On 4/27/2009 7:58 PM frank1492 spake thus:

I will be mounting this externally in view of the neighbor's house on
a seasonal cottage. I make few trips there in the winter, but would
like to have the neighbor (all year round resident) be easily able to
tell me if my power is off. (He has a phone, there is none at the
cottage.)
What should I use, neon, led,etc? It needs to be wall mountable,
and be easily seen, though it need not be very bright or large.
Suggestions appreciated. I just want to be sure it has a long
life so a burnt-out bulb won't be confused with no power.

Since bulb longevity is paramount, here's an idea: one of the
longest-lasting type of bulbs is an ordinary incandescent bulb, operated
well below its rated voltage. (They say that some of Edison's original
bulbs are still burning to this day.)

All you need to do is rig up an incandescent bulb to run on less than
full power. You could use a series resistor to lower the voltage, or you
could try running two 120-volt bulbs in series. They'd probably last
forever that way.


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Kill Yourself

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