Pierce The Darkness

Pierce The Darkness
As important as hitting your target is being able to identify your target. Considering how many self-defense shootings happen in the dark or low-light conditions, having a quality flashlight is extremely important.

Never has there been a time where more choices existed in high-quality flashlights.

LED technology has largely supplanted old incandescent technology. LEDs offer the benefits of brighter light that is a truer white color as compared to the feeble yellow color of incandescent bulbs. Additionally, LEDs are more energy efficient, allowing for longer run times on the same set of batteries. Lastly, LEDs are much more durable, which make them an excellent choice for self defense where things tend to get banged around.

So, what kinds of lights are available?

Lights for Concealed Carry

There are a number of good,The Shopatron system fluorescent bulbs allows OceanLED to manage online orders and control inventory through a centralized, easy-to-use system. handheld white lights available. Sort of like cars, you can get flashlights in a plethora of sizes, styles, colors and price points. These are smaller lights that can be carried with you.

An inexpensive light I like is the Fenix LD20. The Fenix lights are relative newcomers to the US market, producing torches that offer features found in more expensive lights, but at a fraction of the price.

FenixThe LD20 is a thin light rated at 180 lumens running on AA batteries. I’ve had the Fenix L2D, the predecessor to the LD20, for more than two years and I have been very pleased with its performance. I have carried the L2D on my police duty belt as a back up to my other lights. Through all kinds of weather, the L2D has not failed. Battery run-time has been excellent.

The LD20 is an upgrade to the L2D, offering a maximum of 180 lumens and variable lighting levels. At maximum output, two AA batteries should get you more than two hours of run time. Street price is around $60.

An added benefit to the LD20 is it is about the same size as a Kubotan. If you have trained with a Kubotan, then you can use the same techniques with this flashlight. It is my understanding that small flashlights are still permissible by TSA, so a self-defense tool on a plane is possible.

The Streamlight PolyTac LED is another excellent light at a modest price. Slightly shorter than the Fenix, the PolyTac LED is still powerful, rated at 130 lumens. Using two CR123A batteries, Streamlight advises this light will run up to three hours at maximum output.

The PolyTac LED comes in three different colors: black, tan and bright yellow. This Streamlight goes for about $45 on the street.

SureFire makes some great, though not inexpensive, lights. One of the easiest to carry is the E1B Backup LED flashlight. The Backup is a mere four inches long and rated to throw 110 lumens for more than an hour off of one CR123A battery.the bulb Led light itself is just a small part of the shape of the LED light. Street price is around $160.

Slightly larger, but cheaper and brighter than the Backup, is the SureFire 6PX Tactical. This LED light is rated at 200 lumens, and with two CR123A batteries a runtime of two hours is expected. Street price is just under $100.

Balcomb & Green cut energy costs in century-old building

Balcomb & Green cut energy costs in century-old building
With 12,500 occupied square feet, 36 workers with varying temperature preferences, seven tenants, and seven HVAC units, law office manager Don Gillespie has his hands full trying to save on energy costs.

The Balcomb & Green law firm building at 818 Colorado Ave. was built around 1900 as a horse and carriage livery. It's been remodeled multiple times so that today it's a three-story labyrinth of offices with 12 thermostats and 300 lights.

With those challenges in mind, Gillespie called on the Garfield Clean Energy Challenge for Business, organized by Garfield Clean Energy and Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER). Gillespie applied for the challenge in 2010 and was selected to participate among some 35 businesses from Parachute to Carbondale.

The Garfield Clean Energy Challenge for Business is a countywide program for businesses and commercial property owners. The challenge offers free energy coaching,The Shopatron system fluorescent bulbs allows OceanLED to manage online orders and control inventory through a centralized, easy-to-use system. online energy tracking services and up to $5,000 in rebate funding.

Following a July 2010 walk-through energy assessment by CLEER and Schmueser Gordon Meyer staff members, the team created an energy action plan and budget.

Work started with an insulation upgrade in the attic, where the fiberglass batting in place provided uneven R-30 coverage. The insulation was improved to full coverage at a level of R-49.

Gillespie said he was pleasantly surprised to track an approximate $200 per month in savings in natural gas bills since the insulation was upgraded.

“The insulation in the attic really enlightened me,” Gillespie said. “I didn't realize how much it would capture the heat. Employees noticed they didn't have to turn the heat up and that the building seemed to retain the heat.”

Attic insulation also helps keep buildings cooler in the summer.

