Anyone stocking up on incandescent light bulbs?

[Kali]

I'm going to be stocking up on these for my own use but thinking about stocking up for resale later too.

Should be able to double or triple my money with ease...but its still a ways out...unless stock is already low in the stores.

I'll be doing some shopping tomorrow to find out.

Anyone else buying for later resale?

[Libertytree]

Candles might be a better investment?

[Kali]

For SHTF sure...

Talking if the S doesn't HTF by then.

[Glass]

I think your only going to find a market with like minded people everyone else are just going to buy CF bulbs because dey is sheep. I'm buying halogens now. You can get bayonet and screw in fittings. They are about the same efficiency as CF but cost more. Not a lot more but some. I'm hoping they last longer. They are certainly nicer IMO because they are like incandescent in appearance.

[Serpo]

LEDs are the future

[Awoke]

I'm buying halogens now.


I find they just don't last.

[Glass]

I think LEDs are the future as well and Awoke I have had a bad run with halogens in a lamp I have. It does a $4 globe about every 6 weeks. I was warned that Ikea lamps are sh*t and well they are. I'll see how these ceiling ones go for reliability but I agree with Serpo. For long term reliabilty incandescent has been the winner IMO even if more efficient options are out there now.

[UncaScrooge]

I'm going to be stocking up on these for my own use but thinking about stocking up for resale later too.

Should be able to double or triple my money with ease...but its still a ways out...unless stock is already low in the stores.

I'll be doing some shopping tomorrow to find out.

Anyone else buying for later resale?


I've been stocking up on 60, 75 and 100 watt bulbs whenever they're on blowout sale. Two weeks ago, a local food market was selling Sylvania Double-Life bulbs for $1.00 for a 4-pack... that's 25 cents a bulb!!! ;D

Hmmm... haven't considered the "resale-investment" angle... just stocking up for my needs. I'd guesstimate that I have AT LEAST a 7-8 year supply right now (go through a lot of bulbs), and will aim for a 20 year supply.

If prices after the "ban" skyrocket years down the road... well, I'll sell some... IF the price is right! 8)

[Ash_Williams]

I personally think the demand for incandescents won't be that great in the future. Most people don't have a problem with the CFLs. I personally have nothing against them, especially because I've had two going in the light fixture above the stairs for at least 7 years now. To change these lights, I basically need to build a scaffolding along the stair railing, since they are so far up and there's nowhere to put a ladder.

I hope that once the CFLs burn out, the LED's are good enough to replace them.

Incandescents have an advantage where you want the bulb to emit heat (lava lamp, for example) but I have zero of those applications, as do most people. I see them going the way of the CRT television/monitor.

But, even assuming you can double your money, it's a lot to store in the mean time to make any significant returns off of this (a 3 pack is what - $1?) and you need find buyers that will take large quantities to make any transaction worth it (are you going to wait at home all night for someone to maybe show up to buy $10 worth of lightbulbs?)

I'm dealing with a similar issue right now in that I've kept massive amounts of things over the years, knowing they'd have a higher resale value some day. Now I have three rooms full of shit I don't want. Some of it's simply outdated (I was wrong in thinking it would still be useful) but most of it is just hard to move. All week I've been answering replies to my online classifieds and I realize now it just wasn't worth it. I'd take a loss just to have all this stuff gone and out of my life. I think there's a good chance that would happen with lightbulbs too... you'd just have a closet full of them... a potential $1000 profit maybe, but the amount of work and trouble you'd have to put to in selling them would make you regret doing it.

[sunnyandseventy]

I've been buying a pack or two of bulbs at the grocery store randomly as I'm there. I don't have the room to store a bunch. My thinking is reading a book by a standard incandescent bulb may be a luxury some will appreciate in the future. If I had room I'd store a bunch and give them out as gifts along with a book.

Interesting heads up on the halogens. I've bought four 60W ones and like the light. Haven't had one fail but it's only been a few weeks.

[SLV^GLD]

Stocking up when the prices are conducive. No interest in resale, just personal use. My wife despises CFL output and I dislike their form factors and their cold start delays.

[7th trump]

I dont bother with bulbs anymore.
LED's are the way and the future.
Ebay has 10 watt stamp size LEDs for 8.00 to 12.00 that outlast and are 90% efficient than current incad bulbs.
I ran two 10 watts leds for two day on an old battery that couldnt turn over a motor.
Now I have solar cells charging three car batteries lighting up the whole house. My electric bill dropped from 130 to 70 bucks a month. A portion of that is taxes and charges.
The only things on grid power are the major appliances that if you keep the doors shut the compressor doesnt kick on.

[VX1]

LEDs are amazing. I recently replaced the lights that go all around my boathouse with LED. It's a change from thousands of watts usage, to maybe 60w total. The cost to run them now is just about free.

They've still got to make some advancements in the controllers to bring them up to par for overall household use, especially making them dimmable. I have a walk-in pantry with a motion sensing switch. For some reason, putting an LED in there, just made it flash on and off like a disco.

[7th trump]

LEDs are amazing. I recently replaced the lights that go all around my boathouse with LED. It's a change from thousands of watts usage, to maybe 60w total. The cost to run them now is just about free.

They've still got to make some advancements in the controllers to bring them up to par for overall household use, especially making them dimmable. I have a walk-in pantry with a motion sensing switch. For some reason, putting an LED in there, just made it flash on and off like a disco.

The advancements of dimming LEDS is using a Pulse Width Modulater or PWM. Very old technology actually. PWM has been around for decades and is real cheap.
I've built a centralized PWM for my home. There are 8 PWM on my centralized circuit board and each PWM goes to a room in the house. A potentiometer controlls the time the LED is on or off (dimming). I took out all the light switches in the rooms that were using LEDs and put in the .30 cent 50k potentiometer with rewiring of 18-2 shielded cable to the attic where the centralized board is located.
I have a positive 10 gauge wire supplying the voltage and current to the board from the battery bank in the garage. The batteries are charged with the solar panel that I made from solar cells off ebay and trickle charger for back up.
All this stuff cost under 500.00 including the batteries and solar cells and I basically have free lighting in my house with the advent of the solar cells.
My fridge and washing machine will soon be hooked up with 3000 watt inverters and powered off the same battery bank.
If my power ever goes off like it did three years ago for three days I have my home made generater. That generater is from an old 5 horse lawn mower with a 100 amp car alternater that supplies enough current for everything in the house. No need to buy those 5,000.00 generaters that dont last.

[Sparky]

...

I'm dealing with a similar issue right now in that I've kept massive amounts of things over the years, knowing they'd have a higher resale value some day. Now I have three rooms full of sh*t I don't want. Some of it's simply outdated (I was wrong in thinking it would still be useful) but most of it is just hard to move.
...


This is interesting. Could you give us some examples of where your thinking was wrong?

[EE_]

My fridge and washing machine will soon be hooked up with 3000 watt inverters and powered off the same battery bank.
If my power ever goes off like it did three years ago for three days I have my home made generater. That generater is from an old 5 horse lawn mower with a 100 amp car alternater that supplies enough current for everything in the house. No need to buy those 5,000.00 generaters that dont last.


You really got me thinking about building my own generator!
I've been pricing parts and it looks like an economical way to own a 5,000 watt generator for about $800.
Plus, it is a generator that can be serviced with parts that are available everywhere.
I like to build things like this too!
Here's a site I pulled up for ideas http://www.theepicenter.com/tow02077.html

[Gknowmx]

I agree, LEDs are the future. I plan to migrate to them. Great thread; lots of good ideas. Thanks.

[AndreaGail]

cfl's give me headaches and the lighting sucks so ya

[7th trump]

The home made generaters as far as I'm concerned are the way.
I bought a 3,000 watt inverter DC to Ac that I bolted to the back of the fridg and it worked great and much cheaper than a 10,000 watt genset.
A 100 amp 12v dc alternator run by a 5 horse lawn mower is ok but when everything is pulling a current it really slows down but on the bright side it didnt cost me anything. I have been donated two new 200 amp alternators that will be use soon.
The LEDs lights hardly use anything so the genset doesnt really have any load. I get a load when the refridge kicks in but smooths out after the motor kicks on.
I think I will get some more batteries to help with the load on the genset. Let the batteries do most the work.

