# The Light|Bar for Project Africa: Round 2



## Friday (Dec 9, 2012)

Round 1: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...st-Way-To-Make-Durable-4-Foot-Long-Flashlight

The 4-foot Light|Bar is designed to create a radius of personal security for fitness walkers, weekend camping, or wilderness hikers. In addition to being a physically daunting steel pipe, its core protection service is a high-lumen strobe, activated manually or by on-board motion detection. With creative engineering, other capabilities may be built into the bar, including a motion-activated high-db alarm, night-vision video, and led illumination. 

Overall, manufacturing quality should be high, the primary functions should have redundancies to prevent failure, and design aesthetics matter. As for durability, the Light|Bar should be water-resistant and tough, but can be broken if whacked on rock. A few components of the Light|Bar may be crowd-sourced on other discussion boards -- but since time may be short for a working prototype, a lot'll be done here. 

The strobe is the Light|Bar's primary feature and should be impressive, used with caution, and at a distance. With charged batteries, the project target is a wide-area dispersal of 40,000 lumens for 40 strobes of 100ms duration (or a few continuous seconds of use). The strobe's bulb and base should fit the aesthetics/dimensions of the bar, and the filament/emitter shouldn't be too much larger than a candle flame. Adjusting the strobe duration, pattern, and brightness would be useful -- preferably via integrated main controller/clicky. 

To accomplish this, the tentative design pairs a 1,200w halogen projector bulb (such as Eiko 380 @ 38,200lm) with a power "brick" of 44 x CR2032 batteries (about 5.5" long / 230mAh @ ~120v after voltage drop). This bulb, with its circular brass base and small filament, is a nice fit to the contour of the bar (see pic), and the 20mm diameter of the battery brick fits within the 21mm ID of the bar. If the electrical math for the strobe is right, this design has an appealing simplicity and produces nearly 40k/lm from the highly concentrated source of a 1/2"-square filament. 

On the whole, though, the flexibility of thumb-sized light cylinder with multiple outward-facing leds (ie, a G6.35-based popsicle-stick "bulb") would be advantageous -- adding redundancy, color variation, and IR. If a lantern-release LED strobe can be designed with comparable power, out goes the halogen. 

DESIGN HELP MOST NEEDED:
1) Finalize strobe choice, mount to the bar, connect to the battery, and integrate with a controller (see #3).
2) Integrate motion detectors. What type of electronics? How best arranged and powered?
3) Integrate a controller (or multiple controllers) for motion detectors and strobe, possibly center bar. 

*** THE LIGHT|BAR ***
Target Price: $440 
Primary Features: 360° Hi-Lumen Strobe, 130db Shriek Alarm, Adjustable Motion-Detection 
Power: Batteries (Eventually, self-charging.)
Core: 3/4" Black Pipe (Schedule 40; male pipe threads both ends) 
Length: 4'
Outside Diameter: 1.05" (26.7mm)
Inner Diameter: .824" (21mm)
Weight: 4lbs (8lbs equipped)

-- COMPONENTS --

360° STROBE + 120v BATTERY: $220 total
-- 1200w Projector Bulb: Retail $30 / NOS eBay $15
-- Base: Mount to metal pipe cap? 
-- See above discussion and pics for more details.

120v BATTERY (44 x CR2032): $10
Capacity: 225mAh
Volts: ~132v Nominal (~120v actual, after voltage drop)
Diameter: 20mm
Length: 140mm 
Weight: 145gm (w/o tabs or sleeve)
-- There's a more rugged version of these batteries ("BR"), with just slightly lower capacity. The "LIR" rechargeable versions, though, are only ~50mA.
-- They fit comfortably in the bar, depending on the thickness of the shrinkwrap, and would allow coincident interior wiring.

MOTION DETECTION: $60
-- 360° and adjustable to 40' radius -- beyond the longest jump of a lion from any direction, giving the worst case scenario a chance to look before leaping. 

130db ALARM: $40
-- 130-decibel, multi-frequency, on-demand/motion-detection. 

MULTI-CONTROLLER: $80
-- Center bar? One controller for everything? 

