Solar help needed.

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Brambles
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Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:09 am
Location: West Midlands

Solar help needed.

Post by Brambles »

I want to build a solar lighting system that's as simple as possible, meaning I don't want to use an inverter but I'm not elecrically savvy enough to know what type of lightbulb holder to use.

Can anyone help? It will be a 12V system.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain~anon
Mortblanc
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Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 5:03 pm
Location: Kentucky Mountains, USA

Re: Solar help needed.

Post by Mortblanc »

Brambles, use your googlefoo skills to investigate 12v LED lighting and also a thing called an LED strip-light or tape-light in 12v.

Over here we can get the LED strips or tape-lights in 12v with 10-20 lights on the strip for around 3# your money.

I am sure you can get them over there and you simply have not run into them in a shop. They are very popular with the kids dressing up their vehicles with odd lighting so you might find them in the automotive department of a large outlet. Almost all of the lighting on new vehicles is LED and it may be easier and cheaper to purchase a few auxiliary lights already in fixtures and ready to attach directly to the 12v battery/wiring. You can get them with only one or two LEDs or with the brightness level of an auto headlamp.

https://www.amazon.com/Truck-Flexible-W ... ight+strip

This is an American link but I am sure you will find the same type systems locally after a little research.
Last edited by Mortblanc on Sun Jul 02, 2017 6:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Yorkshire Andy
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Re: Solar help needed.

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

What are you planning on using it for bar lighting?
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
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Brambles
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Location: West Midlands

Re: Solar help needed.

Post by Brambles »

I'm going to attach it the solar generator I built a while ago, I'd rather not use the inverter though so it's going to run through the charge controller direct from the battery. I also would prefer to have proper lightbulbs rather than strip lights which is why I wanted a bulb holder. I can run other thngs from the generator as well so that's not an issue.

Something like this but all I want is the lights!
81B46pToCOL._SY355_.jpg
81B46pToCOL._SY355_.jpg (24.44 KiB) Viewed 7498 times
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain~anon
Yorkshire Andy
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Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: Solar help needed.

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

IMG_20170702_202613593.jpg
Ahhh you want proper lights ;-)

Well may I present exhibit a

£2 ish from Amazon

If running off a 12v battery a 12v to 5v usb adapter is all you need
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8733
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: Solar help needed.

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
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Brambles
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Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:09 am
Location: West Midlands

Re: Solar help needed.

Post by Brambles »

I've already got one of those for camping which is great for camping but not illuminating a living room. :lol: I've already got the battery and panel, I wanted to set up some proper lights permanently. Hence why I just wanted 12V bulb holders. :)
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain~anon
Yorkshire Andy
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Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: Solar help needed.

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Ahhh with you well

Are you after surface or recess mounting?
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
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Brambles
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Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:09 am
Location: West Midlands

Re: Solar help needed.

Post by Brambles »

Surface holders or maybe ones that hang at the end of the wire. :)
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain~anon
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8733
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: Solar help needed.

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine