Ever since CFL (compact fluorescent lightbulb) bulbs became available, there has been the issue of equivalency. Since a 13-watt CFL bulb can produce the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb, the bulb makers put "60 Watt" on the CFL package in larger type than the actual wattage used by the bulb.
But that's not the actual equivalency, especially with LED (Light-Emitting Diode) bulbs. The correct way to compare light bulbs (incandescent, CFL, and LED) is by (1) lumens, which measures light output and (2) color temperature, which measures how much like daylight the hue or color of the light is. The lumen measure is especially important with LED bulbs because some of them claiming a 60-watt equivalence are not nearly as bright as an incandescent bulb.
Compare bulbs, all described as 60-watt equivalent:
Standard 60 Watt Incandescent Bulb 60 watts 800 lumens 2700-5500 degree color
Utilitech LED bulb 9 watts 750 lumens 3000 degree color
Sylvania LED bulb 8.5 watts 800 lumens 2700 degree color
Feit Electric bulb 4.2 watts 466 lumens 2200 degree color
GE Brite Stik 10 watts 760 lumens 2700 degree color
CREE LED flood 9 watts 655 lumens 2700 degree color
I noticed this discrepancy when shopping for LED flood light bulbs. Many said "60-watt equivalent," but few produced the full 800 lumens that a 60-watt incandescent bulb produces. So be careful out there. Check the light output in lumens before you buy.
Regardless of the actual watts drawn by either a CFL or an LED bulb, to be equivalent the bulb must produce the output listed here:
40-watt or equivalent = 450 lumens
60-watt or equivalent = 800 lumens
75-watt or equivalent = 1100 lumens
100-watt or equivalent = 1600 lumens
150-watt or equivalent = 2600 lumens
Final word: LED bulb technology is still in transition, and some of the older bulbs have a shorter life or produce a lot of heat. So be wise when you see a super bargain on LED bulbs.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Plano Model 620130 One Tray Tackle Box Review
I hope my search for a small, sturdy toolbox with a genuinely reliable latch is over, now that I've found the Plano One Tray Box. But first, let me ask you a question. What's just about the worst-case scenario a handyman can have with his toolbox? Right. He picks it up by the handle, the latch slips open, and the entire set of tools, sockets, screws, and so on spills out all over the ground--or maybe even into the mud or water.
Having said this, what is the worst designed, weakest part of most small toolboxes? Right again. It's the latch. Many, if not most, small boxes have questionable latches that seem to threaten failure even when the box is new. It's a plastic on plastic over lip sort of thing that barely engages. With a little wear and tear or a bit of inadvertence, pop goes the toolbox.
I wandered the hardware aisles of Walmart recently, looking for a nice, small toolbox to replace a broken one. Most of the boxes were way too large. A few of them had good latches, but others had metal versions of the easy-pop design found so commonly. Those boxes in the size I wanted all had the easy-pop design.
Undaunted, I left hardware for the sporting goods aisles, where I found the Plano 620130 tackle box. It has a failproof latch with a metal bail that makes a very solid closure. The hinges will probably fail before the latch.
Pro
Having said this, what is the worst designed, weakest part of most small toolboxes? Right again. It's the latch. Many, if not most, small boxes have questionable latches that seem to threaten failure even when the box is new. It's a plastic on plastic over lip sort of thing that barely engages. With a little wear and tear or a bit of inadvertence, pop goes the toolbox.
I wandered the hardware aisles of Walmart recently, looking for a nice, small toolbox to replace a broken one. Most of the boxes were way too large. A few of them had good latches, but others had metal versions of the easy-pop design found so commonly. Those boxes in the size I wanted all had the easy-pop design.
Undaunted, I left hardware for the sporting goods aisles, where I found the Plano 620130 tackle box. It has a failproof latch with a metal bail that makes a very solid closure. The hinges will probably fail before the latch.
Pro
- Light weight empty. It's amazing how many toolboxes are heavy when empty.
- Rust proof plastic
- Two lid compartments for small parts. Get access without the need to open the box.
- One hinged tray rotates up and back with the lid. Extra dividers for custom sizing of compartments
Con
- Handle and hinge connections appear to be all plastic without metal reinforcement.
I will put this box into service immediately and will report use experience in an update soon.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Cuisinart DGB-900BC Burr Grind and Brew 12-Cup Coffeemaker Review
We set up this coffee maker to brew two cups of coffee by setting the Grind Control to 2, the Strength setting to Medium, using a paper filter, and using Sumatra coffee beans from Sprouts. We added 16 ounces of water, even though the coffee maker considers a cup to be 5 ounces (so we should have added 10 ounces of water).
