XLR Light to Household Power at DVinfo.net

Imran Zaidi · January 30th, 2004, 08:22 PM

What does one need to take into consideration if you have a portable AC/DC handheld light that normally works with XLR power connectors, and would like to plug it in directly to a household outlet?

In other words, what does one do when they run out of battery juice? Is there a simple adapter or something like this?

Bryan Beasleigh · January 30th, 2004, 11:53 PM

This is one aspect of dual voltage lights that's very dangerous.
The voltage and source change requires a bulb and cordset change. You could plug into a 12volt battery pack under charge , a charge rate high enough to keep up with the load would damage any battery under a normal charging situation though.

Basically, it's one or the other, battery or AC power.

Imran Zaidi · January 31st, 2004, 12:46 AM

I'm not sure I understand. For example, a light I was looking to buy says...

"For AC, use the 10 ft. cordset with female 4-pin XLR plug, and for DC the coiled 6 ft. power cable male XLR plug. Both included. Comes with 100-watt DC lamp, AC lamps sold separately. "

Both cables have XLR plugs. Is there a way to run a light like this off a regular outlet by tossing the battery aside to recharge when it is out of juice?

Bryan Beasleigh · January 31st, 2004, 01:42 AM

Give me the link and I can see what the plug arrangement is. An XLR cannot plug into AC power. Some of the AC/DC lights have a 3 pin female that jacks into the light. There is either a 4 pin XLR for 12v DC or an AC mains plug compatible with whatever country you are using it in. You can't have both. To convert to AC you must change the bulb and the plug. It's conceivable that the AC adapter is a male plug to female XLR.

Don Bloom · January 31st, 2004, 07:52 AM

There is an adapter to use to go from AC to DC. For example, Bescor's cig adaptor has a 2 prong plug that you plug into a cig adapter to plug into the battery pack OR you can plug right into the wall for AC power BUT!!!!!!!! before using AC power you MUST change the bulb to a 100W AC rated bulb if you don't POW! the bilb explodes (trust me on that one-OOOPPPS!) I'm not sure what happens the other way and I'm not going to experiment but the point is there is an adaptor.
Don

Charles Papert · January 31st, 2004, 12:44 PM

Hmm.

What about those adaptors for cell phones that plug into the wall and offer a 12v cigarette lighter socket? That is a 110vAC to 12vDC adaptor. Can't see why that wouldn't work with this light. You'd just need a cig. lighter to XLR adaptor cable.

Helen Bach · January 31st, 2004, 01:53 PM

There are quite a few converters that will provide 12 V DC from almost any AC supply, but you need to be careful about the power draw. Bryan has already mentioned this with respect to battery chargers. If you are drawing directly from an adapter it still applies. An adapter intended for a cell phone will probably not be rated at 100 W!

Look at NRG's website for instance. They do a 120 W Powerstation II - but that is overkill for lighting.

What light do you have? - it would be helpful to know so that we can give more specific advice.

Best,
Helen

Charles Papert · January 31st, 2004, 03:02 PM

Thanks Helen, I forgot to consider the current draw. Off to flail myself.

Bryan Beasleigh · January 31st, 2004, 07:58 PM

100 watts @ 12 volts is 8.33 amps. The Pag and NRG only go to 4.2 amps. The only one that B&H has is an IDX and the price is rediculous.... So far as tiny wall wart stuff goes you're outta luck.

If it was easy, some one would be marketing the concept instaed of providing separate lamps and power cords.

Helen Bach · January 31st, 2004, 09:06 PM

Suitable power supplies are out there.
NRG do a 10 A, 12 V power supply - but it is probably overkill for lighting because of the conditioning. Dedo in-line power supplies put out at least 100 W at 12 V DC from an AC mains input: the small dedo is a good example of a light that can be run off a battery or the mains without changing the lamp.

Best,
Helen

Bryan Beasleigh · February 2nd, 2004, 07:39 AM

Yes, but at what price?

That was all that B&H had listed under power supples. The Dedo stuff seems bullet proof, but very expensive.

Marc Young · February 8th, 2004, 11:08 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Don Bloom : There is an adapter to use to go from AC to DC. For example, Bescor's cig adaptor has a 2 prong plug that you plug into a cig adapter to plug into the battery pack OR you can plug right into the wall for AC power BUT!!!!!!!! before using AC power you MUST change the bulb to a 100W AC rated bulb if you don't POW -->>>

I don't envy the guy who has to change the bulb from 12vdc to a 120vac one, in the middle of a job. These fixtures get hot and so do their bulbs. It's best to stick with one type of lighting for the situation you're in.

Besides Bescor, Cool Lux also makes a dual voltage light. But I use it solely as an AC light. More light output than dc. Only use dc when there is absolutely, positively no alternative. The captive lead-acid batteries are not that costly. Just buy an extra one and remember they take over 12 hrs to fully charge. You could buy several for the cost of one large anton bauer battery.

January 30th, 2004, 08:22 PM	#1
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	XLR Light to Household Power What does one need to take into consideration if you have a portable AC/DC handheld light that normally works with XLR power connectors, and would like to plug it in directly to a household outlet? In other words, what does one do when they run out of battery juice? Is there a simple adapter or something like this?

January 31st, 2004, 12:44 PM	#6
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Hmm. What about those adaptors for cell phones that plug into the wall and offer a 12v cigarette lighter socket? That is a 110vAC to 12vDC adaptor. Can't see why that wouldn't work with this light. You'd just need a cig. lighter to XLR adaptor cable. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

January 31st, 2004, 03:02 PM	#8
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Thanks Helen, I forgot to consider the current draw. Off to flail myself. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

January 30th, 2004, 11:53 PM	#2
Bryan Beasleigh Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,922	This is one aspect of dual voltage lights that's very dangerous. The voltage and source change requires a bulb and cordset change. You could plug into a 12volt battery pack under charge , a charge rate high enough to keep up with the load would damage any battery under a normal charging situation though. Basically, it's one or the other, battery or AC power.

January 31st, 2004, 12:46 AM	#3
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	I'm not sure I understand. For example, a light I was looking to buy says... "For AC, use the 10 ft. cordset with female 4-pin XLR plug, and for DC the coiled 6 ft. power cable male XLR plug. Both included. Comes with 100-watt DC lamp, AC lamps sold separately. " Both cables have XLR plugs. Is there a way to run a light like this off a regular outlet by tossing the battery aside to recharge when it is out of juice?

January 31st, 2004, 01:42 AM	#4
Bryan Beasleigh Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,922	Give me the link and I can see what the plug arrangement is. An XLR cannot plug into AC power. Some of the AC/DC lights have a 3 pin female that jacks into the light. There is either a 4 pin XLR for 12v DC or an AC mains plug compatible with whatever country you are using it in. You can't have both. To convert to AC you must change the bulb and the plug. It's conceivable that the AC adapter is a male plug to female XLR.

January 31st, 2004, 07:52 AM	#5
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	There is an adapter to use to go from AC to DC. For example, Bescor's cig adaptor has a 2 prong plug that you plug into a cig adapter to plug into the battery pack OR you can plug right into the wall for AC power BUT!!!!!!!! before using AC power you MUST change the bulb to a 100W AC rated bulb if you don't POW! the bilb explodes (trust me on that one-OOOPPPS!) I'm not sure what happens the other way and I'm not going to experiment but the point is there is an adaptor. Don

January 31st, 2004, 01:53 PM	#7
Helen Bach Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: New York, NY Posts: 120	There are quite a few converters that will provide 12 V DC from almost any AC supply, but you need to be careful about the power draw. Bryan has already mentioned this with respect to battery chargers. If you are drawing directly from an adapter it still applies. An adapter intended for a cell phone will probably not be rated at 100 W! Look at NRG's website for instance. They do a 120 W Powerstation II - but that is overkill for lighting. What light do you have? - it would be helpful to know so that we can give more specific advice. Best, Helen

January 31st, 2004, 07:58 PM	#9
Bryan Beasleigh Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,922	100 watts @ 12 volts is 8.33 amps. The Pag and NRG only go to 4.2 amps. The only one that B&H has is an IDX and the price is rediculous.... So far as tiny wall wart stuff goes you're outta luck. If it was easy, some one would be marketing the concept instaed of providing separate lamps and power cords.

January 31st, 2004, 09:06 PM	#10
Helen Bach Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: New York, NY Posts: 120	Suitable power supplies are out there. NRG do a 10 A, 12 V power supply - but it is probably overkill for lighting because of the conditioning. Dedo in-line power supplies put out at least 100 W at 12 V DC from an AC mains input: the small dedo is a good example of a light that can be run off a battery or the mains without changing the lamp. Best, Helen

February 2nd, 2004, 07:39 AM	#11
Bryan Beasleigh Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Barrie, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,922	Yes, but at what price? That was all that B&H had listed under power supples. The Dedo stuff seems bullet proof, but very expensive.

February 8th, 2004, 11:08 PM	#12
Marc Young Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 112	<<<-- Originally posted by Don Bloom : There is an adapter to use to go from AC to DC. For example, Bescor's cig adaptor has a 2 prong plug that you plug into a cig adapter to plug into the battery pack OR you can plug right into the wall for AC power BUT!!!!!!!! before using AC power you MUST change the bulb to a 100W AC rated bulb if you don't POW -->>> I don't envy the guy who has to change the bulb from 12vdc to a 120vac one, in the middle of a job. These fixtures get hot and so do their bulbs. It's best to stick with one type of lighting for the situation you're in. Besides Bescor, Cool Lux also makes a dual voltage light. But I use it solely as an AC light. More light output than dc. Only use dc when there is absolutely, positively no alternative. The captive lead-acid batteries are not that costly. Just buy an extra one and remember they take over 12 hrs to fully charge. You could buy several for the cost of one large anton bauer battery.