How many people does it take to change a lightbulb on the EEVblog forum?

[Mr.B]

1 to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed.
14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light bulb could have been changed differently.
7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs.
6 to argue over whether it's 'lightbulb' or 'light bulb'
Another 6 to condemn those 6 as stupid
2 industry professionals to inform the group that the proper term is 'lamp', and not bulb – after all bulbs grow in the ground.
15 know-it-alls who claim they were in the industry, and that 'light bulb' is perfectly correct.
19 to post that this page is not about light bulbs and to please take this discussion to a light bulb page.
11 to defend the posting to this page saying that we all use light bulbs and therefore the posts are relevant on a technical forum.
36 to debate which method of changing light bulbs is superior, where to buy the best light bulbs, what brand of light bulbs work best for this technique and what brands are inferior.
13 to randomly comment "Me too" to bookmark the thread.
5 People to post pics of their own light bulbs.
1 person who refuses to purchase light bulbs to finance the capitalist pigs, and so builds his own.
15 People to post "I can't see shit" and post the light output specifications for their own light bulbs.
7 to post URL's where one can see examples of different light bulbs.
4 to post that the URL's were posted incorrectly and then post the corrected URL's.
Another 3 to post links to rebuttals for the specifications of the original 7 links.
2 to start an argument over whether ES is better than BC.
5 to post to the page that they will no longer post because they cannot handle the light bulb controversy.
4 to say "Didn't we go through this already a short time ago?".
13 to say "Do a search on light bulbs before posting questions about light bulbs".
1 to bring politics into the discussion by adding that Winston Peters isn't the brightest bulb.
4 more to get into personal attacks over their political views.
1 admin to ban the light bulb posters for inserting political discussion and close the thread.

Credit possibly to Nelson Snippets Facebook Page.
Credit definitely to my wife for stealing it for her geeky husband.
(Slightly amended by me.)

 

[tggzzz]

3 to post long collections of LBJs they collected from usenet in the 80s

[Mjolinor]

I find this a bit rash. Forethought is required. It needs at least two pages of H&S discussions before a hand goes anywhere near that light bulb.

There are also several pages missing where discussions were based around the fact that we lost our right to choose what sort of bulb we wanted because that choice was removed by the government.

[medical-nerd]

Hiya

But you haven't included a youtube video reference on changing lightbulbs
a teardown of a lightbulb;
hackaday reference and retrotacular link to steam powered bulbs;
Using an arduino to replace the lightbulb and a comment that it can be done with a 555 timer.

Cheers

[dave_k]

.. don't forget the inevitable post from mikeselectricstuff saying how filament bulbs are old fashioned and crap, and that obviously LEDs are superior 

[Rerouter]

And 1 guy to say that his edison screw bulb will not fit in a bayonet socket, then spin off a full secondary discussion that clearly he is not fit to replace lightbulbs, and should call an electrician.

[mrpackethead]

At least 1 to complain about a PCB manuacturer who ripped him off,  but actually sent impossible gerber files.

[lundmar]

It takes 1 guy to hold the lightbulb and about 300 people to lift and turn the house 

[Psi]

3 people to bring up planned obsolescence
5 people to comment that LEDs are the future
1 person to spend 2 hours finding an animated lightbulb smiley face to post.
9 people to post pictures of cats with and without lighbulb relevance
 
 

[b_force]

10 who argue about if it's actually safe to change a lightbulb 

[tszaboo]

Well it is still less, than the amounts of people it takes for companies with strict quality control and enterprise resource planning software.

[Fire Doger]

1 person suggesting Chinese hackable lightbulb
1 person suggesting Aerospace certificated lightbulb
2 guys making jokes about others
1 person with thermocamera photos
10 people asking for open source version
1 person launching Kickstarter campaign
1 company offering 0 power consumption lightbulb
2 people suggesting an RGB lightbulb with WiFi and speakers
Dave saying "when I was a boy..."

