Monthly Archives: December 2014

LED lights, What exactly are they?

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LED, is the new buzz word when it comes to lighting, but what exactly are they.  Well first, LED is an acronym for light emitting diode.  So one may ask… what is a diode? A diode is a two-terminal electronic component with asymmetrical conductance. Ok English…. It is a device that allows the flow of electricity in one direction only.  Ideally one direction will allow minimal or zero resistance while the other direction will allow infinite resistance.  So unlike an incandescent lamp an LED is polarity sensitive, one side of the LED, the anode, is positive the other side, the cathode, is negative.

While incandescent lamps produce light as a byproduct of heat, LEDs are specifically made to create light.  Most techies have been familiar with LED technology for years and LEDs have been integrated into electronics for years. The first mass produced LED lamps where not bright enough to be a source of light but was rather used as indicator lights and calculator displays instead.  As the technology and materials used in LED production has progressed the ability to use the lamps as a source of light has improved.

Despite the popularity of LED lamps there are still a number of people who are unaware that modern LEDs are becoming more pleasing to the eye.  The first LEDs used as a lighting source where a harsh blue color that most consumers disliked more than fluorescent lamps, however that has has greatly improved over the past few years.  The LED lamps used as a lighting source now can match the pleasant color of incandescent lamps.

Somehing to remember about LED lamps is the fact that most of them operate at a much lower voltage than the standard 120v AC that is used in The United States. LEDs, for the most part, operate at anywhere from 2v DC to 24v DC.  As stated above LEDs are polarity sensitive so if they are connecting to a AC source of power they will flicker. On 60Hz power the lamps will essentially turn on and off 60 times a second, while it may not be obvious to the human eye it may cause migraines for certain individuals who are prone to them.   This is why most LEDs use a driver or transformer to supply the adequate power to them.  In a newer LED lamp that is installed directly into an existing incandescent light socket the circuity to achieve this power conversion is integrated into the actual lamp itself.

The circuity that drives an LED is where heat becomes a problem, there is essentially no heat at the point where the light is created, however the electronics behind the light source does produce heat.  While the ratio of heat to light in a LED is much lower than in incandescent lamps the electronics driving the LED are more sensitive to heat. web hosting ip  This is the reason why most LED lamps will be equiped with fins serving as a heat sink and some well acctually have an on board fan that cools the electronic components.

LED technology has come a long way over the past 40 years.  They can be found every nowadays, from televisions and cell phones to red-lights and headlights.  At the pace of current LED technology it is exciting to see what the future holds for the little lights.

 

Where’s the Buffalo err… Bison?

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Since starting at Buffalo Electric Supply it has been brought to my attention by a fellow employee and a customer that our logo actually depicts a bison, not a buffalo.  So I decided to do a little research on the topic and here is what I have learned.   While it is indeed a fact our logo is a bison, if you are using “Biological Classification”, it is perfectly okay to call a bison a buffalo.  According to the Wikipedia article for american bison

The term “buffalo” is sometimes considered to be a misnomer for this animal, and could be confused with two “true buffalo”, the Asian water buffalo and the African buffalo. However, “bison” is a Greek word meaning ox-like animal, while “buffalo” originated with the French fur trappers who called these massive beasts bœufs, meaning ox or bullock—so both names, “bison” and “buffalo”, have a similar meaning. The name “buffalo” is listed in many dictionaries as an acceptable name for American buffalo or bison. In reference to this animal, the term “buffalo”, dates to 1625 in North American usage when the term was first recorded for the American mammal.[13] It thus has a much longer history than the term “bison”, which was first recorded in 1774.[citation needed] The American bison is very closely related to the wisent or European bison.

Yes, I know some people take what is written in Wikipedia with a grain of salt, however I think it is a good source of information… or a good starting point at least.  So from Wikipedia I decided to try some of the references listed at the bottom and I learned that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also call a bison a buffalo, this article which describes the history and current state of the american bison repeatedly calls them buffalo. Also this article on the National Park Service website, “Social Behavior of the American Buffalo” as the name proves calls it a buffalo.

So in the end yes if you are a biologist you may refer to this majestic creature as a bison or American bison, but if you’re just a guy selling products to the American working man, because that is what you are and that is who you care about…. you should be okay with calling it a buffalo, I know I am.

New eBuffalo, and What’s Coming

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If you have been a customer who has kept up with Buffalo Electric over the past two years, you may have noticed that a lot has changed. We developed a new logo and a new website, and we opened an online store. domain dns server . In an effort to effectively utilize these changes, we have decided to go a different route and essentially start a new journey.

The first change you may notice is our new website. We have worked hard over the past few months to get this new version of eBuffalo.com online and I must say, we are proud of it. hybrid cloud While it is still a work in progress, we believe this website is geared towards letting our customers know more about who Buffalo Electric is, what services and products we provide, and what direction we are going.

In an effort to grow closer to our customers, we are also launching this blog as part of our new site. This blog will be a way for various members of the Buffalo family to interact with our
customer base as a whole. In the future, you can expect to read posts regarding; Buffalo news,new product reviews, business, safety, electrical code, and other topics that will benefit our intended audience.

Another change we have made is removing our online store temporarily; however, do not think that you have seen the last of it. We are working diligently to build a better and more robust online store that will give our customers more options and ease when purchasing products. ptb domain . While a definite launch date has not been set for the new store, as soon as it is live, we will be sure to let our audience know and will have a grand opening sale that you will not want to miss.

In another effort to connect with our customers more regularly, we have created a new Facebook Page at Buffalo Electric Supply. Check out the page and like us, as it will be the best source for happenings at Buffalo.

I will have to be honest and say that I am a bit excited about the new eBuffalo.com and the direction our company is taking in connecting with our loyal customers.

If there are any features you would like to see added to this site or the future online store please, let us know. We would love to hear your feedback.