Solar lights question ...

TristanX · Post by **TristanX** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:32 pm

For lighting around the tent, etc.. I thought pehaps those solar lights you stake into the ground

sort of like this ---> http://www.solarilluminations.com/acata ... tions.html

I didnt see anyone using them last year though .... I would think so long as it was anchored into the ground well enough it should work well

Anyone have any thoughts ?

EspressoDude · Post by **EspressoDude** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:55 pm

EspressoCamp uses about a dozen similar lights at our camp. We put eight up on the corners of the dome tent, and one at each of the 4 staked guy wires that support our center flag pole. Also 2 on a crossbar on the flagpole. The are not very bright, get dimmer with playa dust accumulation. When you select some make sure the batteries are replaceable. Ours are AA nicads. Bought them on sale several years ago at about $8 ea.

We put a dab of liquid nails glue where they separate so the parts stay together on-playa, then after we get back, cut the glue, wipe the dust out, and store till next year. Then get them outside a few weeks before BM and start cycling the batteries.

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 6:48 pm

I've seen a number of camps through the years that use lights in that way. They don't shed a lot of illumination but they're excellent corner-markers and rebar caps. Someone'd have to be majorly fucked up to stumble over one.

I keep an eye on the sales at Big Lots!, Wheeler Dealer and Fred Meyers locally and get another set every year. I use 'em for pretty much everything.

phil · Post by **phil** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 6:50 pm

Louise and I use them, but we put them on the rebar we stake our tent down with. The playa is not very friendly to plastic stakes that they use on the outdoor lights I've seen, but to each his own.

EspressoDude has good advice on car, and I have to tell you that Dude's lights really bring the room together.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:27 pm

They're great marker lights. Don't count on them lighting your path, but when you're just trying to find the general direction of your tent they are a huge help.

The big Costco 15-packs have metal parts and are more durable than the cheapo plastic ones, but really the plastic ones are fine as long as you're prepared to reinforce them with some glue or tape. Use rebar or better yet, just lash them whatever you're already setting up for shade and tents. A couple of ball bungees will hold them to any roughly vertical beam.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:15 am

I adapted a handful of solars for dome-use by removing the stakes and gluing aluminum chainlink fence hardware bits on- The ones like little cups with a tab that has a hole in it- That bolts to a conduit clip that can easily be mounted and adjusted. Can also be zipstripped on. Or you can make "Chinese lanterns" by fitting one into a length of dryer-vent tubing...

dragonfly Jafe · Post by **dragonfly Jafe** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:41 am

...I swear by them for lighting up the walkways around the crowded camping areas (and they come on/off /charge automatically!). They give a nice warm glow on the ground about your area. I recommend removing the batteries at the end of the day (so they are charged) before travelling, otherwise the lights will go-on and drain them before you get there (unless you take great care to ensure they are in the sun).

There are also solar lanterns that work fairly well for use lighting around your cook area, etc. (but these tend to "walk away"). For when I really need light, I have 2 strands of 12v xmas lights I run off a 12v deep-cycle battery (solar cell charges it back up during the day).

I haven't tried the solar spotlights yet, anyone know how well those work? Can you light-up the outside of structures to make them more visible from a distance at night?

dragonfly Jafe · Post by **dragonfly Jafe** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:48 am

robotland wrote:I"Chinese lanterns" by fitting one into a length of dryer-vent tubing...

Ooo! White plastic dryer duct w/ 12v xmas lights inside! Perfect for interior Labwerks illumination....

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 9:38 am

I might put some inside the PBR Mod, in fact- I've got a string of 4.5V superbright white LED lights that actually need to be inside or behind something, they're so bright.
I've eyed those solar spots too. Menards has a pair of 'em for 27 bucks, and I might have to get them "for science".
As long as I'm running around madly the night before taking off for the burn every year, I try to precharge as many solar light NiCads as I can so I'll have freshies to pop in at dusk on the first night. A container for exhausted NiCads and NiMhs (and the few non-refill alkies) makes afterplaya unpacking one step easier.

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 8:00 pm

dragonfly Jafe wrote:I haven't tried the solar spotlights yet, anyone know how well those work? Can you light-up the outside of structures to make them more visible from a distance at night?

I had solar spotlights for my bike's headlight last year. They rocked. The only thing that I didn't like about them was the 20' cords trailing off them. Lots of cord to wind up and ziptie before taking off. They work great for shelter illumination, though, and yes you can see them from pretty far away. I used them as a shelter beacon when heading home at night, could see them from a block away.

deviceone · Post by **deviceone** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 3:47 am

I picked up a white solar LED light and a colorchanging solar LED light at Harbor Freight for about 5 bucks apiece before the burn last year.