[Vtile]

2 people sharing their experience in light bulb repair shops
3 peple sharing the tips of repairing those and how the old ones are better than the new ones
2 persons arguing that the safety routines are hazardous

[medical-nerd]

Ah

But what about the lumen-phoole lightbulb, hand-crafted by exotic maidens, filled with enhanced xeon that has passed out of the bottom of a genetically engineered frog and polished by etheric particles from the solar wind to give a sympathetic fulfilling ambience?

Cheers

[IanMacdonald]

You forgot taking the light bulb apart and posting a video on its innards before fitting it. 

[mikeselectricstuff]

3 people saying it's not possible as nobody makes a truly Open Source lightbulb, and they refuse on religious grounds to use anything else.
2 complaining that the packaging of the replacement bulb doesn't specify the exact optical spectrum of the output.
1 complaining about a tiny speck of rust on the base, therefore everything made by that manufacturer is garbage
2 asking for advice on how to change a lightbulb without any information on what type of bulb it is.
3 asking about sourcing a lightbulb locally, without specifying where they are in the world.
4 asking if anybody has a service manual for the lampholder
2 asking if it's still OK to use a lightbulb that has leaded solder.
10 asking where they can but lightbulbs with leaded solder because the lead-free ones are junk
2 requesting an extended video on the theory of lightbulb replacement.
3 asking which microcontroller is best, because they're in totally the wrong thread
1 spammer offering bulb-shaped toys, becasue they just don't get it.
1 asking how to make their own replacement LED lamps on protoboard because they claim that they can't buy them in their country 

 

[stj]

no mention of the guy who try's to de-rail the thread complaining about improper use of grammer and poor language skills??

[Old Don]

5 - stating they only use green energy to power their lamps.
12 - showing their homemade water turbine made out of washing machine guts and a local sewer treatment effluent for the source of water. 
4- asking if you following Mil-spec 199.3.7.6 (or whatever) procedure and tagged out not only the switch, but the breaker and house disconnect.
3 - informed the neighbors that a potential mercury spill could occur changing out a pigtail lamp and then worn the necessary poopy suit and air mask.
67 - wanting to know if proper disposal of said lamp was followed
33 - claiming the lamp only burned out as a vast big industry conspiracy and that the CIA may have used a beam to hasten the burnout.
400 - people that posted rather than just reading the OP's post.             

[Kilo Tango]

What's wrong wif a candle ?

Its got a built in life meter. 

Ken

[xani]

1 audiophool to complain that after he replaced bulb with LED lights his speaker cables stopped sounding so bright
2 audiophools backing that claim and saying they replaced all electric light sources with candles in the room
85 forum users facepalming after reading the above

[Cyberdragon]

1 Photonicinduction + 1 'ammer to smash the hell out of the first bulb for malfunctioning in the first place
5 more Youtubers to put lightbulbs in a microwave
1 idiot to complain that their lightbulb exploded because they put it on the wrong voltage
10 people to try the above at home
1 more idiot to injure themselves trying the above, finally do safety research, then come in and say the above are dangerous fools

 

[Frank]

2 saying that you should use a Cypress PSoC microcontroller

[MK14]

In 7.5 years time, a beginner (who makes their first post on this forum) posts on here, revitalising the necroed thread, and asking how to wire up a lamp bulb.
Then 25 other members who try and answer the question about wiring up a light bulb.
Then me, saying that the thread is nearly 7.5 years old, and many of the original posters have left, long ago.

[bsudbrink]

10 people to express concerns as to whether
    local electric codes are being followed.
10 people to question whether this advice should
    be on the forum at all because anything connected
    directly to mains current is so dangerous.

[NiHaoMike]

1 to tear down a LED bulb and post the video online.

1, noting that it's about time for Halloween, post a video of how to make a "spooky" LED bulb.

7 to warn how dangerous the above is if the bulb has an unisolated power supply and to use an isolation transformer.
1 to point out that such a hack is improper because the power supply is supposed to be constant current.
1 to show off a really big light bulb.

