Looking for Long Life Pilot Lamp

[frank1492]

I will be mounting this externally in view of the neighbor's house on a seasonal cottage. I make few trips there in the winter, but would like to have the neighbor (all year round resident) be easily able to tell me if my power is off. (He has a phone, there is none at the cottage.) What should I use, neon, led,etc? It needs to be wall mountable, and be easily seen, though it need not be very bright or large. Suggestions appreciated. I just want to be sure it has a long life so a burnt-out bulb won't be confused with no power. Thanks in advance. Frank

[KC]

I use a yellow CFL bug light on my back porch as a security light. It burns 24/7 and lasts about 2 1/2 years before replacement.

KC

[Reed]

Well, you could do like the aircraft warning lights on radio towers. Install 2 bulbs of your choice. Chances of both failing same time are low.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 4/27/2009 7:58 PM frank1492 spake thus:

Since bulb longevity is paramount, here's an idea: one of the longest-lasting type of bulbs is an ordinary incandescent bulb, operated well below its rated voltage. (They say that some of Edison's original bulbs are still burning to this day.)

All you need to do is rig up an incandescent bulb to run on less than full power. You could use a series resistor to lower the voltage, or you could try running two 120-volt bulbs in series. They'd probably last forever that way.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, You two have different power feed line? I'd try high intensity LED of your color choice in a smal enclosure. They are very bright and lasts LONG time using VERY small amount of power like couple Watts.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Last week end I was at local HD. Tehy had sale on LED bulbs which uses

2W. Had color choice of white, blue, red and changing multi color. 2 bucks each. I picked up a few.

[ransley]

Leds have light directed as a spot and use little power as a directed spot light source, my 1/4 watt HD $1.50 ledflashlight is bright as a mini mag light, one 1 watt led can be seen maybe 1 mile, my 1 watt bicycle led is the brighest bike lite ive seen. With a phone line you could have a freeze detection dialer. Whith some looking you might get a Radio Frequency system to warn him of many things, temp, intrusion, leaks etc.

[RicodJour]

Essentially you are asking the neighbor to make a daily effort to remember to check and to notice if the light is out. That way lays trouble. The neighbor will have some resentment and/or just tune out the always-on-light.

It would be hard to see that signal bulb during the day anyway. It makes a lot more sense to have a battery-backed-up alarm and/or phone dialer.

If you're stuck on your original idea, go with a colored LED bulb.

R

[dpb]

frank1492 wrote: ...

What're the odds yours is off and his isn't?

--

[HeyBub]

Excellent observation about 'always on' lights being ignored.

Perhaps a battery-operated light that's held OFF by mains power.

[frank1492]

What a great list of suggestions! Thanks to all. Hmmm, now which one to choose??? BTW I wasn't planning to have the neighbor check daily. I would call them to check just before I was planning to come down. As for their power being on and mine not, it could happen. I agree odds wouldn't favor it, but this is a heavily pine-treed area. Thanks again for all your great ideas. At present (although I love the novelty of the relay idea) I am favoring an always-on LED of some sort. Will check HD. Frank

[jeff_wisnia]

Close, but I re4ad that the accepted record holding light bulb, at 108 plus years now, is marked "Shelby", not "Edison".

According to this site Shelby was manufacturing bulbs before Edison did:

Jeff

[jeff_wisnia]

Well if that's all you want to do just install a line powered phone answering machine at your place and call it when you're curious about the power. If it answers, the power must be on.

That scheme was described in a recent Car Talk "Puzzler".

Jeff

[RickH]

Why not give the neighbor a break and you call him when the power goes out, instead of him calling you?

Check out:

[clare]

Use a multi-unit LED powered from a wall-wart. (low voltage). If the LEDs burn out, they go slowly - a few at a time. Use a standard transport vehicle lamp so replacement down the road is more likely to be less painfull.

[clare]

Or buy 220 volt pilot bulbs- - -. They ARE available for industrial use (208 actually, I believe, is more common)

[Nate Nagel]

yup, I used to have one as a test light that I got from my grandfather's stuff... got busted in a move a few years ago :( It would glow on 120V and light up bright on 240V

nate

[clare]

Happened at my brother's place. His (cottage/trailer) power went out and everyone else had power. Some rogue hunter had shot THROUGH the roadside service/meter panel, and the bullet continued on, through the siding of the trailer and hit the main buss bar of the service panel inside. That's what ended up taking out the power. Chances of that happening? Likely a million to one, at best. But it happened. His dialer and alarm system are backed up by a UPS with a large bank of batteries so he was notified. (his alarm blows a large Fiamm electric air horn which his neighbours for 2 miles in all directions have no choice but to notice). It's been a couple of years now with no breakins - seams the neighbourhood scum have figured out even with the power out they won't get in - and there are security cameras as well. Not worth the hassle to try to get in.

[clare]

But he has NO PHONE at the cottage. A Cell dialler perhaps? Assuming he has cell coverage. MANY cottages do not.

[clare]

Yea, and some of us aren't too bright!!