I'm looking for good-quality LED bulbs for home. I used to get compact fluorescent and a while ago I got a small batch of LEDs. These are GE branded bulbs. It's been maybe a year or so and one of them is already loose. A finger flick at the bulb will turn it on. I can hear something loose inside the bulb. The socket is good. I don't trust ebay bulbs.
It is difficult to define "good". With some things you could look at durability or expected operating life or consistency of construction. With LEDs there are additional things to look at. What is the color range? Some lighting technologies, especially LED, have gaps in their spectrum and seem artificial compared to good old incandescent. Also some of the low-cost LED replacements generate a lot of RF noise and interfere with radio communication. Big chain stores are notorious for importing cheap junk.
I'll try Home Depot. I got mine from Target.
I don't know about RF noise. What circuit inside the bulb could cause RF noise, the stepping regulator? I thought they are just KHz 100KHz max.
Get the dim-able version if you need that.
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Compact fluorescents are crap.
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liudr:
I'm looking for good-quality LED bulbs for home. I used to get compact fluorescent and a while ago I got a small batch of LEDs. These are GE branded bulbs. It's been maybe a year or so and one of them is already loose. A finger flick at the bulb will turn it on. I can hear something loose inside the bulb. The socket is good. I don't trust ebay bulbs.
I've seen your stuff, you're a wizard with electronics.
I started to play with led disk replacements for G4 halogen bulbs. They run on 12V AC or DC do get hotter than I like (on regulated 12VDC) but make a very bright (don't look at it) spotlight.
My idea is to feed two with one off while the other is on, 50% duty cycle at no extra current draw.
The disk has a rectifier (I connect 12V through, some loss there) but there's spots to solder to past that on the back with one labeled + and then 4 51 ohm resistors before lighting up 3 leds that look to have 3 junctions each. The disk is supposed to run on 3W and it's about 30mm dia.
I got 10 for $1.29 ea from deal extreme but the price has gone up since. Search Fandyfire GW led.
For other home lighting, those reels of non-addressable strip leds are not bad deals.
Disassembling a "bad" bulb would be a worthy pursuit of anyone in this forum. From my experience most of these bulbs come apart easily (the pieces are threaded together) and you'll find the electronics are easily replaced. Well, easily replaced if you're good at soldering in tight spaces.
We've had good results with bulbs from Home Depot as well. LED bulbs are good for light cans in the ceiling - compact flourescents didn't do well there at all. We have LEDs in 7 or 8 ceiling cans, 2 or 3 hall way ceilings, I think in one of the bathrooms, and a floor lamp or two or three. Slowly moving over as incandescents burn out.
Delta_G:
I've been slowly replacing all the bulbs in my house with LED bulbs from CREE. So far they have all been working . They just don't last.
In the UK i buy from the likes of Homebase or B and Q , which i think are the equivalent of Wallmart ETC.
LED bulbs seem to have a very limited lifespan when fitted into older halogen units.
This may be due to cheap build but i think it may be due to temperature problems.
The the original design using halogens worked , replacing with LED however caused limited lifespan due to overheating.
No safety problems , just limited life.
Boardburner2:
In the UK i buy from the likes of Homebase or B and Q , which i think are the equivalent of Wallmart ETC.LED bulbs seem to have a very limited lifespan when fitted into older halogen units.
This may be due to cheap build but i think it may be due to temperature problems.
The the original design using halogens worked , replacing with LED however caused limited lifespan due to overheating.No safety problems , just limited life.
That's why I think that using two disks and switching back and forth might work better.
I also doubt that the G4 fixtures have much air circulation, halogens are made to run hot.
I gotta dig up my parts anyway, I want to see about making a strobe light.
The problem nowadays is that they are designing the led bulbs to fail... So, while you could get a bulb that would last 22-25 years now at home depot they make them to last 3-4 years.... so, meh.
travis_farmer:
not sure of the quality yet, but Home Depot has sales on LED bulbs from time to time. I have bought a few there, so far they still work fine.~Travis
When I read the title, I thought ... "well, duh. Home Depot."
