Reflectors for outside light?

[ericmark]

New outside light, at moment using a compact fluorescent lamp, but will be looking at a smart LED lamp, however in the main they shine up, and lamp is of this general design, although not the one shown, and the lid is over sprayed with mat black, so the light is not directed up the drive as required, so considering some reflector if only tin foil. But near every lamp I look at seems to be missing any reflector, I have one battery powered lantern with a special parabolic type reflector in the top, you can see some thing here where some cone shaped bit in the top tries to redirect the light, to what effect is hard to say, so simple is a piece of hexagonal cardboard covered in tin foil placed in the top, but how much will the reflector help?

I have five other carriage lamps around the house, most use a bulb, but one is integral with the LED's in the top facing down with frosted glass, and it is so much better than the rest, but no point re inventing the wheel, I am sure others have already fitted reflectors, so what have they used?

 

[flameport]

This: https://www.screwfix.com/p/diall-aluminium-foil-tape-silver-45m-x-75mm/4415v applied inside the lid or wherever else is required.

 

[ericmark]

Good idea, not thought about stuff with sticky already applied, did consider silver or white spray paint.

 

[Tigercubrider]

I have bought some very bright LED corn lights to replace a photo flood for an application.
Mine are very bright and ES.

What can be handy for reflectors is the disposable roasting dishes from M&S.
I use them for catching paint drips from tins but they are good and thick foil.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Corn LED lamps shine mostly axially, with some light out of the end..

 

[ericmark]

The existing CFL shines axially, however want to change to smart bulb, the two lamps together should then light the path when we arrive home after dark. The right hand lamp is the one in question. Looking up the drive the light starts to fade out before the street lights take over, think the disposable roasting dishes may be the way to go, a little stiffer than just tin foil.

 

[scbk]

You can get mirror vinyl and perspex, I have used them before for light reflectors.

Or fit the bulb holder the other way up?

Or, aswell as corn bulbs, the led filament bulbs shine out the sides. (tend to blind you though!)

 

[FrodoOne]

New outside light, at moment using a compact fluorescent lamp, but will be looking at a smart LED lamp, however in the main they shine up

You could use a "Filament" style LED Lamp, which as the same "spread" as a "filament" incandescent

E.G.

Philips 929003011602 Classic LED GLS Bulb 10.5W (100W) DimTone A60 B22 Clear Filament 2200k-2700k

Philips 929003011602 Classic LED GLS Bulb 10.5W (100W) DimTone A60 B22 Clear Filament 2200k-2700k - Large Bayonet Cap Featuring a classic heritage design, the Master Classic filament vintage LED GLS combine the familiar shapes of classic incandescent GLS standard lamp bulbs with the benefits of...

homelightsdirect.co.uk

Philips 929002025492 Classic LED GLS Bulb 8.5W (75W) A60 E27 Clear Filament 2700k Warm White

Philips 929002025492 Classic CoreProLED GLS Bulb 8.5W (75W) A60 ES E27 Clear Glass Filament 2700k Warm White - Large Edison Screw Cap Featuring a classic heritage design, Classic filament vintage LED GLS combine the familiar shapes of classic incandescent GLS standard lamp bulbs with the...

homelightsdirect.co.uk

 

[robinbanks]

I think the bulb choice is limited to the smartness it exhibits, Frodo

Eric, can you create an adapter that reorients the bulb?

 

[ericmark]

I am sure I could redesign the lamp so bulb is facing down, but looking for some thing quick and easy, mirror vinyl sounds good, but as to bulb type not seen any smart bulbs with colour changing filaments, can't see how without a defuser it would work, you have a selection of three types of LED in most of the bulbs, RGB, high temp and low temp and the white plastic dome blends to outputs together.

If not going smart then the CFL will do the job well, the existing bulb of the design shown does radiate the light well, the problem is moving to a smart bulb, at the moment using a smart adaptor, but can't dim the light, or change colour with that, and also Nest Mini does not see it as a light, so the command turn on outside lights will not include it, this is the problem with the integral LED outside light, google home does not see it as a light, with all others as long as put in the app as outside, the single command works, in the main on getting home it is "hey google turn off outside lights" but need to manually turn off the socket adaptors. I have same problem with the relay in landing lamp, but by calling it landing light hey google turn on landing light works, but hey google turn off all lights does not.

Hope to pick up bulb today, will see how well it works, will be interesting to have pictures with CFL, LED, and LED with reflector to compare, but will need to use proper camera so the ISO, aperture, and speed are fixed. Then I can compare without the camera correcting.

 

[ericmark]

So I have used simple tin foil, seems to be working OK. so will make something which looks a little better, as concept now proved, not sure about colour changing option but maybe fun at Christmas. At a £1 more for colour changing, why not? But can't see the option being used much.

 

[ericmark]

Turned the reflector around, will retry tonight, see if just as good domed into the lid.