Idea for more cheap light

stevieduk · Jan 27, 2012

Hey , just got a load of frags and , although I thought my overhead lighting rig was out of a Spielberg movie , it appears i still need more light , (Doh)so because of running costs ,and as metal halide lights cost a lot to run I was thinking of a way it could be done and came up with the idea that car spotlights may do the job .So let me have your thoughts on this people , Headlight or spotlight bulbs now come in a range of white light frequencies , and the one that Mercedes and B.M.W are now using is a blue-white high output halogen. So I thought , get one of these bulbs in a slimline spot lamp , connect it to a car battery and switch on for about two hours a day , which would simulate the midday sun, The battery will just run one bulb for about that length of time , and then the battery can be charged up again overnight on cheap rate electricity, so it will only cost a few pennies a day to run, plus as you would be using the battery everyday giving it a full cycle each time , it should have a lifespan of about 2-3 years.

well thats it , comments please

vasinvictor · Jan 28, 2012

Never heard this idea before and not sure on results. Good luck what ever you decide to do.

ScubaJay · Jan 28, 2012

Certainly an outside the box way of thinking. :bigsmile: I like it! However, I am curious as to how or what you will use to charge the battery at night? Perhaps a 12-14v power supply with high current output...? Let us know what happens.

_Alex_ · Jan 28, 2012

they make trickle charges that would charge it just fine over night.. would be like what they put on motorcycles in the winter to keep batteries good when not being riden evrey day. a 12 volt battery on for 2 hours isnt going to have that much draw on the battery, if you use a deep cycle battery it will last even longer.

skinz78 · Jan 28, 2012

Sounds like a great idea to me, try it out and see how things go! Please post some before and after pic's for us as well.

Troylee · Jan 28, 2012

Just get a 12v converter to run them... I know a few people who ran hd "auto" lamps on there setups... Not sure the long term results but a few Cree LEDs would work better and be cheaper for a high noon blast... A 12 led strip would be painless and cheap to build and it's proven...

stevieduk · Jan 29, 2012

In the U K we get electricity at 1/3rd of the price between midnight and 7 am. would use a standard battery charger on the battery for these 7 hrs. I thought about L E D s but spotlights can be focused so you can maximise the light were its needed, whereas L E D light would just spread, anyway i will have a go and see what happens and keep you all informed

Thom · Jan 29, 2012

If yherate is 1/3 at night, my thought would be keep the car battery idea only use two and use the led's being thy pull 10v at the highest dimming using a cheep inverter you can auto program to ramp up and down get the most for your money even eventually get rid of the m.h. And run all LEDs full time off the car batteries. Just my thoughts

CJO · Jan 30, 2012

I just had to replace one of the headlights on my Mercedes... $1,800 for the light, not including labor. Hopefully there are some more cost-effective ones out there!

CJ

x8turbo4x · Jan 30, 2012

Whoa i will stick to my honda.. could replace the entire engine for less than $1800 lol and cant beat 35 mpg

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stevieduk · Jan 31, 2012

you were well robbed there, most expensive light out of all the mercs , fully fitted by a main dealer is Â£ 347.00 including tax AND new bulbs in the U K.Thats around $ 500 isnt it. And if you go to a Mercedes breakers , they are half that price , but you have to fit it yourself , but thats so easy. Wasnt thinking of useing headlights anyway , spotlights , or driving lamps are much better cos they can be focused.

dhutcheson · Jan 31, 2012

I see two issues that would need to be addressed in your setup. A car battery would run the lights ok, but as you repeatedly charge and discharge the battery it would cause damage to the battery. The solution here would be a Deep Cycle Marine battery designed to be recharged and discharged frequently. But they are not cheap. In addition another issue would be with the charger while a trickle charger would charge it can also overcharge and cause damage. A solution may be a "Battery Tender" it will charget the battry as needed without overcharging and can be left connected. Use them on my truck and corvette so that if they sit for a while the batteies stay in good shape.

Now the what I think I would do system, Deep Cycle Battery, Battery Tender add a Solar trickel Charger and Power inverter. Then a LED build or light. This setup will also give you a power outage backup to run the LED, and a Power head and filter setup to keep the system running. If needed the battery can be connected to a running car so the altenator can aslo charge it up quickly. What can be ran will depend on the size of you inverter and the batteries.