Camping / Field Day / Emergency Lights

LED

These lights use Luxeon Star/O LED bulbs (from eBay) and Taskled CC1W (350mA) switching LED regulators.

This one uses 2 LEDS and screws into the 12 V reading lamp socket over the table in my trailer (using one of those 2 prong to light bulb screw in adapters). It draws about 200 Ma at 12 volts. The regulator is held on with a piece of double sided sticky foam. The Luxeons get quite warm in operation, I added an extra junk box heat sink (and thermal grease between the mating metal parts) which is probably not needed.
More than enough light to get around the trailer in the dark, and more than enough to read with at the table.



This next one uses one LED and is built into an old high intensity lamp I found in the junk, it draws about 100 Ma at 12 volts. Note that I left the transformer in there as a weight (lamp too light and falls over without it).  The DC connection uses Anderson Powerpole connectors, which is the "standard" for connecting up 12 volt DC ham gear.  One cool thing about these connectors is that they are "uni-sex", when you put them together as recommended, they have no male/female ends. You just make up a bunch of patch cables and they always fit.
Just right for reading.  Would make a great lamp for a ham field day position as well.

Fluorescent

Portable Power

For portable power, I use a couple of Canadian Tire Motomaster Eliminator Booster Packs (mine are 12 volt at 18 Amp Hours). These go on sale once a year or so.

I keep them topped up with a 10 Watt solar panel I got on eBay, or charge then in the truck when on the road.