Date:         Wed, 28 Jun 2006 20:01:33 -0700
Reply-To:     Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: 13 watt helical bulb in bus
Comments: To: vw.bus@MAC.COM
In-Reply-To:  <9196286.1151548868643.JavaMail.vw.bus@mac.com>
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Warren Lail wrote:
> Greetings Lubbers,
>
> I know we are having a discussion regarding the power consumption of our favorite gadgets, and so I thought I would lend my own experience, which is utterly lacking in technical specificity.
>
> I have a small 120 volt clamp-on light fixture in Billy Bones into which I screw a 13 Watt GE helical fluorescent bulb.  It gives off a nice incandescent-looking light (advertised as equivalent to a 60 watt bulb) for a seemingly slight power draw.  I have a small 140 watt power inverter and it (and my battery) seem to handle this small drain rather well.  I'm not sure how long it would take to run down my battery, but so far no problems.  Of course, when shore power is available I use that instead of the inverter.
>

Hie thee, then, to the handy dandy online battery demand calculator at
http://www.altavistaaudio.com/Westy/Vanagon/battcalc.html and plug in ye
numbers. From this we learn that a 13W load will draw on the order of
2.3 amp-hours from the battery.

--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR