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Post by modestomoths on Mar 24, 2011 7:56:02 GMT -8
Proposed amendment to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act will ban the production of mercury vapor bulbs as of Jan 1, 2016. See pg 78 energy.senate.gov/public/_files/S398BillText.pdfStock up now. Or find an alternative light source for night collecting. Travis |
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Post by saturniidave on Mar 24, 2011 8:06:19 GMT -8
The problem I have with this is the new 'energy saving' fluorescent type bulbs we have to buy now contain mercury. In fact there has not been any scheme developed in the EU for the correct disposal of them. So will they be banning these too?
Dave
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Post by dertodesking on Mar 24, 2011 9:01:21 GMT -8
The problem I have with this is the new 'energy saving' fluorescent type bulbs we have to buy now contain mercury. In fact there has not been any scheme developed in the EU for the correct disposal of them. So will they be banning these too? Dave ...and they're crap! The damned things take half an hour to "warm up" and even then don't give out anything like the light of a comparable wattage tungsten filament bulb. What is it with these loonies - napthalene, PDB...and now lightbulbs!  Simon |
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Post by Chris Grinter on Mar 24, 2011 15:14:18 GMT -8
Other metal vapor lights do the job! I've used full spectrum metal halide in the field and gotten just as much as I did with a mercury vapor of the same wattage. Nothing to really stress about here.
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Post by saturniidave on Mar 24, 2011 16:16:17 GMT -8
The problem is Chris we have a much more urban landscape in England and I have found MH bulbs don't attract as well as MV ones here. Out in the wilderness they may work as well but we have way too much light pollution here.
Dave
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Post by nomihoudai on Mar 25, 2011 1:48:13 GMT -8
If you need them you will still be able to get them even tough they are banned. First of all the ban sure won't apply worldwide, and second even when they are banned they are banned as light bulb but their sale as "entomological trapping equipment" would be fine and their import too.
It's the same with the old common light bulbs, they are forbidden as light source but still get produced and sold in germany as "heating element".
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Post by boghaunter1 on Mar 25, 2011 9:04:28 GMT -8
I bought 2- 250W clear, mogul base MV bulbs from BioQuip last spring & they were manufactured in Hungary, I believe. Still currently manufactured in some countries, but may have to import them.  Simple question... Can you run a same wattage M. H. bulb in mogul base & ballast designed for an MV.? Different ballast is required?  John K. |
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Post by modestomoths on Mar 25, 2011 10:08:43 GMT -8
John - No. You can generally run a mercury vapor bulb in a MH ballast, but not visa-versa. Doesn't seem to make sense, I know. I think it has something to do with the way MH bulbs start up. The production and importation of mercury vapor ballasts were banned in the US a few years ago, so soon, all we'll have access to are MH ballasts, which can run either type bulb.
Chris - I agree. I've been using metal halide with good results for the past few years. Others swear that MV is noticeably better, but I haven't seen a difference, and I've used both types in both urban and secluded areas.
Under the proposed ban, MV bulbs can still be produced and marketed for specialty applications, as long as they are clearly labeled for that use. However, I don't see how insect collectors are going to generate enough demand to entice manufacturers to produce a special bulb just for us.
Travis
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