Now, far be it from us to call a technical foul on a beautiful compliment or harsh anyone’s mellow, but now that we have a moment we have some explaining to do! It’s not the "Firefly Cape" for a reason and we admit we did not know that reason until we started our research, many moons ago, back in 2016. So, what defines a cape from a cloak? Here's your three keys to future identification!
As opposed to their close relatives, cloaks have that added protection for your head that capes just cannot provide! Think of how poor Little Red Riding Hood, traipsing through the woods on the way to Grandmomma’s house could catch her death of a cold, far before any canine was implicated, if she didn’t have protection from the elements with her hood!
Little Red Riding Hood Mixed Media by G Barry
We admit, Little Red was an inspiration to us in our design process. Our thoughts were always about that dark and winding path in the forest could have been so much safer if she was lit like a Christmas tree! That sure would scare off any wolf (in grammy pajamas or not) right?
Fireflies in the Wild – Photo by Mountain Trout Photography
Now this speaks to the versatility of the cloak as a fashion statement as well as a functional garment, as a cloak acts as a compliment to the wearer’s clothing and protection from the elements like wind and rain. The origin of the word “cloak” comes from the French “cloque” which meant traveler’s cloak or bell (like its shape) and was worn on horseback on the roads from town to town. Women also wore cloaks to protect their finer garments from damage during travel or while attending formal events.
Contrast this with famous capes like DC alien superstar, Superman, and you can see that the Fortress of Solitude would be more warm and comfy for Lois Lane if Clark Kent had some Firefly Cloaks handy for guests! Only keeping your back warm in the snowy tundra is going to be a hard no for us, Man of Steel.
Christopher Reeve in Superman (1978) Panavision/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Some say that this is the main distinction between capes and cloaks, as hoodless cloaks are typically longer versions of the cape which stop about belt high on men. From Count Dracula to Marvel’s Doctor Strange, the length of the cloak is imposing and powerful in its imagery for these characters. We need to upgrade our cloaks to get some of that sweet, sweet levitation that the Doctor gets with his! And we certainly feel alluring and powerful as the Count in his Transylvanian castle when we "cloak up" for a concert or show.
Claes Bang as Count Dracula – Photo from Netflix
We hope this little primer helps you with the distinctions between cloaks and capes. Now, impress your friends and hit a home run with this question in Trivial Pursuit, courtesy of your friends at Austin Bright Light Design!
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In an article about a rundown of the best Texas musicians to stream during the times of quarantine, we were shocked and deeply pleased that Kevin Russell, aka Shinyribs, was once again featured from his ACL Live performance where our Firefly Cloak made it's national television debut! Kevin has been keeping our booties wiggling and shimmy shakin' all summer with his Saturday Night Rib Fry streaming on his Facebook, YouTube and Twitch channels. From honky tonk to hip hop, Mr. Ribs has got you covered with infectious melodies and happy memories of days on the dance floor. Try and scroll past his picture in this lineup of amazing talents, we dare you!
(Picture by James Simmons Photography- Blues on the Green 2017)
Also highlighted were some of our other favorite Austinites, Patrice Pike and Wayne Sutton of Pike and Sutton. Patrice has a beautiful voice that can always creep into rock goddess mode if the mood strikes, and Wayne has got all the licks to match on his lead guitar. They always pack the room at whatever residences that they set up whether it is at the Saxon Pub, One-2-One Bar or points elsewhere and it made us feel great that they were recognized for bringing great tunes to your screen during lockdown because they certainly are incredibly talented songwriters! Check out Patrice's "Keep the Faith" livestreams to see for yourself!
Forbes goes on to highlight more fantastic Texas talent like Ray Wylie Hubbard, Ruthie Foster, "Too Tall" Marcia Ball and others. If you are unfamiliar with these folks, we HIGHLY recommend that you dive into their catalogs and enjoy some of the best that the Lone Star State has to offer!
]]>Photo: Jamey Simmons Photography. The Lost Well, SXSW '19
Performing surgery on his patients afflicted with “moosebumps” and “chimpanzee acne”, this Doctor’s accolades could not be chronicled by humans, but only by a mutant alien with yellow eyes, blue/grey skin and a penchant for rocking mics like an Ultramagnetic MC. I would come to learn that Dr. Octagon was the alter ego of Kool Keith, who has come to be known as a singular, prolific and genre breaking artist!
Keith “Kool Keith” Thornton has not only been the “Doctor”, but has also released tracks as Black Elvis and Dr. Dooom with credits on over 15 solo albums and as many collaborations over 3 decades. Probably best known is The Prodigy sample of Kool Keith for their breakthrough hit, “Smack My Bitch Up”, which crossed Keith over to the EDM/rave scene in 1997 and cemented him in lore as PRS for Music rated it the “most controversial song” of all time in 2010.