1 to show how to use LED lighting in an art project.

3 to build wacky contraptions to flash a light bulb.



1 to compile a list of all of the above and post it.

[David Hess]

And 1 to complain about the low quality of new Chinese light bulbs compared to ancient used US light bulbs.

[buck converter]

And 1 to talk about all of the light bulbs they collected over the years by being on this form. They don't use the, but the older the better TEA

[JoeO]

2 people sharing their experience in light bulb repair shops
3 peple sharing the tips of repairing those and how the old ones are better than the new ones
2 persons arguing that the safety routines are hazardous

1 person to mention that it is spelled people not peple

[khs]

Please, who changes lightbulbs?

It should be known, it's cheaper and better to make a new house.

[Cerebus]

This is all well and good, but we're not going to really get anywhere until the OP tells us the source impedance he wants to operate the light bulb from, what bandwidth he wants it to operate in, and he gives us a schematic of how he is currently using the light bulb in his circuit.

[mrpackethead]

Ten people to tell you that you that the way you are measuing if the light bulb is broken is wrong, and you need a high bandwidth scope with more bits resolution and lower noise.   

There will be 17 people offering you hacks to convert your scope to the required bandwidth

there will be 3 people telling you said hacks are illegal and at the least it will invalidate your warranty.

there will be 2 people thinking you could fix the lightbulb.

And there will be 98 people saying dark is ok.

 

[Cyberdragon]

1 noob posting:

I have an electronically ignited gas lamp that won't light. Could someone pls hlp?

1 of this reply:

I have an electronically ignited gas lamp that won't light. Could someone pls hlp?

Hey, this is the lightbulb thread! Try adding a lightbulb then changing it and come back later, or else go away!

1 admin saying to stay on topic here and start a thread in the repair section

100 of us hoping to get a chance to diagnose the ignition circuit.

1 noob returning with:

oops the valve was off. It works now.

1000 of us now hating noobs...

[vk6zgo]

Back in the day, when I worked at a TV Studio, the Electrician had occasion to change a lightbulb in a stairwell.

There was no room to fit a stepladder, or to place a normal ladder, nor to use a platform of any kind.
The "Sparky" dragooned twelve staff members into standing at various points on the stairs to hold the ladder rigidly against the stair railing while he climbed it to replace the bulb.

So we had  a definitive measure of how many TV Studio staff it took to change a lightbulb!

[retrolefty]

One opportunist posting of having NOS 100 Watt lamps for sale (only $8 ea.) that have been tested carefully by bring them up on a Variac at a proprietary voltage time sequence to insure long life and better light spread.

[KNSSoftware]

You can't force a lightbulb to change.  It has to want to change.

[Cerebus]

So we had  a definitive measure of how many TV Studio staff it took to change a lightbulb!

I am sooooo glad that I didn't walk in and see that. I suspect the laughing fit I'd have had would have been enough to end my days on this earth.

[timb]

How many people does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Two. You see, when a man and a women (or a man and a man or a woman and a woman or a man and a horse) love each other (or sometimes when they’re just really drunk) they climb inside a lightbulb and...words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words words.

[schmitt trigger]

What's wrong wif a candle ?

Its got a built in life meter. 

Ken

I can tell you what is wrong with a candle!

It is not IoT capable.

[schmitt trigger]

Dave, by popular demand, finally doing an EEVBLOG video on how to change a light bulb.

[vk6zgo]

You can't force a lightbulb to change.  It has to want to change.

That's only Californian lightbulbs!

[Cyberdragon]

What's wrong wif a candle ?

Its got a built in life meter. 

Ken

I can tell you what is wrong with a candle!

It is not IoT capable.

1 person who's been under a rock...

https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/21/control-this-smart-candles-real-flame-with-your-smartphone/

[BrianHG]

What's wrong wif a candle ?

Its got a built in life meter. 

Ken

I can tell you what is wrong with a candle!

It is not IoT capable.