[EE_]

The home made generaters as far as I'm concerned are the way.
I bought a 3,000 watt inverter DC to Ac that I bolted to the back of the fridg and it worked great and much cheaper than a 10,000 watt genset.
A 100 amp 12v dc alternator run by a 5 horse lawn mower is ok but when everything is pulling a current it really slows down but on the bright side it didnt cost me anything. I have been donated two new 200 amp alternators that will be use soon.
The LEDs lights hardly use anything so the genset doesnt really have any load. I get a load when the refridge kicks in but smooths out after the motor kicks on.
I think I will get some more batteries to help with the load on the genset. Let the batteries do most the work.


If you have any advice on building a generator, I'm listening.
What are the best 5,000 watt inverters?
Will a new Honda 5hp motor be best to use?
Will a GM 75/100 amp alternator be sufficiant?

[steyr_m]

LEDs are the future


I read somewhere, and sorry, I don't have the source. But I read, and it makes sense, that LED's (as are CFL's) are in a limited bandwidth of light. Looking at that light with high intensity can damage your eye's. Incandescent is spread spectrum as the sun is, and there for better.

If you live in a climate that requires a heater, that incandescent bulb is heating your house in the cold periods. Electric heat is 100% efficient. During the rest of the year, the sun is up longer and more people are outside, light isn't needed as much. It'll take a long time to recover the extra cost for the CFL's. I'm sticking with incandescents, it doesn't make economic or health sense.

[steyr_m]

My fridge and washing machine will soon be hooked up with 3000 watt inverters and powered off the same battery bank.
If my power ever goes off like it did three years ago for three days I have my home made generater. That generater is from an old 5 horse lawn mower with a 100 amp car alternater that supplies enough current for everything in the house. No need to buy those 5,000.00 generaters that dont last.


You really got me thinking about building my own generator!
I've been pricing parts and it looks like an economical way to own a 5,000 watt generator for about $800.
Plus, it is a generator that can be serviced with parts that are available everywhere.
I like to build things like this too!
Here's a site I pulled up for ideas http://www.theepicenter.com/tow02077.html


I like lots of the ideas in that site. Things I would do different/change: Why only one battery? I'd hook up 2-4 in parallel. Second, I'd build a gasifier. Throw in a few logs and charge your battery bank. Here's a demo of one with a crude fuel delivery system. More on wood gas. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_gas_generator

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6J0bRjYuX8&p=A503D08F0E6A9125&playnext=1&index=1

[steyr_m]

If you have any advice on building a generator, I'm listening.
What are the best 5,000 watt inverters?
Will a new Honda 5hp motor be best to use?
Will a GM 75/100 amp alternator be sufficiant?


I've heard Tripp-lite makes some good stuff and that's who'll I'll be buying from. I'd buy a used lawn-mower engine. Much cheaper.

V x A = Watts. 100*12 = 1.2 kW
5hp = 3.72 kW

I think 5 HP is too much. You generally want your load to be about 80% of max power. 3 HP = 2.23 kW So tha may be a bit better. Or, 3.728*.8 = 2.976 kW 2976/12 = 248 A So you can move up to a 200-250 Amp alternator, but then you have issues with availability.

[Kali]

All it will take is some bad health related news due to CFL's and incandescent bulbs will be worth some bucks.

I have had headaches for awhile now in my office and always thought maybe it was my cordless phones, which it might be related to but I also have 3 CFL's beaming down on me.

Going to change those out and see if any changes. Maybe not, but worth a try.

It could also be the beer but that will be the last thing I blame.

[7th trump]

LEDs are the future


I read somewhere, and sorry, I don't have the source. But I read, and it makes sense, that LED's (as are CFL's) are in a limited bandwidth of light. Looking at that light with high intensity can damage your eye's. Incandescent is spread spectrum as the sun is, and there for better.

If you live in a climate that requires a heater, that incandescent bulb is heating your house in the cold periods. Electric heat is 100% efficient. During the rest of the year, the sun is up longer and more people are outside, light isn't needed as much. It'll take a long time to recover the extra cost for the CFL's. I'm sticking with incandescents, it doesn't make economic or health sense.