BASE BAR + TENT PEG: $20
-- 3/4" x 48" Black Pipe (Schedule 40) 
-- Total Outside Diameter: 1.050" 
-- Nominal Inside Diameter: 0.824"
-- Wall Thickness: .113"
-- Standard NPT Male Threading Both Ends
-- 4.54 lbs

***LIGHT|BAR ACCESSORIES***
If heavy, they can be clamped to the bar in counter-balancing pairs. 

GAME CAMERA
---- Options differ by model, but $200 buys the following: HD-video, Infrared Night Filming, Motion-Detection, Wi-Fi, and Micro-SD.
---- Side Note: With instant-upload video activated by motion-detection, the pricey Light|Bar becomes difficult to steal.
MIRROR-MIRROR
----- These half-moon polycarb mirrors clamp to the bar, have user-determined magnifications, can be used to see around corners, and are strong enough to deflect a bullet.
THE LOOKING GLASSES
----- Polycarbonate, mounted either side of the bar, at user-determined magnifications. 
MOON-ILLUMINATING 1w LASER (w/diffuser, for long-distance kitty toy)
----- Questions: If a thousand 1w lasers were aimed together at the moon on a dark and clear night, would the illumination be visible? Also, how many Light|Bars strobing in unison at 40k/lm would it take to be visible on a satellite camera? 

FINANCIAL NEWS OF NOTE
Rights to the bar are reserved as follows under the yet-to-be-codified unlicensing arrangement known as "Open-Source w/Benefits." 20% of all profits (if any) are earmarked for micropayment royalties to those who contribute significantly to the project, as determined by the OP. Note that "OSw/B" is a fully non-contractual arrangement. The economic ties that bind participants are voluntary, depending primarily upon the strength of a public promise and full transactional transparency.

http://www.fileden.com/files/2012/1...ototype with Icon and Cover of Mismeasure.jpg


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## Patriot (Dec 9, 2012)

Friday said:


> To accomplish this, the tentative design pairs a 1,200w halogen projector bulb (such as Eiko 380 @ 38,200lm) with a power "brick" of 44 x CR2032 batteries (about 5.5" long / 230mAh @ ~120v after voltage drop). This bulb, with its circular brass base and small filament, is a nice fit to the contour of the bar (see pic), and the 20mm diameter of the battery brick fits within the 21mm ID of the bar. If the electrical math for the strobe is right, this design has an appealing simplicity and produces nearly 40k/lm from the highly concentrated source of a 1/2"-square filament.





I must not be understanding something about your intention to drive a 1200W lamp with 44 X CR2032's ..... :thinking:


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## sven_m (Dec 9, 2012)

Patriot said:


> I must not be understanding something about your intention to drive a 1200W lamp with 44 X CR2032's ..... :thinking:



Such a button cell dislikes currents higher than a few (single digit) milli amps. ten thousand milli amps would be required here...


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## Friday (Dec 9, 2012)

Patriot said:


> I must not be understanding something about your intention to drive a 1200W lamp with 44 X CR2032's ..... :thinking:


If my math is wrong, then we'll find the best alternative and go with it.  I'm easy like that. 

I actually thought, though, that the button cells were designed for high-pulse discharge, and the internal resistance only kicked in after 2 seconds of discharge. Since the strobe pulse only draws for 100ms (or less), that's not a worry. And also by my newbie estimation, not more than 50 milliamps are needed for a single 100ms strobe pulse at 1200w/120v. 

Now the experts can disabuse me of my novice ideas, and we can find an alternative way of making the project goals. ;-)


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## sven_m (Dec 9, 2012)

Friday said:


> And also by my newbie estimation, not more than 50 milliamps are needed for a single 100ms strobe pulse at 1200w/120v.



50mA and 120V means 6Watts. I really wonder if you get lit the 1200W filament at all, with 6W for 100ms...


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## AnAppleSnail (Dec 9, 2012)

40 kLm is too bright. Not visible from space, and too short a burst to see by. Also, the smallest lithium cell that can power that bulb is a cr123, under heavy drain. Maybe a custom LiPO pack could do ten amps at 120v. But that is dangerous voltage, and a very difficult reload ($40 in bulk CR123s or a recharger). CR2032 won't deliver 50mA for very long. Without storage, 1200W at 120V requires 10A.

