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Is there any good info on this anywhere? I find it difficult to find useful info even among different search engines.

I am pretty sure the daylight type of LED light will be bad to use late into the night. (Just as you had pure sun light at that time, but the spectrum of LED light is more artificial.)

EDIT

6 hours in - I like all the comments so far, upboats for everyone!

So there are LEDs that do a more full spectrum. That has to be good progress and make them a good light source for homes. I agree that flickering may be 'bad' (don't know how or where or how to define, but steady light would be better I think) but gas-discharge (e.g. tube light) has been in use for many decades without problems that we know of (again, I think) - but they are mostly used in work environments. Gas-discharge in homes is now in use for many years also. One thing about them is, they flicker too, but at 100 or 120 Hz. And I think the only reason LEDs flicker is to have some control over their brightness (LED brightness is practically uncontrollable by current alone.)

I guess the main thing I meant to say is, would anyone go back to incandescent? Or has anyone gone back to incandescent, and found out that they feel better?

Is there any good info on this anywhere? I find it difficult to find useful info even among different search engines. I am pretty sure the daylight type of LED light will be bad to use late into the night. (Just as you had pure sun light at that time, but the spectrum of LED light is more artificial.) EDIT 6 hours in - I like all the comments so far, upboats for everyone! So there are LEDs that do a more full spectrum. That has to be good progress and make them a good light source for homes. I agree that flickering may be 'bad' (don't know how or where or how to define, but steady light would be better I think) but gas-discharge (e.g. tube light) has been in use for many decades without problems that we know of (again, I think) - but they are mostly used in work environments. Gas-discharge in homes is now in use for many years also. One thing about them is, they flicker too, but at 100 or 120 Hz. And I think the only reason LEDs flicker is to have some control over their brightness (LED brightness is practically uncontrollable by current alone.) I guess the main thing I meant to say is, would anyone go back to incandescent? Or has anyone gone back to incandescent, and found out that they feel better?

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[–] • 5 pts

AC LEd will flicker. DC LEd will not.

Not necessarily. There are AC LED drivers that do not flicker. They have proper AC smoothing or they convert the drive current into smoothed out DC to prevent flicker. DC LED drivers can flicker if they use PWM (pulse width modulation) to control the brightness of the LEDs by varying the amount of time the LED is on versus off. DC LED drivers can also flicker just from being switch mode drivers which pulse the LEDs at a high frequency. Neither of your two statements are guarantees.

Your application for a DC supply, direct-drive LED (which I assume will have only a resistor in series with the LED to control current) is not reliable. You would want to use an LED driver circuit to make sure the LED has proper voltage and current to operate and extend its life. Going driverless means that the LED will be subject to power supply fluctuations and could see too much or too little voltage/current depending on the power conditions. Meanwell brand power supplies are mostly switch mode power supplies so you will have some ripple and other transients on the power rail which will cause LED flicker, even if it is at several kilohertz in frequency. Only a direct drive battery powered LED will be steadily lit with no flicker, but this isn't practical for long term installation and use.

[–] • 2 pts

While you're technically correct (the best kind), you've completely missed what this guy is asking and what he wants.

Any decent 48v wide spectrum chip, operating on a decent DC driver, WILL provide what this guy is looking for: good environmental lighting, even one that that cures seasonal light disorders. Even one that will get your vitamin D pumping.

A cheap but good grow light he could use would be a quantum board setup. Put it in a lightbox or a shade or a diffuser.

'Good' AC non-flicker lights are unicorns.