ac dc porch light for the cheap a$$es among us

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ac dc porch light for the cheap a$$es among us

Postby bobhenry » Mon Mar 19, 2007 4:22 pm

went to the habit for humanity restore Saturday and found a pair of sleek looking aluminum porch lights dark brown anodize with amber smoked screw on glass globes and a box of 6 mini track lights that were orphans (no track)
$10.00 later they were all mine. The mini lights are no longer made but have a 2 contact ac fitting the size of an 1157 tail light bulb.(These fittings are used in many vacuum for the headlight and many sewing machines for the work light). Curiously if you slightly alter an 1157 bulb by grinding down the higher ear they will make contact with each ac contact. I added a ground by putting a mini hose clamp aroung the socket and tightening it on a bare ground wire. It also helps to hold the bulb more secure since only one ear is holding it in.
Rigged a mount in the light beside the 120 volt bulb and ran 2 hot wires.
Test hooked up 120 side got a light. Then grounded my hose clamp secured ground wire and touched each contact lead with the battery charger and had a nice little night light. ( The tail light circuit ) When I touched the other wire an effective 12 v porch light ( the brake light circuit ) For less than 5 bucks at the car parts store you can get a real taillight socket and an 1157 tail light bulb. If your afraid of drawing bugs get the 1157a it's yellow. I think they are making a led version that directly converts the older style socket too .

One light ac and dc powered , wahoo !!!

:D
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Postby bledsoe3 » Tue Mar 20, 2007 12:22 am

Got any pictures of your creation?
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Postby bobhenry » Tue Mar 20, 2007 6:45 am

technically challenged

no digital camera
heck were still watching a 20 year old black and white tv on rabbit ears

maybe the computer geru nephew can help ! :(
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Postby bledsoe3 » Tue Mar 20, 2007 6:54 am

I have a plan for porch lights for those who did not plan for them originally. They should arrive today but I probably won't get to install them for several weeks. I'll post a picture when I get them in.
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Postby bobhenry » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:29 pm

bledsoe3 wrote:Got any pictures of your creation?


finally put 3 pictures of it in the album but I can't for the life of me get them posted here. I'm doing something stupid. :x

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Postby dovaka » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:41 pm

bobhenry wrote:
bledsoe3 wrote:Got any pictures of your creation?


finally put 3 pictures of it in the album but I can't for the life of me get them posted here. I'm doing something stupid. :x


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Postby bobhenry » Fri Jun 15, 2007 11:25 am

dovaka wrote:
bobhenry wrote:
bledsoe3 wrote:Got any pictures of your creation?


finally put 3 pictures of it in the album but I can't for the life of me get them posted here. I'm doing something stupid. :x


Image
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Thanks for the assist !!

My newest creation an ac dc porch light. Fully equiped with high ( brake light filiment) and low ( tail light filiment ) 12 volt "bug Light" Bought the fixture at the Habitat Re-store for 5 bucks added a 120 v bayonett light socket out of a junk sweeper and modified the 1157 bulb in my junk drawer by grinding off one ear of the bulb to make a 12v bulb fit a 120v socket added a ground wire and it works great.
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Postby madjack » Fri Jun 15, 2007 12:20 pm

...iff'n ya can't find what ya want...build it...nice job Bob :thumbsup: ................................ 8)
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Postby Miriam C. » Tue Jun 19, 2007 7:58 pm

:lol: :lol: :lol: Lots of help around here. :thumbsup:

To do the picture I use more than one window. Open one window in your gallery and the other in a post. Click on the picture you want to post and copy the url address at top, open the post window and click on Img above, right click on the post and paste, then click on close tags above.

the other way is to use your back arrows. You can also paste the url address then highlight it and click on Img above.
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