Homemade ceiling bounce lantern.

mpteach · Jan 19, 2009

I was thinking about making ceiling bounce lanterns for blackouts. A abs pipe with 12D (3 stacked 4D adapters) with a mce or p7 flashlight head on top. Id add threaded caps on the top and bottom and add a handle from a paint can. If blackouts were more common I'd use lead acid batteries.

What do you guys think of a ceiling bounce lantern vs a lantern with a large diffuser?

Sgt. LED · Jan 19, 2009

Depends on the ceiling and if it is ALWAYS going to be used indoors.

In my house diffusing it would be a better way to go.

bluecrow76 · Jan 19, 2009

I made a little room light out of spare parts I had in 2007. I posted it here. It's powered by SLA batteries I pulled from old computer battery backups. I don't have any diffusers so I can't comment on the difference. I would imagine a diffuser would give you better light up close if you were reading as your source of light is close by instead of losses through bounce.

elumen8 · Jan 19, 2009

I'd opt for a diffused light for blackouts. Not all rooms are conducive to ceiling bounce and if you need to be outdoors that could pose its own set of concerns. Your light idea with an added removable diffuser would be the best of both worlds.

Btw... if you could have a low mode for longer runtime that would make for a well rounded blackout light. Its simply amazing what just a few lumen will do when its dark.

-JB

LukeA · Jan 19, 2009

If you have a 4-die emitter running near spec current it will ceiling bounce very well, even in a large room.

Ceiling bouncing is better than diffusing because ceiling bouncing generally results in familiar shadow patterns as fixed lighting is usually ceiling-mounted.

Also, ceiling bouncing will result in much less low-light vision-destroying glare than diffusing will.

mpteach · Jan 19, 2009

If I'm walking outside I'll use a flashlight. I need a light to run the grill by but that's another thread. A diffuser would have to be big to compete with ceiling bounce. My cablemodem wifirouter and phone have 12v wall warts. I'm planning replacing them with a charger and a few deep cycle sla batteries to make a 12v 20hr UPS. I'll add extra capacity to run my laptop and cellphone car chargers twice and to run a light in that room.
For other rooms I need a portable light. Alkaline batteries are much lighter and 1/3 the cost but not rechargable. To run a quad die for a long number of hours I might need a 15lbs sla battery by that's okay I won't be walking around much with it.