Author Topic: CFLs are no longer available?  (Read 206 times)
bulb_tester2009
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CFLs are no longer available? « on: January 08, 2026, 07:56:06 PM » Author: bulb_tester2009
Last month, Philips and its CFLi OEM, Yankon Lighting, stopped producing CFLi at the same time. China Customs also issued an announcement stating that the import and export of such products will be prohibited in 2026. As the existing stock depleting, it will become increasingly difficult to buy CFLs with built-in circuits from well-known brands domestically or from foreign countries. Apart from China, Japan and several other nearby countries have announced similar production halt regulations. I’m not sure which countries still sell them currently.
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My interest in lights began when I was a child
One of the few Chinese users in LG

:hps: Lamp bases in China:E12(CES) E14(SES) B22d(BC) E27(ES) E40(GES)
:hps: The use of resistor-capacitor drivers or very poor quality LEDs in my collection is prohibited.

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Re: CFLs are no longer available? « Reply #1 on: January 08, 2026, 10:02:50 PM » Author: rapidstart_12
CFLs, both self-ballasted and externally-ballasted varieties, are still widely available in the United States. You can run down to Home Depot or Lowe’s and pick them up.
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RRK
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Re: CFLs are no longer available? « Reply #2 on: January 09, 2026, 04:27:55 AM » Author: RRK
Last month, Philips and its CFLi OEM, Yankon Lighting, stopped producing CFLi at the same time. China Customs also issued an announcement stating that the import and export of such products will be prohibited in 2026. As the existing stock depleting, it will become increasingly difficult to buy CFLs with built-in circuits from well-known brands domestically or from foreign countries. Apart from China, Japan and several other nearby countries have announced similar production halt regulations. I’m not sure which countries still sell them currently.

But no big cry, as integrated CFLs are 100% superseded with definitely better performing LED sources. May be regretted for some very niche applications like spectrometer calibration.  I believe, single NOS samples for collecting and such application will be around for decades anyway. I have a drawer full of specimens)
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Laurens
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Re: CFLs are no longer available? « Reply #3 on: January 09, 2026, 04:52:59 AM » Author: Laurens
CFLs, both self-ballasted and externally-ballasted varieties, are still widely available in the United States. You can run down to Home Depot or Lowe’s and pick them up.
Did anyone actually still buy them? I cannot think of any application where a CFL is preferred over LED.
Holding on to incandescent i could imagine for a while before LEDs got really good and affordable, but i don't think anyone laments the disappereance of CFLs. I got a few in my living room currently and they're 'just okay'.
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RRK
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Re: CFLs are no longer available? « Reply #4 on: January 09, 2026, 07:00:00 AM » Author: RRK
There is some fun with colored CFL versions, green terbium ones are particularly interesting, as they also emit some sub-bands in yellow-red, can be thought as usual 3-phosphor spectrum 'dissected', as in normal lamp these overlap with red phosphor output.

That way, colored T4's are some fun with spectrometer too, especially if you get them at closeout price of fraction of $.
 Surprisingly, there is washed-out red (fluorogermanate) strong orange red (europium) and pinks (blue + fluorogermanate or europium).

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Laurens
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Re: CFLs are no longer available? « Reply #5 on: January 09, 2026, 08:14:03 AM » Author: Laurens
Oh yeah, for fun and curiosity they have their place - i have a blue and a green CFL sitting around (as well as some decorative CCFL in yellow, pinkish-red etc).

But i mean, it would surprise me if enough people bought screw-in CFLs for general lighting purposes, to spend shelf space on in the 2020s.
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bulb_tester2009
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Re: CFLs are no longer available? « Reply #6 on: Today at 01:10:52 AM » Author: bulb_tester2009
But no big cry, as integrated CFLs are 100% superseded with definitely better performing LED sources. May be regretted for some very niche applications like spectrometer calibration.  I believe, single NOS samples for collecting and such application will be around for decades anyway. I have a drawer full of specimens)
I also collected a whole box of CFLs. For obvious reasons, I will no longer replace any CFLs in my home, in my plan, all of the fluorescent lamps in my home will be change into LEDs by the end of this year. This is not only to obtain brighter and more stable light at the same wattage, but also gives me the opportunity to collect all the used traditional lamps from my home ;D
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My interest in lights began when I was a child
One of the few Chinese users in LG

:hps: Lamp bases in China:E12(CES) E14(SES) B22d(BC) E27(ES) E40(GES)
:hps: The use of resistor-capacitor drivers or very poor quality LEDs in my collection is prohibited.

bulb_tester2009
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Re: CFLs are no longer available? « Reply #7 on: Today at 01:16:11 AM » Author: bulb_tester2009
Oh yeah, for fun and curiosity they have their place - i have a blue and a green CFL sitting around (as well as some decorative CCFL in yellow, pinkish-red etc).

But i mean, it would surprise me if enough people bought screw-in CFLs for general lighting purposes, to spend shelf space on in the 2020s.
Exactly. For us, the collectible value of CFLs is now greater than their practical value (especially for products from the 2000s or earlier). Since 2017, I have stopped installing or replacing new CFLs at home. Instead, I have collected all of them, especially those of better quality.
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My interest in lights began when I was a child
One of the few Chinese users in LG

:hps: Lamp bases in China:E12(CES) E14(SES) B22d(BC) E27(ES) E40(GES)
:hps: The use of resistor-capacitor drivers or very poor quality LEDs in my collection is prohibited.

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