One less excuse. I just now checked the price of the battery powered emergency
lights: around $30 to $40 each. The more costly ones are halogen, last for
about 90 minutes.
Time to install a couple.
And yes, they do need an electrical circuit to operate, both for charging and
for sensing power failure, AFAICT.
Charlie Self
"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of
nothing."
Redd Foxx
On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 10:07:45 -0800, Larry Jaques
<novalidaddress@di\/ersify.com> wrote:
<snip>
>>I went really cheap... bought 2 rechargeable florescent double tube
>>lanterns for camping from good ol' HF for about $30...
>>
>>They make good emergency lights.. go on when current goes off, but the
>>best part is that when not in the shop, we're out camping with 'em....
>>
>>http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=38077
>
>Do you leave them plugged in all the time? It doesn't hurt the
>battery? Those sure beat the weakarse 7-watt #38013 hallway emergency
>lights they sell for $20.
>
>
nope... when they're fully charged, you leave them plugged in and
switch them on.. choosing 1 or 2 tubes..
If the power goes off or you unplug them, they go on..
we had no idea that they had this feature until after we bought them
for camping..
(kinda nice for sitting out on the patio, too.. we put them about 20'
away and get soft light)
On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 07:36 +0000 (GMT Standard Time), [email protected]
(Malcolm Webb) calmly ranted:
>I have a couple of these emergency fluorescent tubes (about 12 inches
>long). Leave plugged into an electric socket and they come on when the
>power fails. Last for 2 hours.
>
>I got mine from a friend who is refurbishing some accommodation at an RAF
>station. He salvaged a number of them from a skip. They are meant to be
>permanently wired into a lighting circuit but work equally well with a
>plug attached to them.
>
>I have also seen them for sale at an MOD surplus warehouse, but I can't
>remember the price. I live in hope that a couple more freebies may arrive
>some day.
$14.99 isn't free, but it's a fair price. I found out yesterday
that the local store has 7 in stock.
www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=38077
They should float long enough to get across the pond, wot?
-- Friends Don't Let Friends Eat Turkey and Drive --
I have a couple of these emergency fluorescent tubes (about 12 inches
long). Leave plugged into an electric socket and they come on when the
power fails. Last for 2 hours.
I got mine from a friend who is refurbishing some accommodation at an RAF
station. He salvaged a number of them from a skip. They are meant to be
permanently wired into a lighting circuit but work equally well with a
plug attached to them.
I have also seen them for sale at an MOD surplus warehouse, but I can't
remember the price. I live in hope that a couple more freebies may arrive
some day.
Malcolm Webb
"Charlie Self" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> One less excuse. I just now checked the price of the battery powered
emergency
> lights: around $30 to $40 each. The more costly ones are halogen, last for
> about 90 minutes.
>
> Time to install a couple.
Why do you need emergency lights? Oh yeah, don't you live in California -
the land of roving power outages?
Bob Davis
Houston, Texas - Home of Enron
[email protected] (Charlie Self) wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> One less excuse. I just now checked the price of the battery powered
> emergency lights: around $30 to $40 each. The more costly ones are
> halogen, last for about 90 minutes.
Source? Enquiring minds want to know. (Actually, I'm just a bit lazy.)
Patriarch
"Bob" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
>
> "Charlie Self" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> One less excuse. I just now checked the price of the battery powered
> emergency
>> lights: around $30 to $40 each. The more costly ones are halogen,
>> last for about 90 minutes.
>>
>> Time to install a couple.
>
> Why do you need emergency lights? Oh yeah, don't you live in
> California - the land of roving power outages?
Well, Bob, while there was sufficient home grown Californian stupidity to
go around WRT power supplies, there is documented, court-record proof that
the situation was aided, abetted, and exploited by some of the fine
citizens of the Republic of Texas as well. Some of those folks will look
good in stripes.
We've had no major problems since Enron went down, that weren't storm-
related. Of course, the easing of the drought in the West meant that hydro
power became more available, and at reasonable rates.