After 30 feet of scrap tentpoles and some ghetto-fabulous duct tape engineering we turned em into this:

Click for larger image

Those damn things were troopers and survive to this day. one suggestion is to take the cheap Chinese NiCD (nickel cadmium) AA batteries out that come with most of these cheap jobs and replace em with some decent name brand NiMH (nickel metal hydride) AAs.

Im gonna buy a whole lot more this year.

EDIT - Ooohhh check out http://www.dealextreme.com for all sorts of crazy LED crap. Ive bought from them and got some good stuff for real cheap. Check out the LED keychain 10 pack for $5 shipped.. would make great playa gifts for darkwads :) Theyre actually not too cheapy and better quality then the ones that are several bucks at walmart.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 5:41 am

Aieee! It's Lo Pan!!! Curse of No Flesh!!!!

....okay. I'm better now.

A really attractive "diffusion sphere" can be made from a cheapo beach ball. Simply tape the top of a solar light to the ball. (Check that the LED is flush-mounted to the little circuit board and NOT sticking out on its leads like the older ones.) I've salvaged plastic spheres from large outdoor lamps and adapted solars to them, but you need to be able to get in and remove or change the batteries. Weirdest ones are made from inflatable balls, notably the yellow ones with "eyes" that are designed to function as scarecrows.

bdeywoo · Post by **bdeywoo** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:43 am

We use 30-40 of them around our camp, they work OK if used just to light the ground under them and make a pathway. you have to dust them daily though or the playa dust prohibits the sun charging them. They are not for lighting up camp but work well for danger areas like rebar, tent stakes and like I said to just make a pathway.

Teo del Fuego · Post by **Teo del Fuego** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:52 pm

I took the plastic diffusers off mine and placed five of them inside my tent. Plenty of light. When I woke up I placed them outside to recharge

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:50 pm

My twenty-light solar lightstring and three spotlights illuminated my hut very nicely last year. I'll be going with a similar setup for my canopy shelter this year.

Slightly off-topic...I'm stocking up on those LED tealight faux candles. Hiron's is selling them for 33Â¢ each and I've been spending a couple dollars on them each month. Also painting some canning jars with translucent ceramic paint to make stained glass lanterns. Pour a little coloured sand or microbeads in the bottom, nestle a tealight in, et le voilÃ ! Instant "Queen's Chambre in <i>The Fountain</i>" effect.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:32 pm

This company makes the best stained glass lacquer on the market.

http://www.jurgenindustries.com/

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 12:40 am

I got a killer bargain set of something like 20 paints for a little over 50Â¢ each. That's a cool site, though, thanks. Bookmarked.

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 1:49 pm

[topical bridge] Oh, fuck, I didn't need to see this...[/topical bridge]

Just paging through today's Jerry's Home Improvement circular in the Register-Guard. They have a 4-pack of oiled bronze tulip-shaped solar lights w/panel for $50. I don't have fifty bucks but these are so cute and on-topic. They'd be great for lighting up the shelter. Zip-tie to the upright posts, mount the collector to sunside and adorable plant-shaped interior illumination...

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:56 pm

gyre wrote:This company makes the best stained glass lacquer on the market.

http://www.jurgenindustries.com/

They only sell to businesses? Darn. (Or am I missing something?

)

B.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 12:36 am

http://www.jurgeninc.com/

They sell to individuals.
If you buy enough, ask for a wholesale price.
Colors can be mixed, so you can buy three in quantity and mix from that.
Be sure to make a color chart and keep track.
You can also swirl colors together.
I recommend some clear also.

If you order, get as much in each shipping box as you can.
The hazard charges used to be per box.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:04 am

Thanks!

B.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:20 am

I just pick up a strange toy..It's a plastic light bulb with a krypton bulb inside of it..Runs off four AA's..So...What is a krypton light bulb¿¿..I think it is one of those As Seen On TV things..Now at Walgreens ..Made by Westing House..

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 1:05 pm

Krypton is one of the gases that can be used to make a bulb run more efficiently.
Some times it means something, sometimes not.
Maglite's high end bulb is far superior.
There is a lot that can be done with bulbs.
Hella has bulbs with a longer thinner filament.
Better filament supports make a difference.
A lot of this is old technology.
Hella claims 30-50% better efficiency with their plus one.
Bulbs can be made more efficient by shortening their life too.
This is the approach taken with most automotive bulbs.
A P21 euro bulb is very good.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 1:10 pm

The buld I have is as bright as a 40 watt..It's frosted to make the light softer..

unjonharley wrote:I just pick up a strange toy..It's a plastic light bulb with a krypton bulb inside of it..Runs off four AA's..So...What is a krypton light bulb¿¿..I think it is one of those As Seen On TV things..Now at Walgreens ..Made by Westing House..