Tent lighting
 

Please, does anyone know a suitable tent lighting with LEDs which is possible to connect to a bike battery?
I know Touratech makes one, but I think it is a little bit too expensive, taken its simplicity. Thanks for any suggestions.

Hai,

In a good outdoor-shop you can find LED-based light's (from 1 to 3 LED's) that work for more then 100 hour's on one AA battery and give more then enaugh light.

I would not bother with the wire to the bike.

Maarten

Thanks, but still, I would prefer a lamp without focused light (as with most lamps) and independent on batteries (except of motorcycle battery, of course).

Hi Michal

I know you specified LEDs, but have you considered a 12 Volt Fluorescent Inspection light? I have seen some VERY cheap 8 Watt ones which run off the battery. They come with a cigarette lighter fitting and 5 metres of cable - available from Machine Mart. I'm hoping that the thin tube will fit inside the frame of my GS. Not sure how durable the tube will be for a BIG TRIP.

Just a thought...

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Fuzzy Duck
(I'm quackers about bikes)

[This message has been edited by Fuzzy Duck (edited 30 January 2002).]

I also think the Touratech light is neat but too pricey - so I decided to make my own. I'm no handyman but it was very easy. Gi to an electronics shop like Tandy and get 4 high-intensity LEDS and a strip of circuit board. You also need to find a piece of perspex about 35x20mm. Push the legs of the LEDS through the circuit board and solder +ve to -ve to +ve and so on. Also solder a length of wire to the first and last "leg". All that's left to do is drill some holes in the perspex and push the LEDS through. I dound that sandwiching it all together with some silicone made it very robust. Put crocodile clips or a cigarette lighter plug on the other end of the lead and you're in business. All up I reckon mine cost less than A$10 to make.

hi, i agree with gearjammer, a small led light is very easy to make, u can have it as bright as u like (just use more leds)and u can have any colour u like.it is easy to waterproof, just cover the soldering with bathroom silicon sealant.leds also use very little current because they dont give out waste heat like a bulb. and its got the "i made that" factor.

ps i think touratech stuff is vastly overpriced and all those perspex bits are a bit poncy, so there

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dave

Thanks to everybody. Good idea, I will try to make one myself.

Gearjammer´s solution sounds simple and reliable and cheap ( and thats a goodthing).

You do need to be sure you limit the current with a resistor however , or buy LEDs that contain resistors inside , which may be more rare . If your LEDs do not contain resistors , then they probably have a maximum current rating or 20mA or so .

I=V/R so for 12 volts use .020 = 12/R . ( no calculator on this PC so can`t solve that one for you ) . And that value is PER LED . If you want two LEDs use half the value and so on for more .

If no resistor is fitted , expect short but bright life span :-)