Reading Lamp

Reading lamp is a lamp that provides light for reading that could be used by the students in developing countries for reading at night. The circuit can be used for a wide range of lighting applications. The reading lamp consists of a small solar panel; LED circuit board and a standard UPS style lead acid battery. The circuit board contains a low power solar charge controller (regulator), a set of 8 white LEDs, a switch, an LED current regulator, and a low voltage disconnects circuit. The circuitry will insure a long battery life by preventing over charging and unnecessary discharging. The circuit was designed to work with lead acid batteries and it should also work with a string of 10 NiCd cells. Both the charge controller and LED regulator circuits can be used separately for other applications.

During this season of limited daylight, a good, adjustable reading lamp is essential for seeing detail and preventing eyestrain. You can improve the energy efficiency of most lamps you already own by replacing standard incandescent bulbs with Energy Star-rated compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which use two-thirds less electricity and can last up to 10,000 hours. If you are ready to invest in a new lamp, however, consider a model designed to integrate CFLs or the emerging light emitting diode (LED) technology. Currently, the energy savings you get with CFLs and LEDs are about the same, but you can get four times the amount of life out of an LED compared with a compact fluorescent bulb. And Under ideal conditions, an LED can last 50,000 hours. CFLs offer six different variations on white light so it helps to know your lighting preferences. On CFLs, color has to perform with the Kelvin (K) temperature. Lower Kelvins correspond to a warmer, redder color; high Kelvins to a colder blue. Warmer colors are in the 2700- degree Kelvin range, while brighter, cooler colors are around 6500. Full-spectrum bulbs usually fall around 6700 Kelvins and throughout the room, they give you the appearance of outdoor light. If you are still confused, the undiscerning should choose a 3500-degree K bulb, right in the middle. Kelvin temperature is generally printed on product packages

When looking for best reading lamp consider the total height, then remember that the bottom of the lampshade should be at your shoulder height when you are seated. That way, it casts a bright light on your book but does not throw glare in your eyes.

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Lamps Tip

Never touch the lamp with your fingers, always use a cloth for handling. Deposits from fingerprints cause temperature “hot spots” and temperature gradient stresses the glass often resulting in earlier lamp failure.