Portable Light For Camping

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Hi guys

Thinking about a light fitting for camp.

It will be running off a 110Ah 12V leisure battery either direct or via a 300W inverter.

Currently I have a double insulated clip-on B22 fitting with a 6W LED lamp, which I attach to an extension pole (the sort of thing you might put on the end of a paint roller) and stick in the ground.

I'm looking to upgrade this year.

My needs are:

Waterproof fitting

Clip-on

Can be mounted H or V

LED

230V or 12V (But if 230V then needs to be DI)

I have Googled and come up with a hand-held floodlight with clip attached but only available from China in bulk purchase...

Any ideas, guys??
Thanks!
 
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Nice idea, thanks, but can only find 230V E27's.

Could fit clips on the back of it to fit my pole (ooh err!)
 
What about them FLOOD-IT lights you see in all the wholesalers, theres other cheaper copies available.

They are rechargeable but once they die, it is sudden and can catch you out, although you can plug it into 12 volt and it will charge as well as light normally whilst plugged in.

http://www.myfloodit.com/

CEF do offers on them
 
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CEF - Yikes! ;)

I'll look at those, thanks!

Edmunson do them too, the copy ones on ebay are not as strong.

Dont knock CEF :) round here they do them at the best price
On the flood it website, put in part of your postcode and it tells you local suppliers where you can see them
 
The tlc is the same as the ones on ebay and amazon, thats the one i brought and there fine, though the bracket is more flimsy and apparently the battery/ guts are bit cheaper version, cheap chinese tat really . but they are nice and quite bright.

When i see the original Flood it, there big in america apparently, it just seemed more solid, but the price is more.

Its one of those things you need to have a feel first :)
 
Your returning to the old problem "What is 12 volt DC".

If you buy a 230 volt LED there is often a spec which says 150 ~ 250 volt AC and you know the limits.

But with DC they seem to state simply 12 volt DC with no tolerance. A standard traction battery rated 12 volt will be 14.8 volt when on the second stage of charge down to 11.5 volt when fully discharged.

A white LED is around the 3 volt mark so 4 LED's will be around 12 volt but even 12.5 volt could damage them if there is no regulation.

One would hope these designed for cars would take charging current and be simply two LED lamps in one but often there are load resistors to make them into direct replacements idea is they don't fail as often not that they save energy.

I have also looked at what I can use when camping and would like to replace my tungsten bulbs with LED but just can't find any spec on 12 volt bulbs.

I have even considered a 12 volt to USB adaptor and USB lights as it would seem only way to ensure some regulation.

I have also considered a simple LM7812 regulator as being under 12 volt does not really matter it's being over which is the problem.

Something like this seems to be what is required another one shown here but that seems a lot of messing around if one can simply buy a lamp designed to run 11.5 to 14.8 volt.
 
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The tlc is the same as the ones on ebay and amazon, thats the one i brought and there fine, though the bracket is more flimsy and apparently the battery/ guts are bit cheaper version, cheap chinese tat really . but they are nice and quite bright.

When i see the original Flood it, there big in america apparently, it just seemed more solid, but the price is more.

Its one of those things you need to have a feel first :)

Think I will plump for a Flood-it or at least its cheaper cousin.
 
Thinking about a light fitting for camp.
.
.
Any ideas, guys??
Something which uses chemical energy to provide light.

Propane/butane/MAPP/kerosene/gasoline - that sort of thing.

The fuel will be hundreds of times more energy dense than a lead-acid battery, it will keep in storage, even in a part-used state, pretty much indefinitely with zero maintenance, if your supply runs out then a fresh one is widely available....
 

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