A 1W laser won't be visible on the moon. You need big optics for that. There is ongoing research into modified lasers for night-time distress signals.

This sounds like a do-everything project that won't. There is probably a place in the world for a staff that weighs eight times more than normal, but it's likely a specialized need.


However, I do suggest a different light source. The main consumer of flashes this powerful is photography. Even ten watts of LED power is plenty for most seeing needs.


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## FRITZHID (Dec 9, 2012)

sven_m said:


> 50mA and 120V means 6Watts. I really wonder if you get lit the 1200W filament at all, with 6W for 100ms...



No. simply no. you might get a faint glow but NOWHERE near the light output you're looking for. If you doubled the voltage, than MAYBE, but still don't see this working as you intend. Not with a 1200w incan.
A filament that size takes almost 0.5s to reach full output @ the recommend voltage & amperage from a high current source (i.e. Household power, gen or large batt bank.)
I'd be VERY cautious using button cells with that kind of draw, you may be holding a very unpredictable hand grenade in your hands. Please use caution if you test this.


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## BVH (Dec 9, 2012)

Pretty hard to strobe an incan, I would think.


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## Patriot (Dec 9, 2012)

Friday said:


> I actually thought, though, that the button cells were designed for high-pulse discharge, and the internal resistance only kicked in after 2 seconds of discharge. Since the strobe pulse only draws for 100ms (or less), that's not a worry. And also by my newbie estimation, not more than 50 milliamps are needed for a single 100ms strobe pulse at 1200w/120v.




It's like trying to power a Top Fuel Dragster with a shot glass of paint remover. 

I read through part 1 and I'm still not on board, starting with the the steel bar rational. To be perfectly honest, I'd rather have / carry a 5-6 foot, 4.5lb boar spear, with a flashlight Gorilla taped to it than a 4ft, 8-12lb steel bar, if self preservation is the primary philosophy. The light choice can be adapted to whatever performance perimeters you require and the great thing is that it's already in a closed, waterproof, shock resistant, electrically efficient package. You can add to the redundancy by wearing a quality headlamp.


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## Friday (Dec 11, 2012)

The goal is to get to 40 strobes at 40ms in an area-release of 40K/lm. If the 1200w projector bulb with a coin-cell brick won't cut it, then let's get as close as possible. Also, if it turns out that 8 strobes at 200ms each is 5x more efficient, so be it. 

I'm personally ready to move to an alternative design, but have we done enough math to put to bed the 1200w incan yet? As an FYI, the step-down option would be the Osram 64663 (36v, 400w, 16K/lm, GX6.35 base). That bulb can definitely be driven with a cylindrical core of more standard batteries, for a longer time, and would be more versatile. A lot less light, though -- so maybe two or three could be mounted at the top, like some car headlights? The 400w is a well-known bulb -- so if the 1200w is unworkable, it'll do the trick. 

Anway, I'm not quite sure the 1200w is dead yet, and it's hard to give up on that much light, so I'll just talk myself thru this….. 

The specs say max in-rush time is 400ms for a 1500w filament, so let's say 320ms for the 1200w filament. Some factors, though, make that figure less significant. 
--- 1) The inrush time isn't without light -- and this is a 38k/lm bulb, so there's a lot of light. 
--- 2) The full in-rush delay will just be for the first stobe of a series. After the initial strobe heats the filament, it won't have a chance to cool, so far more resistance and far less in-rush time -- probably close to none after two or three strobes. With a good controller, we can vary the length/time of strobe to find an optimal setting. 
--- 3) Bumping the coin-cell brick's voltage to 180 may shorten the inrush, while boosting the coin-cell's punch. 
--- 4) DC inrush may be shorter than the AC, since it's steady state. 
--- 5) This bulb has the most compact 1,200w filament I've seen. With the metal densely wrapped, it retains heat better -- and will lower inrush times.
--- 6) Even if numbers 1-5 are invalid, 320ms delay is acceptable for this purpose . . . unless it drains the coin cells.  

