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Re: (ET) Batteries and lighting



I'm no expert on lighting, but in general, incandescent lamps are pretty sensitive to voltage. Their need to run pretty close to their max to get much efficiency. If you look at 'super long life' bulbs you'll see they are actually rated for 130V. They last long because at 115V they are running well under rated voltage. They are also very inefficient when run that way. Likewise running over the rated voltage will shorten life greatly while increasing brightness. The limit is a bright flash and dead lamp. Aircraft landing lights may be different. I would think they would be more tolerant due their critical application, but 36V may be too much. If you don't use them much, I would run them off off 24V - they'd last longer, be a bit less bright, but would discharge the pack a bit unevenly. Hmm if the stereo and siren are 12V, run them off the other 2 batteries and it may balance out!

- SteveS





LIGHTING question:
On this vehicle I am making, I am using 2 aircraft landing lamps as
headlights/searchlights. They are 600W 28V units. Instead of running them
off of the first 4 or 5 batteries, I was thinking of running them right off
of the 36v. No one gives any data on whether a bulb like this would burn 
out
in a few seconds, or would it just 1/2 the lifespan or something like that?
They typically have a 25 hr lifespan, some have 100 hr.
No, I won't be running them for a long time, but I feel this level of
absurdity is needed for my new vehicle. It already will have a stereo and
police siren.

Maybe someone out there knows a little about lamps and can give me their
guess as to how these things will work out?

Kevin