A few months ago, I was replacing another of the narrow halogen bulbs (with a built-in reflector, thick glass, and standard screw base, aka: PAR16) that are in some of the track and can lights in our house. They're pricey ($8 or $9) and seem to burn out too often. I looked at various LED-based replacements for these, but they cost even more and aren't as bright. And for the locations I use these bulbs in, I don't need a bulb that will last forever.
Browsing on eBay, I came across an interesting product that I thought might get around the problem--an adapter/converter that screws into standard ("E27") bulb base fixtures and lets you use GU10 bulbs. GU10s are the little halogen reflector bulbs (right) that have two "posts" with enlarged ends that install with a bayonet-like twist.
I found a plastic version of this adapter from China on eBay (how bad could it be?) for a couple bucks, but realized a few days later that it had literally melted in my track light (no harm done)! Fortunately, I found another version on eBay made with a ceramic/porcelain body that couldn't melt. Success!
I can now buy a three-pack of GU10 bulbs for $9 - $10 at any store--and even cheaper per-bulb online--and stick them in the same fixtures that formerly took the costly bulbs. They are available in a wider range of wattages than the PAR16s, too--I have seen 20, 35, and 50-watt versions, so you're covered for a range of needs.This combo might also work in place of the thinner-walled R20 reflector bulbs that other fixtures take. I see that Amazon has a variety of these adapters, but they all appear to be plastic (even the one marked "porcelain"), so I would avoid. However, eBay still has the real porcelain ones I bought in a five-pack for about $10, shipping from USA included--an investment that should pay back pretty quickly given the two bulb types' price differential. (If this link goes dead, search their online store: Centrix International.)
Crush the PAR16 Cartel! Rally behind the GU10 vanguard!