You nailed it Travis.
LarryD:
Compact fluorescents are crap..
Concur. I used to do product photography in a studio. I preferred incandescents to flash because I could see exactly what the effect would be. CFLs have completely ruined that. There are color shifts that simple filtration can't fix, because it's a band spectrum instead of a continuum. Sure, there's photoshop, but it's nice to just get it in camera.
I have been hoarding 150 and 200 watt tungsten bulbs (they still sell 'em too.) I started with 350 and 500 watt photofloods back when asa 64 was considered to be high speed. But at $20 for six hours life, that got reeel expensive! Then I started using 200 watt Reveal bulbs. Same exact color! I use the 150s to get a bit more warmth for portraits. Now I use delta 3200 and portra 800 film (both at EI 400), and Nikon DSLRs at iso 400, so the dimmer bulbs are fine.
Delta_G:
. But I've got a few more of those good CREE bulbs in the pantry ready if I find one.
Too expensive for me.
I have something like 5 different fittings in my house along with different envelopes and powers.
Cree are not common in the UK, stores are generally limited to Phillips (often the wrong fittings) or own brands.
Fluorescents have been rubbish from the start, 2 to 3 year life approx, and expensive.
LED more expensive and not much better. Downlighters seem to be the worst.
If making your own is an option, led leads stick nice in socket holes. You could wire up a socket with resistors and a standard power plug then stick leds in and they'll stay until deliberately pulled out or a really hard shock. Even the resistors could be changeable to suit different color leds or leds increasing resistance from long use. With 12V feed that could be 1 resistor for 3 leds. A long socket could hold an ATtiny and leds if some benefit could be made....
Delta_G:
They're not so bad here in the US. I think they're around 10 dollars but they last longer than 3 or 4 of the cheaper ones.
Not much different here, just wish i could find a reliable make , available retail.
Cree can be had but mail order.
Just did a head count, 47 bulbs in my house.
Boardburner2:
Too expensive for me.I have something like 5 different fittings in my house along with different envelopes and powers.
Cree are not common in the UK, stores are generally limited to Phillips (often the wrong fittings) or own brands.
Fluorescents have been rubbish from the start, 2 to 3 year life approx, and expensive.LED more expensive and not much better. Downlighters seem to be the worst.
I bought some CF bulbs from Tesco a few years back. They had a 10 year guarantee with them. When they blow, I take them back to Tesco for a replacement under the guarantee. They no longer sell CF bulbs, so I get a LED one for free!
I get mine from Tesco and sainsburys, can never find the recepit's though.
I think the el co's should be forced to supply them for free like BG did some years ago.
That way with bulk buying they could ensure quality and get the claimed 20 year lifetimes.
Would help reduce national consumption as well.
The government did heavily subsidise loft insulation at one time as well which i was pleasantly surprised at.
Boardburner2:
I get mine from Tesco and sainsburys, can never find the recepit's though.
I also don't have the receipt, but I tell them that CFs were not being sold by them more than 10 years ago.
They usually accept this. If not, I try another branch.
I think the el co's should be forced to supply them for free like BG did some years ago.
I did get some free from my elco when they were being distributed. I think I may still have some. CFs were also subsidised by HM Gov. for a while. I could get them for £1 each then, buy now they're over £3 each.
That way with bulk buying they could ensure quality and get the claimed 20 year lifetimes.
Would help reduce national consumption as well.
Yes, but that would cost the government money, which it claims not to have.
Bought 20 CFLs from Home Depot a few years back.
All but 5 burned out, 5 were in storage 
Have to send them to the manufacture to get warrantee replacement.
Replacement, I pay postage, then they just burn out again.
What did we do?
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I got Sylvania CFL's at Lowes when Bush was president. I've replaced two in the lamp that runs 12+ hours a day.
What kills them quicker is too much ON/OFF. The cheap circuitry can't take it.