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I'm looking on ebay for a generator and some floodlights - anyone got advice about what sort to buy/avoid?
I see some pics on this site feature night skateboarding to floodlights - are the "4 on a stick" type the best?
Bunnings is the go.
Get a 750w genny for $90 and three spotties in the 100 to 250 watt range for $9 each. Should be enough to light small to medium bowls or street obstacles.
You'll be rolling before you can say "I hope I don't get stabbed by junkies".
r those $9 floodies like this? I'm gonna need a 6 foot or so stand to light up the bowl.
Yeah kinda. But they sit on the ground instead of being on a stand so you do need to take something to sit them on. A box or ladder or whatever. But this is mainly a problem with bowls as you are trying to get the light to shine down into the bowl.
The lights on a stand I have seen are 500w each light. That means you need a genny 1000w or more to drive one set as pictured. And a bigger genny means more money, heavier to carry, more fuel and more noise. But noise is the big one as the neighbours will call the cops. So you should be aiming for the smallest setup that will do the job.
We prefer three or smaller lights spread around the bowl so you don't get shadows on the coping. Hence the 100-250 watters. I've used six 100w lights around a 6-8ft bowl and it's done the job just nice.
Greg from the MASH crew has two 1500 Watt lights on 20 foot poles that light up the whole bowl and platforms of Bondi. The genny can be carried by two and has enough fuel to last about 6 hours.
yeah but a 2500 watt generator costs a fair bit more than a 750watt generator
And makes a lot of noise. OK for Bondi but in the suburbs of Brisso they'll have the fuzz around in no time.
Gotta remember we don't have daylight savings up here cause the curtains fade. Skating at night with your own lights ? Must be illegal. Or should be if it aint already.
2 x $100 genys
2 x the same lights on stands exactly as pictured
Will do for starters. Its wont be super bright but you will be able to get away with it to have some fun at night.
The lights do total 1000w but the little 750w geny does ok with em.
Get a halfa dozen dudes to throw in $50 bucks each and your on your way to a weekly night session.
Too Easy!
Greg
Yeah soundz sweet Greg'
We use a full genny setup fer' some of our w/end rides with the boyzzz' down to the farm, I will find out what me mate has been using, coz it powers music, lighting (spotties & party lights), etc...(& even the karaoke machine - heh-heh) We set it up at quite a distance & run cabling lines to it, so u don't get the shits with the constant noise...
We usually take turns gassin' it once every few hours' Does really well !
my m8 in g-long has a generator which cost $89 from super cheap auto. and he bought 2 of those stands wif 4 lights as in the pic above^^^^ and it lights up an average size park.
Remember to always carry some spare globes!!! If it gets to noisy, throw a blanket over it :/
Not sure if you're aware Fetus but generators typically rely on a process known as "internal combustion" to produce electricity. This process combines air and fuel, compresses it and ignites it. The byproduct of this exposion is mechanical energy that turns a crank which, in turn, turns a wire coil inside a magnetic field to produce an electrical current.
With a blanket over the genny there would be no air to the genny, and therefore no ignition, no combustion, no mechanical energy, no turning of the dynamo, and, most imprtantly NO FRICKN ELECTRICITY !!
Fetus & El Duderino, thanks for that advice and mechanical engineering lesson. However, I agree with Fetus insofar as we made sure the air intake of the Genny was blanketless - an I'm certain that Fetus implied that information, although it was not imparted.
To clarify: the bowl I wish to illuminate is at San Remo - no neighbours around for at least about 200m so we are safe on the noise issue.
I probably won't be able to ask the mrs for a couple-hundred of my hard-earned xmas bonus for a genny & lights for a while - might have to build it up piecemeal.
Unless anyone is upgrading and wants to make sure that the old setup is put to good use...?
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Generator + Lights
Justin Sawell 16:27 29/Nov/05
I'm looking on ebay for a generator and some floodlights - anyone got advice about what sort to buy/avoid?
I see some pics on this site feature night skateboarding to floodlights - are the "4 on a stick" type the best?
El Duderino 16:36 29/Nov/05
Bunnings is the go.
