The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Nigel M wrote:

In uk.d-i-y, Grunff wrote:


What level of light is required? Just enough to read by? Enough to
do detailed work? This can make a huge difference.

An 8W 12V fluorescent tube will provide enough light to see, but
nowhere near enough for say a workshop.


Sorry, I should have said. This is a stable, so enough to see the
horse! I was thinking of around 40W of tungsten, so I think an 8W
fluorescent tube would be ideal.

Fluorescent style camping lights are far and away the most efficient
thing to use.

But where to get one to run from 12V, what size battery, how to
re-charge, and what sort of cable and switching?

Camping stores and caravan places.

Amps is only an amp at best, so cable is easy. normal T & E can cope
with that.

What size battery? Well a standard car battery is about 30-70Ah, so
for an hour a day you should get a month out of even a small one.
Halfords?
Charging 0- well you could jump lead it from the tractor or whatever
and leave it running for an hour or two every month on tickover.

If it were me, I'd run an extension cable temporarily and leave it on
crappo charger overnight every week to be sure, or possibly get a
battery with handles or on a trolley and get two of them, and have one
on charge and one in use, and swap them every week or so.

I am sure on this sort of duty cycle solar panels woud work or
windmills, but the cost....

We've suddenly got a plague of reactive road warning signs popping up all
over the county. They are all on long poles with a windmill on the top and
solar panel just below. If the council are using this technology then it
must be at a price where it starts looking good for other uses as well,
presumably the stables would be in a position to get a good dollop of the
available wind and sun?

--
James...
www.jameshart.co.uk