[aprssig] CFL Bulbs and Shack backup power ;-)

[Bob Bruninga]

> The life of the bulb is limited more by
> number of on-off cycles than hours burned...
> Be also wary of infrared motion sensors. 

Interesting.  My experience is quite different.

THe first bulb I installed as a CFL was in my infrared motion activated outdoor sensor that I have to have a ladder and climb onto the roof to replace.  It has to be 5 or more years old and cycles probably a half dozen times a night as I go from the house to the garage and back and work outside on every conceivable project...

I did climb back up and swap one of the CFL's in the dual lamp fixture with an incandescent so that I had some INSTANT on light in the winter, but then of course when that burned out, I have just left it with the one CFL bulb and been too lazy to climb back up there.  

ANway, It is an IR sensor lamp, it is cycled multiple times a night, and it has lasted as long as I can remember.  

The really AMAZING thing to me is the sturdiness of the CFL comapred to incandescents.  I use CFL's in all my "trouble" lights and probably drop one a week while working out doors on the cars or other project.  They NEVER break or die.  Whereas drop an incandescent, and BLINK, its toast.

I used to keep packages of incandescents in the garage due to the number of times I dropped the trouble lamps during projects.  But spares are not needed with CFLS that just keep on illuminating...  

Oh well, enough of this thread!

Bob