And Charlie lives in Virginia.
Patriarch
Patriarch responds:
>
>We've had no major problems since Enron went down, that weren't storm-
>related. Of course, the easing of the drought in the West meant that hydro
>power became more available, and at reasonable rates.
>
>And Charlie lives in Virginia.
Most of our outages are from winter and early spring storms. But at times it
seems as if municipality run power systems have an IQ based hiring system. If
you have an IQ, they won't hire you, at least in the planning division.
Charlie Self
"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of
nothing."
Redd Foxx
In article <[email protected]>,
Charlie Self <[email protected]> wrote:
>One less excuse. I just now checked the price of the battery powered emergency
>lights: around $30 to $40 each. The more costly ones are halogen, last for
>about 90 minutes.
>
>Time to install a couple.
>
>And yes, they do need an electrical circuit to operate, both for charging and
>for sensing power failure, AFAICT.
Absolutely correct on the need for mains power. The batteries 'float' on
the charger, so they're always fully charged. And the unit has to 'see'
the power line, to detect when the power 'goes away'.
They do draw a few watts when the power is on; it's a small draw when the
batteries are fully charged.
On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 16:07:24 GMT, mac davis <[email protected]>
calmly ranted:
>On 19 Nov 2004 14:22:13 GMT, [email protected] (Charlie Self)
>wrote:
>
>>One less excuse. I just now checked the price of the battery powered emergency
>>lights: around $30 to $40 each. The more costly ones are halogen, last for
>>about 90 minutes.
>>
>>Time to install a couple.
>>
>>And yes, they do need an electrical circuit to operate, both for charging and
>>for sensing power failure, AFAICT.
>>
>>Charlie Self
>>"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of
>>nothing."
>>Redd Foxx
>
>I went really cheap... bought 2 rechargeable florescent double tube
>lanterns for camping from good ol' HF for about $30...
>
>They make good emergency lights.. go on when current goes off, but the
>best part is that when not in the shop, we're out camping with 'em....
>
>http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=38077
Do you leave them plugged in all the time? It doesn't hurt the
battery? Those sure beat the weakarse 7-watt #38013 hallway emergency
lights they sell for $20.
-- Friends Don't Let Friends Eat Turkey and Drive --
gfretwell responds:
>You can usually find those lights pretty cheap at any place that sells old
>office junk.
Checked the price of old office junk recently? I almost choked over a file
cabinet price the other day, and left without buying an office chair. Almost
cheaper to go new these days.
Charlie Self
"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of
nothing."
Redd Foxx
>Checked the price of old office junk recently? I almost choked over a file
>cabinet price the other day, and left without buying an office chair
I haven't looked recently but a few years ago I got 2 of these lights for $5
each. One was OK as is, one needed a battery.
The same guy sold my father in law a leather couch for $10 and a steelcase desk
with chair for $15.
Maybe you are just in a place with a lot more offices going in than coming out.
GFretwell notes:
>
>I haven't looked recently but a few years ago I got 2 of these lights for $5
>each. One was OK as is, one needed a battery.
>The same guy sold my father in law a leather couch for $10 and a steelcase
>desk
>with chair for $15.
>Maybe you are just in a place with a lot more offices going in than coming
>out.
I don't think so. This area is behind the state and the U.S. as a whole in job
growth. But we do have a lot of people who are competing with ebay for high
prices on used crap.
Charlie Self
"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of
nothing."
Redd Foxx
[email protected] (Charlie Self) writes:
>gfretwell responds:
>
>>You can usually find those lights pretty cheap at any place that sells old
>>office junk.
>
>Checked the price of old office junk recently? I almost choked over a file
>cabinet price the other day, and left without buying an office chair. Almost
>cheaper to go new these days.
Not to mention you'd likely have to replace the battery in a used one.
http://www.grainger.com/ (search for emergency light) has a number of
them available in the USD50 range.
scott
On 19 Nov 2004 14:22:13 GMT, [email protected] (Charlie Self)
wrote:
>One less excuse. I just now checked the price of the battery powered emergency
>lights: around $30 to $40 each. The more costly ones are halogen, last for
>about 90 minutes.
