >> > Hash: SHA1
> > >> >
> > >> > Since we've been talking about this lately I thought it would be of
> > >> > interest.
> > >> >
> > >> > Went to Home Depot today to replace my first CF bulb that blew out.
> > >> > That bulb cost me about $18 I think and I got it five years ago.
> > The
> > >> > last five years has seen a lot of progress in CF bulbs.
> > >> >
> > >> > Well Home Depot had them as cheap as $4.97 for a 60 watt 
> replacement
> > >> > (which burns actually about a fourth of that and is cool enough to
> > >> > touch while it is burning).  That was with a five year warranty.
> > >> > Another buck and change for 7 years.  The prices have dropped
> > >> > aggressively in the last six months, which is the last time I
> > >> bought one.
> > >> >
> > >> > Keep in mind these ~$5 bulbs are the "warm" ones that Mr Bill and
> > >> > others don't like (they look kinda yellowish).  IIRC the  year
> > >> > warranty model for <$2 more is much whiter, or "full spectrum".
> > They
> > >> > have them from 9 watts for a 40 watt replacement (compact enough to
> > >> > fit in some very tight fixtures) on up to a 150w replacement.
> > >> >
> > >> > Chris Hedemark
> > >> > Hillsborough, NC
> > >> > http://yonderway.com
> > >> >
> > >> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
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> > >> >
> > >> > iD8DBQE9yFtwYPuF4Zq9lvYRAi/XAJwJKkRnI8ilRFsWza1L4vaKbu7NhACcDnoz
> > >> > c+7hhW3XClg9DN+INhQjElY=
> > >> > =wAec
> > >> > -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
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