My compact fluorescent is bigger than yours

This 250 watt monster — equivalent to a 600 watt incandescent — is yours for $90 Australian. It requires a 240V circuit and a special connector. If you've seen one bigger, tell discoverer Dan Rutter.

Auction [Ebay.com.au via How To Spot a Psychopath]

[#1 posted by claud9999 , August 22, 2008 6:58 AM]

Why would someone buy a 200w CF bulb (esp. one that requires a unique power supply?) At that wattage, sodium vapor is more efficient (but less full-spectrum, true.)

[#2 posted by ROSSINDETROIT , August 22, 2008 7:01 AM]

It's a Mogul base that's commonly used with high powered or multi-way bulbs. 240VAC is the line voltage in Australia where thus was found.

[#3 posted by Anonymous , August 22, 2008 7:21 AM]

There's no reason why a CFL of that size can't be powered off 120V AC. Like rossindetroit said, this one is just made for the standard voltage in Australia.

While at this wattage sodium vapor (as in a high pressure sodium or HPS light) is more efficient at converting energy to light, it also generates more heat.

So these can be useful in confined spaces that are difficult to ventilate (you do know what these are for right?).

[#4 posted by Marcel , August 22, 2008 7:50 AM]

So how much mercury does this particular green gizmo contain?

[#5 posted by sgj , August 22, 2008 8:31 AM]

Easier to setup in your basement than HID (sodium, mercury vapor, etc..) but yet, you can still grow plants under it...

[#6 posted by Bugs , August 22, 2008 8:42 AM]

Marcel (@3) reminded me of something I've been wondering for a while now.

It takes much less energy to run a cf bulb than an incandescent bulb, thus saving the lives of countless cute lil' baby polar bears. Oh, and possibly us, eventually.

However, they must be much more difficult to manufacture: a "starter" circuit with an induction coil and some control elements, whatever chemicals they use in the phosphorescent coating, folded glass tubing, etc. That sounds pretty energy and labour intensive to me. After use, I know they're recycled as electical/hazardous waste. Presumably this means that some poor bugger in the third world will end up rotting their lungs standing over an acid bath full of them.

Can anyone point to a study comparing compact fluorescents with incandescents that includes the ecological impact of manufacture and disposal for each? I'm genuinely curious whether they actually use less energy over their lifetime, or if they just move the energy use to the manufacturing country?

[#7 posted by MarlboroTestMonkey7 , August 22, 2008 9:52 AM]

Bugs, don't worry about us, third world types, we cultivate watermelons on the stuff and sell them to the first world.

[#8 posted by Takuan , August 22, 2008 11:33 AM]

seen a project someone built that is a cluster of compacts with a spherical starburst sort of base. Only 23W bulbs, but so many you can't look directly at the lamp.

[#9 posted by foobar , August 22, 2008 2:22 PM]

How about a CF bulb that doesn't make me feel like I'm in an interrogation room. Is it really that hard to make a filter to make them like incandescents?

[#10 posted by extracall , August 22, 2008 4:05 PM]

Yepp, I wanna know about the mercury content too, being that it's neurotoxic and all...

[#11 posted by dculberson , August 22, 2008 4:11 PM]

Bugs, one mitigating factor is that a good compact fluorescent lasts approximately 10x as long as an equivalent incandescent. So you might use more energy making it, but it replaces ~10 of the less intensive bulbs. I'm not sure that makes up the difference, since I haven't seen a study like you mention. I'd love to see that study, though.

[#12 posted by help i cant comfirm my username themelonbread , August 22, 2008 10:06 PM]

I googled "600 watt lamp" and the only results were grow lamps...

Maybe this bulb is supposed to be used on seeds and seedlings in large-scale indoor hydroponic operations?