Advice on a lamp setup

rabbit assassin

Hows it goin lads,

Just looking for a few suggestions on putting together a lamping outfit.
I was in the gun shop this morning looking at a few bits of kit but they are way out of my price range. I think the lithium battery pack and light was about €300 :eek:
Im trying to keep price to a minimum (recession and all that)
So I was thinking of a battery in a cartridge bag and throw it over my shoulder would do the job.

I was told by a lad that if you get a good motorbike or lawn mower battery , wire some kind of cigarette charger socket to it and it will power a light no problem. Can anyone tell me if they have a set up similar to this and how they made it up? and if so how does it perform?

Thanks

johngalway

I've a 28amp 12v sealed lead acid rechargeable battery that I got off Ebay in a backpack, weighty item though, also got a fast charger from the same outfit - battery cost me €54 delivered.

I use a lightforce striker 170 with a dimmer switch on it. I completely stripped all the wires and connections out of the lamp. Now I used a two core cable I got in a car shop, that is connected to the battery using two ... I forget the name of the connectors, but they are round with a hole in the middle so I can put a bolt through them and the terminals on the battery, works for me.

I don't like shoulder bags, the weight will get uncomfortable after a while, a backpack is much more comfortable, plus you can use it's pockets for any other bits and bobs.

TriggerPL

johngalway wrote: »

I've a 28amp 12v sealed lead acid rechargeable battery that I got off Ebay in a backpack, weighty item though, also got a fast charger from the same outfit - battery cost me €54 delivered.

I use a lightforce striker 170 with a dimmer switch on it. I completely stripped all the wires and connections out of the lamp. Now I used a two core cable I got in a car shop, that is connected to the battery using two ... I forget the name of the connectors, but they are round with a hole in the middle so I can put a bolt through them and the terminals on the battery, works for me.

I don't like shoulder bags, the weight will get uncomfortable after a while, a backpack is much more comfortable, plus you can use it's pockets for any other bits and bobs.

LUGG CONECTORS .

yes the striker is serious but you have to rewire it like he said or the cable melts and breaks .

ive a dry cell battery out of a golf cart it light have it 2 years and still holds a charge . i use to use a 1100cc bike battery , was gud but didnt last as long . And def back pack .

beretta686s

eyelets are the connectors,and the higher the amps of ur battery the longer it will last,or just get an mr7 job done

garv123

Defo go for a backpack. They are much handier, spread out the weight more and as john said can store bits bobs in the pockets. The cartridge bags would drive you mad slipping off your shoulder whilst trying to get over ditches and under fences.

I use a motorbike battery and its grand for lamping with.

The connections for the cig lighter can be got in motor factors to suit the battery you get.

Also id for the 170. The crimped connection can break inside the handle from been pulled about but a simple solution to this is slide the handle off and pull abit of excess wire through and wrap a load of insulating tape around the wire to make it too big to fit through the hole. Then when you put it back together and use it the pulling will be on the insulating tape against the hole in the handle instead of the crimped connections.

rabbit assassin

Thanks for the info lads, is it a big job to re-wire the lamp? I only really know the basics of electrics. Do I need to do anything to add a fuse or anything?

garv123

rabbit assassin wrote: »

Thanks for the info lads, is it a big job to re-wire the lamp? I only really know the basics of electrics. Do I need to do anything to add a fuse or anything?

It can last forever without rewiring it so id leave it off until anything happens to it. The insulation tape inside the handle will stop the pulling so it shouldnt break.

and no its only two wires from the battery to the bulb with a crimped connection inside the handle. ( the end of the handle slides out)

johngalway

beretta686s wrote: »

eyelets are the connectors,and the higher the amps of ur battery the longer it will last,or just get an mr7 job done

Eyelets, that's them, why do I keep forgetting that :rolleyes:

rabbit assassin wrote: »

Thanks for the info lads, is it a big job to re-wire the lamp? I only really know the basics of electrics. Do I need to do anything to add a fuse or anything?

No, it's a very easy job. As for the fuse, I don't have one on mine but that is my own risk and I am not recommending that you follow my lead on that aspect. <This> is a thread I put up on the subject, I'll bother one of the hard working mods tomorrow to reinstate the photos, I cannot edit the thread.

popgun

Lidil or Aldi do from time to time have small 12volt power packs for about €39 if I remember right. They come with a charger and have the 12volt cig lighter socket built in. They are nice and light and will last a nights lamping no problem.

It's not the big yellow booster packs I'm talking about, These things are about 8" x 8" x 3" and are black. Mighty handy little things.

rabbit assassin

Do you think this would do the job ? Itll be on sale soon :eek:

http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/special_buys3_20640.htm

Doesnt say if you can charge it with the mains though

kildare.17hmr

Way too heavy!!

garv123

rabbit assassin wrote: »

Do you think this would do the job ? Itll be on sale soon :eek:

http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/special_buys3_20640.htm

Doesnt say if you can charge it with the mains though

Carrying the weight of an air compressor around on your back?

Browning2010

Have a look at the U caller battery packs.

Decent quality and decent prices.

kildare.17hmr

I got the ucaller 170 veripower lamp, a 20amp battery and a charger for €150 in mcarthys prosperous. Had it running non stop for about 3 hours and no noticable drop in power. Lamp man carries it in my hiking bag no problem

johngalway

johngalway wrote: »

<This> is a thread I put up on the subject, I'll bother one of the hard working mods tomorrow to reinstate the photos, I cannot edit the thread.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=77286109&postcount=25

Just reposted the opening post with the missing photos at the end of the thread.

daithi55

rabbit assassin wrote: »

Do you think this would do the job ? Itll be on sale soon :eek:

http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/special_buys3_20640.htm

Doesnt say if you can charge it with the mains though

have one of these for the car its actually not that heavy but bulky the air compressor is as slow as a wet week in it hence why its so light