>
>Time to install a couple.
>
>And yes, they do need an electrical circuit to operate, both for charging and
>for sensing power failure, AFAICT.
>
>Charlie Self
>"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of
>nothing."
>Redd Foxx
I went really cheap... bought 2 rechargeable florescent double tube
lanterns for camping from good ol' HF for about $30...
They make good emergency lights.. go on when current goes off, but the
best part is that when not in the shop, we're out camping with 'em....
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=38077
Fri, Nov 19, 2004, 4:07pm (EST+5) [email protected] (mac=A0davis)
claims:
I went really cheap... <snip>
So you think. I've got about $7 in one of those little hand pump
flashlights. That and some candles - and matches. I know exactly where
the flashlight is, so I can find it in the dark, and it never, ever, has
bad batteries. Then, if need be, I use it to get to the candles, to
light them, without tripping over anything.
You can still find those flashlights for around $10, some places
are a lot more. Very handy, should get one for the truck. They'd
probably wear out pretty fast, with constant, and prolonged, use;
they're probably almost all plastic inside;, and they don't have a lot
of light, but they're always ready for use, when you need light, and
never, ever, need the batteries replaced. I've had mine for years, and
it still works great.
My older kid got me a combo thingie awhile back. Solar charge,
hand crank, or AC adapter. Has a radio, light, flashing light, and a
siren. More of a gizmo than something real useful, but kinda handy if
the power goes out. Cranking it for the radio is kinda a PITA, because
the power doesn't last long at all. But, better than nothing, and it's
always ready to use. You can get those for around $20-30. Kinda nice
to be alble to listen to a radio, when the power's out.
JOAT
Measure twice, cut once, swear repeatedly.
JOAT writes:
>
> So you think. I've got about $7 in one of those little hand pump
>flashlights. That and some candles - and matches. I know exactly where
>the flashlight is, so I can find it in the dark, and it never, ever, has
>bad batteries. Then, if need be, I use it to get to the candles, to
>light them, without tripping over anything.
I know where my table saw, planer, jointer, bandsaw and drill press are.
Anything else is subject to relocation or covering, so I'd far prefer to have
emergency lights hanging from the wall above the doors. About the only place
that doesn't already have something hanging there anyway.
Charlie Self
"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of
nothing."
Redd Foxx
On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 13:47:21 -0500, [email protected] (J T)
wrote:
>Fri, Nov 19, 2004, 4:07pm (EST+5) [email protected] (mac davis)
>claims:
>I went really cheap... <snip>
>
> So you think. I've got about $7 in one of those little hand pump
>flashlights. That and some candles - and matches. I know exactly where
>the flashlight is, so I can find it in the dark, and it never, ever, has
>bad batteries. Then, if need be, I use it to get to the candles, to
>light them, without tripping over anything.
>
> You can still find those flashlights for around $10, some places
>are a lot more. Very handy, should get one for the truck. They'd
>probably wear out pretty fast, with constant, and prolonged, use;
>they're probably almost all plastic inside;, and they don't have a lot
>of light, but they're always ready for use, when you need light, and
>never, ever, need the batteries replaced. I've had mine for years, and
>it still works great.
>
> My older kid got me a combo thingie awhile back. Solar charge,
>hand crank, or AC adapter. Has a radio, light, flashing light, and a
>siren. More of a gizmo than something real useful, but kinda handy if
>the power goes out. Cranking it for the radio is kinda a PITA, because
>the power doesn't last long at all. But, better than nothing, and it's
>always ready to use. You can get those for around $20-30. Kinda nice
>to be alble to listen to a radio, when the power's out.
>
>
>
>JOAT
>Measure twice, cut once, swear repeatedly.
damn.. now if you get your kid an treadmill with a generator for your
tools, you're set!