LEDS can be and are made in every frequency, even full range. Or you can put a red, yellow and blue together to get full spectrum and adjust each color to fit your optical health.
I have white ceilings and all I do is point the LEDs up to reflect off the ceiling and wala the room is lit very nicely and evenly with no bulb in your face.
I actually like the white, not soft white LEDs. I can see clearly with these.
Now I also have a ceiling down stairs thats off white and wouldnt you know it the high intensity bright white glows a warm white through out the whole room. The only exception being is the LED light is a more profound light. Its very clear and distinct imho.
Currently I'm working on a light fixture for the dinning room with reflective gold contruction paper from a local hobby store that does a good job of turning a white high intensity LED into a warm light. I will be using three 10 watt LEDS so I dont need as much current to reduce the heat factor for enclosed fixtures.
I figure why buy a warm light LED that uses the same amount of current as the bright white when I can reflect that bright white light off a yellow or gold surface and get the same effect as buying a warm light LED, CLF and incads. The warm light LED are not as bright as the bright white and use less energy to get the same level of light as the warm light......only makes sense!
As far as heating charactoristics goes of the bulb (as if theres any real significants) the LEDs are just as hot, but with DC current at 12 volt it is very practical to use the solar cell to charge the battery bank than staying on grid for 120vac lights.

[mick silver]

nope i am stocking up on oil lamps ... and fuel for the lamps

[7th trump]

nope i am stocking up on oil lamps ... and fuel for the lamps

I would stock up on solar cells and LEDs. Oil and lamps are so 18th century.

[chad]

solar panels + emp = bad

oil lamps + emp = good

;)

[SHTF2010]

i'm planning for a post-SHTF future without electricity/artificial light
people nowadays need lights ( at night ) like a comfort blanket

[Dogman]

nope i am stocking up on oil lamps ... and fuel for the lamps


solar panels + emp = bad

oil lamps + emp = good

;)




Oil lamps are nice, but the down side is they need fuel. 7th has the right ideal once solar + battery + led= Light that needs nothing to consume other than free sunlight.

Incandescent light bulbs have there place and we all should rat hole some. Even if their short comings excessive heat , power hungry for the light given, and burn or go out because of handling while they are burning. They are great in cold weather because they work unlike the new coil florescent bulbs that do not like being cold.

Because incandescent bulbs do have their uses, It is smart to store some of them while they are still cheep.
Once led's come down in price, That is the way to go , the color of the light is getting better plus in time
I imagine the MTBF will skyrocket. And they are more efficient to use. efficient=cheaper And the payback time
for investing in led's will become shorter than now.


Edit: Chad has made a very good point about emp. And if we are truly attacked by one of the big powers one of them comes to mind and the name starts with a C .

If we are attacked using emp's it would only take 2-4 if detonated at the right places in the atmosphere over the USA and goodbye the lifestyle enjoyed now and welcome to the pre-industrial age.

[7th trump]

nope i am stocking up on oil lamps ... and fuel for the lamps


solar panels + emp = bad

oil lamps + emp = good

;)





Oil lamps are nice, but the down side is they need fuel. 7th has the right ideal once solar + battery + led= Light that needs nothing to consume other than free sunlight.

Incandescent light bulbs have there place and we all should rat hole some. Even if their short comings excessive heat , power hungry for the light given, and burn or go out because of handling while they are burning. They are great in cold weather because they work unlike the new coil florescent bulbs that do not like being cold.

Because incandescent bulbs do have their uses, It is smart to store some of them while they are still cheep.
Once led's come down in price, That is the way to go , the color of the light is getting better plus in time
I imagine the MTBF will skyrocket. And they are more efficient to use. efficient=cheaper And the payback time
for investing in led's will become shorter than now.


Edit: Chad has made a very good point about emp. And if we are truly attacked by one of the big powers one of them comes to mind and the name starts with a C .

If we are attacked using emp's it would only take 2-4 if detonated at the right places in the atmosphere over the USA and goodbye the lifestyle enjoyed now and welcome to the pre-industrial age.

