Power Failure Light

[moe]

Hello to the group looking for suggestions for building a Power Failure Light
I was going to used what I have around now a 10 watt solar panel a 12 volt 33 amp battery and two fluorescent lights. I was thinking of using a 120 volt relay to close the circuit when the power would go out and keep the battery charged with the 10 watt solar panel with diode and fuse protection for the solar panel and a fuse for the lights..
Any suggestions would be welcomed
thanks
Moe

[dacflyer]

make sure the relay is designed for constant duty... i have seen some that were made for intermittent duty..
also make sure the relay is designed for AC use. DC coils do not like AC...it will make them buzz and chatter..
usually they have a copper attachment on one end of the coil.
also make sure the charger is not too strong and cooks the battery. as little use as the light will get, a
12v 500ma charger should be fine..
you might wanna have some sort of low voltage disconnect so that you will not over discharge the battery..that will damage or shorten the life of the battery..