Very Simple Backup Lighting system for black outs

[TrixRabbit]

Hello
Im new here, and ive been on the internet for hours trying to work out numbers.. I figured id just come here and ask a few things.. I want to set up a very simple light back up, on the cheap. I litterly want to run 1-13watt Cfl bulb, im trying to get a good amount of hours out of it, trying for 10 + hours. Ive found cheap batts at walmart, 12 V 7Ah for 14 bucks -

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Schumacher...ttery/25955623 - How long could i get from one of these cells? im guessing i can get a cheap panel controller and inverter for such a low wattage and be ok.

Controller - http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-10-15-20A-...item19dc5c7794

Panel - ( something like this ) http://www.ebay.com/itm/10W-20W-30W-...item35ca289066

Inverter - something like this but ide have to mod it -- http://www.ebay.com/itm/75-W-DC12V-t...item3cdc1cad98


just a simple low power system is all i need..

how many batts do you think ide need??

[TrixRabbit]

Maybe just mod this???

Ok now im thinking, if i did a few mods to one of these ide be good to go for total simple back up light .. and with this i could buy a few of them =D these come with battries and says lasts 8 hours on a full charge. My project is just to have some lights in a power outage rather than have to use flash lights candles exc. Im not looking to have 1000 lumens or anything.

http://www.harborfreight.com/solar-rope-light-68353.html#

[Sunking]

Tell you what, I will give you the tools to answer your own question.

For Emergency lighting you can discharge a battery down to 80% DOD. So first determine how many watt hours you will need which is simple.

Watt Hours = Watt x Hours.

So you have a 13 watt light and want to run it for 10 hours. Figure it out

Battery capacity is real easy to:

Watt Hours = Battery Voltage x Amp Hours

That is all you need to figure it out.

[thastinger]

Trix, it would be far less expensive for you to just buy a couple of the "portable power stations" and keep them plugged in until the power goes out, the nice thing about those is that some can be recharged from your 12V outlet in your vehicle...or you could buy a 12V solar panel and adapt a cig lighter plug to it and recharge them with that. Most of those have a around a 19Ah battery in them but they are SLA so you wouldn't want to completely drain them.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_sabc?url=search-alias%3Daps&pageMinusResults=1&suo=1391787594755#/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_21?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=portable%20power%20station&sprefix=portable+power+statio%2Caps%2C334&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aportable%20power%20station

Just some things for you to think about

[Mike90250]

Well, just a bit more complicated -

The AC power inverter will likely consume 10 watts on it's own. So you have to account for its own power losses.

The CFL light may not like the mod-sine power from the inverter.

Look for a 12V CFL light, that runs right from DC. And from that - I'd say skip the CFL, and go right to an LED light. There are some nifty ones, do you need a directional light, or a whole room light?
the "disk" lights at this link are pretty nifty, and for a couple watts, great lighting.

https://www.wiredco.com/LED_Lighting_Low_Voltage_s/1874.htm

And, just skip the solar PV and the charge controller, a automotive Jump Start power pack, that has a lighter outlet, should run a small light a couple days, one runs my CPAP machine all night. But you have to read the fine print to suss out what size battery is in the box, 600 cranking amps = 7Ah or some weird marketing ratio.

[thastinger]

as far as that goes, most of the portable power stations have small LEDs on them already.
If you're just looking for light try these on for size

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_sabc?url=search-alias%3Daps&pageMinusResults=1&suo=1391787594755#/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=usb+light&sprefix=USB+light%2Caps%2C241&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Ausb+light

powered by this

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_sabc?url=search-alias%3Daps&pageMinusResults=1&suo=1391787594755#/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_24?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=solar+cell+phone+charger&sprefix=solar+cell+phone+charger%2Caps%2C241&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Asolar+cell+phone+charger

Those USB LED strips will run for many, many hours off of those solar cell phone chargers but the power stations all have USB ports as well and would probably run the USB LED strip for weeks