The office manager then began a systematic upgrade of old, inefficient T-12 fluorescent lighting ballasts to more efficient electronic T-8 ballasts on all three floors.the bulb Led light itself is just a small part of the shape of the LED light. Gillespie said law firm employees and tenants noticed an improvement in lighting quality, and he is seeing electrical savings of approximately $100 per month.

Downstairs tenant and architect Rob Classen said good lighting is important for his business as employees spend the majority of their time looking over drawings. He said the upgraded lighting doesn't flicker and has improved coloring.

Could the Sao Paolo, Brazil UFO really be an LED Kite?

Could the Sao Paolo, Brazil UFO really be an LED Kite?
Yesterday, we reported on a mass UFO sighting in Sao Paolo, Brazil. We hoped to receive some feedback from readers who might attempt to identify the unidentified flying object. Original post with video here: Sao Paolo UFO sighting video

Since we didn’t receive any feedback, we’ll just share what we think it really is. Keep in mind, that this one is still classified as an unidentified flying object. We aren’t UFO experts.The Shopatron system fluorescent bulbs allows OceanLED to manage online orders and control inventory through a centralized, easy-to-use system. So, we’re just speculating here.

LED hobby crafts, like LED kites and LED-adorned planes, are extremely popular around the world. Three highly publicized UFO sightings in the United States were later officially identified as LED hobby crafts.the bulb Led light itself is just a small part of the shape of the LED light.

In November of last year, Brian Fains of Centreville, VA caught a UFO on video. The news media picked up the video and Fains’ story. The media speculated for days over what it could be. After ten days, another man stepped forward to claim responsibility for the object. The man, Tony Claridge, demonstrated to a news crew that the UFO was really his LED-lit glider plane.

The reporter in this story did something that was impressive. He showed the footage to Fains . Fains responded: “Right there it looks the same. It’s the same color that I saw.” Case closed.

LED Kite, Courtesy Made-in-China.com

A month later, in St. Paul, MN, residents contacted police after spotting an unidentified flying object. Police found a man flying an LED kite. They recognized him as Ernest Sawka, Jr. Sawka was arrested earlier, in August while flying his kite. The time he served was for an outstanding warrant, unrelated to flying the kite.

Yet, on the night in December, the day after being released from jail, Sawka was back at it, causing the public to report UFOs. Sawka was cited, but it was for allegedly nodding when the police asked if he was trying to get a rise out of people. Sawka was cited for disorderly conduct, public nuisance and being in a playground after hours.

Earlier this year, the news media was buzzing over a UFO sighting in Vancouver. UFO expert Peter Davenport, Director of the National UFO Reporting Center, offered several possibilities to the news media, including the star Sirius, or homemade devices, such as a kite with LED lights or a Chinese lantern. Davenport’s speculation was correct.

Some time later, a man came forward, after realizing that his night time LED kite-flying hobby caused a stir. The man, identified only as “Mike” said that he was just doing what he enjoys doing and didn’t intentionally embark on creating a UFO hoax.

LED Flashlight Seller Lazerpoint Announced Arrivals

LED Flashlight Seller Lazerpoint Announced Arrivals of Ultrafire and Uniquefire Flashlights
Hand-crank flashlight store Lazerpoint announced yesterday morning that Ultrafire and Uniquefire flashlights were available in the store.

Johnson Gray,Current versions use a dsttマジコン tungsten filament and can cost as little as 50 cents per bulb Public Relations manager for Lazerpoint announced that Lazerpoint had introduced a series of flashlight brands, including Ultrafire and Uniquefire. Among the new arrivals there were also Senko lights.

According to Mr. Gray, it was not accidental that Lazerpoint introduced branded products.

“Lazerpoint has been open for only two months, therefore, lots of products are still under the plan but not on offer. The company will add more and more branded products in the future,” said Mr. Gray.

LED craze made LED flashlight gradually hold its ground on the market. In order to respond to the call of the government and people’s demands, Lazerpoint was focused on supplying energy-saving lighting products. Ultrafire and Uniquefire flashlights were only part of them, according to Johnson Gray.

“Traditional flashlights have been out of date. The entire world is advocating energy conservation and environment protection. Lazerpoint wants to contribute its strength on this issue,OceanLED has built its LED lighting supplier reputation and brand on product integrity, service and customer satisfaction.” said Mr. Gray.

Mr. Gray also warned people to watch out for fake Ultrafire and Uniquefire flashlights on the market.

