12 volt lighting

Discussion in 'Off Grid Living' started by Hillbilly549, Dec 16, 2019.


  1. Hillbilly549

    Hillbilly549 Monkey

    I'm having no problem finding 12 volt LED bulbs but I'm struggling to find 12 volt fixtures to put them in....seems odd. Puck lights are also easy to find and we're going to install several in our 672 sq ft cabin. Would still like to have some table lamps but don't see many options?
     
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  2. squiddley

    squiddley Monkey+++

    Amazon has some 12 volt Edison base bulbs that will fit in most standard bulb light fixtures,they are 700 lumens.
     
    DKR, 3cyl, Hillbilly549 and 1 other person like this.
  3. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    You can find ANYTHING on Amazon.... TRUTH... Check the RV Assesories places for 12 Vdc fixtures that take 12Vdc lights... Also there are a few outfits that sell Edison Screw-in 100 Watt equivalent LED Lights... I bought a couple for AlaskaChick, to use in the Brown Cabin, on some Table Lamps, that are plugged into the Brown Cabins 12Vdc Buss...... Very good for night-lites, and things that need to work when the Genset is off...
     
  4. Ura-Ki

    Ura-Ki Grampa Monkey

    Have you tried the automotive applications? Lots of options to you from that side! NAPA automotive has a YUGE catalog of lights and connectors/sockets, many pre wired to ease installation!
     
  5. For a table lamp the edison ones off amazon might be the easiest choice. You can get them in softer warm colors or bright. Heres a pic of a brighter one in an old school overhead metal reflector.

    Pic

    1216192026.

    Here's another pic without a reflector. 1216192116.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 17, 2019
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  6. Big Ron

    Big Ron Monkey+++

    I bought the sockets and LED lights for cars off eBay. I would stay away from 12v appliances though, they have never lasted long for me. A waste of money.
     
  7. BenP

    BenP Monkey++

    Go to Amazon and lookup 12v e26. You can put them in a standard fixture.
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2019
  8. damoc

    damoc Monkey+++

    I have used a lot of auto gear but even its getting a little harder to find. Everything is getting too specialised.
     
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  9. Big Ron

    Big Ron Monkey+++

    There's always the you pull it wrecking yards. Consider getting some car headlights and mounts also. I think having a set pointed at your gate would be an eye-opener for someone.
     
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  10. Illini Warrior

    Illini Warrior Illini Warrior

    changing over a regular lite is the way to go - the standard 110v wiring is ok except for the plug - use direct battery clips or use some 12v plug in fixture into an entire home wiring system ....
     
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  11. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    DSCN4664.JPG DSCN4664.JPG
    This is simple ,
    a burned out incandescent bulb ,
    remove the bulb glass and make coils of the wire that fit the LED.
    Remember that it is polarized so the wiring works out on your fixture.
    If the wire in the set of the bulb is real thin I reinforce it with super glue or 10 set epoxy.
    In most cases though the coil I make to fit the LED is tight enough to hold.
     
  12. Hillbilly549

    Hillbilly549 Monkey

    Man that's a fantastic idea!
     
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  13. Navyair

    Navyair Monkey++

    You can find 12v lamps and fixtures at any Marine/Boat supply place. (Not the oorah type of Marine)
     
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  14. Merkun

    Merkun furious dreamer

    :lol: Chances are that the base commissary or shopping center will also have them.
     
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  15. BenP

    BenP Monkey++

    We picked up on old chandelier for free and painted it copper then bought a fixture off fleebay that sort of matched and painted it copper as well. I found 12v chandelier bulbs on amazon:
    IMG_20200104_092129.
     
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  16. JediWoodsman

    JediWoodsman Insomnia Monkey

    This is the best and easiest way that I have found to run 12v lights.
    Look into the Anderson Power Pole connectors, these are standard in the Ham Radio/ARES world for 12vDC power these days and it is really nice to have all your hookups match. (there is an accepted set up orientation for ARES work that is really slick)
    I can run my 2 12v lamps off of any of my emergency back up stuff during an emergency, or when not an emergency, I just run them off my Radio Room power distribution/power supply that runs all my radio gear.

    J-Woodsman
     
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  17. offgrittyt

    offgrittyt You gonna eat that?

    nice guitar selection

    At this point, I just snap on my invertor and use standard AC lighting and pay the 20% power penalty for using an invertor. 12 volt RV lighting offers a wide selection of products. Amazon.com: 12 volt lighting for rv
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 26, 2020
  18. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    in our new place, the previous owner had a 12Vdc System for lighting in both cabins... We replaced all the 12Vdc lightbulbs, with LED replacements, and reduced the loads on the 12Vdc systems. The Blue cabin has a pair of T105s in series, and the Brown cabin has a pair of of L16s in series, both with Solar Charging systems. Both cabins also had 120Vac Inverters and a limited lighting and loads available... I spent last summer, upgrading the Blue cabins power systems, both 12Vdc and 120Vac... The previous owner wasn’t up to NEC Standard, for electrical wiring, by any stretches of the imagination... My first project was to install a 120 Vac 30 Amp 12Vdc Regulated Power-supply set at 13.6 Vdc, on the 12Vdc System to float across the T105s, and install my Radio Systems... HF is a Kenwood TS-B2000, 100 Watt multi-mode, and the Vhf/Uhf is a Kenwood TM-D710A, 50Watt Fm, Radios. Also have an Aircraft Icom A14 Am Handheld... This gives me good coverage on all the bands, and Radio Services, used around here.. Next project was to rebuild the 120Vac system by adding a Breaker Panel to the 120Vac Input feed from the Power House.. Now whenever a Genset in the Power House is running the Power-supply is topping off the T105s that feed the 12Vdc System... Last fall I started rebuilding the Power Systems in the Brown Cabin, which were worse than what I found in the Blue cabin... First thing was to run a 120Vac feed from the PowerHouse to the Brown Cabin. This feed loops thru the Wash/Shower House, and the Brown Storage/Workshop, and finally to the Brown Cabin... Then I installed a 1120Vac 10 Amp Regulated Power-supply set at 13.6Vdc on the 12 Vdc system to charge the L16s when the Genset is running... I replaced the Standard Vhf Marine Radio, with a Kenwood TM-D710A Vhf/Uhf Radio and I have a good Dual Band antenna ready to replace the Vhf only antenna, this spring... This Spring, the plan is to rebuild the Power House, and install the Trace 5548 Inverter, and 800 Amphours of L16HDs.... Then install the 12 Kw 3 Cyl Lister Water-cooled Diesel Genset, and my 3Kw Single Cyl Onan AirCooled Diesel Genset, and install the 200USG Diesel Fuel Tank, Raycor Filter System, and to feed them... After that is done, I want to build the Comm Systems for the Brown Cabin using the Kenwood TS-590 and TS-2000x Radios from the Cannery Cabin we are vacating, and move the TM-D710A from where it is now, to the Comms cabinet, along with the Aircraft Unicom, and the two Icom R71s HF Receivers... AlaskaChick also is planning to redo the Brown cabin kitchen this summer, so I will be involved in that as well.. Lots of work, but we should be able to get it done, I hope...
     
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