Switching to LED Tube lights

[dinkjs]

The price of LED tube lights are coming down finally and I will be investing in a couple for lighting over my workbench....replacing standard CFL tube lights....

My question is what color lighting to go with for best lighting that would be comparable to natural lighting outside?

[Vic]

The price of LED tube lights are coming down finally and I will be investing in a couple for lighting over my workbench....replacing standard CFL tube lights....

My question is what color lighting to go with for best lighting that would be comparable to natural lighting outside?

I'm assuming you're talking about the LED offerings that replace a T8 tube. You remove the ballast and direct connect it. I've looked at several of these and they are almost there, but like all the other LED, they just aren't quite ready for prime time, at least in terms for ROI. Can I ask your reason for wanting to go to LED? If it's because you just really like the technology and want to test it for the long run, then I say go for it. In a shop environment, you still can't beat the T8s for ROI and efficacy.

That being said, I was talking with one of my lighting design lab guys today and be on the look out for plasma lighting. I still need to look into it, but it sounds even more promising than induction, which btw is a much better, and proven technology, if you're looking for low wattage combined with a long life cycle. LED is still a theoretical life.

[lemonjello]

The price of LED tube lights are coming down finally and I will be investing in a couple for lighting over my workbench....replacing standard CFL tube lights....

My question is what color lighting to go with for best lighting that would be comparable to natural lighting outside?

You really have to investigate the lumen output of the LED vs the fluorescent. Can be disappointing, also the color temperature matters a whole lot. I personally like to work with lower color temperature lighting (around 32-3500K), more to red/amber end of white, most LED output higher (bluer) color temperature light, can make things look flatter and less lively and usually close to daylight balanced color around 6500K.

Some LED have slower pulse rate which can seem like a flicker in peripheral vision (noticeable in LED christmas lights) and can be quite annoying.

If you are doing video, it can also really affect you as the pulse rate of LED and frame rate of video will occasionally sync and cause horrible blinking in captured video, alot like a video shot of an older CRT T.V. screen.

I work with quite a few LED fixtures in my line of work, so shoot me a question if I can help.