Umm...we're drifting off topic, gang. Back to reading Board meeting reports... Dave -----Original Message----- From: dick@pobox.com [mailto:dick@pobox.com] Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 2:14 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:17471] Re:24 Things About To Become Extinct In America 12 JAN 2009 - 1313 CST A lot of this list is old news and at least one item is a little off base; Item #12 - Incandescent Bulbs. Yes, the incandescent light bulb is steadily going the way of the dinosaur. But over the long-haul, it will not be replaced by the compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). CFLs contain a small amount of mercury and thus require hazardous waste disposal/recycling. I believe the ultimate incandescent light bulb replacement will be the LED (light-emitting diode) array light bulb. They are currently more expensive than CFL bulbs and do not produce as much light. However, they consume much less electricity than the CFL, last a lot longer than a CFL (approx. 80,000 hours), and apparently do not pose a hazardous waste disposal problem. The cost of LED light bulbs is dropping and their light output continues to rise. Therefore, it will be several years before LED bulbs are in general use, but they will become the incandescent replacement. - Dick, W9GIG