I'm betting that a solar cell itself will not be harmed in an emp attack. An EMP attack doesnt produce bright enough light to fry a solar cell nor does a solar cell have any electronics in it. It needs light to work.
An EMP produces a huge magnetic pulse which when reaching electrical equipement induces an electric pulse into the electronic device from its normal operating voltage.
Short out an LED while its lit and all you are doing is diverting the current away from the P/N junction of the LED. No harm is done to the LED. I do it all the time when working with the LEDs I have.
LEDs are destroyed when you over voltage and current them which an EMP will most likely do, but a simple little .20 varister shorts out when a voltage spike reaches its breakdown voltage of say 12volts and thus diverts the voltage spike to ground. It will only be fixed by replacing the varister.

[uranian]

people have been queuing up for them in the UK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK_cpMU5iqY

[Dogman]

nope i am stocking up on oil lamps ... and fuel for the lamps


solar panels + emp = bad

oil lamps + emp = good

;)





Oil lamps are nice, but the down side is they need fuel. 7th has the right ideal once solar + battery + led= Light that needs nothing to consume other than free sunlight.

Incandescent light bulbs have there place and we all should rat hole some. Even if their short comings excessive heat , power hungry for the light given, and burn or go out because of handling while they are burning. They are great in cold weather because they work unlike the new coil florescent bulbs that do not like being cold.

Because incandescent bulbs do have their uses, It is smart to store some of them while they are still cheep.
Once led's come down in price, That is the way to go , the color of the light is getting better plus in time
I imagine the MTBF will skyrocket. And they are more efficient to use. efficient=cheaper And the payback time
for investing in led's will become shorter than now.


Edit: Chad has made a very good point about emp. And if we are truly attacked by one of the big powers one of them comes to mind and the name starts with a C .

If we are attacked using emp's it would only take 2-4 if detonated at the right places in the atmosphere over the USA and goodbye the lifestyle enjoyed now and welcome to the pre-industrial age.

I'm betting that a solar cell itself will not be harmed in an emp attack. An EMP attack doesnt produce bright enough light to fry a solar cell nor does a solar cell have any electronics in it. It needs light to work.
An EMP produces a huge magnetic pulse which when reaching electrical equipement induces an electric pulse into the electronic device from its normal operating voltage.
Short out an LED while its lit and all you are doing is diverting the current away from the P/N junction of the LED. No harm is done to the LED. I do it all the time when working with the LEDs I have.
LEDs are destroyed when you over voltage and current them which an EMP will most likely do, but a simple little .20 varister shorts out when a voltage spike reaches its breakdown voltage of say 12volts and thus diverts the voltage spike to ground. It will only be fixed by replacing the varister.


I disagree on that point, Solar cells are a electronic device, They use a semiconductor junction that will be destroyed, not by the light , but by the electromagnetic pulse itself. The cells will fry.

IMHO and fact!

[steyr_m]

solar panels + emp = bad

oil lamps + emp = good

;)



The same can be said with:

Incandescent & wood gas fired generator + emp = good

[7th trump]

nope i am stocking up on oil lamps ... and fuel for the lamps


solar panels + emp = bad

oil lamps + emp = good

;)





Oil lamps are nice, but the down side is they need fuel. 7th has the right ideal once solar + battery + led= Light that needs nothing to consume other than free sunlight.

Incandescent light bulbs have there place and we all should rat hole some. Even if their short comings excessive heat , power hungry for the light given, and burn or go out because of handling while they are burning. They are great in cold weather because they work unlike the new coil florescent bulbs that do not like being cold.

Because incandescent bulbs do have their uses, It is smart to store some of them while they are still cheep.
Once led's come down in price, That is the way to go , the color of the light is getting better plus in time
I imagine the MTBF will skyrocket. And they are more efficient to use. efficient=cheaper And the payback time
for investing in led's will become shorter than now.


Edit: Chad has made a very good point about emp. And if we are truly attacked by one of the big powers one of them comes to mind and the name starts with a C .

If we are attacked using emp's it would only take 2-4 if detonated at the right places in the atmosphere over the USA and goodbye the lifestyle enjoyed now and welcome to the pre-industrial age.

