Itinerant Air-Cooled

Last night I was working on my '79 and what with the days getting shorter (in this hemisphere, at least) the sun was down and it was too dark to work on the bus by about 6 PM. Since I had only gotten to start working at 5 I was disappointed and started searching around the garage (it's not my garage, see) for a light. The only thing I could find was a halogen lamp and I didn't so much desire to be working on exhaust with that hot thing sitting next to my face.

Buried in a pile under some tarps I came up a rope light. You know the sort people use for highlighting stairs, or putting next to a red carpet, or for Christmas decorations. Like this: http://www.lampsplus.com/products/Super ... 81043.html

I decided to try it out.

It turned out to be the BEST DARN LIGHT I've ever used under the bus. It's a rope, so it's flexible, and there are a ton of lights in it, so it puts off a lot of light. You can twist and poke it into position wherever you want it. It's not hot at all, just a little bit warm. It's soft enough to lay your head on but durable enough not to be damaged by having a person scootching around on top of it. I installed the entire exhaust system using the rope light and it couldn't have been easier.

So that's my suggestion: If you need light, get a rope light. I'm seriously considering picking one up for myself for this sole purpose.

No kidding. That's a great idea. So it come with a plug you can just just plug into the wall?

Good idea! Thanks. The trouble light has a habit of falling...

Manfred wrote:So it come with a plug you can just just plug into the wall?

Yes, that's the one drawback of the rope lights: you've got to have a place to plug them in. That does limit their usefulness on the side of the road (unless perhaps there are low-voltage versions available).

that's a brilliant idea. They're also pretty toxic-spill proof. for the portable version, they do have rechargeable LED trouble light for about $40 dollars.

Shop smart, shop S mart!

Best trouble light I've ever used is an AAA-powered LED flashlight. Small enough to go anywhere, tons of light and totally safe. It quite often winds up between my teeth if I need three hands.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26988

glasseye wrote:Best trouble light I've ever used is an AAA-powered LED flashlight. Small enough to go anywhere, tons of light and totally safe. It quite often winds up between my teeth if I need three hands.

What you need is a Lite Bite!

How does the rope light do with an inadvertant gas spill of flammable vapors? Does it run relativly cool? Excellent idea, BTW.
Colin

I got Jeffrey one of those hats with the light on top that spelunkers use. He LOVES it. This is a great idea too, may pick one of these up for a holiday gift for Phred.

Amskeptic wrote:How does the rope light do with an inadvertant gas spill of flammable vapors? Does it run relativly cool? Excellent idea, BTW.
Colin

Shouldn't be effected at all. It's a series of leds encased in a clear plasic hose.

Great idea ArizonaZack! =D>

-John

I'm not sure how the plastic is affected by automotive chemicals. Grease, oil, and gasoline can do interesting things to plastic.

I didn't expose it to any chemicals so I can't vouch for its resistance. It held up without any remarkable damage to incidental contact with grime on the bottom of my engine.

The light I used was a 120v AC version. It ran a little warm: I could feel the warmth when I laid my head on it. It wasn't nearly warm enough to be a source of ignition for gas vapors (something that always worries me with halogen lights). I've seen some low voltage LED versions online. Those probably run really cool.

Thanks John. Necessity being the mother of invention I can't really claim this was my idea. I just stumbled across it and knew I had to share it with the world. Call it rope light evangelism.

I got a headband with a 3 led light on it at autozone. I absolutely love it.

I love my LED headlamp too. In fact I've loved it to death: the elastic strap has become all saggy and baggy through years of use. I suppose it's time to bust out the needle and thread and fashion a new strap for it.

That lamp comes with me on all road-trips, no matter what car I'm driving. It also comes with me to bed sometimes when I want to read but my wife insists on having the bedside lamp turned off. It's the bee's knees when camping… I could go on and on.

AzironaZack wrote:I love my LED headlamp too.

I used to love mine. Now the hinge has gone all 'floppy'.

I saw a new headband the other day with 8 LEDs!