Post by papaof2 on Jan 25, 2019 14:52:36 GMT -6
Possibly one of the oddest entries in the "doesn't need batteries" array of LED lighting is the "Gravity Light" that Lehman's sells: www.lehmans.com/product/gravity-powered-light/
Hang the light, fill the bag with 26lbs of dirt or rock, lift the bag and you have maybe 20 minutes of light.
Not cheap at $100, but it is a unique bit of technology. Will I buy one? No. If I want one, all the needed bits are probably in my collection of electrical/electronic/mechanical components: the DC motor from a kid's toy, gearing from various toys and small appliances, chain from a cuckoo clock - maybe those weights as well, etc. I have lots of LEDs, from the small 3mm ones that I use to repair/replace the lights on the pre-lit Christmas tree to some that might light up a small room.
If running water is available, I think I'd prefer using one of the small DC generators that goes inline on 1/2" pipe and having it charge a battery bank of some type. Almost unlimited possibilities for this, such as the spring-fed creek that ran behind the houses across the street from us at a previous location. The creek was just a few inches deep and maybe 2-3 feet wide at its widest but trapping some of that flow on the uphill side and directing it through a pipe to a Pelton wheel - or using bigger pipe and a traditional overshot waterwheel - would have provided low power - possibly under 100 watts - but 100 watts * 24 hours is still over 2 kilowatt hours of free power. Not much by the hour but potentially a lot if you can "bank" it in a battery ;-)
While that creek's flow waxed and waned seasonally, it did run 24/7 year-round - much more reliable than solar power.
Hang the light, fill the bag with 26lbs of dirt or rock, lift the bag and you have maybe 20 minutes of light.
Not cheap at $100, but it is a unique bit of technology. Will I buy one? No. If I want one, all the needed bits are probably in my collection of electrical/electronic/mechanical components: the DC motor from a kid's toy, gearing from various toys and small appliances, chain from a cuckoo clock - maybe those weights as well, etc. I have lots of LEDs, from the small 3mm ones that I use to repair/replace the lights on the pre-lit Christmas tree to some that might light up a small room.
If running water is available, I think I'd prefer using one of the small DC generators that goes inline on 1/2" pipe and having it charge a battery bank of some type. Almost unlimited possibilities for this, such as the spring-fed creek that ran behind the houses across the street from us at a previous location. The creek was just a few inches deep and maybe 2-3 feet wide at its widest but trapping some of that flow on the uphill side and directing it through a pipe to a Pelton wheel - or using bigger pipe and a traditional overshot waterwheel - would have provided low power - possibly under 100 watts - but 100 watts * 24 hours is still over 2 kilowatt hours of free power. Not much by the hour but potentially a lot if you can "bank" it in a battery ;-)
While that creek's flow waxed and waned seasonally, it did run 24/7 year-round - much more reliable than solar power.