Re: lites101.edu

["Luis A. Marques" <marques@ti.com>]

>>Whoa there!  Halagon (sic) bulbs do not like to work with less than
>>12V... Sure they will turn on BUT you will seriously shorten their 
>>lives. NJTH -
>>STEADIRIC<<

>Why is this?  I am curious, and curiouser (go ask Alice)!

Actually, the answer is yes and no.  Incandescent bulbs will give out
more light if operated above their rated voltage while sacrificing life
span.  Traditional incandescents will last a lot longer if operated
below their rated voltage while giving out less light.

Halogen bulbs, on the other hand, relly on the convection within the
bulb to "redeposit" the evaporated fillament material back onto the
fillament.  So, as long as they get warm enough, they will last longer
while sacrificing some light output, but if the voltage is so small that
they doesn't get warm enough for convection to take place, they will
last only as much as a conventional incandescent.

Luis Marques
'87 4kcsq