LED TEST
I just told you about the $1 LED push-on three bulb light from Dollar Tree. It was brighter than the two lanterns from Wal-Mart. A ten dollar Coleman model and a $5 generic lantern. As expected, the brightest lost power the quickest. The Dollar Tree light only lasted 36 hours. Used three AAA batteries. At 24 hours one bulb lost power and the remaining two only lasted another twelve hours. Of the two lanterns, the Coleman started to dim at 48 hours and by 72 hours it was pretty much finished for any useable light. The generic was still going strong at that time. Coleman uses three AA batteries and the generic uses four AA batteries. The Coleman started as a strong indirect light, the generic has a weak indirect light.
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I will be using the $1 lights as an easy to find and activate lamp for when I need light in the dark. Such as coming home late or going to the bathroom at night. At $1 I bought ten of them without sweating the purchase. For on and quick off lights they should go awhile without needing to change the batteries. The generic lantern will be great for getting around with a portable light. Just enough light to walk around and not stepping on the cats. The Coleman will help when needing a stronger indirect lamp, although the small flashlights mounted on an adjustable arm for direct lighting will be much better for stationary activities.
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I just bought 45 watts of solar panels and I have two marine 12v batteries in the trailer. With that set-up I can run the car bulb lamps in the trailer. Occasionally I can use the florescent ceiling lights, but at 30 watts they will be a luxury. The #1141 car bulbs use 18 watts and give decent direct lighting. I will be using the LED’s for initial light until I set up the panels, then as emergencies and to help with extended cloudy periods. As dollar stores go extinct from high oil prices and falling China trade I will only use the LED’s when I must, assuming disposable batteries skyrocket in price. The rechargeable small batteries are only in case of collapse. Unless 12v batteries get too expensive of course, then I’ll go all rechargeable and buy more of those batteries and more of those solar rechargers ( the shoebox size that are currently $25 and charge AA, AAA, D, C, 9v ) We’ll have to see on that one.
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Ah, the joys of replacing AC power at ten cents a kilowatt hour.
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A lot of comments from loyal minions hinting at the demise of our relationship. I don’t know if it is about the coming two week period I will be moving, or if they think I won’t publish anymore. So just a reminder. Bison will not be restored to the length and depth I had before as it was consuming my life and sanity ( well, never say never, but the current plan is to take it easy a bit at least for now ). But I am not going to stop publishing. I will continue to post. How, or how often is an unknown for now. But please stay tuned and don’t give up on me. Loyal minions are hard to get.
Buy My Crap www.bisonpress.com
15 comments:
http://tinyurl.com/6f5bl8
I bought a light, for $5.00, similar to this that clips to cap bill. I keep it near the bed.
At the Dollar Store I found small LED lights for $1. these lights have two each CR 2016 3V batteries that fit the cap bill light.
As a loyal minon,sometimes we need to break away for a bit. I have heard of a program or something that you can post you blogs even when you are not around. I think you just prepare them ahead of time. Then say I want this posted on this day.
as another loyal Minon I will be looking forward to any post you make whether daily or monthly or whatever. I have come to the conclution that in order to maintain any degree of sanity I must not get too well informed. I need to focus on getting my place in order. I have a huge list of things to do and things to get.
I am converting my small farm to 1880 technology with regard to tools. Believe me when i say that this is no easy task nor is it cheap.
Oldman in the Boonies.
Your statements regarding future postings, and how your blogging relationship with your minions threatened your sanity, reminds me vaguely of what I said when I broke up with my last girlfriend.
If only we all had your phone number. It would start out with drunken late night calls, "But we love you, we need you, man!" Then, eventually, the calls would be more angry - "Screw you Dakin, you bastard! You never really loved us!" Finally, we would just stop calling, and you would be free to spend more time with desperate single mothers you met at seedy bars....
This is a great blog. Maybe you could post weekly? Four times a month, rather than 30, might be something to look forward to rather than a drudgery.
AnnuderJim
Look at it this way, moving to the boonies to live off the grid will give you more things to write about. Even if some of it is what problems you are dealing with and what you are trying to do to fix or otherwise deal with the situation.
Steelheart
For a portable LED, consider the PAL 9V flashlight. Has a locator light that stays on as long as live battery is plugged into it. Often enough to find a route into a dark place, don't even have to turn it on. Brighter of course when on.
This light will stay on for a year plus, 365 / 24 / 7. Not too bad.
Around here, Walmart has a wind-up LED flashlight for a little under $8. It's very light, has 2 settings (3 bulbs and 1 bulb). I only had 2 of the things for about 6 months but have already used them for several power outages (the midwest, tornadoes, flooding, etc.). They worked great. I also got, at Walmart, a $19 latern that has a radios (up to 9 led bulbs, several settings) which is also wind-up but can also be used with 3 AAA batteries. This has given us good service, also, as it can be stood up. It has a yellow base and has really helped a lot.
Don't worry there are other blogs with better info to take your place. So don't worry we will be just fine.
BIGBill says: James, you do what is best for you. You are essentially the only person who really cares about you. I got one of those wind-up LED lights at the Big Lots store for about $6 a couple of years ago and though it is not the brightest light on the tree, it is lots better than dark and the price for using it is only a little muscle power.
L have the wind-up LED lanterns and the small hand-held LED wind-up flashlights. They work great and no batteries, just a little "muscle" power. You can't read by them but I'll wait till the sun comes up in the morning to do my reading.
I removed that post so I could add to it;
I just love Anonymous assholes who like to leave snide comments,
Man up and leave your name, that's just weak.
Good luck my man, I am very much looking forward to what you have to say about the solar panels.
Philip Paul, AKA, Bustednuckles.
go to your local truck stop and replace your rv car bulbs w/leds
trice as brite as regular bulbs
last many more years and amp draw
almost nill down side= they cost about 12 bucks each but good trade off
Also check out the Energizer Weatherwise LED lanterns as well, 245 hours on one set of batteries, they claim. Just the thing to keep the cave lit up while munching on Fido, lol.
AA batteries hold 3 times the mAh (milliamp hours, a measure of capacity) of AAA, and are no more expensive, so avoid devices that use the AAA batteries whenever you can.
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