-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Thu, Apr 24, 2008 at 01:33:52PM +0100, Alan B. Pearce wrote: > > One major possible selling point- fluorescent bulbs can trigger > > migraine headaches in some people, under some circumstances. > > Many of those people might well be willing to pay a premium to > > save energy, but cannot use CFL products. > > I am not really sure why these cause people a problem. I could understand it > with standard fluorescent lamps, which do distinctly flicker at 100 or 120 > Hz (depending on mains frequency) but CFL lamps, especially low energy ones, > are all running on DC, or much higher frequency AC, to a point where I > wonder if the phosphor can keep up with the flicker frequency. Hence the > actual flicker must be very small. I rather suspect they only cause a problem because people think they cause a problem. I've always been very sensitive to flicker, can't stand monitors at anything less than 85hz, and I actually prefer CFL lighting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaDPbtp2Pus The above is a video of slow-motion footage of CFL lamps starting up. They initially flicker, but as they light up and the phosphorus saturates they flicker goes down to nothing. Sure cheap and broken ones do flicker sometimes, but that means they are shoddily made, or broken, replace them. (FWIW the those LucidMovement guys have a *lot* of really great slow motion videos) - -- http://petertodd.org 'peter'[:-1]@petertodd.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFIEKAI3bMhDbI9xWQRAg8pAKCsx9snlXYfHaAzjTXLbK7PW6ZoRACfY2Qx C80nAeARm1tfOhn9Q+uUVyM= =r5w1 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist