Desk lighting

I can't stand working in my office/man-cave because the lighting is so crappy. I'm squinting like a 12 year old with a Playboy! I have one eyeball type in the ceiling on the far left with a 100w equivalent, a low-watt pendant in the far right corner and a lighted magnifier an a articulated arm in the center rear of a 10' x 4' desk. I'm really thinking of a 4-bulb 8' florescent above the desk. Any better solutions?

Reply to
Tom Gardner
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If you go fluorescent or CFL definitely get the "cool white" lamps rather than the dull yellow "warm white" ones.

Reply to
RodK

Closer task lighting is better for that. How about a nice pure white (6500K) LED desk lamp?

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Or a lovely daylight fluor floor lamp?

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P.S: Don't forget to remove this after waking, Tawm:

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

Yeah, 4100K or higher.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Yep, a single 4' LED unit mounted over the desk.

The 6 LOA unit's I put in the shop as replacements for 2 bulb fluorescents made the place into an operating room. I mounted mine right into the same places as the originals.

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Not my video but a YTGG member.

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Reply to
Steve W.

================== I suggest two arm type drafting lamps with LED bulbs. Very bright and little heat. Slightly more expensive than the CFLs, but after making the switch a few months ago in several lamps like them better. Examples, but I'm sure your local big box store will have the equivalent.

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Reply to
F. George McDuffee

nope. nothing like a 4' shoplight.

Reply to
Cydrome Leader

I have swimg-arms all over my house, some with magnifiers and ring fluors. In one, I have a (60) 3528 SMD LED bulb totaling 4.5w and it works well for reading on the couch.

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I can set these lamps in front of my eyeglasses to remove all glare. Glare is why I don't like over-the-shoulder lights or overheads. I put 12w (or 15?) spots in my hallway and utility room and they work fantastically well, even in fixtures.

Or these. I keep to 12w or less due to heat. And I'm shifting away from the 20w 5050 SMD LEDs due to power supply failures over the past couple years. Epistars seem to far outlast CREEs in the stock I have purchased over the last 5 years.

For anything requiring lots of light, I'm back to CFL, but I'm using

4100, 5000, or 6500K bulbs. What a difference in mood and readability at the higher Kelvin temps! I do not miss piss-yellow incandescents. especially when these are $3 or less each.

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9w 120-degree spot
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12w 120-degree spot

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15w 120-degree spot I have yet to determine longevity, but one of ten died overnight.

Dimmability adds 15-50% to the price, but adds compatibility with dimmers and home automation.

Be aware that a 9w bulb is driven lower so it only takes 7-8w of power. These are BRIGHT, though. For a flashlight, I put a 9w MR16 bulb into a box with a 5ah battery and it lights up the neighborhood.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

I've been very happy with the 4' 2-tube T8's I installed in my shop . Much more light than the old T12's they replaced .

Reply to
Terry Coombs

Gee, you're choice of words makes it damn difficult to read what you mean.

Reply to
mogulah

That's the ticket!

Reply to
Tom Gardner

Go LED. Better light for your eyes and won't be nasty Florescent.

Light is important to read. Eye strain can be a real problem.

Mart> I can't stand working in my office/man-cave because the lighting is so

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

I am happy with some 4 ' 4 tube T8 fixtures. I got some off Craigslist and and some more from the Habitat for humanity store. And a bunch of T8 bul bs from W.W. Grainger. The better fixtures have electronic ballasts which use a higher frequency. And you can get bulbs from Grainger that have rea sonable CRI.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

Just NOT Lights of America. I had nothing but problems with that mfgr the 4 times I used their lights, and I just wish the purchases had been spaced out so it would have been a -single- learning experience. Nuttin' but Crap. Caveat emptor.

Tawm, be aware that you can get lights which are too -bright- for reading, too. Then again, we didn't ask what goes on inside your office/man-cave, did we? That's probably a good thing. ;)

Reply to
Larry Jaques

I installed one strip of High Output T5 lights in my basement and the difference was dramatic. Go to Home Depot and buy a fixture for High Output T5's and matching bulbs.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus16223

Computer assembly/repair, drawing and reloading pistol cartridges.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

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Also as hydroponic grow light. I just fabricated a 8 strip

28" X 38" light panel.

how to install

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some sources

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Reply to
F. George McDuffee

I picked up a roll of them (on an 8mm movie reel, from the looks of it) which had at least 25 feet of the tape. Runs from 12 VDC, and every few LEDs there is a point where it can be cut loose and new input wires connected.

I think that these are used, among other things, for decorating "street rods". :-)

Reply to
DoN. Nichols

I think he'll certainly want to avoid the RGB strips unless he's making a disco. RGB doesn't produce a decent white light. I always opt for pure white (6500K) but the natural (4000K) is fairly nice. None of that incan urine yellow.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

What are the RGB for? I can't imagine a huge market. I did spend some time looking at the offerings on ebay and have some great ideas...THANKS! But only for the white. Maybe the colors in the courtyard.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

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