They burn out to easily, much sooner that they claim, and they get
duller with time which is unacceptable.  Their lumens need to be
constant over time and they often are not.

I like them.  I buy the contractor's box which is very cheap.

My electric bill  is only a couple of percent at most for light.

Tweedledee, Tweedledum.  I could walk everywhere, live in the mountains
in a cave, and eat off the land too.  I'm sitting in my den right now
where there are 6 60 watt lights and 4 150 watt lights that are
florescent and 6 65 watt lights that are incandescent which means they
can work with a dimmer.  I have two fans going in an air conditioned
home because I like the air moving.  There are seven computer monitors
functioning with several computers that run 7*24, and a very large TV.
That's only my den.  I own a very large home, more than 5000 sq/ft, with
a lot of people who all have computers, tvs, etc.  Does it seem like I'm
worried about saving a couple of pennies on lighting?  My den has the
more florescent lights than the rest of the house but I have to change
them almost as often as the incandescent lights.  Most of the lights are
can lights and florescent has a lot lot lot shorter life in such a
fixture.  As they burn out, I'm putting incandescent back in.

I do like efficiency not because I'm an environmentalist but because I
like to be independent and self sufficient.  I looked at geothermal for
heating an cooling my home, I have investigated solar and energy storage
so that I can be off the grid, I have looked at wells, pumps, etc.,
etc., with the plan to design my own home someday that is large and
spacious, well apportioned, on several dozen acres with woodland and
farmland and completely off the grid.

Reducing my "carbon footprint" is the least of my concerns.

I don't understand what you mean that incandescent bulbs are cheaper.
You will save 80% with full spectrum fluorescent lighting! In fact
over time, they pay for themselves! Incandescent is a waste of money
and energy because it gives off lots of heat with relatively teeny
amount of light. You will spoil the environment if you use those old
bulbs (halogen, incandescent) because they give off some carbon
dioxide emissions and pollute the atmosphere!

First of all, I use a lot of them and they don't last near as long as
they claim.  They also grow duller after a few months.  Put one in the
fan light and they wear out even faster from the constant movement of
the fans.  In my area of the world where it goes below freezing in the
winter months, florescent lights turn on slower and take several minutes
to warm up to full light.  I have three 300 watt equivalent florescent
lights in my garage and it is still not that bright during the few
minutes one uses the garage in the winter time.

No, it's not a matter of slipping behind, it's a matter of cost and what
one is used to.  Incandescent lights provide a light I'm used to, the
cost is really cheap, and I've had electricity all my life so I'm used
to it.  I couldn't care less what Bangladesh uses for their one light
bulb per hundred people and where electricity is no where near as
prevalent (and exaggeration, perhaps).  If price was no object, I would
be using LED lights - now that's energy efficient!

I would prefer a light source that mimics the spectral changes in the
sun from sunrise to sunset with very low light levels before sunrise and
after sunset would be ideal.  A full spectrum light when your replying
to email right before going to bed f.cks up one's natural cycles no doubt.

In the future I think everyone will be using these bulbs (for
conservation of energy etc.). So you might as well switch now! Because
they pay for themselves over time in comparison to the amount you
would have paid for an incandescent non-energy saving bulb. The
futuristic world is a bright, white one!

Eastern countries (such as Bangladesh) are already using these bulbs.
It's western countries that are slipping behind in the technology!

Fluorescent bulbs may not be that well color balanced although it may
appear to be at first glance. A spectrometer will usually show strong
green bands from the mercury vapor discharge.

What is helping your vision the most is the greater blue content of
the bulbs which causes your pupils to narrow giving you sharper
vision.

--
  Ron

Well, I saw an 'ioniser 32W' full spectrum bulb on amazon a while ago
and it looks really good. I think I will buy it (£10). Colour
rendering index of 95 and colour temperature of 6000 kelvins (noon
sunlight). Brightness of 1800 lumens, very good. To top it off, it
freshens the air! The downside is that most of the sockets in my home
are 'dimmer type' which means that I get a slight buzzing noise
(hardly noticeable if you have the TV on or something, and eventually
you get used to it). And I've heard that the ioniser makes a buzz
too.

My home already looks like completely sunlit, you would think it's
daytime if you didn't look at the clock dial showing '23:45'! I'm
going to give full spectrum bulbs to all my relatives as a gift so
that they can enjoy it too.

We're always serious when commenting on your posts.

Generally, you're full of sh.t, but don't realize it.

So did anyone try out full spectrum lights?
Any serious comments!

Wayyyy ahead of you.

  And don't forget, with just the right combo of drugs and alcohol,
one can split that spectrum into really neat colors.

Nice!

I prefer to stare at the sun for an hour a day. The light stays stored
up and I don't need any lights at night at all.

I want to tell everyone what a huge difference full spectrum lighting
can make. I bought one from Ebay recently and ever since my room has
been filled with a wonderful white glow. It's economically and
ecologically friendly as well, taking only 30 watts to produce as much
light as a 150W incandescent bulb would. And it lasts 8000 hours
compared to the normal 1000 hours.

Has anyone else tried full spec lights?

If you haven't, I totally recommend trying it. Not only does it
improve your mood and health, but cuts down the electric bill. If you
buy one, make sure it says 'CRI>95' and that the temperature colour is
6000 minimum (anything under and you won't get the proper 'white'
feeling), and one that has a luminosity of at least 1200 lumens.

The white glow it pervades is instantaneously relaxing. Walking from a
room with normal yellow lighting into that - the difference is just
remarkable. It's also a good favourable condition to work with the eye
charts in, because it renders the blacks in a truly vivid black that
you can't get with normal bulbs.

They are also ideal for gazing directly at (the stronger the better).

If you are living in the UK, just ask and I can tell you some good
links for where to get them.