I have the coin-cells ready, and the 1200w bulbs. And unless a check bounces, I'll be walking with this Light|Bar in Africa in a week, regardless of whether it has a 1k, 10k, or 40k strobe . . . so in hopes of one of the latter two options, I could use some help integrating one of the two bulbs with a controller and then integrating those with the motion detection. TIA. ~john


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## AnAppleSnail (Dec 11, 2012)

Outside, away from flammable things, let us know how the bulb works. I'm expecting disappointment with such small batteries. What research lead you to that requirement for output? One of the few things that is built to strobe that way is a flash tube. Its circuitry charges a capacitor gradually and releases a burst of light. Continuous and flashes require different lamp considerations. Even white LEDs take nanoseconds to come to full brightness. 
A filament is dim during its rise time. Its current draw is also higher when cold. I could see an ,XM-L as a credible 1000-lm (100 lumen-second) strobe at 5hz. Incandescent bulbs do not turn on and off without lowered reliability. Finally, cavers loved the earliest LEDs because they did not burn out, and dimmed better than filaments. These days there is also a runtime advantage.


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## HKJ (Dec 12, 2012)

Using coin cells will not work.
Try see this datasheet for a cr2032, it has a internal resistance of 20 ohm, i.e. it is not possible to draw more than 0.15A (Shorted) or 0.12W (At 1.5 volt) from a single cell.
To do anything realistic, it is necessary to use LiIon IMR, there you can 3A+ at 3.6volt for each 16340 cell.


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## Friday (Dec 13, 2012)

HKJ said:


> Using coin cells will not work.
> Try see this datasheet for a cr2032, it has a internal resistance of 20 ohm, i.e. it is not possible to draw more than 0.15A (Shorted) or 0.12W (At 1.5 volt) from a single cell.
> To do anything realistic, it is necessary to use LiIon IMR, there you can 3A+ at 3.6volt for each 16340 cell.



I thought coin cells produced a lot more current before the IR kicked in. 

1) This guy reports .5A for a few seconds -- just from a shorted CR2016. http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?287053-Lithium-2450-button-cell-how-much-current 
2) And here, another person gets 400mA for a few seconds from CR2032's, before the resistance kicks in. http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=49849
3) And this guy reports a 2a draw when he shorted his SR44's: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-74797.html 

There *is* a high internal resistance to these coin cells, and it doubles after 2 seconds, but IR is a product of a number of factors and in these batteries it doesn't seem quick enough to stop full-throttle, sub-second discharges of a half amp or so -- which is exactly what we need them for. 

Still unconvinced there's hope for the 1200w? Then let's beef up the coin-cell brick to 50 x CR2032. With 150v, 220mAh, and with each CR2032 coin cell able to put out about .5A for short pulses, we'll have ~25A draw for 500ms bursts. This should suffice to produce a strobe with a lot of lumen from something a half-inch x half-inch -- maybe close to the 40/40/40 project target. 

And if that isn't enough, we can use bigger diameter coin-cells by screwing on a 25mm ID flashlight-type tube to the bar, and fill it with 50 x CR2477's. That should be plenty of current with 1,000mAh and much lower internal resistance. From a near-shorted release, we might get 1-10A draw from each cell. With that kinda power, we might as well add a 120v outlet to the bar. 

Actually, the Light|Bar isn't a "strobe light." It's a personal security device that uses detonations of light as bullets, that become more discomforting as the gap narrows between the bar and the unwanted. The light gun, so to speak, will be loaded using a 6-inch, 6-ounce clip of 50 x CR2032, which will be good for anywhere between 6-100 shots/strobes of 40k lumens . . . hundreds of strobes if used in lower power, via excellent controller. Still, until it's rechargeable or self-charging, the shots don't come cheaply. An effective, vigilant, somewhat lucky cop may never have to fire his service pistol . . . same goes for pulsed light.

BTW, this particular source -- the ultra-compact half-inch x half-inch filament of the 1200w projector bulb -- may be especially effective as personal defense because concentrated light is more discomforting to the eye.

Anyway and regardless of whether we get one lumen or 40k, I'll be carrying the Light|Bar in Africa in a week or so. I'm hoping for help designing a good controller now, then to integrate it with the 6-inch coin-cell cartridge and the motion detection. I have five of these 1200w bulbs at my house, a hundred CR2032's coming tomorrow, and a bar. Help me fashion a prototype -- and this weekend we'll make some massive light detonations.