Photo credit: Funky Bitch Photography, Logan Arcade, 5th Annual Very Kool XMas Party December 21, 2018
While trying to expand our presence with musical artists and performers to raise our profile, we reached out to an old work friend, Bob Stolzberg. As founder of VoiceXP in St. Louis, Bob had worked with several high-profile celebrities and artists to expand his business, and was happy to give us a warm introduction to the music community there. Through these discussions, we got hooked up with Kool Keith’s manager, Erik Perry, and heard that Keith was extremely interested in a Firefly Cloak of his own. We were ecstatic that a rap legend would work with an up and coming lighted fashion brand like Austin Bright Light Design!
Little did we realize the immediate impact our Firefly Cloak would have on Keith’s live performances, as Instagram started exploding with posts of him onstage with comments like, “He’s a wizard!” and screams of “Whuuuuuuuuuuuuuut?” from the crowds as the lights dazzled their eyes while Keith spit fire on the mic! We knew it was real when the first official photo from one of the shows was backstage with DJ Lord of Prophets of Rage appeared.
Photo credit: Kool Keith Official, The Drunken Unicorn, Atlanta, GA 2018.
It would be amazing if our story stopped there, but it kept getting better! Every March in Austin, Texas, we have a little collaborative get together called South by Southwest. And through our connection with the College of Hip Hop Knowledge, our good buddy Michael “Big Mic” Pereida, we heard something special was about to go down. CHHK always helps put together an unofficial showcase of some of the best rap talent in Central Texas each year for SXSW, with headlining talent typically going to well known, out-of-towners. Mike excitedly informed us that for South by 2019, the College had secured Kool Keith as their headliner! We knew we HAD to be there!
Photo credit: Melvin Monroe Photography. Logan Arcade, Chicago, IL 2018
In order to get Kool Keith fully lit, we put in a call to our partners at GloFX to get him a pair of Pixel Pro LED Glasses to complete his look onstage at Kick Butt Café and the Lost Well. Like a true partner, they stepped up, and we were off! These shows were OFF THE CHAIN and the reaction was incredible. With a catalog as deep as Keith’s, the crowd was rocked for an hour with tunes past and present with his young stable of rappers in support spitting great bars as they were asked to several times by Keith.
We were even treated to another legend visiting backstage when Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys made one of his final appearances in Austin. His untimely passing still weighs heavy on the rap world, as he lost his fight with pancreatic cancer. RIP, Bill, and F%$# CANCER!
After leaving the Kick Butt Café show totally elated that the show was a smashing success, we were pleased that we were asked back to help with another show the next night at The Lost Well. Known for heavy rock and metal music, and the, “Friendliest bar you’ve ever been scared to walk into,” this Eastside hangout was about to blow up with a lighted display like no other once Keith hit the stage! Joined by female MC’s that showed it the ladies got the rhymes, too, it was a killer capper to a weekend of rap we’ll never forget!
Photo credit: Austin Bright Light Design, Kick Butt Cafe SXSW 2019, Austin, TX
Check out Kool Keith’s latest album, KEITH, with guest stars Pall Wall, Jeru the Damaja and B-Real from Cypress Hill. It slaps!
Photo credit(s): Austin Bright Light Design, Kick Butt Cafe, Keith and Jason Balcauski of ABLD (above) and The Lost Well (below), SXSW 2019
We'd like to publicly thank Keith, his management, crew and everyone involved who had a part in including us in his orbit. Being a part of his live shows and sharing the light in the rap scene is so exciting for ABLD!
Stay Lit Y’all,
Jason Balcauski
Co-founder
Austin Bright Light Design
Story cover photo credit: Melvin Monroe Photography
]]>We have wonderful news! Austin Bright Light Design had a piece walking a Paris runway for Fashion Week, September 29th, 2019! While we were at home in Texas for the event, we could not be more excited for our customer, Odalys Marino from Nory's Design Boutique, as she took her collection to France for what is sure to be a wonderful showing.
In May we received an email from Odalys' husband asking if we would be interested in creating a one of a kind piece for the catwalk in Paris. Of course, we said yes! This order was going to be special, as the ask was to include a custom printed cloak with artwork from Aja Trier of the Eiffel Tower instead of our holographic sequins on the outer shell.
Additionally, Odalys had one more request. Could we make the Eiffel Tower light up? Um, challenge accepted!
Having a piece custom made is not an easy task, and this was no exception. So, we began to marshal our resources. Through our contacts at White Star Manufacturing, we were able to find Shan Shaefer of Stitched Fabric out of Houston to do our fabric printing.
