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battery power for fountains

updated sat 24 jul 99

 

Ronnie Beer on mon 19 jul 99

Hi All,

A couple of months ago someone posted instructions for a battery set up to
use for fountains at shows. I tucked it away, and have since lost the hard
drive it was tucked on. I hope the original source or some other pack rat
who hasn't lost their hard drive can repost it. I have a need. :-)
Thank you.

Ronnie

Jean Stephenson on tue 20 jul 99

I saved it too. Here's the information. Best of luck. Jean
From: Lori Lynn & Robert J
To:
Subject: Re: Power supply for fountains
Date: Friday, April 23, 1999 5:31 AM

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Kathy,

Here is what we use....

A small gel cell battery hooked up to a power converter which has alligator
clips. You attach the alligator clips to the positive and negative battery
terminals and you have 110 power. I power five to six fountains at a show
all day with no problems. It also powers my charge card equipment. Now you
will also need a battery charger to recharge the battery at night so you are
ready for the next day. If you are only going to run one or two fountains
you could probably run them for a two day show without recharging battery.
I would test at home just to be sure before going to a show without the
charger though.

We chose gel cell batteries so there was no chance of spilling acid in our
van but I have heard of folks using small car batteries as long as they are
of the sealed variety (maintenance free). That way they won't spill either.

Hope this helps

Lori Lynn Rejzek
In the desert, where the hot sun meets the cool Colorado.

----- Original Message -----
From: Ronnie Beer
To:
Sent: Monday, July 19, 1999 10:29 AM
Subject: Battery power for fountains


> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi All,
>
> A couple of months ago someone posted instructions for a battery set up to
> use for fountains at shows. I tucked it away, and have since lost the
hard
> drive it was tucked on. I hope the original source or some other pack rat
> who hasn't lost their hard drive can repost it. I have a need. :-)
> Thank you.
>
> Ronnie
>

Bob Hanlin on tue 20 jul 99

Here 'tis if this paste works its way outta here!

Thanks to all who responded to my inquiry about the best way to power table
top fountains at outdoor shows. I thought I'd pass along what I ended up
doing in case it helps anyone else out.

I ended up buying a Whistlr inverter from Walmart for about $65. It has two
AC outlets and comes with a hard-wire kit which allows you to hook it
directly to a DC battery. I bought a big Marine no-maintenance battery from
K-Mart for about $45 to hook it to. I already had an inexpensive trickle
charger that I had bought last year from K-Mart. I charged the battery for
3
days prior to the show... this battery has a built in indicator for how much
charge it is carrying so that's pretty handy.

I used this set-up for the first time last weekend and it worked like a
charm. I was expecting to have to recharge the battery Saturday night but
decided not to and was pleasantly surprised to find that the charge lasted
all the way through Sunday as well. I was running two fountains off of it.

It will take me a few fountain sales to recoup the expense, but I'm thinking
of it as a long-term investment rather than a short-term expense. I should
be able to use this for a few years anyway.

Thanks again for the helpful information.

Kathy McCormick
Midland, Michigan

-----Original Message-----
From: Ronnie Beer
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Monday, July 19, 1999 5:33 PM
Subject: Battery power for fountains


>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi All,
>
>A couple of months ago someone posted instructions for a battery set up to
>use for fountains at shows. I tucked it away, and have since lost the hard
>drive it was tucked on. I hope the original source or some other pack rat
>who hasn't lost their hard drive can repost it. I have a need. :-)
>Thank you.
>
>Ronnie
>

Tom Wirt on wed 21 jul 99

The way we do it is to take the tractor battery...no one's mowing the lawn
when we're gone, and an INVERTER from Northern Equipment...1-800-556-7885.
We got the 300 Watt model...about $69.00 and it ran 3 fountains for 2 days
without recharging the battery.

Someone else posted that they got one at Wal-Mart or Sam's Club. Check the
Auto Department.

Tom Wirt



Subject: Battery power for fountains


> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi All,
>
> A couple of months ago someone posted instructions for a battery set up to
> use for fountains at shows. I tucked it away, and have since lost the
hard
> drive it was tucked on. I hope the original source or some other pack rat
> who hasn't lost their hard drive can repost it. I have a need. :-)
> Thank you.
>
> Ronnie
>

Anne Hunt on wed 21 jul 99

Jean, et al.
Am fuzzy on the "gel cell". But, I purchased a battery charger from
Costco for $50 (can do double duty for when I leave the headlights on in the
car and get a dead battery :). However, it only runs appliances that have
the male cigarette lighter plug-in, so had to buy a $79-$80 power converter
for that. Worked like a champ at the sale, covered up w/ pretty rug.
The support equipment list just keeps getting longer...

Annd & c. in Sequim

Lynn Koning on fri 23 jul 99

I use a smaller and less expensive inverter--about $35. used to get it
through a catalog, but now Walmart Super Center carries them in the RV
section of the auto dept. it has an end that plugs into a cig. lighter in a
car, so I went to the auto section a couple of aisles over and bought the
part of the cig. lighter that goes in the dash of a car. make sure it has
the wire ends that can be attached to the battery. fountain pumps are very
small and use hardly any power, so a battery can last for days. and I run
about six to eight fountains at a time in a show. sure would like to know
what style fountains others are making.

Lynn in L.A. (lower Alabama)