Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Battery powered LEDs  (Read 8043 times)

Justan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1928
    • Justan-Elk.com
Battery powered LEDs
« on: April 07, 2013, 11:15:33 am »


I’m looking for some battery powered LED lights and fixtures to use to display some art works. I read elsewhere that 4 smallish LEDs can go a couple of weeks on a typical 9 volt battery. Has anyone come across something like this?

TIA

bill t.

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3011
    • http://www.unit16.net
Re: Battery powered LEDs
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2013, 04:41:20 pm »

I looked at some clip-on-the-frame battery LED lights at WCAF.  The effect was of dim, yellowish incandescent bulbs that had been in service way too long.  Very poor color quality that completely lost blue skies and other cool colors.  I was told the choice for the designers of those products is that there are high CRI LED's with pretty good color quality, but that use a lot of current, or relatively low CRI LED's with pretty poor color that require much less current for the same amount of intensity.  So the tendency is for AC powered LED lights to be of the better quality, and battery powered lights to be of the lower quality.  But CRI's under about 85 look like crud, and I think most battery operated LED lights fall in that category.  But OTOH LED lighting systems are evolving rapidly are they may be exceptions.

If you're thinking about art fair booths, I have a set of 6 of these bulbs that will run off a cheap AC inverter and deep cycle marine battery for about 2 long days between charges, using my normal AC wiring and sockets.  Or if AC is available, no battery needed and the low wattage will help me stay under the bar for shows that have a power limitation.  The light quality is really very good, although somehow there is a little less snap and sparkle in the prints than I see with halogen bulbs.  Was a little pricey to do this for just one particular show each year, but I probably recouped cost the first time I used the setup because the space was pretty dim.
Logged

Justan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1928
    • Justan-Elk.com
Re: Battery powered LEDs
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2013, 11:15:00 am »

Thanks for chiming in, Mr. T.

I have a display at a nice surf and turf restaurant location I’m about to set up. The problem is that in the biggest area (about 80’ of wall space), they don’t have a lot of electrical outlets, plus there is the issue of electrical cords and the possibility of people tripping over, kids or other accidents pulling cords from the walls.

I did a bunch of looking with Mr. G, and this place is about the best selection I found. http://www.pegasuslighting.com/battery-operated-lights.html

What you stated is in line with what I found – the inexpensive and low wattage lights don’t have the oomph and the better suited battery powered lights will only go about 24 hours on a charge, which is not workable.

bill t.

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3011
    • http://www.unit16.net
Re: Battery powered LEDs
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2013, 12:37:00 pm »

Thinking crazy now, but maybe you could go down the RC hobby store and find a kick-butt lithium ion battery pack that would fit behind the frame.  Jumper it in to the original wimpy little battery compartment of the light.  They come in all kinds of sizes, including wide and flat.  Hopefully they will not spontaneously burst into flame, you gotta be careful not to short circuit those things.
Logged

Justan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1928
    • Justan-Elk.com
Re: Battery powered LEDs
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2013, 12:56:42 pm »

^I thought about doing something like that but it wanders off into troubled waters pretty quickly. Plus they agreed to sell the works off the walls if someone asks. Handling homemade rigged battery packs is more than I can expect a 3rd party to do successfully.

If I can get them to let me run extension cords up, that may solve the problem, except for the 12’ foot ceilings, but so far they’ve been very compliant with my requests.

They’re gonna let me put some information about the works on the tables and I suggested paying them a commission - some goes to the house and some to the selling server, for promoting the works. The manager loved the ideas.

bill t.

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3011
    • http://www.unit16.net
Re: Battery powered LEDs
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2013, 01:49:55 pm »

Yup you'll do 10x better if the restaurant will close the sale while the customer is hot.  But it might be tricky paying the server.  Somebody might look at a piece over several weeks and engage a number of different people.  I sometimes see sore feelings at commission galleries where one salesperson picks the sale that somebody else had curried in the previous days.  Fortunately I don't have to deal with it.  In the restaurants I have now the manager has to make the sale, and that's who gets the commission.  Their policies, not mine.

A few years ago I paid to install track lighting to a cover a dim but very high foot traffic wall at a community center.  Worked out very well, I made back the investment almost immediately.  Nothing sells art like good lighting, except maybe good salespeople.  Had a verbal agreement with the manager that I would have the space for at least three years, with the understanding that there was no guarantee if she left the company.  Requiring a written agreement would have made it almost impossible to do.
Logged

Justan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1928
    • Justan-Elk.com
Re: Battery powered LEDs
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2013, 01:45:06 pm »

I got a call from the restaurant manager yesterday and to my delight, he was okay with my running extension cords to power lights! So now I’ve gotta find some clip on fixtures in a hurry that will illuminate the works but not push a lot of light into to the surrounding area. Don’t want to spoil the ambiance of the rooms.

Making sure the servers get their share of commissions is a great observation. This will be a new thing for all there; including me, and I’m sure there will be a learning curve. Anywho, I’ll make sure there are few or no hurt feelings.

They are very excited about the exhibition and offered to put my name and a link to my site on their web site and their Facebook site.
Pages: [1]   Go Up