Working with Shan was amazing! He was understanding of our challenge and timeline, and helped us work through some issues that we encountered. Namely, our original photo imagery was okay if you were putting a picture on a website, but not high resolution enough to be blown up by four yards square. With a little work with our client, then a direct line to the artist, Aja Trier, we were able to secure a picture that was worthy of our task.
Shan then proceeded to give us samples of different fabrics with the art printed on it to see how it would look in various sheens, two and four way stretches and overall aesthetics. Here's a look behind the scenes at various options of polyester, for example:
Ultimately, we had to go with the "flash" in option 1 above! It's just ABLD's style, you know? One problem we noticed was that the broken glass holographic print was making the text we added unreadable from a distance. So with a quick consult with our client, we decided to change that to cherry red and off we went!
With some graphics help from our main man, Evan Bozarth of Airshp, to get the text looking great and pulling the stars of the night sky in the painting up into the hood pieces, we were ready to print. Because of the size of the final print needed, Shan had to use his special roto-press machine. The results were spectacular!
We loved how the cloak flowed from a design perspective from the outer shell up through the hood. The text now "popped" off of the bridge at the bottom and in certain angles the Eiffel was already shimmering in the sunlight. Excited to take the next step in transforming this into truly an ABLD original, we went ahead and started adding our LEDs to the outer fur trim, as well as carefully constructing the new fairy light LEDs that we sourced specifically for this build into the tower itself.
One of the secrets to this build was to make the fairy lights accessible to the client, while at the same time hiding the guts from the viewer. This was accomplished by our seamstress, Nga Keith of Bluebonnet Cut & Sew, by crafting a zippered entrance to the tower through the inner shell layer along the cloak wearer's spine. Through some wizardry we were able to attach the fairy lights along the back of the Eiffel, run the power through our TalentCell battery to make both strands light up, and VIOLA!
To see video of the cloak in action, please check out our Austin Bright Light Design Facebook page! Special thanks to Jamey Simmons Photography for these shots.
We are so pleased with the results, and hope to see the reactions of the fashion world this week as they catch their first glimpse of our design! A huge thank you to everyone involved in making this a reality!
]]>Meow Wolf is generally known as an artistic experience company, with their first major project, The House of Eternal Return, opening in 2016 with the support of George RR Martin of Game of Thrones fame. (Yep, that guy!) So, starting early on a Saturday morning, we donned our Fireflies and headed inside Meow Wolf and started our journey through The House. We had a good feeling that this was going to be an experience of a lifetime!
After getting some tips and tricks from Austin folks that had gone or performed onstage at The House, like our buddy Psymbionic, we knew that the next 4 hours were going to be epic, to say the least. He had told us to try and indulge in as much of the side stories as possible to get a feel for the overarching themes and plot that they have built into this space. After our visit, I can tell you that this is easier said than done!
So, how can we best explain this wonderous exhibit with its mind bending, tripped out vibe to someone? Have you ever been sucked through a portal into another dimension?
Entering past the gift shop, you walk to the mailbox at the front of the House, open the letter inside and start your adventure. This is your first clue to a wider narrative, and trust us, it is a doozy!
In terms of space, the House is entirely built inside of an old bowling alley, which gives you a mental picture of the confines but truly does nothing to tell you the insane uses that they have found for it. This gaggle of hundreds of Meow Wolf artists have created a magical escape from reality inside these walls, and a complex and interesting mythology to tie it together (if you have the patience!) through scattered videos, documents, books and other guides on this tour through the universe.
In broad strokes, there’s multiple stories threading their narrative into each room of the House. There is the big picture story about how the creative force of the universe was doled out and controlled between two factions/powers called the Anomaly and The Shadow People. The Anomaly is the creative spark of our reality, while the Shadow People represent order and rules. It’s kind of like the Tai Chi Tu, or yin/yang.
So that the creatives don’t run wild across the galaxy, the Charter, or agreement, is made between the two forces and the Agent is deployed to make sure that it is kept. Earth, however, was specially imbued with creativity by the Anomaly and has given rise to psychics, scientists and artists that are stretching the bounds of what is acceptable to the Shadow People with regard to the Charter.
That brings in the Selig and Pastore family, who both have history as owners of the House of Eternal Return. While we understood something about a grandmother who passed, the rest was a bit hazy. We know that one family member tried to exploit his psychic powers and start a cult, which had really dumb tenets and beliefs, and there was another that used the grandfather’s tools to bring portals into being that allowed inter-dimensional travel throughout the universe. This toolkit was used to bring a get-rich-quick-scheme like a travel agency that had direct access to the 5 best beaches in the entire galaxy all from a couple of doorways. It gets more convoluted and crazier from there!