The result was fabulous. The coffee was excellent. We look forward to many great cups of coffee.
Pros:
+ Set it up and it's automatic, grinding the beans just before it makes the coffee.
+ Use beans (which it will grind) or ground coffee (just set the grinder off).
+ During brewing, the coffee maker turns on a hot plate under the carafe.
Cons:
- The carafe design requires turning the carafe almost completely upside down in order to pour out the last coffee. If you make just two cups, you must turn the carafe unusually far over to pour the coffee.
Notes:
* When brewing is finished, the machine turns itself off completely, including the hot plate. The carafe is insulated, so the coffee is expected to stay hot for hours.
* The instructions recommend quite a bit of cleaning to keep the maker in its best working order.
* Regardless of how many cups you set the dial for (which controls the amount of beans ground), the maker will run all the water you put into the reservoir through the brew cycle. So the amount of water should match the number of cups you want to make.
Bottom Line:
Except for the coffee pouring contortion, we are delighted with this product. The three-year warranty is an encouragement, too.
Get this great machine from Amazon:
The result was fabulous. The coffee was excellent. We look forward to many great cups of coffee.
Pros:
+ Set it up and it's automatic, grinding the beans just before it makes the coffee.
+ Use beans (which it will grind) or ground coffee (just set the grinder off).
+ During brewing, the coffee maker turns on a hot plate under the carafe.
Cons:
- The carafe design requires turning the carafe almost completely upside down in order to pour out the last coffee. If you make just two cups, you must turn the carafe unusually far over to pour the coffee.
Notes:
* When brewing is finished, the machine turns itself off completely, including the hot plate. The carafe is insulated, so the coffee is expected to stay hot for hours.
* The instructions recommend quite a bit of cleaning to keep the maker in its best working order.
* Regardless of how many cups you set the dial for (which controls the amount of beans ground), the maker will run all the water you put into the reservoir through the brew cycle. So the amount of water should match the number of cups you want to make.
Bottom Line:
Except for the coffee pouring contortion, we are delighted with this product. The three-year warranty is an encouragement, too.
Get this great machine from Amazon:
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Harbor Freight 7" Variable Speed Polisher Sander Buffer 60626 Review
My wife's car had some scratches in the paint, so I bought Harbor Freight's 7-inch polisher, sander, buffer advertises a variable speed from 200 to 3350 rpm. Unfortunately, the first one out of the box ran only at high speed. The speed selector knob had no effect. Fortunately, Harbor Freight was excellent in allowing me to do a no-questioins-asked swap for another of the same item (60626 is the item number). The second one works very well, with a large speed range (which could be the advertised 200-3350).
Do note the fine print on the box: "Polishing bonnet sold separately." So, in addition to the buffer itself, I got a 5-pack of fleece polishing bonnets and a bottle of the needed polish. Costs: Buffer, $30 (with super coupon); bonnets, $16; and polish ("fine cut cleaner") $15. Thus, an investment of $61 for the entire system.
The modestly helpful manual recommended using about two tablespoons of polish and starting the polisher flat on the surface at low speed. I followed these instructions and was amazed to see the scratches on the door and on the trunk lid disappear in just seconds. A little wipe up of the surrounding area and the job was done. The buffer did throw tiny droplets of polishing compound all over the car, so I had a bit of wiping up to do.
Included in the box are
The polisher will accept a common extension handle in lieu of the D-handle.
For the first, light use, this polisher and associated items worked actually better than I expected. It certainly was faster, and I didn't leave swirl marks or do any damage to the paint. The key is to be gentle and not put very much pressure on the polisher.
Except for the need to make another trip to Harbor Freight to exchange the defective one, the experience was very good and I would recommend this solution to others.
Do note the fine print on the box: "Polishing bonnet sold separately." So, in addition to the buffer itself, I got a 5-pack of fleece polishing bonnets and a bottle of the needed polish. Costs: Buffer, $30 (with super coupon); bonnets, $16; and polish ("fine cut cleaner") $15. Thus, an investment of $61 for the entire system.
The modestly helpful manual recommended using about two tablespoons of polish and starting the polisher flat on the surface at low speed. I followed these instructions and was amazed to see the scratches on the door and on the trunk lid disappear in just seconds. A little wipe up of the surrounding area and the job was done. The buffer did throw tiny droplets of polishing compound all over the car, so I had a bit of wiping up to do.