Get a 750w genny for $90 and three spotties in the 100 to 250 watt range for $9 each. Should be enough to light small to medium bowls or street obstacles.
You'll be rolling before you can say "I hope I don't get stabbed by junkies".
Justin Sawell 16:43 29/Nov/05
r those $9 floodies like this? I'm gonna need a 6 foot or so stand to light up the bowl.
El Duderino 17:09 29/Nov/05
Yeah kinda. But they sit on the ground instead of being on a stand so you do need to take something to sit them on. A box or ladder or whatever. But this is mainly a problem with bowls as you are trying to get the light to shine down into the bowl.
The lights on a stand I have seen are 500w each light. That means you need a genny 1000w or more to drive one set as pictured. And a bigger genny means more money, heavier to carry, more fuel and more noise. But noise is the big one as the neighbours will call the cops. So you should be aiming for the smallest setup that will do the job.
We prefer three or smaller lights spread around the bowl so you don't get shadows on the coping. Hence the 100-250 watters. I've used six 100w lights around a 6-8ft bowl and it's done the job just nice.
Michael Mulhall 17:19 29/Nov/05
Greg from the MASH crew has two 1500 Watt lights on 20 foot poles that light up the whole bowl and platforms of Bondi. The genny can be carried by two and has enough fuel to last about 6 hours.
mosu101 17:24 29/Nov/05
yeah but a 2500 watt generator costs a fair bit more than a 750watt generator
El Duderino 17:40 29/Nov/05
And makes a lot of noise. OK for Bondi but in the suburbs of Brisso they'll have the fuzz around in no time.
Gotta remember we don't have daylight savings up here cause the curtains fade. Skating at night with your own lights ? Must be illegal. Or should be if it aint already.
GroundHangers 17:56 29/Nov/05
2 x $100 genys
2 x the same lights on stands exactly as pictured
Will do for starters. Its wont be super bright but you will be able to get away with it to have some fun at night.
The lights do total 1000w but the little 750w geny does ok with em.
Get a halfa dozen dudes to throw in $50 bucks each and your on your way to a weekly night session.
Too Easy!
Greg
Cam Ward 21:06 29/Nov/05
Yeah soundz sweet Greg'
We use a full genny setup fer' some of our w/end rides with the boyzzz' down to the farm, I will find out what me mate has been using, coz it powers music, lighting (spotties & party lights), etc...(& even the karaoke machine - heh-heh) We set it up at quite a distance & run cabling lines to it, so u don't get the shits with the constant noise...
We usually take turns gassin' it once every few hours' Does really well !
sam_scarface 21:29 29/Nov/05
my m8 in g-long has a generator which cost $89 from super cheap auto. and he bought 2 of those stands wif 4 lights as in the pic above^^^^ and it lights up an average size park.
Fetus 12:18 30/Nov/05
Remember to always carry some spare globes!!! If it gets to noisy, throw a blanket over it :/
El Duderino 12:45 30/Nov/05
Not sure if you're aware Fetus but generators typically rely on a process known as "internal combustion" to produce electricity. This process combines air and fuel, compresses it and ignites it. The byproduct of this exposion is mechanical energy that turns a crank which, in turn, turns a wire coil inside a magnetic field to produce an electrical current.
With a blanket over the genny there would be no air to the genny, and therefore no ignition, no combustion, no mechanical energy, no turning of the dynamo, and, most imprtantly NO FRICKN ELECTRICITY !!
Justin Sawell 13:27 30/Nov/05
Fetus & El Duderino, thanks for that advice and mechanical engineering lesson. However, I agree with Fetus insofar as we made sure the air intake of the Genny was blanketless - an I'm certain that Fetus implied that information, although it was not imparted.
To clarify: the bowl I wish to illuminate is at San Remo - no neighbours around for at least about 200m so we are safe on the noise issue.
I probably won't be able to ask the mrs for a couple-hundred of my hard-earned xmas bonus for a genny & lights for a while - might have to build it up piecemeal.
Unless anyone is upgrading and wants to make sure that the old setup is put to good use...?
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