Re: N:Vision CFL's

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Nick Hull" <nhull@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:nhull-7861FB.07285325032007@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> In article <tLSdnc5t5pnswJjbnZ2dnUVZ_tijnZ2d@xxxxxxx>,
>  "Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > My most pressing interest is to figure out why the porch light won't
turn
> > off remotely!  I have a number of similar wall switches that I will
test,
> > including those that have easily accessible outlets on the same circuit
leg.
>
> My experience, if it is of any help; I had a '100 watt equivalent'
> mounter base up in a hanging shade that apparently did not allow
> sufficient cooling.  Worked perfectly with its X-10 for hours, then
> started buzzing and would not turn off.  When cooled and re-started
> still would not turn off and jammed my entire x-10 system.

Yeow!  From what I have seen of cooling issues with CFL's, if they are going
to appear, they'll show up first in base-up installations because the heat
from the bulb is rising through the electronics.  I have some 43W
Earthlights that failed in a bottom-up fixture with plenty of cooling.  The
base was noticeably yellowed and the tubes were blackened at the electrodes.
Another lamp from the same batch looked much, much "newer" although it had
virtually the same run times - except in the bottom-down mode.  Have you
cracked that sucker open?  There may be evidence of which component cooked.
I know if you're frugal like me it's hard to put the knife or the Dremel
cut-off wheel to a working device, but we both know it's brimming with X-10
demons.

> Put a better shade on and a new identical (from same package) CFL and
> everything works perfect.  But if I use that old "100 watter" anywhere
> in the house it shuts down my entire system, presumably by noise
> generation (I have no instruments).  It still lights normally, but has a
> slight buzz.

If your memory is as shaky as mine, destroy that bulb now (or at least slice
it open in the name of science)!  Those things have a way of finding their
way back into the rotation.  (-:

I'm putting a 40W tungsten bulb back into the porchlight.  It's an unusual
situation.  The front door cam is IR sensitive, but has no IR illuminator.
I rely on my porch light for that.  The 40W incandescent's "reach" - how far
I can see out onto the front yard at night - is much greater than the 14W
CFL although it's rated as a 60W equivalent. The difference is the much
higher output of IR light from the tungsten bulb.  I'm going to try one more
bulb - the next jump up - to see if that works, but it won't turn off no
matter what I try that will be the end of it!  [Nope - same stuff.  Goes on
and off from the switch pushbutton but no other way]

Since I can turn the porchlight on and off with a motion detector; a
mini-timer and a keychain remote with no problems using incandescent bulbs,
I'm giving up on running a CFL on the front porch light.  Considering how
much frequent on/off cycles shorten the life of CFLs, the IR issue, the
flashing issue, the wall switch buzzing issue and the fact I would probably
have to leave it on 24/7, I think the tungsten bulb will actually be cheaper
to operate for this application.

Thanks for the input . . . and neutralize that killer CFL!!!! (-:

--
Bobby G.