Included in the box are
- a backing pad (that the bonnet stretches over),
- tools (a backing pad wrench and an Allen wrench to install the optional (but you really need it) D-handle,
- the D-handle itself,
- and an extra set of motor brushes.
The polisher will accept a common extension handle in lieu of the D-handle.
For the first, light use, this polisher and associated items worked actually better than I expected. It certainly was faster, and I didn't leave swirl marks or do any damage to the paint. The key is to be gentle and not put very much pressure on the polisher.
Except for the need to make another trip to Harbor Freight to exchange the defective one, the experience was very good and I would recommend this solution to others.
Monday, September 7, 2015
TaoTronics TT-BA01 Wireless Stereo Transmitter Review
My wife wanted to listen to the TV (in the family room) while she worked in the kitchen. I had set up a wired speaker system that worked but left ugly wires hanging around. So, at her request, I hunted around for a wireless setup. The solution was the TaoTronics Wireless Stereo Transmitter and a Bluetooth speaker (see the review of the Venstar Taco Bluetooth speaker).
The TaoTronics TT-BA01 transmitter is a small unit, about two inches by one inch by a quarter of an inch. The transmitter has an attached dongle with a 3.5mm stereo plug. Also included in the package are a male USB to male micro USB cable, and a cable for adapting the 3.5mm male plug to a 3.5mm female stereo plug to dual RCA male plugs.
Setup was straightforward and easy. Just plug the transmitter into a USB port (on my cable company's box) for power and plug the RCA cables into the audio out plugs on the cable box. (The TT-BA01 has an internal battery for battery operation, but you can leave it plugged into the USB port and not need to worry about charging.)
Pairing with the Bluetooth speaker was easy. Just follow the instructions and be patient. The pairing required about 30 seconds (instead of the 6 seconds mentioned in the user guide). The TV sound is fine.
Pros:
+ Listen to an audio source such as your TV either via TV audio out or cable box audio out or amplifier/receiver audio out.
+The unit did not interfere with my WiFi network extender or with the Netflix programming. (I had read that a problem is sometimes encountered with Bluetooth and WiFi components interfering with each other because of a frequency conflict.)
Cons:
+ If you turn the Bluetooth speaker off, it will automatically re-pair with the transmitter when you turn it back on. However, re-pairing requires about 30 seconds, so you need to be patient.
+ There is a slight transmission lag with the audio, so that the Bluetooth speaker sound is just slightly behind the TV or source sound. Turning the TV down helps a lot. Otherwise, you'll have "stadium announcement" sound effects.s
In Sum:
So far this is a very good solution to the problem. The transmitter is compact, can run on an internal battery, and is advertised to work up to 33 feet. In my installation, it is about 20 feet from the speaker.
The TT-BA01 will turn any audio device with an audio out plug into a Bluetooth-compatible source.
Get it from Amazon.com
Bluetooth Transmitter, TaoTronics Wireless Portable Transmitter (Connected to 3.5mm Audio Devices, Paired with Bluetooth Receiver. TV Ears, Bluetooth Dongle, A2DP Stereo Music Transmission)
The TaoTronics TT-BA01 transmitter is a small unit, about two inches by one inch by a quarter of an inch. The transmitter has an attached dongle with a 3.5mm stereo plug. Also included in the package are a male USB to male micro USB cable, and a cable for adapting the 3.5mm male plug to a 3.5mm female stereo plug to dual RCA male plugs.
Setup was straightforward and easy. Just plug the transmitter into a USB port (on my cable company's box) for power and plug the RCA cables into the audio out plugs on the cable box. (The TT-BA01 has an internal battery for battery operation, but you can leave it plugged into the USB port and not need to worry about charging.)
Pairing with the Bluetooth speaker was easy. Just follow the instructions and be patient. The pairing required about 30 seconds (instead of the 6 seconds mentioned in the user guide). The TV sound is fine.
Pros:
+ Listen to an audio source such as your TV either via TV audio out or cable box audio out or amplifier/receiver audio out.
+The unit did not interfere with my WiFi network extender or with the Netflix programming. (I had read that a problem is sometimes encountered with Bluetooth and WiFi components interfering with each other because of a frequency conflict.)
Cons:
+ If you turn the Bluetooth speaker off, it will automatically re-pair with the transmitter when you turn it back on. However, re-pairing requires about 30 seconds, so you need to be patient.
