Inexpensive fluorescent lantern/lamp with 12 volt option?

March 18, 2009 6:02 PM

Fluorescent lantern suggestions for emergency home use?

We've endured a total of 14 days without electricity in the past six months due to a wind storm and an ice storm. I have a portable 12V battery with "cigarette lighter" ports, a powered USB port and built-in LED floodlight, and of course, several flashlights. But next time I want a fluorescent lantern to compliment the battery. Trouble is, it's very hard to find a lantern that can also be powered by an external 12V source - most use internal D cells and that's it. Coleman makes a rechargeable one that can be charged (and presumably used) with an external 12V source, but I don't want to introduce the inefficiencies that I associate with the charging circuit. And rechargeable batteries typically have a shelf-life. And it's a little 'spensive.

Any suggestions? Don't want to spend too much...<$25.

PS: Should I just buy a 12V fluorescent bulb with built-in ballast and rig it up to a regular lamp with a homemade power adapter? Also, hacking an eight D-cell lantern to work with an external source has occurred to me, but I want to avoid that if possible.

posted by ae4rv to shopping (10 comments total)

The Coleman I have takes two lantern batteries, or 8 D cells in lantern battery adapters. It has a little jack on the side labeled "12 vdc."

I found these lamps, you could replace the regular bulb in a lamp.
posted by Marky at 6:35 PM on March 18

Thanks. Can I trouble you for the name and/or model number of your Coleman? I've been to their site and can't find one like that - but - it could be that they have them but aren't advertising the external capability.
posted by ae4rv at 6:38 PM on March 18

You could get a small inverter with a cigarette lighter plug, and put it between a regular 120V AC fluorescent lamp and your 12V battery box. You will want quite a small lamp for this (like 5 watts or less) and they don't all seem to work that well with "modified sinewave" inverters, but I've done this and it does work.

Also if you haven't already done so, check out what's available in automotive tools sections of hardware stores. There are 12-volt work lights available in fluorescent and LED versions that might be suitable, if you're not fussy how nice they look.
posted by FishBike at 6:40 PM on March 18

Yes, Amazon has a 12V fluorescent work light for $20 that I nearly purchased but I'm not sure where I'd hang it. Still considering...thanks for responding.
posted by ae4rv at 6:44 PM on March 18

I'd be tempted to hang a work light from the wire across the top of the lampshade of an existing table or floor lamp, actually. It might even look a little bit less, uh, industrial that way.
posted by FishBike at 7:04 PM on March 18

Probably wouldn't need the wire, just the edge of the lampshade, as a fluorescent work light wouldn't get very warm. I clipped a few LED book lights to the top of a lamp during the last power outage and was able to read just fine, comfortably sitting a few feet away. But I'm getting sick of the ad hoc lighting solutions - want a proper lantern. I'll sort it out, I'm just surprised at how hard it is to find the right lantern.
posted by ae4rv at 7:27 PM on March 18

May I suggest a hand crank LED lantern?
posted by Burhanistan at 7:34 PM on March 18

Yes, you may, and I'd like to have one but my 12V battery needs a companion and I know what a fluorescent light can do to light a room.
posted by ae4rv at 7:40 PM on March 18

It's a Coleman 5355, but their site says it's discontinued.

But they do have a few 8 d-cell lanterns, I can't imagine it'd be too hard to wire one up to your battery.
posted by Marky at 8:50 PM on March 18

Thanks. I'll probably do some hacking on a new lantern and get a 12V bulb to use with a regular lamp as well.
posted by ae4rv at 12:49 PM on March 19