Colour-changing ForeverBrights arrived recently and here are some details.
(http://bulbmuseum.net/blueyellowforeverbrightbox.jpg)
They use an electronic control box and what appear to be LEDs with the blue and yellow dies connected in inverse-paralell. There are only three wires that come out of the controller and two of those are the hot/neutral going to the first LED and the female end connector. I can only guess that the AC voltage is selectively PWM-chopped first cutting the "positive" half of the cycle down to almost zero and back, then the "negative" half and vice versa.
(http://bulbmuseum.net/blueyellowforeverbrightcontroller.jpg)
I was curious to see what the insides were like. Not one to let anti-tamper screws get in my way (I laugh at your triangular heads! Try to keep *me* out? Never!) I undid the lid, and.....potted with resin! Now resin *does* keep me out, I havn`t found a solvent that will dissolve it yet and doubt such a thing exists.
(http://bulbmuseum.net/blueyellowforeverbrightcontrollerpotted.jpg)
Now for the best bit, what do they look like when running? Well, it`s quite unusual. The AC/PWM alternating effect make the blue and yellow colours seperate when you turn your head, very eye catching if a bit distracting if they`re on in the background. This long exposure shot shows what I mean...
(http://bulbmuseum.net/blueyellowforeverbrightlitmulti.jpg)
The whole set slowly changes colour in unison, but I find that they don`t ever hit "true blue" and "true yellow/orange" at either end of the cycle, the controller doesn`t reduce the AC halves enough to fully extinguish either half. Blue goes pretty much all-blue with just the slightest orange glow...
(http://bulbmuseum.net/blueyellowforeverbrightlitblue.jpg)
But the blue dominates the "yellow" (orange really) half giving a strange almost high-pressure-sodium-pink hue...
(http://bulbmuseum.net/blueyellowforeverbrightlitorange.jpg)
And in between the colour is an unusual but quite attractive purply pinky sort of colour. Note that the colour saturation in these photos is poor, it`s hard to take accurate photos of LED colours I find. In reality the colours are strong and deep as LEDs are known for
Now I do wonder if my AC frequency (50Hz not 60) or my transformer`s output voltage (nearer 120v than 110) has anything to do with the halves not turning out completely, or maybe it`s normal. Still, it`s very distinctive and certainly interesting technically from a collector`s point of view too.
Also avaliable in red/green and red/blue, both which might give more normal colours.
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Off topic, but is it me or is *everything* known to the State of California bad for you in some way or another? The amount of tags hanging off USA light sets these days is ridiculous, made worse by this new Proposition 65 thing. Surely it would save them a lot of hassle to just erect large signs by the interstate highways at the CA state borders giving a big statement "Warning - this state contains materials and substances that are, or may be, hazardous to your health in some way. Enter at your own risk". That way, among other things, decoration lights would not have to be adorned with big white labels that stand out like a sore thumb on the average christmas tree. :roll: :-P :-D