There is a work around this though and that would be to use a 120 volt AC to 6 volt DC transformer soldered in to do away with the internal batteries. It could then be run through the inverter. Another option would be to find the right resister to drop 12 volts to 6 volts and then wire it in and run the light directly off of the battery bank. I'm leaning toward the later. I'm going to have to round up one of these for my own and will see about doing that. Between one of these and the other three 15 LED lights I have in here the lighting level would be very comfortable. This light is a 48 LED and disperses the light a lot better than the others I have, but those are good for tract lighting.
BULL S__T! Truth is that the only one that posted out-of-line posts on the blog that got nuked was the blog owner. After I posted two messages that were meant to be helpful (so called out-of-line posts) attempts were made by the blog owner to insult me and I was blocked from posting on that blog again BEFORE it was ever nuked. I hate it when people do stupid stuff and then try to blame it on other people.
Now with that said I'm getting real tired of this BS and if it continues I have plenty of backed up blog comments and witnesses as to why all of this started. Hopefully this isn't going to go any further???
Lights look good - so does the plan... :)
ReplyDeleteDani, too bad the Chinese didn't see fit to add a plug for an external power source or these lights would really be great. Even if they'd made them 12 volt instead of 6 volt that would have been good.
Deletehttp://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-led-mini-spotlight-with-magnetic-base-95799.html
DeleteI use one of these for a night light in my 160 square foot living space (minimal lighting, but ample for moving about). I turn on four or five of them to light the whole place up. Each spotlight draws about 1.5 watts. They also make zone lighting a snap!
Note: they are smaller than I expected....see the size in the specs.
Yeah - but the Chinese are known for not thinking laterally LOL
ReplyDeleteSorry - that was meant to read: The Chinese aren't known for thinking laterally...
DeleteFigured that's what you meant Dani.
DeleteDamn Dave, just run a wire out to the utility pole on 118 and plug it in.
ReplyDeleteBkid, the grid here is down a lot more then this solar setup is or I might attempt that.
ReplyDeleteTffnguy,
ReplyDeleteIm still checking your blog daily. Just have not posted to anything lately.
I picked up a vintage 1984 Ruger 10/22 (22lr) in mint condition for $170.00 today from a friend. I think it has a walnut stock? Im not good with woods so forgive my ignorance. The stocks finish and the machining of the rifle is so much better than the new rifles. All blued components and it came with a 4x scope and weaver scope rings.
I think the rifle is worth $300.00 but I'm not going to sell it, its a keeper.
I already have one 10/22 and this new (old one) will be good for target practice and South Texas gopher blasting.
Remember the movie "Caddyshack"
I can be like Bill Murray. "Hello Mr. Gopher, I got something for you"
CC, I remember the movie, but have yet to see a gopher down here. Lots of ground squirrels, but that would be over kill for them. Perhaps a badger would be a little better. Don't know, but a 12 gauge with double 0 might be a better choice for one of those.
ReplyDeleteTo run a 6v led light from 12 vdc several approaches come to mind. Each will either waste 6 v (resistor, conventional power supply, etc) or it will use the extra 6 v for something useful like more light (by installing two of the 6v LED lamps in series). If you are hell bent on using only one, find an automotive cell phone charger that converts 12 v to 5 or 6 volts. Some are linear (wasting excess power) while some are switching (wasting only a little excess power). Or use a resistor (just fine on a LED system but will waste power also, typically equal to the load in your case). I like the dual LED light option.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note its back to Google Chrome to be able to post comments. Damn if it ain't a really lame browser. I hate it. Perhaps Google will get caught up in a anti trust suit over it for making blog users use GC just to be able to post on their blogs.
ReplyDeleteI post with Firefox. However I did once have a problem posting until I enabled "third party cookies".
Deleterj I can see that being done with incandescent lights, but have my doubts that it would work with LEDs. I don't think there is enough resistance? That would be great if it would without burning them out because I'd like to eventually use two, but would like to use the separate light switches so that would cause a problem there.
ReplyDeleteI promise it would work. Your 6v LED light already has current limiting set for 6v. Otherwise the Light Emitting Diodes (which are just diodes electrically) would burn out with AA batteries.
ReplyDeleterj, I'll take your word for it on the LEDs. As for as using Firefox I do have 3rd party cookies enabled, but being able to post comments comes and goes with it. Some times I can and some times I can't. Now is one of the can't times. I assume they are still monkeying with the code??? If so I think they need to find some new programmers! I wonder if they are outsourcing it??? Maybe to India.
ReplyDeleteI am using Firefox 9.0.1. I would try clearing history and cookies. I am n0w getting "Word Verification" challenge which may require "flash" or "java" to function.
ReplyDeleteI agree w/ RJ. I was thinking that putting 2 of them in series (not parallel) would be better than wasting your power through a resistor. If you do accidentally put them in parallel they pop. But, remember you would have to turn them both on at the same time, if you turn one one, but not the other you'll let the smoke out of 'em.
ReplyDeleterj, I 'm using Firefox for Ubuntu Linux which may make some difference even though the system keeps it updated to the latest version. Never the less there are too many people using MS IE and Firefox for MS having trouble to. It seems like in all cases for the people having trouble Google Chrome has to be installed and they have to use it to be able to post comments. There's something MAJOR wrong there!!!
ReplyDeleteQkid, for right now I wouldn't really be loosing anymore power no matter how I did it because I have more solar on the batteries I have on this trailer than I can possible use because all it is running is LED lighting. I'll probably move some of those panels to the main bank later on though and that's when I'd have to start watching phantom loads. I'll only get one of the lights at a time so would have to run the first one off of the batteries using a resistor or through a transformer until I got the second one anyway. Then I'd only be able to use one switch if I seriesed them and I'd prefer to use both switches so I could use the lights independently. Who knows though I may eventually have 4 of the lights and then I could do that. In that case I could almost get a sun tan in here. (Well at least have a very bright lighting system in here.)
lol Bet i can guess who the blogger was,,,hahahaha. Blocked me too. Do we care?,,,,hahahahaha,,,
ReplyDeleteNope TnT, not at all.
ReplyDeleteIf you have surplus juice then I guess it doesn't matter. I never have enough solar, so I don't want to dump it into a resistor. Maybe someday I'll live the highlife and have extra like you. LOL
ReplyDeleteGet 2 high resistance resistors that are identical and wire them across the 12V, then make a center tap. That will be half the 12V or 6V. You can run one light from each side, or only one at a time. The secret is to make the resistors large enough that they don't actually pull much current through them.
DeleteDang, you solar guys are making me try to remember my electronics from university (degree is actually in electronics). That was a minute ago, too!
I use Firefox and have never had trouble commenting or posting on Google. I'm currently in Kansas City visiting, but usually I'm in Honduras which is not known as a technical area.
Forgot to explain (in case it's needed) is that the 'center tap' is the junction of the two resistors, which splits the voltage equally across them. I'm not sure I'm saying it any better this time...
DeleteAlso, the JAVA angle may in fact be the issue. Update 29 of JAVA was buggy, so they are starting to send out Update 30. The verification window would use JAVA, so that may be the problem for most folks, bad JAVA. I know this because it also causes problems with web-based software at work.
Thanks to rj and backup by QKid the two lights are now series-ed in and working off of the light switch. I can still use a second switch to turn them off if I don't want to use them with the other lights. No more wasting AA batteries to run them and no more putting up with them getting dim after a couple of nights use. :)
ReplyDeleteI am glad to hear the Laws of Physics haven't changed in West Texas!
ReplyDelete