Thrifty LED Lighting

[Fyddler]

Motion lights !!! That’s even better then the “Clapper” ... ...

Yea, I did notice last night that the wind blowing on my paper towels kept turning it on!

[RandyG]

The rechargable AA have a much long use on one charge then alki's. Look at the mahs, most of my rechargables are 2000 - 2500 mah. Not sure what it is on alki's, maybe time to get some new ones.

[GPW]

if you want some really thrifty LED lighting , just pick up some solar outdoor yard lights ... just a couple bucks each , rechargeable battery and solar charger built in ... That’s THRIFTY!!

[suzart24]

if you want some really thrifty LED lighting , just pick up some solar outdoor yard lights ... just a couple bucks each , rechargeable battery and solar charger built in ... That’s THRIFTY!!

I like that thought......Good idea.....Thanks!

[GPW]

Doug, just looking around at all the solar yard lights and all the styles they come in , got me thinking about picking up a few ... easy enough to put in a window or outside during the day to charge , and they “burn” all night long ...some even have switches ...

I’ve had some solar yard lights survive some 5 years now, living outside ... They probably would last indefinitely used as indoor lighting ... They certainly are Thrifty , even the Fancy ones are cheaper than a flashlight ... Many possibilities on a small budget ...

[kudzu]

Had not thought of those for use inside the trailer, GPW. OK, now I am imaging some torch holders attached to the outside & inside of the trailer to hold those solar lights. Could be outside during the day for charging & then some/all moved inside at night. Would be removable for travel.

[suzart24]

Doug, just looking around at all the solar yard lights and all the styles they come in , got me thinking about picking up a few ... easy enough to put in a window or outside during the day to charge , and they “burn” all night long ...some even have switches ...

I’ve had some solar yard lights survive some 5 years now, living outside ... They probably would last indefinitely used as indoor lighting ... They certainly are Thrifty , even the Fancy ones are cheaper than a flashlight ... Many possibilities on a small budget ...

I'm considering a sunroof.....How about making a little chandelier from these....Might be a creative project!!....

[GPW]

Sun roof in Nevada ... Chandelier ... that could be done !!!

[GPW]

Just for the LED experimenters, I searched and searched for the bottle cap trick ... to no avail.. But as I can remember the LED was inserted into the Side of the cap, and facing sideways across the inside of the cap, not down ...so I tried it with a 2” dia. white medicine bottle cap , and it made the whole cap GLOW !!! Giving a Lot more usable light, and not as harsh as a downward facing LED.
For many more LED ideas there’s the plane guys , http://www.rcgroups.com/night-flying-522/ They’ve put LEDS on everything ...

[Corwin C]

We have the solar lights in our yard (too lazy to run wire) ... when the power goes out (more often than I'd like to admit) simply gather them up and bring them inside for the evening. Some of the neighbors have caught on and do the same thing. This is REAL helpful with small children as they can have their own safe light to use. The Coleman is for Mom and Dad only and has to stay outside.

I have also cannibalized old or broken ones for shed lights. Simply remove the led and add wire extension (keep track of polarity), set solar panel on roof and run wire/led through window/door for a nightlight in those outbuildings. I need to rig one of these up for the "PP Teepee" (porta potty tent).

[Wobbly Wheels]

I finally got a chance to catch up on the threads I haven't read - I wish I'd seen this one sooner.
I need to made a step up to the door because of the ground clearance of my trailer. It will have two steps and be self contained, like a step stool. It will be a foam/ply box with LED courtesy lights to throw a 'cushion' of dim light onto the stair treads (2 steps). It's a self contained unit so it need to have its own power source - my though was to take those solar lights apart and mount the LED, battery, and cell in the riser. I took one down to something I can work with. There's also a AAA rechargeable battery in there that will need a home, though I'll probably use one battery to power both LEDs.




One source of "Thrifty LED lighting" I found is 12V landscape lighting. They can be pricy to buy new because they are built to be weatherproof and tough enough to step on but I got mine almost for a couple bucks (from a yard sale IIRC)


About 18" from the wall:


They have a stainless bezel and mount into a 1" round hole. They have spring tabs to hold them in but I'll be gluing them in with SikaFlex. They come 6 to a box, but I got 10 altogether.


The foam they're sitting on is part of 144 cubic feet of 55lb dock foam that's going to be a pontoon boat - this foam thing is becoming a habit...

[GPW]

W2, a pontoon Foamie is logically the next step for a lot of us ... I could use one with all this rain ... ...

[Wobbly Wheels]

Just remember the math:

+ =

[GPW]

Darn , I always had Trouble with the math ... somewhat obvious with all the “design elements” in my latest build .. The Heat .. would have done us no good to travel North as it was Hotter than it was here... Could only fly to the North Pole to cool off ... and it’s melting ...

Having taken apart many solar yard lights to fix , it’s most always just a new battery gets em going again , they do last a Long time ... you could find many uses around a trailer for little automatic lights ...

I’m just amazed how cheap they can offer those yard lights .. even the fancy ones are inexpensive ... Couldn’t even build one for the price they charge ...

[depatty]

Found this "EVTECH(TM) LED Strip light, Waterproof LED Flexible Light Strip 12V with 300 SMD LED, 3258 16.4 Foot / 5 Meter" on Amazon while looking for 12 volt lighting for the Vardo. Several folks seem to carry them so prices may vary but seem to hover around $8 (with free shipping) per 16.4 foot roll of 300 LEDs. Says you can cut the strip every 3 diodes and it will work on 12 volts. Haven't ordered a roll yet as $$$ are quite scarce here at the holidays but plan to after the first of the year. If anyone else has tried them please let me know how they work and how much light they put out.

Link that I hope works:

http://www.amazon.com/Generic-Waterproof-Flexible-Adhesive-Lighting/dp/B005EHHLD8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1383351780&sr=8-3&keywords=bright+white+leds

Dave