lighting : Computer Hardware Buyers’ Glossary

• Adjustable placement

  You want to be able to position the light so that you don’t get glare on your screen. Glare is mainly a problem with sunlight coming in through a window. The main way to deal with that is how you place your desk relative to any windows. A cheap gooseneck lamp that won’t stay firmly in position will drive you nuts. You also want a way to illuminate the wires and connectors if you need to service them, perhaps a second small lamp you can place under the desk when needed. An example of a good design is the Verilux Heritage desk lamp (pictured above) which has three screw clamps to give you fine firm control.

• Adjustable brightness

  For most work you want lighting subdued, but when you have to read fine print, you would like nice bright light. You need sufficient light to run a solar calculator. Fluorescents require special electronic dimming circuitry usually built into the lamp. Keep in mind that a 70 watt fluorescent is as bright as a 280 watt incandescent.

• Energy Conservation

  Fluorescent light uses about 1/4 as much energy as incandescent. Halogen uses almost as much energy as incandescent. In Australia, incandescents are no longer sold. They are too wasteful of energy. LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lamps are not quite as efficient as fluorescents, but they are rugged and last indefinitely. LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes) are now almost as efficient as fluorescent. When you read about desk lamps you will come across the term CFL (Compact Fluorencent). These are fluorescent bulbs sized and with bases designed to fit in incandescent light sockets.

• Full Spectrum

  Full spectrum that mimics natural sunlight makes for easier reading and better aesthetics.

• Bulb Availability

  Make sure the bulbs your lamp needs are available from several sources at reasonable cost. Rona sells a lamp for which you cannot buy a replacement bulb — a rather expensive disposable lamp.

• Diffusion

  You don’t want a spotlight that will cast harsh shadows. You want as large a light-emitting surface as possible with frosted glass to diffuse the light.

• Shade

  Can you adjust the shade so you get plenty of indirect light, but not direct from the bulb?

• Stability

  For reasons I don’t fully understand, lamps near computer desks tend to tip over more often than normal. It could be the tangle of cords, or the swivel desk chairs, or simply the extreme concentration computer work demands. You want a broad, heavy base. You can’t evaluate this just from looking at a picture. You want to go to a show room to check the lamps out, even if you search for a bargain source later. Consider
  • desk lamp
  • floor lamp on a pole. Make sure it is tall enough to be useful.
  • ceiling style lamp installed on a swag hook that plugs into the wall. You can adjust the height. This saves cluttering your floor space and desk space with a lamp stand.

I chose an Energy Star Torchiere fluorescent lamp, similar to the one depicted on the right, from Canadian Tire for  . It has in built-in electronic dimmer switch.

Caveats

Tips

• Sometimes bulbs and lamps come with plastic protectors on the contacts. Make sure you remove these.
• When a lamp does not work, it is not necessarily the bulb. Try plugging the lamp in to a different wall socket that you know is active. Try testing for AC (Alternating Current) power near the bulb (but not at the high voltage fluorescent contacts!).
• You can improve the conductivity contact and keep the contacts from corroding by treating with DeoxIT Red.
• When you buy a new lamp, buy a replacement bulb at the same time. If one is not available, it will be even less available later.