Wednesday, January 2, 2013

WHY YOU SHOULD STOCK UP ON INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULBS

If I were you, I would stock up on incandescent bulbs as I am not so sure the common CF bulbs will survive an EMP attack.  The new bulbs have a circuit board whose electrical traces may not be able to withstand certain kinds of EMP - even when disconnected from a light circuit, or in one which is not energized.  I would rather have a watt-hogging bulb that provides light in critical circumstances, than one that is more efficient (would not wear your electrical storage devices down as quickly), but which does not work when light is a must.

I have several kinds of inverters - the critical ones which are stored in a Faraday cage (a $22 metal garbage can with a tight-fitting metal lid) in the garage.  If batteries are available - and a means of charging them exists, then you will have light when you need it.

I will try and provide more info on what I am talking about as time goes on.  All I can say is, think about living without power for a little while.  Without an easy source of lighting at night, kids will get antsy.  If anyone knows of a source of 12VDC night lights, I would love to know of them - and that would eliminate the need to run an inverter (with a fan on it) while getting light.

Here is the article:
http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/75-watt-bulbs-gone-40s-60s-in-bulls-eye/
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3 comments:

  1. KimberlyJanuary 2, 2013 at 8:23 PM

    This might seem silly, but, what I do for extra lightening is solar. Ya know the individual decorative post lightening you line your pathways, walkways, flower gardens with? Well, I have those on my balcony for the sole purpose of lightening when I have no electricity. Since I don't have a yard, I just take the individual lights (they are the stick kind) and I sit them between the slats and they charge by the sun. This summer past, we had a bad storm that knocked the power out. It was dark out, but, because I had my solar stick lights I got out my cheap skinny tall vases put a solar light stick in it and had about 3 of them in the living room and it lit the room up really pretty well. When I took them into the kitchen I was able to wash dishes without any problem. Then, when daylight comes, you just take them back outside for a recharge and they are ready go the next time you need them. It may be silly, but, they are inexpensive and they work rather well. Just a thought!

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  2. KatieJanuary 3, 2013 at 6:05 PM

    What about LED lighting? Any thoughts on them?

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  3. IRAQJanuary 4, 2013 at 4:41 AM

    Katie, when I was on remote with just an inverter and a string of 10 LED flood lights, I ran all night long on a very small car battery without turning the car on. Excellent stuff. Like everything else that has a printed circuit board, I would put it in a Faraday cage in anticipation of the big one.... I replaced some half million dollar Panasonic entertainment units on a 777 when there was just the threat of having ESDS (electrostatic discharge) due to improper handling of the units outside their electro-static transportation bags. The traces would burn just off the shock if the installer were not properly wrist-strap grounded. Most electronics are fragile to say the least.....

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