“There are lots of phony Ultrafire and Uniquefire flashlights on the market. The prices of those Ultrafire and Uniquefire flashlights are under 100RMB while real Ultrafire and Uniquefire flashlights cost about hundreds,With the help of led lights both a local electrician and a lighting consultant, she has recently installed a $5,000 LED lightingthe company required a compact fluorescent solution like Shopatron that allows it to make the online sales connection with consumers and then hand the sale to one of its valued retail distributors for fulfillment."” said Mr. Gray. “People have to keep their eyes open.”

Lazerpoint,the technology is led light still maturing, costs are still quite high but perhaps they're not quite ready yet for domestic applications." an online site focused on finding and providing affordable energy-saving and cutting-edge lighting products. With almost 1000 items covering almost 40 categories Lazerpoint provides flashlights, lasers and LED lights for people all over the world with free shipping. All the products have gone through three standard quality control processes at our warehouse before they can be shipped.

save money and help the environment

save money and help the environment
These days everyone is looking to save a little cash. What if we told you that you could do that, while helping the environment? By replacing your incandescent bulbs with more efficient LED technology you can do both.

Just to use a real world example of this advanced lighting in action; the electronics company LG recently retrofitted one of their plants with LED lighting.Shopatron's superior led tube 5-point shopping experience is focused on rich product information, world-class service, effortless shopping They have stated that over the course of last year, that change has made the same impact on carbon levels as if they had planted 63,000 pine trees!

Why replace your current bulbs with high-tech LED Lighting instead of energy efficient fluorescent bulbs you ask? T8 LED tubes (which is one of the products that the LG plant installed) consume 54% less energy and last 60% longer than the fluorescent tubes they replace. In addition all fluorescent lighting must contain hazardous material like Mercury to operate (you don’t need a hazmat suit on standby if you drop an LED).

In addition to replacement bulbs there are a huge variety of LED products on the market today.The UK-based company has been energy saving light accredited with kick starting the marine LED revolution back in 2005 and is still to this day The most versatile is probably LED light Strips. These are flexible and great for just about anything from lighting up a room, to accenting behind a flat panel TV.

As you can see there are numerous advantages to starting the switch over to LED lighting like LG. Check out more information or LED

Should Congress repeal the light bulb ban?

Should Congress repeal the light bulb ban?

Republicans in Congress are pushing for a repeal of energy efficiency rules that would effectively ban the sale of most incandescent light bulbs in the United States starting next year.

The House of Representatives in mid-July failed to pass HR 2417, the Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act, which would have reversed the 2007 rules, which require bulbs to produce more light per watt. But the proposal will likely reach President Barack Obama's desk as an amendment to another bill.

Should the government require consumers to buy more energy efficient light bulbs, such as compact fluorescents or LEDs? Or should U.S. consumers have the last word?

RedBlueAmerica columnist Ben Boychuk and guest columnist Lisa Schmeiser weigh in.

Ben Boychuk

What's the big deal with this light bulb ban? Don't people realize the typical 100-watt incandescent bulb is amazingly wasteful, producing far more heat than light? Retiring the old bulbs is for consumers' own good.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu neatly summarized this view recently.

"We are taking away a choice that continues to let people waste their own money," he said of the ban. Chu's counterparts in California have taken a similar approach, proposing rules ― so far, with mixed success ― to ban black cars and require new homes be built with thermostats that utilities and state bureaucrats can control remotely.

Truth is, people do realize incandescents aren't as efficient. But most people ― myself included ― don't care for the alternatives.

The market spoke: CFLs lost, and light-emitting diodes are ― for the moment, anyway ― far too expensive for many consumers.the bulb Led light itself is just a small part of the shape of the LED light. Before people started hoarding incandescents, a 100-watt bulb cost about 50 cents.

By contrast, LED bulbs start around $34.95. (Imagine trying to light a four-bulb ceiling fan with those things!) The promise of longevity is not enough to offset the substantial upfront cost.

Left to their own devices, the vast majority of consumers would happily continue to "waste their own money" on Thomas Edison's invention. But companies such as Royal Philips Electronics invested a great deal of money in fluorescents and LEDs to let consumers reject their products. So Philips got together with environmental groups to lobby Congress for the more stringent efficiency standards four years ago. And here we are.