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## mvyrmnd (Dec 13, 2012)

Friday said:


> Still unconvinced there's hope for the 1200w? Then let's beef up the coin-cell brick to 50 x CR2032. With 150v, 220mAh, and with each CR2032 coin cell able to put out about .5A for short pulses, we'll have ~25A draw for 500ms bursts.



That's not correct.

If you've got 50 coin cells in series, then you've got 150V, but if you want to pull 25A, then each cell will see 25A. There's no way a coin cell can handle that. You only split the current when you have cells in parallel. To have a 1C discharge per cell (i can't imagine they're very safe at any higher rate) at 150V/25A, you would need a 50S114P pack of coin cells - 5700 cells.


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## Friday (Dec 13, 2012)

mvyrmnd said:


> That's not correct.
> 
> If you've got 50 coin cells in series, then you've got 150V, but if you want to pull 25A, then each cell will see 25A. There's no way a coin cell can handle that.


I'm thinking they can, for ~100ms pulses. Those cells seem like half of their weight is metal. Anyway, just take a seat on the long bus of people saying this can't be done, and we'll see this weekend. ;-) I'll be the first to admit if it doesn't work, we can chuckle at the folly of it -- and then move forward from there. 

The project goal is clear -- and if it can't be reached this way, we have a lot of can-do people on this board, so we'll find another.


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## TEEJ (Dec 13, 2012)

Its not a good idea....it won't work at at, and, the concept is flawed as a need that doesn't need to be filled by this.

As Patriot mentioned, its too unweildy.

If you have your heart set on a walking stick strobe light...with a motion detector...the work to be ABLE to walk with it w/o setting off the motion detector alone would be a nightmare...IF that same detector is supposed to intercept a lion leaping from the brush at you, etc.

An LED strobe for example would allow a smaller, lighter, and more robust light source in that regard, as the cells for it are off the shelf and would actually have meaningful run time.

With no filament to break, you COULD have a spear that had a built-in strobe, and be able to hurl it at thy foe to boot.


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## AnAppleSnail (Dec 13, 2012)

Friday said:


> I'm thinking they can, for ~100ms pulses. Those cells seem like half of their weight is metal. Anyway, just take a seat on the long bus of people saying this can't be done, and we'll see this weekend. ;-) I'll be the first to admit if it doesn't work, we can chuckle at the folly of it -- and then move forward from there.
> 
> The project goal is clear -- and if it can't be reached this way, we have a lot of can-do people on this board, so we'll find another.



Well, you're welcome to give it a shot as I suggested in my previous post. Just make sure to do it in a place that is safe from lithium fires. But it won't light the bulb.

The only time I've ever heard of a 'light bullet' being at all effective is an extremely bright, variously-strobing high-intensity lights that the subject is forced to look at. The brightness doesn't let you see past it, and the strobing causes vague nausea... but so does eating too many onions and breathing at people. Not even aircraft landing lights or train spotlights are especially offensive, except that they are dazzlingly bright. But so are much-dimmer, much-more-practical, and much-easier-to-build light sources.

tl;dr, go ahead and test your fire-starter.


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## mvyrmnd (Dec 13, 2012)

AnAppleSnail said:


> Just make sure to do it in a place that is safe from lithium fires.



This is my concern, too.

These things will mess you up good and proper if they go bad. I don't want to see a CPF member win a Darwin Award.

I'll happily eat my words if it works, but I fear the results - I certainly wouldn't want to be anywhere near it when it gets switched on.


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## get-lit (Dec 14, 2012)

If you're using a projector lamp, you also have to take into account the ballast power consumption is another 20% on top of the lamp power consumption. So total power for a 1200W lamp will be around 1440W and total power for a 400W lamp will be around 480W.

You're also taking a battery intended for low power small devices and stretching it for an industrial power device. The battery's max pulse current is spec-ed at 15ma. Once you go beyond that it will likely drop voltage, but even if you could get double without dropping voltage, that's only 30ma and you're entering the rhelm of extremely dangerous because you'd need 16,000 batteries for a total of 1440W to power a 1200W lamp, or 5,333 batteries for a total of 480W for a 400W lamp.