The letter in the mailbox was only the beginning of the clues. We broke down random clips of video in the living room with the walk-through fireplace to an ice cave, wandering into the clothes dryer portal to find missing socks, and hitching a ride to interplanetary vacation hot spots through the refrigerator.
Each and every room offered an opportunity to deepen the mystery and enjoy the sheer size and scope of this wonderous vision. From playing a xylophone on a full adult mastodon skeleton,
to playing a laser piano in a bedroom, to finding secret passages behind bookshelves that lead to crystal caverns, to a crazy acid dream black and white cartoon art wonderland - this was a mind-bending journey! And we loved every minute of it. The funniest part was the other patrons who thought that if they solved the mystery of THER, they would get to wear a Firefly Cloak like we had on! Fantastic thought, but, nah! Gotta bring your own, folks!
Our favorite room had to be the “Unity Chamber” that happens to be in the middle of the complex away from the house and near the concert stage area through the forest. The two-story arcs combine here with the Anomaly and the Selig plot lines coming together in a crazy confluence that left us with a sense of oneness with the universe (and Meow Wolf). Plus, the light show across the latticework frame and alien clock piece behind it was DOPE!
While we couldn’t stay longer, as our hatch chili fix came calling after hour #4, we knew that there would be more to unwrap and uncover on another visit. Meow Wolf will forever be inked into our memories as the best fully interactive art exhibit we have ever seen. We shall return!
If you have never been to Santa Fe, go! This bohemian art community grew out of the nation’s oldest capital city at over 400 years old and is an interesting cross section of Native American, Spanish and New World America cultures. The cuisine reflects that cross section (get those green hatch chilies on everything!) as well as the architecture, monuments and people. Rooted in tradition, but always looking forward, the art style reflects the forefront of “ancient tradition meets new age”.
One great American artist that made New Mexico her home is Georgia O’Keeffe, and we got to spend the day walking her museum in the heart of the city. While familiar with her later works of desert landscapes and impressionistic paintings of native flora and fauna, what was really eye opening was her early work in New York of bold architecture and cityscapes which were all on display. Carefully curated and presented in a minimalist style, the museum was a poignant look at a true icon’s milieu over several transitional decades of her life.
ABLD will remember this trip for a lot of reasons. First, knowing that there are artists out there that think so out-of-the-box, and have been for a generation, makes us feel so good about the American Southwest. The traditions that Georgia O’Keeffe started decades ago are reflected in the experimentation and artistry that the Meow Wolf crew are bringing together with their projects and visions. Second, this was our first weekend stay in Santa Fe and the people, food and scenery were all fantastic! It really did feel like home away from home. And finally, our creations fit right into the mix! The reactions that we received with our Firefly Cloaks made us feel plugged in and tuned onto the same wavelength of this crazy cool atmosphere, and that gave us the warm fuzzy’s all over. See you soon, Santa Fe!
Stay Lit!
Jason Balcauski
Co-Founder
ABLD
]]>At Austin Bright Light Design our favorite part of our job is opening up emails, catching Instagram stories, reading reviews, or hearing in person about all the adventures and fun that our customers are having with our creation, the Firefly Cloak! It truly warms our hearts to hear these tales. The driving forces behind our design philosophy here at ABLD are inclusiveness, community and joy- so when we hear that these are actually being accomplished out in the real world it just makes the whole thing worthwhile!
With that in mind, we would like to introduce our customer, Justin, from New York (main photo). He's got quite the story to tell about his Firefly Cloak, so with as little editing as possible, we will let him tell it in his own words...
"Let me tell you my story...
As you may be able to tell, this was written in 2018. Well, we are happy to inform you that Justin did NOT stop there!
He continued: "One of my life’s great joys is rocking my Firefly Cloak and experiencing people’s reactions and all the love they throw my way. It feels amazing to brighten other’s spirits, which I’ve done quite a bit lately.
I sported the cloak on Jam Cruise, then my my wife and I went to the Rainbow Serpent Festival in Australia and I proceeded to rock it down under! I was dancing one night and this guy rolls up to me and says, “Austin Bright Light Design?” I said hell yeah! Then he asked me if the cloak was worth it, and I gave him and emphatic HELL YEAH! Good times.
A month later we experienced the Splore Festival in New Zealand (partially billed as “New Zealand’s Biggest Dress Up Party), and the cloak was a huge hit. People loved it! It’s magic. It really is. Everything has a vibration, and the firefly cloak’s vibration is powerful, vibrant and wonder-inducing."
Hoooweee! Color us jealous of your epic adventures, Justin! And here's to many more memories in your Firefly Cloak. We are grinning from ear-to-ear reading about how much fun our costume is having on your back. We cannot wait to see where it goes next! Getting our brand recognized in Australia by someone is MIND BLOWING to us!
If you have a story like Justin's, please send it to austinbrightlightdesign@gmail.com as soon as possible! We would love to hear it. Until next time y'all!
Get lit and stay lit!
Cheers,
-Team ABLD
There is tremendous variation in the specific LEDs, controllers and application of the technology used by artist and makers of powered projects. One constant in lighting design is the need for electricity – specifically direct current (DC). DC current is necessary because light emitting diodes (LEDS) only work with current flowing in one direction. For installations in areas with readily available alternating current (AC) electricity from the grid, rectifiers are used to convert alternating current to direct current. You likely use rectifiers every day from powering your computer to charging your cell phone. Why? Because computers, phone and nearly every other electronic device contains diodes (not all diodes are light emitting). The “brick” attached to your laptop is a rectifier. (NB: An “inverter” is used to convert DC to AC power.)
Unfortunately, many rectifiers are inefficient with some cheap linear rectifiers delivering an appalling efficiency as low as 20%. In 2001, President George W. Bush, referring to inefficient rectifiers as “Energy Vampires”, issued an Executive Order to study and take action to reduce the power consumption of these devices, especially in standby mode. The International Energy Agency estimates that between 1 and 2% of ALL electricity generation worldwide is wasted by rectifiers. Scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab estimated that up to 10% of household electrical energy was wasted through the use of rectifiers in 1999.
The One Watt Initiative was established through the cooperation of US and multiple countries in 1999. It seeks to reduce standby power consumption for rectifiers to less than one watt. As a result of the One Watt Initiative and other efforts, more advanced rectifiers have been coming online. One estimate puts average rectifier efficiency at 75-80% in new consumer products sold in 2016 - a huge improvement since 2000. Still, rectifiers are less efficient than generating direct current for electronics. Using a modern switching rectifier even today can result in a 10 to 15% efficiency loss. This may not be a big deal when plugging into a wall outlet but could be significant when you are generating the power at a remote location.
So how do you generate DC power for LED installations and charge batteries when there is no readily available power from a grid? Gas, diesel or propane generators? They are certainly one solution but generators can be loud, expensive, require constant refueling and must use efficiency-sapping rectifiers to convert AC to DC power.
A relatively simple solution to address the power needs of LED projects and more is to build a portable solar generator. Solar generators collect energy, store it in batteries and deliver DC current on demand. A small (<300W) can be constructed for a few hundred dollars and be reused for years. Below, I will attempt to provide a basic primer on creating your own low cost solar generator to power your lighted projects, cell phones, rechargeable portable batteries, fans or any other low power item.
There are four major components to a solar generator – photovoltaic (PV) cells, deep cycle batteries, controller and wiring.
Solar panels/Photovoltaic Cells (PV)
There are at least 7 types of solar panels (photovoltaic cells) available; monocrystalline (mono), polycrystalline (poly), amorphous silicon, thin film, concentrated photovoltaic cell, Cadmium Telluride and Biohybrid Solar Cell. The two most commonly used photovoltaic cells (PV) today are monocrystaline and polycrystalline followed closely behind by amorphous. It is likely that the solar system set up on you or neighbor’s roof utilizes one of these three types of PVs.
Recent technology advances have made the cost of manufacturing mono and poly crystalline panels the best choice for a constructing a portable solar generator. These panels offer the highest efficiency and potential output vs. cost, size and weight.
Figure 1: 100W moncrystaline PV panel with mounted PWM controller charging boat battery
There is a lot of exciting research on PV technology. In the future, one or more the emerging PV technologies may overtake mono and polycrystalline panels for household use. For now, I would only consider mono or polycrystalline panels for creating a portable solar generator because they represent the best choice when balancing efficiency, size, cost and portability. These PVs are also conducive to a “set and forget” set up.
Solar Charge Regulator/Controller
Solar charge controllers (regulators) manage the power output of the PV panels and regulate the distribution of power to and from the deep cycle storage batteries to the electrical load (your LED project). They are an essential component of any solar power system.
There are two types of solar controllers: MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) and PWM (Pulse Wave Modulation) controllers.
MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) controllers are up to 25% more efficient than PWM controllers. The MPPT controller dynamically manages the output of the PV cell, status of storage batteries and current environmental conditions to achieve optimal efficiency. MPPT controllers are definitely the controller of choice for whole house use or large (>250 watt) portable solar generators. The downside is that MMPT controllers can be significantly more expensive than PWM controllers with similar capacities. In some cases, especially smaller systems, it is more cost effective to increase the power capacity of the PV cells (adding another solar panel) rather than purchase an MPPT regulator.
PWM (Pulse Wave Modulation) controllers can be a good choice for portable solar generation systems especially for small systems and in areas with reliable sun. PWM controllers are less expensive than MPPT controllers and, due to their simpler design, may be less likely to fail after repeatedly setting up, transporting and tearing down. Above a certain size system however (>300W), the MPPT controller is almost always the best choice.
Figure 2: 20 Amp PWM controller
There is an excellent Youtube video explaining the difference between MPPT and PWM controllers here.
Regardless of the solar controller you select, it is extremely important to ensure the controller has the capacity you need to support your project. Controllers are generally measured in current capacity, measured in amperes (amps). This refers to the amount of current that can be safely drawn from your storage batteries through the controller at one time or delivered from the photo-voltaic cells to your storage battery. It is a wise practice to use components in your solar generator that exceed the calculated needs of your project by at least 25%.
Example: A project calls for the use of four, 5 meter long 12V WS2812 LED strips with 30 LEDs per meter. If we assume each 5 meter 12V strip will draw 33 watts (at maximum brightness), a total of 132 watts (4 x 33w) will be required to fully illuminate the LEDS. In this example, we will assume the controller uses 12 watts. So the whole project – not accounting for voltage loss as current is passed through wiring (more on that later) – is 144 watts (132w + 12w=144w).
So how you determine how many amps your solar generator needs to deliver since solar regulators and panels are rated in amps? To convert watts to amps simply divide the watts by the voltage of your project. In this case, 144 watts/12 volts = 15 amps. To learn more about watt/amp conversions, check out this neat little primer on Wikihow. These calculations are all a product of Ohm’s law.
In this example, I would recommend solar regulator of at least 20 amps at 12 volts or 240W (20amps x 12V = 240W) which is approximately 33% more than the minimum power requirement.
When selecting a solar regulator, it is important to ensure that the controller is optimized to charge the type of storage battery you will be using. Most controllers have the option to select lead acid, absorbed glass mat (AGM) or gel batteries. Make sure to set any controller to the charging algorithm designed for the type of deep storage battery you are using.
There are four main types of batteries commonly used in solar generators: flooded lead acid, absorbed glass mat (AGM), gel and lithium ion. Each battery type has it’s own pros and cons. For this discussion – creating a low cost solar generator – we’ll look at flooded lead acid batteries and considerations for use of absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery.
What is a deep cycle battery?
Batteries are not designed to be fully discharged. Fully discharging a battery – of any type - will permanently damage the battery, reduce charge cycles or worse. The usable amount of battery capacity is measured by amp hours. Amp hours refer the number of usable amps a battery can deliver over a set period of time. Remember, rechargeable batteries are not meant to be fully discharged. “Depth of discharge” is a percentage that indicates how much of a battery’s capacity has been used. A simple way to estimate the depth of discharge on a 12V lead acid, AGM or Gel battery is to measure the voltage between the connectors. The usable voltage range for most lead acid batteries is between 11V – 12.6V. A battery measuring 11.9V may be 25 – 30% discharged, while a battery measuring < 11V is likely close to fully discharged.
Lead acid batteries commonly come in two types: “cranking” and “deep cycle”. A cranking battery is designed to discharge a lot of current (amps) quickly in order to start a vehicle or some other high-energy application. It is the type of battery used in your car. While a cranking battery shines in delivering a lot of amps at once, it has a low depth of discharge before damage may occur to the battery. A cranking battery may only have a depth of discharge limit of 20% - 30% before reducing battery life. Due to the low depth of discharge capacity, CRANKING BATTERIES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR SOLAR GENERATORS.
Deep cycle batteries have a much higher depth of discharge limit vs cranking batteries. Deep cycle battery can be safely discharged to 50 – 70% of capacity without reducing the expected charge cycles (life expectancy of the battery) or causing damage. Unlike cranking batteries, deep cycle batteries are designed to deliver lower current slowly. Perfect for low current applications like powering LED projects or recharging phones and other small batteries. DEEP CYCLE batteries are an EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR A PORTABLE SOLAR GENERATOR.
The downside to the use of deep cycle batteries is that they are not designed to deliver a lot of current (amps) at once. If a lot of current is needed for an application – running a refrigerator or AC system for example – you will need multiple deep cycle batteries and proper wiring to deliver the current to the application. While high current loads using deep cycle batteries is beyond the scope of this primer, Handy Bob’s blog is an excellent resource to learn more about going off the grid completely. In his detailed blog posts, you can learn how create a complete off-the-grid system to power an RV, camper or even a whole home.
Applied Gas Mat (AGM) Batteries
AGM batteries are offered as both cranking and deep cycle configurations. They are often referred to as “sealed lead acid” batteries. The primary difference between flooded lead acid and AGM batteries is the electrolyte in an AGM battery is absorbed in thin fiberglass mats instead of free flowing as a sulfuric acid solution in a flooded lead acid battery. AGM batteries require no maintenance, do not emit fumes and can be mounted in any position. They are extremely durable and unlikely to be damaged during rough handling or in when mounted in places where there could be significant shock (ATV’s, transporting) and much more resistant to cold weather because the electrolyte is not subject to freezing. The capacity of AGM batteries is usually higher than flooded lead acid batteries based on weight. AGM batteries are even approved by the FAA for transport on commercial passenger airplanes. They tend to self-discharge slower than flooded lead acid batteries and can maintain their functionality and more of their capacity in hot or cold temperatures. The downside of AGM batteries is that they can cost up to twice as much a flooded lead acid battery.
Battery Capacity – Amp Hours
Battery capacity is measured in amp hours. This is an indication of how long a battery can safely deliver current (amps) over a period of time. It is a measure of usable capacity, not the total capacity of the battery.
A 12V battery listed as “100 amp/hours x 20 hours” means that the battery is capable of delivering 5amps for 20 hours before falling below usable voltage. For a 12V battery, the lowest a battery should be discharged is around 10.5 volts. A battery labeled “80AH@10hours” means the battery can continuously deliver 8 amps for 10 hours. Most 12V car size batteries are based on a 20 hour rate so many batteries may just list amp hours. A 100 AH battery can deliver 5 amps for 20 hours.
It is important to note that the relationship between battery capacity and rate of discharge (amps used) is not linear. In other words, a “100AH@20hour” battery would not be capable of delivering 100 amps for one hour, instead the battery might be able to deliver 100 amps for 30 – 40 minutes. The reason for this is a law of physics called Peukert’s Law.
Wiring – Yes, it matters. A lot.
Wiring is the most overlooked item on solar generators - especially store bought kits like the ones you might find at Harbor Freight. The reason is that braided copper wiring is expensive and a serious condition called “voltage drop” occurs when using thin wire and/or attempting to deliver DC current over long distances. While supplied thin wires in a store bought kit might work, efficiency may be reduced dramatically.
A typical solar panel will come with short wiring to go from the panel to the solar controller. These cables are generally standardized and use an industry standard connection called MC4. These wires are connected directly to the solar controller.
The next wiring is from the solar controller to the deep cycle storage battery. This is a critical part of the solar generator and often the weak link in getting the most efficiency from a solar generator.
Wiring of DC systems is a lot like piping used in household plumbing. A narrower pipe will have less flow of water than a wider pipe. Over a long distance, the resistance of a narrow pipe or resistance of a narrow wire will reduce the transfer of water or current while decreasing the pressure or voltage. This leads to a condition called “Voltage drop” that occurs when attempting to conduct DC current over a long distance with narrow wires.
If voltage drop is severe enough, it will not have enough voltage to charge a battery. So while it might seem nifty to set up a solar panel “out of the way” on a sunny hill 100 yards away from the deep cycle storage battery - perhaps after finding a great deal on three cheap, 100 ft ,16 gauge extension cords - a 12V solar generator will likely not work due to voltage drop. Current reaching the battery in such a configuration may only be 9.5 – 10 volts - below the voltage necessary to charge the battery at all.
Solar Generator Wiring Tips
* Use the shortest wire between the solar controller and battery as possible.
* Use the thickest (lowest gauge) wire that will fit into your charge controller.
* If you buy a pre-packaged solar generator, inspect wire thickness and consider replacing if the supplied wire used between the controller and battery is thin. Thick, stranded copper wire is expensive and dominated by world commodity pricing. Makers of many pre-packaged solar generators cut costs by using thinner wire.
Pro Tip: Use (8 gauge or thicker) automobile “jumper cables” as wiring between battery and controller. The jumper cable alligator clips are convenient for attaching/detaching battery. Remove the clips from the end to be attached to the controller, shorten cable as much as feasible and insert into the charge controller taking care to ensure polarity is correct (+/+, -/-).
Always use the “output” connections on the solar controller to power your projects. NEVER USE POWER DIRECTLY FROM THE BATTERY. Solar controllers regulate the both the charging of storage batteries and the output of the solar generator. A solar generator will shut off power if the battery state of charge is too low. This feature protects the battery from over-discharging and destroying the battery.
Cost estimate for 100W solar generator, April 2019
Renogy Solar 100W mono panel - $106.00
AllPowers 30Amp PWM Solar Controller - $28.00
4 Gauge 20ft Jumper cables - $23.00
12V 100AH AGM (Sealed) Battery - $168.00
NB: This is for an AGM deep cycle battery. Standard (non-AGM) batteries can be found for significantly lower prices. I prefer sealed AGM batteries because they are safer to transport and less prone to damage from vibration or rough handling and more applicable to portable solar generators. I have used an 80AH AGM battery with a100W solar panel, 30 amp PWM controller - in near ideal desert conditions - and was able to recharge the battery to full from about 50% depth of discharge daily.
