Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: zahc on September 24, 2021, 01:25:42 AM
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I want to put some kind of lights in my shed that doesn't have electric.
They have solar lights but I don't like solar. I think it would be better to just have something that would run off a car battery.
Any idea for 12v lights, cheap?
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So, how would you keep the car battery topped up?
Drag it to somewhere you have electric to recharge it?
Or put it on a solar recharger?
Why don't you like solar lights?
How much lighting power are you looking for?
Would something like these work?
https://www.amazon.com/Lighting-Led-Closet-Light-Battery-Bulbs-Magnetic-Light-Security/dp/B07Y564TJ5/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=Battery+Operated+Led+Lights&qid=1632481553&sr=8-10
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https://www.lehmans.com/product/feuerhand-galvanized-lanterns/
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Yeah, if you wanna use a car battery, you about need a solar panel to go with it. Your only other choice would be self contained lights that use AAs or whatever, and then you would have to change out or recharge all those batteries.
If it were me, and I'm actually doing something similar to power a remote pond aerator, is a solar panel, one of the smaller AGM batteries, and some LED light bulbs, or else, my shop had regular LED bulbs in it, and I replaced them with some similar to these:
https://www.amazon.com/LHKNL-Deformable-Adjustable-Lighting-Warehouse/dp/B08G11B16Y/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=shop+lighting&qid=1632485478&sr=8-9
Really big difference in perceived brightness. On the solar panel, I'm using 100 watt plug and play coleman that Costco had for $100 (which was way cheaper than even Harbor Freight), but for LED lighting, you could likely go to a smaller cheaper panel if you're not leaving the lights on all the time. I'm using a battery similar to this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089PXJSRQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
Otherwise if you want to look at ideas for super cheap, you should search some of the "van life" and similar youtube channels to see what they do for campsite power.
ETA: You should tell us the size of the shed and what you're doing with it. Are you just storing stuff and going in there for a couple of minutes at a time, or is it a larger shed where you'll be doing work or whatever in it? If the former, then the self-contained lights that use AAs or similar will be your cheapest, easiest choice.
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It's just an 8x10 storage shed with loft. The lights are just for occasional use. It doesn't need to be lit like a shop but I do want it to be bright. You are correct that a solar panel to keep the battery topped off could be a good idea. I was thinking just use a motorcycle battery and recharge it a couple times a year.
I tried some of the AA powered closet lights from Amazon and it wasn't bright enough. I was thinking a cheap 4X4 light bar and an old car battery.
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Then you might look at something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=shed+lighting&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
I swapped out my regular LED shop lights for these pendant style lights, and perceived brightness is way better.
Definitely research the reviews though - my pendant lights are on grid power, so I don't know the quality of the above. Otherwise for an 8x10, a 100 watt equivalent LED bulb should be more than enough. I don't know that you could get a separate battery, inverter, and solar charger for cheaper than one of the above units though.
EDIT: Actually, here's another possibility:
https://www.amazon.com/Onite-20-US24USB3W-DW-Warehouse-Portable-Emergency/dp/B00R24KP7U/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=usb+light+bulb&qid=1632490535&sr=8-6
I have a couple of these that I use when there is a power outage out here. I plug one into the UPS for the entertainment center in my living room, and one into the UPS in my office, and it's pretty close to having regular house lighting. I've also plugged them into a little power brick and moved them to wherever I needed them.
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You may want to watch this, as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io_nZ19rTCA
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My workshop is grid, but... Here's what I'd do...
Get regular LED 4' shop lights, and one of the China Fright solar panels, charge controllers, and a battery. Hook an inverter up to it, call it good. If you are spending more than just a little bit of time out there, drag an extension cord from the house.
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How cold and how hot does it get where you live? Cold more so that hot weather can kill a car battery pretty quick if its just sitting there and not being charged.
If it was me, I would do a solar panel-charge monitor-12 amp hour sealed lead acid battery-led strip lights
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How far is this shed from your house?
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Portable solar generators (read fancy extra-large battery packs) are still a little spendy but getting better, and there's a good selection. LED troffers don't draw all that much power, 50-60 watts for garden variety four footers, so easily 12-14 hours runtime from a 1000 Wh pack. That, or easily power 4-6 fixtures for intermittent use. A bit of up-front expense, but it also gives you the option of using the power pack in other ways (camping, picnics, power outages, etc).
Brad
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How far is this shed from your house?
My first thought also. How hard would it be to just run 120v power to it?
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The "power packs" are just a battery and an inverter, with some sort of small built-in charger.
A 31DCM battery goes for $105, and has a reserve capacity of 185. Couple that with $200 worth of China Fright solar panels, and a $30 inverter, and you should be good to go.
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My first thought also. How hard would it be to just run 120v power to it?
Doing it properly would require a trench, conduit, and probably a sub panel since I'm out of breaker slots. Figure $1000 or so? Not worth it right now.
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https://www.lehmans.com/product/feuerhand-galvanized-lanterns/
Nice lights. I have both a large and a small one but they use kerosene or lamp oil, neither of which are cheap or easy to find.
What about those battery powered lights that look like a wall switch? IIRC, they are only about $2-$4 at WM or Harbor Freight.
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Doing it properly would require a trench, conduit, and probably a sub panel since I'm out of breaker slots. Figure $1000 or so? Not worth it right now.
Just spitballing, but it could also be a trench, some direct burial UF-B hooked into an existing exterior outlet, a switch and two 4 ft LED shop lights, so $350-ish and not mucking about with batteries.
Kinda depends on the details, but I wouldn't automatically rule it out.
Otherwise, yeah what these guys have said: 100W or so of chinese solar, an AGM or Lithium battery, and some 12V LEDs should get you there, but both the battery and the panel will need some maintenance.
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We use something similar to this when we need to field dress big game in the woods after dark. Might be something you could use in the shed and around the place. Way better than holding a flashlight when eviscerating an animal.
https://www.amazon.com/Might-D-Light-LED125B-Folding-Worklight-Black/dp/B01M0CSM3Y/ref=asc_df_B01M0CSM3Y/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198100801330&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17715536246206060634&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017973&hvtargid=pla-384005769837&psc=1
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200 lumens is not that great for a work light. I use one of these a LOT.
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/performance-tool/tools---equipment/shop-garage/work-lighting/6fd739957f08/performance-tool-worklight/pfm0/431?q=work+lighting&pos=72
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Doing it properly would require a trench, conduit, and probably a sub panel since I'm out of breaker slots. Figure $1000 or so? Not worth it right now.
You are just not trying hard enough to break the rules.
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I'm trying to turn over a new leaf.
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Okayfine - HOW FAR are you from a three-prong outlet?
My damn garage was powered with your average home depot "plug it into the wall" cord until I dropped $1600 into something capable of 50 amps.
(er... that was when I bought the house - all that crap got torn out)
If you can have a "flip on on the light" setup for occasional use, for lighting, and you can run 10-12 gauge cord for out by hand for those tinkering with power tools days... Don't worry about it.