You should use a more capable battery that is designed to handle very high pulse drains.

Right now the highest rated battery for pulse drain is the Turnigy nano-tech A-SPEC 5000mah 10S 65~130C Lipo Pack. It can do 650000ma pulses (650A), at 37V that's 24,050 Watt pulses from just a 3.2 lb. battery. There's other configurations offered in the A-SPEC line to choose from as well.

Projector lamps also take at least 90 seconds to warm up long enough to reach full output and can not be strobed until after the warmup is complete. For immediate output, you'd need either a Xenon strobe light or a LED strobe light.


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## SemiMan (Dec 15, 2012)

Can't for the life of me think of why you would want to use an incan projector bulb beyond cost. Terribly efficiency in strobe conditions as you have filament warm up time which is completely wasted.

Do you really need to have a long duration strobe for disorientation? 

A Xenon strobe makes way more sense. Instantaneous, super bright, tolerable efficiency, and with proper electronics you can also do some pulse shaping to extend the pulse duration if desired (at the expense of peak brightness). Pulse that at 15 Hz and it is rather disorienting.


It seems awfully heavy and big to be of much effective use? Are you mainly concerned with protection from humans or animals?


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## Patriot (Dec 15, 2012)

get-lit said:


> You should use a more capable battery that is designed to handle very high pulse drains.
> 
> Right now the highest rated battery for pulse drain is the Turnigy nano-tech A-SPEC 5000mah 10S 65~130C Lipo Pack. It can do 650000ma pulses (650A), at 37V that's 24,050 Watt pulses from just a 3.2 lb. battery. There's other configurations offered in the A-SPEC line to choose from as well.





Even if he comes to the realization that his current plan for a power supply is a pipe dream, it's only a single flaw in a chain of illogical assertions, starting with the imagination that a 8lb bar wielded by a man, will stop or deter a lion. 

The indigenous have protected themselves from lions for eons with thrusting spears, atlatls & axes. These were culturally seasoned, hunters and warriors operating in groups to effect survival and procure sustenance. A measly few-hundred joules of blunt force trauma against 400lbs of muscle may only serve to bring death to the user more rapidly than had he not aggravated the animal. Modern African game cartridges produce anywhere from 4,000-10,000 joules and lions sometimes soak them up like a sponge before expiring. You need energy and penetration! Perhaps you should seek the experience, wisdom and practical know-how of a local traditionalist, tribal elder, hunter or Park/Game Warden. 

The debate over electronics is unavailing if the fundamental concept of the tool isn't based in rationality. I liken it to fretting the design of a wiring harness for a manned lunar mission wherein the proposed mode of propulsion is to be shot out of a cannon. :tinfoil: :duh2:


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## mvyrmnd (Dec 15, 2012)

I'm a little concerned about the OP not replying for a few days... I hope his batteries didn't catch fire.


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## TEEJ (Dec 15, 2012)

He may have been eaten by a lion.


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## AnAppleSnail (Dec 16, 2012)

mvyrmnd said:


> I'm a little concerned about the OP not replying for a few days... I hope his batteries didn't catch fire.



Metaphorical burns may be to blame here.


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## get-lit (Dec 16, 2012)

Holy crap - I didn't know he wanted incan! A grand in watts of the most inefficient lamp imaginable powered by the least powerful battery imaginable for a use that's hard to imagine.. I just realized he's been pulling our leg all along


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## Patriot (Dec 16, 2012)

Either that or he's just a romantic dreamer. As long as he's having fun I guess!


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## get-lit (Apr 18, 2013)

mvyrmnd said:


> I'm a little concerned about the OP not replying for a few days... I hope his batteries didn't catch fire.



and that was his last post.. not looking good :candle:


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## gravelmonkey (May 21, 2013)

Friday said:


> ...Anyway, just take a seat on the long bus of people saying this can't be done, and we'll see this weekend. ;-) I'll be the first to admit if it doesn't work, we can chuckle at the folly of it -- and then move forward from there...



Famous last words? :duh2:


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