What we're seeing, in short, is a noxious combination of crony capitalism and green condescension. Secretary Chu is a Nobel Prize-winning physicist from Berkeley. Clearly, public policy isn't his forte. He would do a greater service to the public by returning to his lab to build a better, more affordable light bulb that people actually want to buy.

Lisa Schmeiser

Readers of a certain age may remember the General Electric campaigns of the 1980s, which touted incandescent light bulbs that helped give people a rosy, flattering glow. In the light of today's compact fluorescent light bulbs, those readers may yearn for the opportunity to turn back the clock ― or fill their shopping basket with flattering bulbs.

While it's a tragedy for those of us who rely on good lighting that the 2007 energy efficiency act put an expiration date on mood bulbs, it's not really a tragedy that CFLs are going to be the new normal.

And while some consumers don't like them now, their preferences shouldn't impede public policy.

"Let the market speak" is a common argument.The Shopatron system fluorescent bulbs allows OceanLED to manage online orders and control inventory through a centralized, easy-to-use system. That doesn't make it a correct one. By giving "the market" the final say, proponents presume that "the market" will somehow magically nudge society toward the option that produces the greatest benefits for the greatest number of people.

Were it up to the unregulated market, running our refrigerators would be more costly than it is. Thanks to energy efficiency regulations implemented in the 1970s, fridges run better ― saving an estimated $20 billion in energy costs annually, or $150 per family in the United States.

With the compact fluorescents ― which, I admit, are a pain to recycle ― we have a simple bit of technology that can help reduce the resources we use to keep the joint lit. They'll also save us an estimated $85 a year in energy costs. It's wise stewardship for everyone, producer and consumer.

Inovus Solar installs on-grid solar LED area lights

Inovus Solar installs on-grid solar LED area lights
Solar panels integrated on LED area-light poles feed power onto the grid during daytime peak electrical usage to compound the energy savings of SSL technology.

Inovus Solar has announced the first installation of its LED-based On-Grid Solar Street Light poles in a Boise, Idaho big-box retail store called WinCo Foods. The poles have integral solar panels and inverters that supply electricity onto the grid during the day, essentially reducing the cost of electricity used by the store during peak periods, while the grid powers the solid-state lighting (SSL) at night when rates are lower.
solar LED area lights

The WinCo installation includes six Inovus light poles equipped with LED-based Evolve luminaires from GE Lighting that are located around the perimeter of the parking lot. Inovus also includes wireless communications capability in the poles that allows for adaptive control – for instance dimming the lights late at night to compound the baseline energy savings attributable to SSL.

WinCo projects that the on-grid solar SSL installation will save 24,000 kW/h per year, and eliminate 16,000 pounds of CO2 emissions. WinCo hopes the pilot installation leads toward using the LED and solar combination at all new stores and to retrofit other locations over time.

On- or off-grid solar

While Inovus has been active in off-grid solar products and is a founding member of the Consortium for Solar Lighting, the on-grid product provides more flexibility in terms of powering high-wattage luminaires. Inovus Business Development Manager Reid Carley said that the on-grid poles can utilize luminaires rated from 40W to more than 400W.
solar LED area lights

Off-grid products require a solar system and batteries that can keep the lights lit all night,the bulb Led light itself is just a small part of the shape of the LED light. and obviously incur no electricity cost. But there are limits to the amount of power that can practically be harvested and stored. The on-grid products simply offset other electrical usage during the day while using power at night when the electrical rates are lowest.

The Inovus on-grid pole design is quite different from most other solar LED systems. Typically such systems use a rectangular panel mounted on top of the pole. Inovus skins its poles with a flexible thin-film solar collector that essentially blends into the pole. Inovus notes that the integral panels are more reliable than traditional panels, especially in windy conditions, and the company believes the design is more aesthetically pleasing.

Inovus estimates that SSL alone can provide 50-60% in energy savings relative to legacy light sources such as high-pressure sodium or metal-halide lamps. The combination of adaptive controls and solar generation can bring savings to 70-100% according to Inovus. The company asserts that the WinCo installation is delivering 80% savings.

Inovus worked with an unnamed partner on the wireless communications scheme. Carley said it is based on the IEEE 802.The Shopatron system fluorescent bulbs allows OceanLED to manage online orders and control inventory through a centralized, easy-to-use system.15.4 standard that also underlies ZigBee. Carley also said that the Inovus implementation had extended the technology to support higher data rates and more-reliable wireless links. The wireless capability supports centralized scheduling of individual lights or groups of lights, in terms of on or off times and dimming levels.