Battery powered clip on lights for ProPanels??

I've scoured the Internet looking for a source for battery powered clip on lamps for ProPanels, and have had little luck. The Rockford Art Guild, of which I'm now president, has 20 knockdown ProPanels and I have 11 that I offer for use for our shows. The panels are great, they allow us to do a show just about anywhere, however, the lighting is often very poor, and we don't have the luxury of nearby electrical outlets. Some spaces have too much traffic to have cords strung, even when taped to the floor.

Does anyone know of small battery powered lights that could be clipped on to the top of the panels and would throw enough light for several hours during a show's opening reception? I've tried all kinds of cheapie clamp lamps, but they don't provide enough light to make a difference.

Any suggestions that are relatively inexpensive and very portable?

Ultrabeam Clip-On LED Light from B&H Photo is $19.99, but has a poor review. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/528976-REG/Odyssey_Innovative_Designs_ULTRABEAM.html

Suggestions appreciated.

Replies

Gary Haynes October 29, 2010 at 10:25pm

Barbara

Here's an easy answer for you. Use CFL bulbs, I've got 120W equivalents from Home Depot. Your choice of lamp fixtures like the swing arms that are sold by the Pro Panel folks. Hook it up to a $99 BLACK & DECKER 400 AC/DC Portable Power Station/Jump-Starter/Compressor from Home Depot. Should last more than a day so a few hours would be no problem.
- Jim Dalton > Gary Haynes October 30, 2010 at 11:01am
  
  We went totally to CFL bulbs in both our swing arm lights and our track lights. Try several different bulb configurations and wattages to find the one that best suits your needs. You can also find any of a number of portable power stations available in a variety of wattages. There are also solar chargers available which will keep your batteries charged, if no sunshine, you can take it back to the room each night and recharge. Check out Quill.com for some very affordable swing arm lights that will fit the tops of ProPanels.
  - Art on the Lawn: Barbara Berney > Jim Dalton October 30, 2010 at 1:00pm
    
    Thanks for the ideas. I never thought of Quill, though I used to order stuff from them all the time.
    
    I had LASIK surgery that destroyed my vision in 2001. CFLs or any fluorescent lights produce the effect of looking through waxed paper. It would be OK for the Guild shows where the lighting is already not great for me, but I couldn't stand it in my booth at shows. (I'm secretly hoarding incandescent daylight spectrum bulbs in the basement, against the day when they are no longer available...)
    - Jim Dalton > Art on the Lawn: Barbara Berney October 30, 2010 at 2:09pm
      
      CFL's are a short term solution to replacing incandescents, LED's are the next wave, pricing is coming down slowly, but they are currently about ten times the price of incandescent. LED's do not have the same issues as CFL's, so as they get more affordable we will all be going that way.
      - Paula Galle > Jim Dalton November 12, 2010 at 9:37am
        
        I make jewelry and am looking for some clip on lights. Are LED's bright enough to make a difference?
- Art on the Lawn: Barbara Berney > Gary Haynes October 30, 2010 at 10:53am
  
  OK, thanks, I'll pass the suggestion along. We just welcomed a new Guild member who's an electrician! Hoping he can fix us up.
  b
Diane Wright October 29, 2010 at 3:24pm

I have tried several types of battery operated lights but to no avail. None that I have tried gives out enought light. I hope someone knows of some that actually work.
- Art on the Lawn: Barbara Berney > Diane Wright October 29, 2010 at 3:30pm
  
  It would be great to have something small, powerful and bright, wouldn't it? Our next show opens the first week in December at a local bank, where there are some definite dark areas.

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