LED lights with vertical yellow columns in them...

[alank2]

Are these a new style of LED bulb using new technology?  I found them at Walmart and they are very simple and look like a clear glass bulb with six vertical yellow columns that glow when powered.  They say they are dimmable as well.  The rest of the bulb looks constructed like an incandescent, it is the exact size of an incandescent and has a glass column and metal wiring holding up the columns.

Comparing this against the older LED bulbs I have which are taller, have a plastic bulb end, and what feels like a metal base that gets very hot...

[kalel]

Do you mean the filament LED type?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED_filament



If yes they have been around for a bit, I learned about them from BigClive's videos. I have no idea how they compare with other types as far as reliability goes.

[alank2]

Do you mean the filament LED type?
If yes they have been around for a bit, I learned about them from BigClive's videos. I have no idea how they compare with other types as far as reliability goes.

Exactly.  Do they run cooler?  Have a longer life?  They are interesting.

[richard.cs]

Whilst I would expect the cheap ones to be air filled some manufacturers do use gas with high heat capacity (which means each molecule can carry more heat away by convection). I suspect these are hydrocarbon mixes, but in any case will be large asymmetric molecules with lots of rotational and vibrational modes. They might also be at increased pressure over atmospheric.

Note that this is exactly the opposite of what you want to do with tungsten filament lamps where minimising the heat transfer out from the filament increases efficiency and mono-atomic gasses are king.

[Zero999]

My parents have had a few of those in their conservatory for a few years. They don't run hot but there is a noticeable flicker, especially when they're the only lights on. They have bases which looks like an ordinary incandescent light bulb, so I suppose there's no room for a filter capacitor in there. I expect ones with larger bases, than incandescents may have less flicker.

[kalel]

I think this might be a relevant video from Clive, looks a lot like the one from Wiki except the base:

[alank2]

I like those terminal blocks/wire clamps he uses at the end - does anyone know the part number.  Interesting to see so many parts in that base.

[Twoflower]

You should check the types before you buy. Not all of this LED-filament lamps flicker.

An easy test is to use a camera (e.g. from a cellphone). You'll notice the blinking types very easy as the preview shows interference patterns.

Even if you're not sensible to that flicker if all lamps in the room flicker with the same frequency and phase it really gets ugly. I had this in a hotel. Moving in there with the light on gave me a very strange feeling - close to sea-sick. Something you really want to avoid.

[Mark Hennessy]

I like those terminal blocks/wire clamps he uses at the end - does anyone know the part number.

WAGO connectors: http://global.wago.com/en/products/product-catalog/terminal-blocks-connectors/installation-connectors/overview/index.jsp

The part number of the 2 way lever ones in the video are 222-412

Plenty of places sell them. I bought a batch from Screwfix in the UK, including a cheap selection box so I could try a variety of different types: https://www.screwfix.com/p/wago-basic-installer-box-75pcs/48808

Big Clive has done a video about them:



Enjoy

[alank2]

Thanks for the info - I don't see them at Digikey/Mouser, but there looks like plenty of people selling them on eBay.

[Gary350z]

Thanks for the info - I don't see them at Digikey/Mouser, but there looks like plenty of people selling them on eBay.

I recently bought some of the Wago lever terminals on ebay, as I couldn't find any sellers near me (I'm in the US). I used them in some house wiring and was a little worried about them being fake. They look good and seem to work good but you never know thee days. I saw a youtube video a while back that said don't buy them on ebay because of fakes. I thought it was a bigclive video, but I did a quick search and couldn't find the video. I used them to connect a ceiling lamp which is low current so it should be OK.

Does anyone know of a US Wago seller?

[alank2]

I had a little concern about them being fake, but they look pretty good (for what difference that makes!).  Good question - are there any official Wago US sellers?

[Twoflower]

Not sure if this helps:
http://www.wago.us/wago/contact-where-to-buy/where-to-buy-usa/