YW Sin Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 I am wondering if any body knows where I could purchase 12volt florescent lights powerful enough to illuminate a small garage? I have a garage: 2.7 X 5 meters aprox, but has no electricity supply. So I am thinking of installing car battery powered lighting. Any suggestions will be very much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 Bl**dy hell, that was a close one I thought you were asking about those dreadful MaxPower underbody tubes... 😳 Unfortunately, I can't help you - but at least we won't need to call Hitman 😬 Regds, Myles Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Locust Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 Maybe something like............... here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
not a Postman Pat Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 Myles - me too, then Pat and his not quite black and white cat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YW Sin Posted July 26, 2003 Author Share Posted July 26, 2003 Myles, you just gave me a rather naughty idea. It may not look too bad you know…… 😬 A ll standard, Classic 1.7 X-flow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asker of daft questions Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 I'll just lurk in the shadows for a while, I charge extra for overseas assignments but Paris is so nice at this time of year I'm gonna get ya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Perry Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Screwfix do a large freestanding rechargable one with two tubes thats been recomended on here by another sevener who had the same problem. Charge lasts 3 hours . price 24.99 . www.screwfix.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Lowe Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 You could try A caravan accessory shop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbarella Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Shame on you mentioning the 'c' word - good idea though. I found a ref. to this on a sailing website. http://www.shop.leisure-electrics.co.uk/acatalog/Flourescent_tube.html How about running from a solar panel on garage roof ? http://www.selectsolar.co.uk Barbarella & crew (who ought to be decorating so they can go sailing and blatting tomorrow) the most fun you can have with clothes on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YW Sin Posted July 26, 2003 Author Share Posted July 26, 2003 Thanks all.. it's time for me to run like there is no tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger King Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 I bought one from a camping/caravanning shop years ago. It doesn't give as much light as a mains powered one, but it's not bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YW Sin Posted July 27, 2003 Author Share Posted July 27, 2003 Thanks RK. Are you still on holiday by the way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YW Sin Posted July 27, 2003 Author Share Posted July 27, 2003 Barbarella, http://www.shop.leisure-electrics.co.uk/acatalog/Flourescent_tube.html was exactly What I was looking for! Thanks! *thumbup* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nifty Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 I wired up two fluorescent tubes in my Land Rover. They came from a caravan shop. They also supplied plugs and sockets so I could unplug the lights when I wanted to remove the hard top...which I never did!! Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris W Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 The problem with 12v fluorescents is that they are simply just not bright enough. They're only about 8 watts. Better (but more expensive) to buy a 12v inverter which will produce 240v ac from a 12v battery. Then you can run normal household fluorescents, and the advantage is also that these only consume about 65W but of course are really bright. That's about a 5A current draw per fluorescent which will give you several hours of light from a standard type car battery. You don't need a massive inverter (some deliver several hundred watts and cost several hundred pounds). I would think that you could get away with sub £100 for an inverter capable of delivering a 150W or so. A web search would identify many choices I'm sure. Chris 2003 1.8K SV 140hp see it here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris W Posted July 27, 2003 Share Posted July 27, 2003 Actually I just checked and immediately found a 150W inverter here at only £40. Chris 2003 1.8K SV 140hp see it here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YW Sin Posted July 28, 2003 Author Share Posted July 28, 2003 Chris W, You are my hero! My garage is situated under my apartment and it is actually prohibited to do any garage work there. But this can not stop me to fiddle around with my Seven. Fortunately, my garage has a door which could be closed and as long as I won't make any loud noise inside, People won't notice. Before I was using a local electricity supply then the house keeper told me to stop using it as it belong to the community. Since, I have been using a head strapped flash light. I kind of felt like those guys in the film, "the Great escape" digging a tunnel in the German concentration camp. I knew I can use a large car battery to have my own supply of electricity but my knowledge in electricity is rather limited if not none existent. Now knowing that I can convert 12 V to 240V, I think I can even set up a full work shop there! (a very tiny one) A ll standard, Classic 1.7 X-flow Edited by - yw sin on 28 Jul 2003 18:25:04 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris W Posted July 28, 2003 Share Posted July 28, 2003 Glad to be of help. Don't forget to charge the battery each time you use it for any significant length of time. If you use a 65W fluorescent which willl be very bright and probably more than enough light, and given the inverter is 90% efficient (typical figure), then the power consumed will be 72W which equates to 6 amps. So you should get 5 hours out of a standard Caterham type battery. My suggestion, however, would be to get a "leisure" battery which is designed for deep discharging. I just purchased a 110AH battery for about £75 from Halfords for a boat application. This would run the inverter and fluorescent above for around 18 hours AND wouldn't mind being deeply discharged over and over again. Chris 2003 1.8K SV 140hp see it here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YW Sin Posted July 28, 2003 Author Share Posted July 28, 2003 I am thinking of getting a large truck battery + a trolly. So once it is charged, I can forget for a months or so- hopehully. I have already been eyeing them in a local supermarket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevind Posted July 28, 2003 Share Posted July 28, 2003 Check out Maplin here and look under power supplies for DC-AC inverters - they do a 150W model for less than £20. BUT - note like most DC-AC invertors they're not suitable for "inductive" loads - and that means flourescent tubes. Basic problem is they can't supply enough instantaneous power to fire the tube in the first place, keeping it running is the easy part, getting it started requires a lot more energy. Good for std lights though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris W Posted July 28, 2003 Share Posted July 28, 2003 Disco The Maplin ones are stated as not suitable for fluorescents as you rightly point out. This is not true for inverters as a class. It depends on their circuit design... presumably the Maplin ones are designed down to a price. The reason some inverters don't like inductive loads is not to do with the power start up requirements but with the large transient voltages that can be present on such loads causing the output circuits to go pop. Chris 2003 1.8K SV 140hp see it here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harold Posted July 28, 2003 Share Posted July 28, 2003 I have a number of 8 and 21 watt 12v fittings ,try them Harold@Fifields.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheds Moderator Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 YW Sin Chris is right, as is generally the case with anything electrical. You need a deep cycling battery (leisure type) as this will tolerate a deep discharge. A truck battery is less ideal because it is designed to deliver enrmous current (starting) for a short time and not to be run totally flat. Truck/car batteries are designed to cycle regularly around the top quqrter of their capacity, if you regularly run them flat they will die, so spend your money on a car/boat job. Saumur Netto had a little fluo 12V striplight for about 5 euros. Perfect for repairs, thank you Netto. Sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YW Sin Posted July 29, 2003 Author Share Posted July 29, 2003 I didn't know at all about this deep cycling battery. I will start looking tomorrow where I can get hold of this type of battery, I am sure a local warehouse will supply them. Again, Thanks all for the info! You guys have bought me out from the dark pitch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris W Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 YW Suggest you read my "7faq" article on batteries. It demystifies a lot of the jargon and explains the physics, chemistry and choices in (I hope) easily understandable terms. Halfords sell deep-cycling batteries as "leisure batteries". Chris 2003 1.8K SV 140hp see it here Edited by - Chris W on 29 Jul 2003 18:47:12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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