LOTS of options for 12 volt lights out there: http://tinyurl.com/2ehwnzu Tom
> -----Original Message----- > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of > Richard Koerner > Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 9:49 AM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: Camping Christmas Lights > > Went camping recently, had shore A/C power at the campground, and ran a > string of white Christmas lights outside the vanagon laid on the > ground....just for the fun of it.... but provides just the right amount of > light for illuminating the area. Girlfriend likes it, too; now, she wants > them all the time, even when out in the middle of nowhere. > > I have an aux battery per the GoWesty kit. So one option is to run the > Christmas lights off a 120 VAC inverter.....easy smeasy I guess to do > that. The other option is to "rewire" the string of lights so as to > directly operate off 12 VDC; my string has 50 bulbs so normally 120V > divided by 50 is 2.4 volts per lightbulb....thus need to "group" about 6 > or 7 bulbs in series across the 12 volts of the auxillary battery. Yes, > much more hassle than simply using the inverter, but probably more > electrically efficient, and I could "derate" the bulbs by putting them in > groups of 8 or 9 thus with slightly dimmer light. > > Anyway, I suppose a third option is to buy 12VDC Christmas lights from > someplace....they must be available. But that takes all the challenge out > of it! > > Just wondering if the List has any clever ideas on this; basically it > provides low-cost, pleasant, lighting around the campsite in the immediate > vicinity of the slider door area. So would candles and a kerosene lantern > I guess.....but candles blow out, and don't want to carry 2 or 3 kerosene > lanterns, too bulky. > > Rich > 85 Vanagon > San Diego |
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