Carbide lamp

Adam Rush said:

I found a local store which has a carbide lamp for sale for next to
nothing. How does the output of one of these compare to a
dynamo-driven lamp?

Not having access to a ready source of calcium carbide, I don't know,
but looking at this:

http://www.wmmi.org/topics/carbide.htm

maybe about half as bright.

I used a carbide lamp on my bike years ago. The beam was not as
focussed as a good dynamo system (I think the larger size of the flame
makes it hard to get a good beam). The light output was generally a bit
on the low side except on bumpy roads. Then the shaking would drop
more water on the carbide and I'd have a real blowtorch for awhile.

"Adam Rush" wrote: I found a local store which has a carbide lamp for sale
for next to nothing. How does the output of one of these compare to a
dynamo-driven lamp?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
When I was a kid I attached a miner's lamp (carbide) to a block of wood, and
put it in my flashlight holder (remember those?) on my handlebars. It
worked okay, but the problem was turning it off. You can close off the
water drip, but it continues to generate acetylene for a while. And if you
blow it out, it smells terrible.

I'm having trouble finding any dynamo lamp's candlepower. Anybody have
some figures?

18 Feb 2006 14:36:46 -0800, Adam Rush:

Quoted message said:

I'm having trouble finding any dynamo lamp's candlepower. Anybody have
some figures?

With "candlepower" you mean the unit "Candela"?

In germany legal requirements are given in lux measured on a wall 10 meter
away from the lamp. Modern headlamps with 2.4 Watt halogen bulbs reach 10
to 20 lux in 10m at 6.0 Volt. This means 1000 to 2000 Candela. When using
a 6V-3W bulb in such a headlamp and riding 20-30 km/h with a modern
gearless hub generator 30-35 lux (equalling 3000-3500 Candela) will be
reached in the brightest spot. Hub generators are able to power two 3W
bulbs at speeds above 20 km/h.

Halogen battery lamps like Cateye HL-500 and better LED-lamps like EL-500G
reach around 1000 Candela. Cheaper/older LED-lamps like Cateye EL-300G
reach only 400 Candela.

Andreas

Adam Rush said:

I found a local store which has a carbide lamp for sale for next to
nothing. How does the output of one of these compare to a
dynamo-driven lamp?

For 'next to nothing' you can compare them directly. (!)

The typical square body lamp with a drip valve on top gives
a small flame with (usually) an adjustable reflector. The
absolute minimum light, something akin to a 2W non-halogen
battery lamp. Awfully cute though, and attracts tinkerers.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Quoted message said:

For 'next to nothing' you can compare them directly. (!)

The carbide, however, costs $30 a bucket.

Adam Rush said:

Quoted message said:

For 'next to nothing' you can compare them directly. (!)

The carbide, however, costs $30 a bucket.

Hobby stores sell small 'blocks' cheaply.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

"A Muzi" wrote: Hobby stores sell small 'blocks' cheaply.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What is it used for by hobbyists?

Quoted message said:

"A Muzi" wrote: Hobby stores sell small 'blocks' cheaply.

Leo Lichtman said:

What is it used for by hobbyists?

A small scale steam engine and carbide cannons

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Adam Rush said:

Quoted message said:

For 'next to nothing' you can compare them directly. (!)

The carbide, however, costs $30 a bucket.

you can get less here:
http://www.calcium-carbide.com/
they sell by the pound and do online orders

Good suggestion.

Andrew Muzi said:

Quoted message said:

Hobby stores sell small 'blocks' cheaply.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What is it used for by hobbyists?

Quoted message said:

A small scale steam engine and carbide cannons

Carbide and water makes acetylene gas. I watched welders use that as
a source for welding in times gone by. Maybe a welding supply store
still stocks the stuff... in large quantities.

Jobst Brandt

I went to the website, www.unioncarbide.com, whose name came from this
product. They are now a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemical, and there
is no mention of calcium carbide on their website.

Quoted message said:

Andrew Muzi said:

Quoted message said:

Hobby stores sell small 'blocks' cheaply.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What is it used for by hobbyists?

Quoted message said:

A small scale steam engine and carbide cannons

Carbide and water makes acetylene gas. I watched welders use that as
a source for welding in times gone by. Maybe a welding supply store
still stocks the stuff... in large quantities.

Jobst Brandt

You should travel more 😉. A Rumanian welding store should have what you
need.

In more safety conscious surroundings these things are frowned upon, as
a clogged-up safetyvalve has funny consequences.

--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl

As mentioned, $30 a bucket.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"A Muzi" wrote:

Hobby stores sell small 'blocks' cheaply.

Quoted message said:

Leo Lichtman said:

What is it used for by hobbyists?

A Muzi said:

A small scale steam engine and carbide cannons

Sorry for replying to my own reply but a couple of phone
calls show hobby stores no longer know what 'cabide' is.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Adam Rush said:

I found a local store which has a carbide lamp for sale for next to
nothing. How does the output of one of these compare to a
dynamo-driven lamp?

All the carbide lamps I've ever seen used an open flame centered in a
reflector; how would one use it in the breeze of a moving bicycle?
Seems to me it would just blow out of focus, or out entirely.

FWIW I have some vague memories of playing with acetylene flames
and they are _very_ bright compared to any other flame. But, they're
no match for a tungsten filament when you need to focus the light.

I'd buy the lamp for its technical interest, but not as a practical
bike light.

bob prohaska

Quoting bob prohaska's usenet account <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Adam Rush said:

I found a local store which has a carbide lamp for sale for next to
nothing. How does the output of one of these compare to a
dynamo-driven lamp?

All the carbide lamps I've ever seen used an open flame centered in a
reflector; how would one use it in the breeze of a moving bicycle?

All bike lights were carbide once. The difficulty is not that - it's
straightforward to build a light which has glass ahead of the flame and
air intakes further back - but that lights which go boom if mistreated are
not really ideal.
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> flcl?
Today is Gloucesterday, February.