1 person who's been under a rock...

https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/21/control-this-smart-candles-real-flame-with-your-smartphone/

Damn.

[gnif]

one person to claim their lights are superior as they still use tubes rather then silicon.

[Muttley Snickers]

There was probably nothing wrong with the bulb in the first place and perhaps it was just the forum on the blink again.   

[Cyberdragon]

one person to claim their lights are superior as they still use tubes rather then silicon.

That's funny because I actually have an LED nightlight in my bedroom controlled by tubes.

[NiHaoMike]

one person to claim their lights are superior as they still use tubes rather then silicon.

Did you mean one company?
http://www.vu1corporation.com/esl-technology/

One to review a keyboard/mouse that happens to have LED lighting built in.

On the subject of RGB lighting in computers, one to do it long before it became a craze.
http://dansdata.com/caselight2.htm

[Cyberdragon]

1 me to request a review and teardown of that weird ESL bulb.

[jh15]

I would recommend that if a couple wanted to screw in a light bulb, that they get a black-light bulb for privacy.

[Beamin]

223: to say : Did you change the caps in the circuit? and reminding you to use an XYZ rated cap for across the line filters and that a variac is NOT an isolation transformer.

12: to point out you weren't wearing a ground strap  the video you posted that you didn't even make.

[schmitt trigger]

What's wrong wif a candle ?

Its got a built in life meter. 

Ken

I can tell you what is wrong with a candle!

It is not IoT capable.

1 person who's been under a rock...

https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/21/control-this-smart-candles-real-flame-with-your-smartphone/

And perhaps they raised well over $200k in kickstarter for this product.

[IanMacdonald]

Then there's the forum member who will insist on a dim bulb test before full power. 

There will then be some deliberation after it's forgotten which is the dim bulb and which is the bulb under test. 

[Beamin]

Then there's the forum member who will insist on a dim bulb test before full power. 

There will then be some deliberation after it's forgotten which is the dim bulb and which is the bulb under test. 

Did you make sure you changed the caps first? Those bumble bees and tiny grief caps all are long past their due date at this point. I know nothing about tube electronics but I have watched a video where you need to change the caps: therefore I can diagnose any tube based equipment. So long as its the caps that are the problem ven when the caps are not the problem.

Notice how on the internet you pick out the people who have only watched a few videos but think they are experts because of it?

The worst at this are medical forums that have a "harm reduction site" for drug users. ALL the info you can learn is actually a collection of old wives tales that have been repeated so many times that people see the argument of authority and therefore it must be true. Few people realize that arguments of authority are actually fallacies. They become "common sense" but are based on others ideas and not self intuition.
When there are two contradictions people usually agree with the person with the higher post count or moderator/ oldest join date. They will even argue the point having no more clue then what Wikipedia and forums have to offer. 

So is a dim bulb when acting as a current limiter acting as a voltage or current controlled device? When you plot the I/V on a graph using the columbs-hertspring-rusle equation you will find they graph exponentially with I following V in the tungsten quartz iodine depletion layer. They call it "doping" for a reason; because being a dope doesn't make you smart.

12 people to click on the wrong author to quote then the argue why meant to do it.

14 people to yell at their mother through the basement floor while putting other people down for being troll on the internet.

85 "hackers" who don't realize that "social engineering" can't be learned from online and that if they could "socially engineer" that they would be good at picking up women.

1 to post "FIRST" in a thread

2 to post "second" along with another person

27 that regularly buy condoms to replace the last ones based on the expiration date.

13 to pretend they are a hot chick to get attention

14 to post a picture of a person with a large fruit in their rectum

[mrpackethead]

Can i solder the lightbulb with a arc welder. I'm not very good with fine parts any longer.

[Beamin]

Can i solder the lightbulb with a arc welder. I'm not very good with fine parts any longer.

Use a MIG for beginners. Or a TIG to get really nice welds.

For stick welding use the heaviest ga stick you can find at maximum current. Since its a current controlled device. Don't forget to wear a ground strap to protect the part from ESD.