I'm betting that a solar cell itself will not be harmed in an emp attack. An EMP attack doesnt produce bright enough light to fry a solar cell nor does a solar cell have any electronics in it. It needs light to work.
An EMP produces a huge magnetic pulse which when reaching electrical equipement induces an electric pulse into the electronic device from its normal operating voltage.
Short out an LED while its lit and all you are doing is diverting the current away from the P/N junction of the LED. No harm is done to the LED. I do it all the time when working with the LEDs I have.
LEDs are destroyed when you over voltage and current them which an EMP will most likely do, but a simple little .20 varister shorts out when a voltage spike reaches its breakdown voltage of say 12volts and thus diverts the voltage spike to ground. It will only be fixed by replacing the varister.


I disagree on that point, Solar cells are a electronic device, They use a semiconductor junction that will be destroyed, not by the light , but by the electromagnetic pulse itself. The cells will fry.

IMHO and fact!

An emp is a magnetic pulse. A Neo-magnet next to a solar cell will not harm a solar cell. In fact the neomagnet will not produce any output electricity from the solar cell.
You can even put an electromagnet on a solar cell and pulse it to get thousands of lbs of magnetic force and it wont hurt the solar cell.
Yes a solar cell is a semiconductor but in order for the solar cell to produce electricity you need photons (light) to knock the valence electron out of orbit (current). Magentism doesnt incorporate photons to move a valence electron out of orbit.
Maget lines of flux knocks the valence electron of metal out of orbit causing electricity.
Try using a flash light next to a copper coil to see if you get any voltage in the output.............you wont. Visa versa with the solar cell.
Solar cells are pointed directly at the bright sun for hours for years at a time.......I doubt any small emp burst measures up to the sun.

[Dogman]

An emp is a magnetic pulse. A Neo-magnet next to a solar cell will not harm a solar cell. In fact the neomagnet will not produce any output electricity from the solar cell.
You can even put an electromagnet on a solar cell and pulse it to get thousands of lbs of magnetic force and it wont hurt the solar cell.
Yes a solar cell is a semiconductor but in order for the solar cell to produce electricity you need photons (light) to knock the valence electron out of orbit (current). Magentism doesnt incorporate photons to move a valence electron out of orbit.
Maget lines of flux knocks the valence electron of metal out of orbit causing electricity.
Try using a flash light next to a copper coil to see if you get any voltage in the output.............you wont. Visa versa with the solar cell.
Solar cells are pointed directly at the bright sun for hours for years at a time.......I doubt any small emp burst measures up to the sun.


The pulse will generate a electrical + magnetic field, and the electrical component of the pulse is the one to worry about. It will generate thousands to 10's of thousands of volts per square meter surface area.

Much faster than most if not all protection devices. Say a varistor or other such components.The speed and power of the pulse can destroy the circuit before the varistor could clamp down and or blow itself.

The concept is the same as an electrical circuit that uses a fuse to protect its self , yes the fuse blows and all
you have to do is replace the fuse.

But not always! If the overload say a close lighting strike , if the strike is close enough (not direct) the e-field
pulse can be so fast that it can or will damage the components of the circuit way before the fuse blows.
Have seen this myself.

Same would probably happen to a solar cell. The junctions within the cell(s) being a conductor will probably develop a very high voltage charge and fry them.

Sure magnets do not harm solar cells, they can not induce an strong electrical field in a semiconductor.

So it at least in my mind it is the electrical pulse and not the magnetic pulse that will cause the damage.

IMHO

;D

Edit: The pulses seem to be described as two separate pulses they are not. that is why it is called an electromagnetic pulse all in one. But the effect on electrical equipment or components as solar cells
the effect could be looked at as two separate components of a single event. ;D

[SLV^GLD]

So it at least in my mind it is the electrical pulse and not the magnetic pulse that will cause the damage.
Electromagnetism. Look it up, learn a bit about it and reassess what you just said. I'm not convinced a strong EMP will not not adversely affect solar cells. I can say it will adversely affect the inverters in a solar charging setup so a solar system is not completely immune to EMP. Fact is, I don't necessarily have an intimate knowledge of solar cell technology other than some of the current new tech we are coming up with to make them. However, I let my ignorance prevent me from running off with half-assed assertions about how they behave under EMP.

