And what did we buy today?

I'm thinking 8A slo-blo is probably close to what one of my customers must have used in an attempt to "repair" a 12V supply in a church organ I looked at the other day. (I can't say for sure because the evidence had been removed from the fuseholder.)

Problem 1: The correct fuse rating is 1-1/2A.
Problem 2: One of the bridge rectifiers is shorted.

I'm told the organist was overheard asking "What's that smell?" Well ma'am, that would be the power transformer crapping itself, perhaps with a dash of roasted rectifier for spice.

Today's purchase: 1 used, good-condition original replacement 12V supply from Ebay. :)
 
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Looking at some LED Floodlights for the backyard.
Got a 3-Head Unit with Incandescent / Dead Compact fluorescent mounted on the gable that illuminates the back yard.
2 Heads aimed into the yard and one pointing DOWN at patio for nighttime grilling etc.
(So that we can keep an eye on our hounds when they're out at night)

Then a Single-Head Unit around the corner from the other one - lights-up the driveway apron area when we need to unload / have guests.

Gotta' be able to stand-up to extreme weather (snow, rain, ice, Summer heat)
Want something that will LAST - so that I can minimize trips hauling my big ol' butt up a 25-foot ladder to change bulbs...

Don't need any built-in Motion Sensor
Could replace the entire fixture or just bolt-in 2 or 3 new heads into existing box / body.
(Photocell On/Off could work nice for if I forget and leave the switch on during daylight, so long as it does not interfere with switch on = turns ON quickly)

Any recommendations?
 
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PRR

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Looking at some LED Floodlights for the backyard....Gotta' be able to stand-up to extreme weather (snow, rain, ice, Summer heat) ...hauling my big ol' butt up a 25-foot ladder to change bulbs...

In 2005 I found a giant compact fluorescent (mogul socket with ballast in the fixture) and it worked great for years. In 2010 at the new house I got the "same" thing and it failed three times in 3 years. Put in a 500W halogen and it did throw 4/5ths down my long driveway, cheaply, but the ladder got tiresome.

For long/wide throw I very much like this model, sadly discontinued:
Home Depot 303865275 150-Watt LED High Bay Light, 19,500 Lumen, mounted on a framing-strap to throw it down the drive. Our Maine weather can't be that much worse than yours, and it has been out through 2 winters.

For around-the-house I like
Home Depot 302807633 Newhouse 30-Watt Outdoor LED Wall Wash Flood Light, fits your old fixture holes, seems very well made, tested 2 winters, somewhat mellow color compared to the more-blue of the superpower light.

Sleeker and costlier with more versatile mount than you may need:
Home Depot 301004638 Halo LED Wall with Trunnion
I set this on a ladder and it covered a large dooryard while my parents were here, enough to walk. It was killer in a cellar while we changed a fusebox (easily powered on a truck battery and inverter). It would be ample on a deck, or a fair yard with light-color dogs.

Gross overkill and price and mounting:
Home Depot 300351385 Lithonia OFL2 LED Bronze Outdoor Flood Light -- aside from price, and an industrial mount you can't get at H-D, the $359 price is a gasper. Actually that model is delivered for 347V, which is for LARGE industrial lighting. It is really a normal-Volt guts plus a transformer. Normal folks want the "Mvolt" model (120-277V) which is cheaper and lighter. Still overkill for most.

All these lights tolerate voltage sag super-well; one appears unchanged from 145V to 75V. They all have a turn-on delay from 1/10sec for the small ones to 2sec for the monster. The delay does not increase in cold like gas-lamps do, and once started they are full-bright. (I still have fluorescent tubes in the garage. In cold they are slow to glow and it takes 20 minutes to light right.)
 
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A while ago, I bought a couple of 50 watt flood lights from China. Two things I didn't realise. One was they are for 220VAC (it used to say 85 V to 250 V in the ad, changed now). Okay, the second thing was that they were really a full 50 watt dissipation, not an equivalent. For the first issue, I bought a pair of inexpensive step up transformers (supposed to be 100 watt). For the second issue I needed to perform surgery as the fixtures were too hot to hold on to. Well, the LED part wasn't attached to the rear enclosure, the ground wire was free between the LED and fixture and there were bumps in the enclosure so you would never get good thermal contact.

Okay, pounded the enclosure flat with a dead blow hammer and a flat surface. Drilled out holes in a new heat sink to line up with the LED mounting holes. Used thermal compound to improve thermal conductivity on both sides and screwed the LED onto the assembly into the now tapped holes (M3 in case anyone is wondering). Now when it runs, the heat sink gets darned uncomfortable to hold and the heat comes rolling off the heat sinks like you wouldn't believe! But, these went from soon to be dead lamps to being something that will probably last in spite of itself. In original condition and in Europe, I doubt they would last an hour. Now for the funny bit. I have to wait until it warms up before I can mount them in the garage. They will be powered from the original lamp socket with one of those outlet adapter things so I can keep the original lamp for general lighting, and these two flood lamps to light 1/2 of the garage each.

Maybe if I leave them on, it will be warm enough to work in the garage in January - February.
 
If they're not crazy-expen$ive - I'm looking at something like THESE:

FCF1106 6" Flood Light offers many mounting and optical choices.

Designed for Outdoor use in inclement weather.
LED = NO bulbs to burn-out
5-Year Warranty
Compact
Available in bronze color to match brown siding
Heads with wire-through swivel knuckles should replace the existing swivel floodlamp sockets (same brackets / electrical box, etc.)
 
Any adverse effects from your flu shot, Magnus (hope not)?

This year I got my flu shot and shingles booster at the same time, one in each arm. For two days I had significant joint pain; my left knee in particular felt like it was actually injured, like the joint was coming unglued or something. Hurt like hell. Also my right index finger for some reason! :confused:

After a couple of days, just as I was about to make an appointment to get the knee looked at, all the symptoms disappeared without a trace!

I've had both types of shots individually before with little trouble; the worst I ever felt was a bit light-headed. Must have been the combination of the two. I asked about this beforehand, and was told, nah, it's fine to get both at once. Hmm...
 
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Finally getting around to upgrading the projector screen in the living room from 84" to 110"!

I was gonna build my own again, but unfortunately the horizontal-retracting design of the original won't just scale up to the new size without a bunch of hassle, so it's gonna be a conventional store-bought roll-up type. Fortunately they seem to have come down in price a bit over the years.

I'll be a little sad to see the old one go; I spent a lot of time building it and am kinda proud of how it works. I think these feelings will persist for about 5 or 10 minutes into the first movie on the new, HUGE screen. :D
 
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How can anyone resist picking up your grandkids. I would do it even if they suffered from ebola ...

Btw got a way with 6 inches of smoked eel (it's sold by the kilo) some Dream-herring (salted herring in a very dreamy sauce) and a bottle of elderberry/lemon vodka:

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
 
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coughed/runny nose/sinus issues for 6 weeks. Everyone who got it this year seems to have had the same issue.

No issues for me other than the usual sore spot at the injection site for a couple days. Since pneumonia is making the rounds through our schools, the pharmacist tried to hit me with both at once.....I'm not that stupid, so I waited a week in between the shots and had no problems. My 81 year old neighbor took their advice and was messed up for about two weeks.
 
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A jacket from Bang Good. I originally ordered the wrong size, and they were extremely helpful in getting the correct size to me.

Hint: A Canadian 3XL and an Asian 3XL are two completely different things. An Asian 6XL size is about the same as a Canadian 3XL. I also learned that an American 3XL is a Canadian 2XL. Good to know.

I also bought another 100 white LEDs. Heck, I go through them quickly!

-Chris