Lighting run off batteries?! HELP Please!

[jemz]

I am currently in need of a little help...
I am looking to sort out the lights in my stables, I have no electric and I used to run 150w halogen floodlights off a petrol generator, however I had my genny pinched earlier in the year and cant really afford to to replace it, a friend suggested that I use batteries, I have one car battery and a leisure battery, which I believe are both 12v.
I was wondering if it was possible to run some sort of lights from a battery, I am happy to change the lights to normal bulbs rather than flood light style. Needs to be relatively simple as I will be doing it myself!

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

 

[securespark]

How are you going to charge these 12V batteries?

 

[flameport]

You may as well just buy a small generator.

The car battery will be next to useless - they are designed for heavy intermittent use and will quickly be ruined by continual discharge/charge cycles.
You would need to buy some 12v light fittings or an inverter - which for any sort of decent light output will probably cost as much as a generator.

 

[jemz]

I have a charger at home for the batteries, plus I have a solar panel thing that trickle feeds or something?!
I am reluctant to buy another generator with having the previous generator pinched, along with all my tack, hence why looking for other options!

 

[electronicsuk]

Fluorescent lighting would seem a sensible option, as you'll be able to run it for quite some time without flattening the battery. However, if you google 12v fluorescent lighting, you'll see that the majority of fittings are only very low wattage on account of being designed for use in caravans and boats.

Given that a 15w fitting will set you back about £15, and at a guess you'll need four of these to get a similar output to your 150w floods, the price is soon going to add up. Given that you can have a cheap 650w generator delivered to your door for less than £70 thanks to our friends in the far East, why bother messing about with new lighting?

 

[securespark]

How about buying a new genny and making it secure?

Lock it into steel chest bolted to the ground.

 

[Monkeh]

Have you considered some padlocks, possibly a fence?

 

[acelamps]

How about a bit of good old solar lighting.

These are getting more and more powerfull, there are types out there that you can buy with integrated batteries to store the energy during the day enabling you to use the light at night when you need it. The types i have seen are so much more powerful than the little things you see dotted around a garden.

Even if you need the lighting inside i think that the solar panel can go outside and the light inside on a long cable.