Recommendations wanted for desk lamp

[AndyC_772]

Hi all,

I'm looking out for a new desk lamp, and would appreciate any recommendations and UK suppliers.

I want something which is adjustable, with a fixed base and a head which I can raise up to provide general illumination of my bench, or bring down lower for inspection and soldering. The brighter, the better.

Right now I have an 'angle poise' type unit into which I've fitted a CCFL bulb. The two weren't really designed to work together, so the spread of light is poor, and the electrical noise from the bulb is a big problem. I do a lot of work on sensors and instrumentation, which can be highly sensitive to kHz and low MHz band noise. I can always switch the lamp off when probing something sensitive, but that rather defeats the object.

Any suggestions welcome, thanks.

[Stonent]

Sounds like a need for a lamp with switchable sources. Maybe something like it can go to a less efficient but also less noisy mode when needed via charging a battery that goes through a linear regulator.

I have no specific recommendations but I have seen those issues myself. It is too dark without the lamp on but too electrically noisy when on.

I suppose a good old 100w incandescent bulb could suffice in a pinch.

[AndyC_772]

A 100W bulb might be OK, though they're actually quite hard to get hold of since our European overlords deemed them to be unenvirummentalisch.

You've given me an idea, though... right next to the lamp I have a spare HP 6632B, which produces a very quiet DC output indeed. Perhaps I could re-wire my lamp to use a 12V dc bulb, and replace its mains plug with a DC input jack.

Do 12V LED bulbs tend to include switched mode supplies, or just a current limiting resistor? Maybe a cheap LED bulb that doesn't make great claims about efficiency could actually be quite a good bet from a noise perspective?

[SeanB]

12V LED lamps over 1W always use a SMPS.

[KJDS]

I've just got one of these, may well get another couple. Clipped to the shelf above my bench they work very well without taking up any bench space.

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/10214213/

[DmitryL]

I'm looking out for a new desk lamp, and would appreciate any recommendations and UK suppliers.

I want something which is adjustable, with a fixed base and a head which I can raise up to provide general illumination of my bench, or bring down lower for inspection and soldering. The brighter, the better.

Right now I have an 'angle poise' type unit into which I've fitted a CCFL bulb. The two weren't really designed to work together, so the spread of light is poor, and the electrical noise from the bulb is a big problem. I do a lot of work on sensors and instrumentation, which can be highly sensitive to kHz and low MHz band noise. I can always switch the lamp off when probing something sensitive, but that rather defeats the object.

Any suggestions welcome, thanks.

Build your own
I did this several years ago. I used a couple of 12Wt high quality LED  clusters that gave me equivalent of 150Wt incandescent bulb, made a driver with dimming and mounted all this stuff on the base of a cheap IKEA lamp.
some pictures:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/l15vcdx76q2xp17/AABXVmEXnwg4XDGEyetXqOsMa?dl=0

This stuff is powered from a separate 24V PSU (I use 2 such lamps), though I did not care much about noise that comes mostly from the LED driver.

[Fungus]

I just built my own. Attach some 3W LEDs to an aluminium heatsink. Add a small 12V switching supply + LED driver. Attach to a friction arm with clamp.

All available on eBay...

[DmitryL]

I just built my own. Attach some 3W LEDs to an aluminium heatsink. Add a small 12V switching supply + LED driver. Attach to a friction arm with clamp.

3W is too dim in my opinion; I have bult a lamp with 3 or 4 W LED, for me it feels like 20W halogen bulb

[Tandy]

Something to consider is the problem with a single directional lamp is the shadows it casts. Sometimes I find it better to work under diffuse light, a couple of small lamps that spread the light evenly rather than a spot lamp.

[DmitryL]

LED clusters without any optics attached produce a beam with a spatial angle of about 120 degrees, almost the same as a usual desk lamp.
Anyway, I have made two lamps for work; one on the left, another on the right.

[nfmax]

I use an Osram 10W 810lm 'GLS-alike' LED bulb in a geniune Anglepoise as a reading light. The combination is almost ideal in terms of light output, colour, & directionality. £10 from B&Q.

[Fungus]

I just built my own. Attach some 3W LEDs to an aluminium heatsink. Add a small 12V switching supply + LED driver. Attach to a friction arm with clamp.

3W is too dim in my opinion; I have bult a lamp with 3 or 4 W LED, for me it feels like 20W halogen bulb

That's why I said "some 3W LEDs" 

Full disclosure: I also added an Arduino Pro Mini with a potentiometer to supply a PWM signal for dimming...

[wreeve]

I've got a couple of Philips Hue bulbs in lamps on my desk. Perfect for night working!

[motocoder]

I have one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-TaoTronics%C2%AE-TT-DL01-Dimmable-Lighting/dp/B00APAQSP6/ref=cm_sw_em_r_dp_klOvub16QENCD_tt

I like everything about it except the large base. I also have a couple of the Ikea single LED lights mentioned above. These are also available in a non clip-on variety. Only thing I don't like about those is that the on/off switch is mounted so far from the lamp, but that is easily fixed.

[motocoder]

Also check out the other models from Taotronics. They have a new one that has a flexible neck. The prices on them have also,dropped to more reasonable levels recently.

[LektroiD]

If you're quick, Maplin have an offer on this lamp/magnifier just now. Down from £40 to £25.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/22w-fluorescent-daylight-magnifier-lamp-a29ff

No idea how long the offer will run for though.

[AndyC_772]

Interesting selection of answers there, thanks everyone.

I'm a little surprised there isn't an "industry standard" lamp that engineers use. Given that there are common scopes, soldering irons, meters and so on, which 90% of the people on the forum seem to have in common, this seems like an omission. Maybe even a gap in the market, and a commercial opportunity for someone?

Building my own isn't really an option as I don't have the time.

I think I'll try swapping the bulb in my existing lamp for an LED type, and go from there.