iamcarriesue wrote:I caught this thread before EZ edited his reply about how to mod the battery compartment to plug into the 12v system.
My question is can any battery operated light be wired up to work off 12v ?
I found a couple of small wall-mount lights that run on 3 AA batteries that I was wondering if I could mod in that way as it would be perfect for what I'm looking for.
Karen,
To answer your question, yes you can use any voltage (by "any" I mean a voltage below 12VDC) providing you reduce the voltage supplied to the lamp.
There are a few of ways you can do this:
1. Install a voltage regulator between your 12VDC supply and the lamp (a LM7805 regulator transistor will take an input of 12VDC and output 5VDC for the lights you described above). This option is good for 1 Amp current draw. A datasheet is available online for the transistor listed above.
2. Connect 2 resistors in series (10Kohms and 8Kohms should do the trick) and connect these between your positive 12VDC supply and ground. Then pick off the voltage between the two resistors and connect it to your lamp (power ratings of the resistors will be important depending on how much current the lamps draw).
3. Replace the existing globes in the 4.5V lamps for 12V globes and connect 12VDC from your supply straight to them.
Option 3 is the easiest, and I would try that first. If you cant get 12V globes for the lights, I personally would go for option 1, or do what the others on the forum are suggesting and buy 12V lights to save the hassle.
Hope this hasn't confused you too much.
Adam.