A light bulb is really a one element directly heated vacuum tube with a two way back to back diode with a very flat trace on a curve tracer.

[NivagSwerdna]

This is an ambiguous question... what spectrum of light is required?

[Beamin]

This is an ambiguous question... what spectrum of light is required?

Depends is it smooth black body radiation or choppy ion emission lines? Also why are you using a light bulb where you can get a CREE soft white LED light with a CRI of 98, at 5000K, 7 watt 30,000hr long life bulb that fits an Edison style screw plug for the same price? Stupid.

Also ever just consider moving into a house without a burnt out light bulb? Think how much this renovation and building permits will cost and time spent  vs just selling the house. Stupid.

And why are you actively replacing a light bulb with another inferior bulb when you could be using this opportunity to switch to LED or CFL? Stupid.

You could repair the bulb unless of course you don't care about wasting money:
Heat the base and unglue it from the metal
Unsolder wires
Make a pin hole to let the air in using friction
Melt the stem out being sure to anneal the glass evenly on a lathe
Remove the damaged filament and locate the break
Using an electron microscope and probes join the filament together and direct high energy electrons at the end spot welding them together.
Remelt on the base and evacuate for several hours in an over letting the bulb outgas.
Make a gas out of iodine and argon at a ration of 74ppm
Fill the bulb with an inert gas at 83 torr and seal off the glass evacuation stem
Resolder leads and glue the glass back into base
Send the unit off the under writer laboratories to get certified as safe for consumer use
Stamp the top with a seal indicating correct regulatory listings
Test for several hour under different vibrations temps and voltages.

Why throw it away when you can easily repair it? Stupid.

[Cyberdragon]

1 person to have a crazy mad science steampunk lab
1 person to use a telsa coil to drive wireless Tesla gas-phosper and carbon button lamps and not have to change the bulbs
1 person to change the carbons in the work lamp
1 idiot to try and light his cigar in said lamp
1 loud BZZZZAAAAAHGFYDHGGHTFGFYYFHYTDDYTFYTFYPPP...sizzle noise

1 corpse to clean up...

when I get money though I will build a real mad science lab

[StillTrying]

The answer to the original question is 39,878.  https://www.eevblog.com/forum/stats/

[BrianHG]

0.... just too lazy to bother....

[Mjolinor]

The answer to the original question is 39,878.  https://www.eevblog.com/forum/stats/

That is 39836 too many to be the answer.

[LaserSteve]

One man to curse the darkness caused by the 1930s Phoebus Cartel conference by several major bulb makers where they agreed to make bulbs with a MTBF of no more then 1000 hours.. The Truth is Out There! 

Steve

[schmitt trigger]

One man to curse the darkness caused by the 1930s Phoebus Cartel conference by several major bulb makers where they agreed to make bulbs with a MTBF of no more then 1000 hours.. ! 

Steve

When I first read about this, I thought to myself: that this one of the many conspiracy theories floating around the internet.

But I realize now that it is indeed true  Wow!

[Cyberdragon]

I think we need to revise this question to how many people it takes to change a fuse...

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/fuse-or-no-fuse/

[Beamin]

One man to curse the darkness caused by the 1930s Phoebus Cartel conference by several major bulb makers where they agreed to make bulbs with a MTBF of no more then 1000 hours.. ! 

Steve

That really is true? Reminds how grocery store match each others prices up*: Some starts selling milk for 4.00$ a gallon and the other stores all raise their price to 4.00$. Look at beef jerky (the most necessary staple besides water) Pre 2008 recession it was 3.99 for 6 oz. Then you got 3.5oz then .3.25 then 3 then 2.75. At each decrease there was a small decrease in price then it went back to its orginal price then another decrease in oz and repeat. Next thing you know you are paying 7.99 for 2.75 oz of jerky. They did this with all products.

When I first read about this, I thought to myself: that this one of the many conspiracy theories floating around the internet.

But I realize now that it is indeed true  Wow!