[Dogman]

So it at least in my mind it is the electrical pulse and not the magnetic pulse that will cause the damage.
Electromagnetism. Look it up, learn a bit about it and reassess what you just said. I'm not convinced a strong EMP will not not adversely affect solar cells. I can say it will adversely affect the inverters in a solar charging setup so a solar system is not completely immune to EMP. Fact is, I don't necessarily have an intimate knowledge of solar cell technology other than some of the current new tech we are coming up with to make them. However, I let my ignorance prevent me from running off with half-assed assertions about how they behave under EMP.


To be sure the debate is still raging , there are two camps , (yes it will and no it will not) because no one is totally sure.

Sort of like the debate of which is better in a audio amp, tubes or solid state. ;D

[Dogman]

So it at least in my mind it is the electrical pulse and not the magnetic pulse that will cause the damage.
Electromagnetism. Look it up, learn a bit about it and reassess what you just said. I'm not convinced a strong EMP will not not adversely affect solar cells. I can say it will adversely affect the inverters in a solar charging setup so a solar system is not completely immune to EMP. Fact is, I don't necessarily have an intimate knowledge of solar cell technology other than some of the current new tech we are coming up with to make them. However, I let my ignorance prevent me from running off with half-assed assertions about how they behave under EMP.


SLV^GLD

Yea I could have worded some of that better. But over all I am holding my ground for the time being.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_radiation




This a study the military did on EMP It is wordy but have cut out an interesting part. ;D
For the full article follow the link, It is a long read.


http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/report/1984/ERD.htm

EMP
CSC 1984
SUBJECT AREA C4
EMP
Submitted To
Mr. Wiggins
In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements
for Written Communications
The Marine Corps Command and Staff College
Quantico, Virginia
Major R. D. Erick
United States Marine Corps
April 6, 1984
EMP!
Outline
Thesis sentence: EMP is a very misunderstood force that will have
a devastating effect in a tactical nuclear war.
I. How EMP was noticed
II. Factors that determine EMP
A. Formation of EMP wave
B. Strength of EMP wave
1. Low-level blasts
2. Surface blasts
3. High-altitude blasts
III. Tactical warfare (low-level or surface blasts)
A. Present stock of tactical nuclear weapons
B. Vulnerability of our tactical systems
C. Vulnerability of the Marine Corps systems
D. Vulnerability of Soviet tactical systems
IV. Protecting against EMP
EMP!

Snip.The rest is on the link.

One of the biggest problems of EMP is that it creates a pulse, which
may be up to 40 kilovolts per meter and is 50 times faster than lightn-
ing. This means that normal lightning protection is ineffective. The
nature of the problem is that the voltage pulse arising from the EMP
rises to kilovolts in one billionth of a second and currents in the kilo-
amp range.A typical surge arrestor such as used to protect electronic
equipment from lightning can not react this fast to the rise in voltage
nor can it handle the current demands. The EMP is induced into the elec-
tronic equipment the same as lightning or electromagnetic waves but with
greater intensity and over a broader spectrum. In other words, instead
of a very narrow band such as a radio signal which is a specific fre-
quency or lightning which affects a fairly narrow frequency range, EMP
affects a very broad band. Any conducting objects such as metal ob-
jects exposed to the EMP act as collectors or as an antenna even though
it is not intended to be one. Generally, the larger the metal object
the greater the amount of energy that is induced into the system. This
is the difference between radiation and EMP

[Hillbilly]

CFL's are great because they last a long time and do not emit a lot of heat. On the other hand they are a toxic time-bomb in the land-fill. Them dumb ass tree hugger scientists should spend less time swinging on Algores Nutz and more time trying to figure out how to get the freaking Mercury out of the CFLs!

[Spectrism]

I would like to shove a lit incandescent bulb up AlGore's arse so that he can see what he is doing. I guess all those massage therapists helped him with the flexibility so well he spends most of the time with his head in the dark region.