Converting a Table Lamp to 12 Volt using Harbor Freight Kit CFL Lights

From guest blogger Jeremiah Simpkins......

After the power outage on the east coast due to the severe storms that swept through over the weekend before the 4th of July, it was nice to have the Harbor Freight 45 watt kit and a deep cycle battery to charge my phone, use my laptop and television (conservatively), run a fan and one of the Harbor Freight 12 volt CFLs.

Of course, the included wiring for the bulbs isn't exactly aesthetic nor usable for general lighting in a home. So, I decided to pick up a used lamp from our local Goodwill.

As you can see, I cut the AC plug off and attached battery clamps to each wire (correctly after figuring out where the positive and negative connections were in the bulb socket with a multimeter). My first choice was to get a 12 volt plug from Radio Shack, yet my local store didn't carry them for some reason. So instead I picked up a set of battery clamps and used them instead.

Needless to say, it works, I have the lamp directly connected to my battery and make use of it every evening. Plus it works better than the sockets included with the kit.



Check out all of Jeremiahs solar projects on the DIY Solar Energy Forum




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