Serious Readers, serious prices

[egaParticipant @ega]

My Serious Readers brand LED desk lamp wouldn't turn on this morning and, having checked with an alternative mains socket, I looked on the SR website for a replacement bulb.

The lamp has been in continual use for some years and the cost of £44 including postage may well be justified; it would, however, buy a (non-SR) replacement lamp!

My knowledge of LED lighting is limited but I suspect the bulbs are SR-specific. It would be good to know if there is likely to be a generic replacement available or, indeed, any other useful comment from members.

[egaParticipant @ega]

Can I justify the cost of a replacement bulb

[Kiwi BlokeParticipant @kiwibloke62605]

LED technology has come on a bit in the time you've apparently had your lamp. There seems continually to be more choice, prices have come down a lot, and availability to the public is much better. I think I'd be looking to re-engineer the lamp to take something easily available.

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember19781]

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[Former MemberParticipant @formermember19781]

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[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

Ega

Are you sure its the “bulb”

i would suspect the power supply first

and certainly SR wont be making leds so its just a matter of finding the emitter part of the bulb

[egaParticipant @ega]

Gentlemen:

Many thanks for your responses. I will check the power supply and think about the re-engineering suggestion.

In the meantime I have replaced the lamp with a budget item from Ikea whose cost was about one fifth of the cost of the replacement bulb.

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

What’s the bulb look like ega?

can you post a picture?

can you see the difference between bulbus expensivicus and the ikea one?

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

It is known as "Market Place Pricing" or "what the traffic will bear"

If nobody buys, the price will fall!

It may well be worth re engineering the standard, if it needs it, to a standard lampholder, and then fit one of the more economically priced LED lamps, either BC, or E27

Howard

[egaParticipant @ega]

Ian Parkin:

I've put photos of the bulb and PSU in an appropriately named album. The SR bulb is 50mm dia, the Ikea item (which is stated to be non-replaceable) c. 28mm dia.

Thanks for your continued interest. Might you elaborate your "emitter" point (I think of valves when that word comes up)?

[egaParticipant @ega]

Posted by Howard Lewis on 14/04/2020 17:08:59:

It is known as "Market Place Pricing" or "what the traffic will bear"

If nobody buys, the price will fall!

It may well be worth re engineering the standard, if it needs it, to a standard lampholder, and then fit one of the more economically priced LED lamps, either BC, or E27

Howard

Two standards for the price of one?!

SR do make some "serious" claims about the quality of the light from their lamps. A relative whose judgment I trusted had a couple of these for many years and I probably bought on the strength of this.

I suppose the other consequence of nobody buying would be the seller ceasing to trade.

Thanks for the pointer to LED bulb types.

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

Unfortunately, outfits like "Serious Reader" are little more than a con. In the days of Halogen lamps, they just used ones from the major manufacturers. Nothing special at all! Exactly the same with the newer LED versions. They charge an arm and a leg for bog standard lighting products.. You can get better engineered luminaires from most of the lighting retailers. for a fraction of the cost.

It has been my misfortune to have to repair a couple of these offerings and they are simply crap. In case anyone questions my opinions, I have been involve in lighting R&D for well over 20 years, so I know what I am talking about!

Andrew.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

ega,

By standard, I meant modifying the whole device to use a standard lamp holder (Bayonet Cap or Edison Screw ) In that way replacement lamps will be widely available, at sensible prices, and easily obtainable.

Petrol or Diesel may be £7 a litre at the pump, but can be much more expensive when someone brings it to you after you run out five miles from home at midnight!

If I make something which is held together with 7 mm x 10 tpi bolts, I will capture the spares market and can charge silly prices, until someone starts making spurioius spares, or a conversion kit to allow use easily available fasteners.

Howard

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

Ega

so have you fitted a 12v bulb?

and used your original power supply?

if all that works and the lamp is held securely and you like the light output then everything’s ok?

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by Howard Lewis on 14/04/2020 17:39:54:

Petrol or Diesel may be £7 a litre at the pump,

Really? Gotta be something wrong … a typo? It's 65 cents (CDN) a litre here.

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember19781]

[This posting has been removed]

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Bandersnatch,

Where you live, you are not paying more tax than for the fuel,

Bill Chugg,

They omitted to say "And profitability"

Howard

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

I came across an advert for Serious Reader lamps IIRC in the back of the TV comic we buy.

I'm afraid I was instantly suspicious – I wondered what they do that a <=20 squid anglepoise clone from Ikea or suchlike doesn't. I've never found these latter deficient – we've several in various places in the house, including one mounted over the Warco. What's supposed to be unique about the SR light quality?

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

What absolute BULLSHIT, "superior light quality"……….."They are unique and deliver the core benefit of the light".

These people should be prosecuted for such rubbish. They are run of the mill, mainstream manufacturer's lamps in shoddy luminaires., at seriously ridiculous prices.

Andrew.

[Peter HParticipant @peterh38181]

They look like standard MR16 12v LEDs to me.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by Andrew Tinsley on 14/04/2020 19:42:34:

What absolute BULLSHIT, "superior light quality"……….."They are unique and deliver the core benefit of the light".

These people should be prosecuted for such rubbish. They are run of the mill, mainstream manufacturer's lamps in shoddy luminaires., at seriously ridiculous prices.

Andrew.

You'd end up jamming the courts with them and their like, then.

I spent long enough in the software industry to recognise undefined 'quality' hype – but then it's everywhere, in every business area.

Edited By Mick B1 on 14/04/2020 20:09:28

[egaParticipant @ega]

Thanks to everyone for throwing some "superior light" on this.

The suspect bulb is indeed a 12v 5w MR16 – not something I have in stock but no doubt I can get one when the Corona dust settles.

I will aim to check the power supply first, however, and the Ikea will serve for the time being. I think I caused some confusion above: the Ikea replacement is a whole lamp ie base, gooseneck and integral bulb.

Howard Lewis:

I took your first standard to be standard as in standard lamp – sorry for any confusion!

As it happens, I have a vintage Anglepoise which could find a permanent home on my desk and, with some modification the SR could make a useful machine lamp.

Edited By ega on 14/04/2020 21:05:25

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Google GU5.3/MR16 5W LED pick a beam angle and "colour"

e.g. https://www.ledbulbs.co.uk/products/philips-5w-led-gu53-mr16-very-warm-white-71063 (I don't know this supplier, do your due dligence)

At a few quid it's worth a punt. pretty sure it will fit and OK electrically.

Robert G8RPI.

Edit MUST TYPE FASTER!

Edited By Robert Atkinson 2 on 14/04/2020 21:08:03

[egaParticipant @ega]

Posted by Robert Atkinson 2 on 14/04/2020 21:06:58:

Google GU5.3/MR16 5W LED pick a beam angle and "colour"

e.g. https://www.ledbulbs.co.uk/products/philips-5w-led-gu53-mr16-very-warm-white-71063 (I don't know this supplier, do your due dligence)

At a few quid it's worth a punt. pretty sure it will fit and OK electrically.

Robert G8RPI.

Edit MUST TYPE FASTER!

Edited By Robert Atkinson 2 on 14/04/2020 21:08:03

Thanks for the tip. This does seem to be a commodity market which was probably not the case when I bought my SR unit in c 2013.

[Stuart Smith 5Participant @stuartsmith5]

I have found the craft light company to be good.

**LINK**

Serious Readers are very expensive as others have said. I must admit, I don’t understand why people buy them.

[Author]

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