Hello all!
I just thought I would share my new favorite thing I got to try out over a recent art fair. I've had a few fairs go into the late hours and had been looking at some battery powered lights. Recently I found these Ryobi lights at Home Depot. They are cable lights, a set of three LED lights strung together like Christmas lights. They put out a lot of light and are easily zip tied down. They run off battery packs or can be plugged into an outlet or with an extension cord. They have three light level settings too. I am attaching a photo of my booth taken at 9:30, right when we were about to close up shop. The lights cost around $100 and battery packs start at $40 and the charger is $40 too. I did a text to see how long they would last on high, about an hour with my small battery. The box says 15 hours on low. I already had the fan and two batteries and the charger so I figured I'd give it a go and I am thrilled.
I found a couple videos on you tube giving reviews for these lights, check them out.
I saw those lights recently in an email i got from Ryobi. They look very nice. Are you able to unplug each light from the battery source or is it permanently connected?
The Ryobi products are very innovative and affordable. I have their workbench light, vaccum, chainsaw, hedge trimmer, fan, two chargers and four batteries. they all get a lot of use
The lights are permanently connected, with the cable going from one to another. Plastic cord winders with hooks are included, so the slack between lights can be taken up.
The lights come with no battery. If you don't have a battery, you need one, and also a charger, which may or may not come with the battery. There are a bunch of different battery sizes, both lithium ion and nicad. The biggest battery (P108) is claimed to power the lights on high for 3 hours. I will test this tomorrow and report back here.
Cost was about $100 for the lights, about $50 for charger plus a P102 battery, and about $100 for the P108 battery. They didn't have a charger+P108 combination, only a charger+P102. So I have one battery good for 3 hrs (claimed), and one good for maybe 1/2 hr.
My first use will be at an art show in Dillon, Colorado, next weekend. As I will be at a campsite with my trailer with no electricity, charging becomes an issue. I play to finish off each day with 3 beers at a bar that will allow me to plug in. Problem solved. I hope.
For a show, if you don't already have a battery, the P108 is the cheapest way to go. I have a P102 only because it came with the charger. (Of course, you may already have suitable batteries from shop tools. For a shop tool, the P108 is probably too cumbersome.)
For a show that ends at 5PM, I will switch on the lights around 2, as it often gets darker here in Colorado as storm clouds move in.
Marc Rochkind > Marc RochkindJuly 21, 2017 at 1:54pm
An update:
Only during the afternoon of the first day (of three) did the skies darken, and the lights helped a bit. Had it gotten really dark, they would have made all the difference. No need for lights the second two days. (Need for an air conditioner.)
As I mentioned, we stayed in our trailer, with no electrical hookup. So, after the show on the first day I went to nearby brewpub, and they generously allowed me to plug in while I enjoyed a beer and a snack.
What I plugged in was a small canvas bag with an electrical cord hanging out of it, a very suspicious package, so I assured the people sitting near it that it was OK and they were not to call the Bomb Squad. ;-)
Attaching the lights to the tent superstructure was easy with some small clamps. I removed one plastic handle cover from each of three camps, exposing a hole, into which I inserted a machine screw secured by a nut. A light then hung from the protruding machine screw.
Thanks for this... just ordered a set. I noticed that my booth got dim towards the end of the day last weekend, once some storm clouds moved in. Even a little light would have made a big difference. Really, one additional sale pays for the lights. Also, it will help me set up, since setup is from 6:30 to 9PM next weekend, and I'm sure I'll need light near the end.
Replies
Ooooh! And I am in need of lighting solutions. Thank you for sharing!
I saw those lights recently in an email i got from Ryobi. They look very nice. Are you able to unplug each light from the battery source or is it permanently connected?
The Ryobi products are very innovative and affordable. I have their workbench light, vaccum, chainsaw, hedge trimmer, fan, two chargers and four batteries. they all get a lot of use
The lights are permanently connected, with the cable going from one to another. Plastic cord winders with hooks are included, so the slack between lights can be taken up.
The lights come with no battery. If you don't have a battery, you need one, and also a charger, which may or may not come with the battery. There are a bunch of different battery sizes, both lithium ion and nicad. The biggest battery (P108) is claimed to power the lights on high for 3 hours. I will test this tomorrow and report back here.
Cost was about $100 for the lights, about $50 for charger plus a P102 battery, and about $100 for the P108 battery. They didn't have a charger+P108 combination, only a charger+P102. So I have one battery good for 3 hrs (claimed), and one good for maybe 1/2 hr.
My first use will be at an art show in Dillon, Colorado, next weekend. As I will be at a campsite with my trailer with no electricity, charging becomes an issue. I play to finish off each day with 3 beers at a bar that will allow me to plug in. Problem solved. I hope.
Some battery test results:
P108, claimed to last 3 hrs at high; got 3.5+
P102, don't know claim; got 1+ on high
For a show, if you don't already have a battery, the P108 is the cheapest way to go. I have a P102 only because it came with the charger. (Of course, you may already have suitable batteries from shop tools. For a shop tool, the P108 is probably too cumbersome.)
For a show that ends at 5PM, I will switch on the lights around 2, as it often gets darker here in Colorado as storm clouds move in.
An update:
Only during the afternoon of the first day (of three) did the skies darken, and the lights helped a bit. Had it gotten really dark, they would have made all the difference. No need for lights the second two days. (Need for an air conditioner.)
As I mentioned, we stayed in our trailer, with no electrical hookup. So, after the show on the first day I went to nearby brewpub, and they generously allowed me to plug in while I enjoyed a beer and a snack.
What I plugged in was a small canvas bag with an electrical cord hanging out of it, a very suspicious package, so I assured the people sitting near it that it was OK and they were not to call the Bomb Squad. ;-)
Attaching the lights to the tent superstructure was easy with some small clamps. I removed one plastic handle cover from each of three camps, exposing a hole, into which I inserted a machine screw secured by a nut. A light then hung from the protruding machine screw.
So, the result is: Very successful.
Thanks for this... just ordered a set. I noticed that my booth got dim towards the end of the day last weekend, once some storm clouds moved in. Even a little light would have made a big difference. Really, one additional sale pays for the lights. Also, it will help me set up, since setup is from 6:30 to 9PM next weekend, and I'm sure I'll need light near the end.
Almost forgot! I only had the lights on the medium setting in the photo too.