Light bulb flicker when turning on after long time off.

[eccerr0r]

Actually F40T12's are around 2800-2900 lm... so LEDs are a bit more efficient than previously mentioned. F32T8's that are about the same brightness as F40T12's are closer to LED efficacy.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Originally Posted by RukyCon

Oh, and the green end caps of Philips fluorescent tubes might be going away as Philips packs up the Salina, Kansas factory to move overseas (saw a few F40T12s at the Home Cheapo recently with silver end caps, made around December 2020).

Did they go to all China like they did with all their T5s?!

(The writing was already on the wall for T5s back in 2016, they didn't last as long, possibly already started getting manufactured in China as soon as 2015)

This time, it really looks like "light-bulb-mageddon" (of course, a.k.a. "light-bulbpocalypse")

What about the T8s? Are the T12s getting moved out before the T8s?

[eccerr0r]

I'm seeing people are tossing out their linear fluorescent fixtures so I suspect they are noting that demand is dropping at least for home use. I don't know about commercial/business use whether existing buildings are being retrofitted to LED, though I suspect this is happening slowly too... and thus demand for tubes go down and the desire to outsource them...

Then there's the FC8T9/22 or somethingrather... I've yet to see a cheap LED retrofit for this. Think I have an electronic ballast in my fixture, or at least the starting doesn't give the annoying flickering.

[RukyCon]

Originally Posted by RJARRRPCGP

Did they go to all China like they did with all their T5s?!

(The writing was already on the wall for T5s back in 2016, they didn't last as long, possibly already started getting manufactured in China as soon as 2015)

This time, it really looks like "light-bulb-mageddon" (of course, a.k.a. "light-bulbpocalypse")

What about the T8s? Are the T12s getting moved out before the T8s?

They're current plan is to move production to India or Poland, but i would not be supried if some moves to China as well.

I probably should have added this, but the T12s are still made in the USA, just without the green endcaps, now i have not seen any silver endcaped Philips T8s in stores yet, mostly due to T12s being more popular in residential areas than T8, and most commercial places with T8 typically buy theirs from wholesalers.

Now my main worry about the transfer is for any place that still uses Slimline (single pin) or High Output type fluorescent tubes, because, as far as i can tell, Philips is the last manufacturer of these types of lamps, so i wonder if they'll even bother moving manufacturing overseas (especially since most of these lamps are over 4ft long) or if they might just discontinue them and leave everyone who still uses them in the dark (just like what they did with their low pressure sodium lamps a few years ago).

[RJARRRPCGP]

Originally Posted by RukyCon

I probably should have added this, but the T12s are still made in the USA, just without the green endcaps

Without those ends? I usually saw the gray ones with specialty ones, such as the red-spectrum'ed ag-spec'ed ones.

[RukyCon]

Originally Posted by RJARRRPCGP

Without those ends? I usually saw the gray ones with specialty ones, such as the red-spectrum'ed ag-spec'ed ones.

Yeah, but in this case, these were just some standard 4100K and 6500K tubes in 2ft, and 4ft lengths. They still had the Alto branding though.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Originally Posted by RukyCon

Yeah, but in this case, these were just some standard 4100K and 6500K tubes in 2ft, and 4ft lengths. They still had the Alto branding though.

That's like the ones that the same factory apparently manufactures for Feit. Yes, IIRC, there are Feit-branded ones at The Tractor Supply Company.
I found out that they are likely by far, manufactured by the same factory.

The Feit and Ace branded ones won't have the green colored ends, TMK.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Well, it looks like Signify moved a lot of T5 manufacturing to Europe, in Poland, the same as the F15T8s. I was at Home Depot in Claremont, New Hampshire today.

Home Depot didn't look nearly as bad as I dreaded. I actually had low expectations and got surprised with how good they are doing.

[RukyCon]

Originally Posted by RJARRRPCGP

Well, it looks like Signify moved a lot of T5 manufacturing to Europe, in Poland, the same as the F15T8s. I was at Home Depot in Claremont, New Hampshire today.

Home Depot didn't look nearly as bad as I dreaded. I actually had low expectations and got surprised with how good they are doing.

And i was at my local Home Depot, and they had nothing but Chinese-made Sylvania tubes.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Originally Posted by RukyCon

And i was at my local Home Depot, and they had nothing but Chinese-made Sylvania tubes.

I never saw those, LOL. Sounds like all of Sylvania went to China.

I saw an abundance.

[RukyCon]

Considering the fact they were bought by MLS Co. Who is a Chinese lighting company, it doesn't come as a surprise to me.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Originally Posted by RukyCon

Considering the fact they were bought by MLS Co. Who is a Chinese lighting company, it doesn't come as a surprise to me.

Sylvania?

[RukyCon]

Yes, Sylvania.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Originally Posted by RukyCon

Yes, Sylvania.

Makes more sense.

Boy, they really went down, it apparently started with their incandescents having what looked like pretty hit and miss quality. The printing on the bulbs for how many watts and etc., were inconsistent.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Well, I went there and I'm at the highest risk of getting the " 'rona " so far! (That is, especially if I got virus particles in my eyes!) (I double-masked)
I shouldn't even have asked about the T5 HO fixture stock in the store! (Claremont, New Hampshire)


I should have just went to the same aisle where the other fluorescent fixtures are! I did and I saw the T5 54 HO fixture! Yesss!

Then I grabbed the first Phillips Alto T5 set ever. (Rated at 4100K, IIRC)

I don't get LEDs there, usually!

Heard that I should be fine if that employee was fully vaccinated. I'm one of the late ones to get a vaccine, even with BioNTech being around the longest for the major-league coronavirus vaccines. Got my first jab with no severe side effects.

I better not get the " 'rona " with severe symptoms! Unfortunately, we saw that Boris Johnson got the coronavirus with severe symptoms in "two-zero".

[RJARRRPCGP]

Originally Posted by RukyCon

They're current plan is to move production to India or Poland, but i would not be supried if some moves to China as well.

Confirmed, yesterday, I saw Poland for the longer T8s and India for the longer T12s. I went into the West Lebanon, New Hampshire Home Depot with my father and a moron almost slammed into me, when walking inside.

Now, I have to watch for coronavirus symptoms!