+ There is a slight transmission lag with the audio, so that the Bluetooth speaker sound is just slightly behind the TV or source sound. Turning the TV down helps a lot. Otherwise, you'll have "stadium announcement" sound effects.s
In Sum:
So far this is a very good solution to the problem. The transmitter is compact, can run on an internal battery, and is advertised to work up to 33 feet. In my installation, it is about 20 feet from the speaker.
The TT-BA01 will turn any audio device with an audio out plug into a Bluetooth-compatible source.
Get it from Amazon.com
Bluetooth Transmitter, TaoTronics Wireless Portable Transmitter (Connected to 3.5mm Audio Devices, Paired with Bluetooth Receiver. TV Ears, Bluetooth Dongle, A2DP Stereo Music Transmission)
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
US Traveler Rio Two Piece Expandable Luggage Set Review
Before our trip to Europe recently, I researched carry-on luggage carefully because of the new restrictions on size and weight allowed. The new restrictions include the carry-on, limited to 9 inches thick, 14 inches wide, and 22 inches tall, including wheels. One personal item (purse, laptop computer, backpack) is also allowed, but must be no larger than 9 inches thick, 17 inches tall, and 10 inches wide. Many of the current bags do not meet this (new) standard.
The US Traveler Rio Two Piece Expandable Luggage Set meets these size requirements for both pieces. We bought two sets of this luggage and discovered that the carry ons fit perfectly in both the smaller overhead bins of the Airbus A 320 (the bags go in sideways) and the Airbus A 340 (the bags go straight in lengthwise).
The bags feature the usual zipper pockets, sturdy frame (the carry on), tough fabric, and comfortable handles. The small, personal item bag features both a carry handle and a shoulder strap.
Pros:
Carry On
+ Sturdy wheels, roll easily
+ Handle locks into several positions, depending on the angle you want to pull the carry on
+ Two outside zippered pockets
+ Sturdy handles
+ Expansion zipper (but may violate size limits if used)
Personal Item Bag
+ Shoulder strap adjustable for length
+ Shoulder strap has shoulder pad
+ External zippered pocket
+ Carry handles that velcro zip together
+ Capacious--room for lots of stuff
Cons:
Carry On
+ No separate cosmetics pouch inside
Personal Item Bag
+ Shoulder strap is not removable
In Brief
Recommended. All four items (we bought two sets) served us well and after a couple of weeks' travel, are still in pristine condition. The current price of about $40 makes these sets a real value.
The US Traveler Rio Two Piece Expandable Luggage Set meets these size requirements for both pieces. We bought two sets of this luggage and discovered that the carry ons fit perfectly in both the smaller overhead bins of the Airbus A 320 (the bags go in sideways) and the Airbus A 340 (the bags go straight in lengthwise).
The bags feature the usual zipper pockets, sturdy frame (the carry on), tough fabric, and comfortable handles. The small, personal item bag features both a carry handle and a shoulder strap.
Pros:
Carry On
+ Sturdy wheels, roll easily
+ Handle locks into several positions, depending on the angle you want to pull the carry on
+ Two outside zippered pockets
+ Sturdy handles
+ Expansion zipper (but may violate size limits if used)
Personal Item Bag
+ Shoulder strap adjustable for length
+ Shoulder strap has shoulder pad
+ External zippered pocket
+ Carry handles that velcro zip together
+ Capacious--room for lots of stuff
Cons:
Carry On
+ No separate cosmetics pouch inside
Personal Item Bag
+ Shoulder strap is not removable
In Brief
Recommended. All four items (we bought two sets) served us well and after a couple of weeks' travel, are still in pristine condition. The current price of about $40 makes these sets a real value.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Eneloop Ni-MH Rechargeable AA Batteries Review
Panasonic has entered a new generation of rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride batteries with the new Eneloop AA batteries. According to the label, they now provide 1900 milliAmp hours. I used to use alkaline AAs for my Canon Powershot SX120 IS, but they lasted only an hour or so the way I take pictures. So I bought some of these Eneloop batteries. They come pre-charged for immediate use, and they recharge fairly fast. But the best thing is that I can shoot a whole day or nearly a whole day on one set with my SX120,
Having just returned from a 12-day trip where I shot 2400 pictures with these batteries, I can recommend them warmly.
I ordered a set of four with the Panasonic BQ-CC17 charger and never looked back. Great batteries, great performance, great price.
Recommended.
Having just returned from a 12-day trip where I shot 2400 pictures with these batteries, I can recommend them warmly.
I ordered a set of four with the Panasonic BQ-CC17 charger and never looked back. Great batteries, great performance, great price.
Recommended.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)