Cordless light for shed

[btalover]

I have a recently assembled outdoor tool shed. 10x10. Using it to move move stuff out of my shop so I can have more play room for woodworking. I have no wiring run to the shed and don't plan to. I am trying to find some kind of cordless light fixture that would either come on when I open the door or at least have a pull chain or switch right inside the door for night time forays. I haven't had much success with Google, so I must not be using the right search terms. Have any of you come across anything like this? Yeah, I know I could just lug a flashlight out there, but where's the fun in that?

Thanks.

[Tom Slick]

http://www.gemplers.com/product/1341...nt-Wobblelight
expensive but they work well

[Pappy]

There are solar lights with a remote panel that would do what you want.

[just started]

Try these

http://www.stickupbulb.com/?directLo...B6198BD7340406

[stormdog74]

Not sure of the quality - it is HF:

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/...submit=find+it

[Uncle Cracker]

HF has a perfect solution (although I can't attest to its lifespan) here. Print yourself out a 15% off coupon from http://www.harborfreightusa.com/html...n/coupon3.html and give it a try (then tell us how well it works... ).

[poolhound]

I dont mean to Hijack this thread but if anybody knows of a similar solution for an indoor application I would appreciate it.

I am looking for a battery powered light that can go inside a cabinet but it needs to be capable of being wired to a door switch. Everything I have found so far is selfcontained and has no exposed wires or remote switch function.

[just started]

Jon, get any of these battery operated lights and then go to RadioJunk and get an external battery holder for the correct number of cells and a door switch for an alarm system (switch contacts open when door is closed) and wire it all up. Presto, an automatic closet light, and you did it yourself.

[btalover]

Thanks for the ideas guys. I hadn't even considered solar powered. Worth a look. This thread actually got me thinking about a way to rig some kind of battery powered lightbulb into a standard fixture and a standard light switch. I know they used to make a standard size bulb that ran on 12V for vehicle trouble lights. Maybe one of those and a couple 6V batteries in series?

-Steve

[Woody]

Thanks for the ideas guys. I hadn't even considered solar powered. Worth a look. This thread actually got me thinking about a way to rig some kind of battery powered lightbulb into a standard fixture and a standard light switch. I know they used to make a standard size bulb that ran on 12V for vehicle trouble lights. Maybe one of those and a couple 6V batteries in series?

-Steve

Is running an electric line out of the question? I have found these battery lights dissapointing at best.

[LCHIEN]

Thanks for the ideas guys. I hadn't even considered solar powered. Worth a look. This thread actually got me thinking about a way to rig some kind of battery powered lightbulb into a standard fixture and a standard light switch. I know they used to make a standard size bulb that ran on 12V for vehicle trouble lights. Maybe one of those and a couple 6V batteries in series?

-Steve

Why use an elephant gun to shoot mice?
There are standard miniature low votage screw in light bulb sockets which take bulbs just like flashlight bulbs. And bulbs for those sockets come in all voltages and wattages. The voltage has to match your battery stack and the wattage is a tradeoff between brightness and life.
(amps = watts/voltage, watts = amps x voltage, if you need to convert)

You have a choice of battery sizes which is also a tradeoff of life and cost and size.

Duracell charts show at 2 cells with equivalent resistance to a 3W bulb,
a pair of D Cells last 200 hours, C cells last 100 hours and AA cells will last 30 hours.

Of course 3W is not bright at all compared to a 100W light bulb...


Try Radio Shack as a source for sockets, bulbs and battery holders and switches

[btalover]

Is running an electric line out of the question? I have found these battery lights dissapointing at best.

Woody, I'm afraid it is. Way too far away from the house for that to be practical and affordable.

Thanks.

[btalover]

Why use an elephant gun to shoot mice?
There are standard miniature low votage screw in light bulb sockets which take bulbs just like flashlight bulbs. And bulbs for those sockets come in all voltages and wattages. The voltage has to match your battery stack and the wattage is a tradeoff between brightness and life.
(amps = watts/voltage, watts = amps x voltage, if you need to convert)

You have a choice of battery sizes which is also a tradeoff of life and cost and size.

Duracell charts show at 2 cells with equivalent resistance to a 3W bulb,
a pair of D Cells last 200 hours, C cells last 100 hours and AA cells will last 30 hours.

Of course 3W is not bright at all compared to a 100W light bulb...


Try Radio Shack as a source for sockets, bulbs and battery holders and switches

I am satisfied that the light output from a flashlight (18V) would be sufficient, but I don't know watts or amps for that. I'll check "the Shack" to see what might work. Thanks.

[BobSch]

How about a 12V motorcycle battery? Wouldn't need recharging very often and 12V lights/fixtures are available at any auto parts store.

[LCHIEN]

18v light bulbs are available in assortment of wattages. there's not just 1 18V bulb.

Motorcycle batteries are lead acid, rechargeable cells called secondary cells. All common rechargable secondary ells (nicad, NiMH) have self-discharge rates that they will lose a significant amount of power in a few weeks or months. If you're going thru a lot of batteries then rechargeable makes sense mfor the cost but if you want to use it for a year at a time w/o maintenance then rechargeable batts don't work out well because they become drained in a few weeks to months. Primary cells (Alkaline, for example) have good capacity and they hold most of their charge for years. If you light usage is light and want low maintenance, alkalines would be the way to go.

Higher voltage in incandescant lights is not necessarily better than low voltage. No efficiency difference, I think between a 6 Watt 3V bulb and a 6W 18V bulb. In fact, if you can get bigger cells, low voltage will be more; reliable fewer cells in series to go bad.