Total cost for 100W solar generator (April, 2019) - $325.00
The only component that should need replacing is the battery after 3 – 5 years.
I hope that this was helpful, and that you have a great time at your next campsite or off-grid excursion with these tips. Stay lit my friend!
Until next time!
Cheers,
Gerry Gilligan
Co-Founder
Austin Bright Light Design
]]>Austin Bright Light Design was out getting LIT with the coolest queens in the gayborhood, Alysha Pretty & Robin Rose Quartz, at Oil Can Harry's. We think they looked fabulous as all get out, and were happy that we brought smiles to their faces as they did to the show attendees!
As it was our first drag show, we settled in and waited for the fireworks and we were not disappointed! Our supermodels Alysha and Robin (above) made the rounds in their Austin Bright Light Design Sunshine Gold and Hot Pink Firefly Cloaks, as we tried to squeeze in to an already packed dance floor to catch Austin's best drag queens strut their stuff to laser lights, booming soundtracks, and a rabid crowd that was gripped in anticipation for the night's showcase.
There was a total of five acts that night, and they were all SPEC-TAC-U-LAR! The costumes were on point, the choreography was rehearsed to a "T" and audience participation was encouraged.
One act, though, blew everyone away and was obviously the main event for the evening- Nadine Hughes! (You can see how we reacted above! LOL)
Nadine is a powerhouse performer, who absolutely runs the stage while she is on or off of it! Those dollar bill tips were flying from fingers as fast as folks could get them out of their pockets as Nadine strutted, preened and shimmied her way around the crowd. When the magic was over, we were left stunned in the afterglow knowing that we would have to do this again soon! Luckily, we hear that Alysha Pretty and Nadine Hughes are part of the "Divas on 4th" review every Thursday at 11pm at Seller's Underground here in Austin. Fantastic!
See y'all there...we will be GLOWING!
]]>Winter is coming! We don't need a note from the King of the North, Jon Snow, to know that the temps are dropping and the Ice King is making his approach (he would look great in a Sea Blue Firefly, wouldn't he?) slowly south. In Texas, we have had the first big windy days of December, which means the semi-annual cedar pollen dump has occurred. That leads to the semi-annual trip to the drugstore to get our allergy meds, neti pots and cartons of tissues!
All this leaves us in the mood to reflect on all the good times we had this summer! We will start with our trip back to Jason's hometown of Chicago for the preeminent electronic dance music festival, Spring Awakening Music Festival, with more posts about Austin City Limits and Suwanee Hulaween next.
Getting Woke- But First, Pizza
Every trip back to Chicago is different. New sights, new babies to meet, new jobs and updates from old friends...but one thing is always the same. PIZZA!
After getting properly refueled at Palermo's on the South Side, it was off to visit and get interviewed by an old buddy, Eddie Shafer, on WZRD Chicago.
Ed has been a long time supporter of ABLD, and was curious to find out the genesis of the idea behind the Firefly Cloak, how the business was formed, the reactions to our creations and what is next on the horizon. After a far reaching interview that spanned a full hour and was aired later that week on Ed's radio program, it was off to Addams/Medill park to enjoy Spring Awakening!
Timmmayyy!
First, we had to grab one of our dear friends and ABLD Brand Ambassadors, Tim, for this epic weekend!
Tim has been a friend for over 20 years, and was an early adopter from our Kickstarter campaign for the Firefly Cloak. Having never attended an EDM festival, and itching for an opportunity to wear his cloak for the first time at a festival that was literally in his backyard, Tim jumped at the chance to get more 'wubs in his dubs' and head to his first Awakening.
Meeting the Festi-fam, the ABLD Way
It did not take long for Tim to realize that turning on your lights at a festival not only gets you smiles and stares, but introduces you to your new festival family for the rest of the weekend!
With such amazing talent on stage all weekend, we couldn't help but dance the night away to Alison Wonderland, Tiesto, Borgore, Minnesota, Big Gigantic, Flux Pavilion, Ganja White Night, Bear Grillz, Bleep Bloop, Bro Safari, Slushii and more! Getting stopped about every 10 feet to have folks admire your cloak is also part of the fun. You never know who you are going to catch off guard with your lights, and usually they are the nicest folks around!
The stages were set off at a reasonable distances to reduce the bass bleed that inevitably happens at electronic fests, and we were pleasantly surprised at the range of EDM that was offered at this SAMF. Having a covered pavilion for one of the stages helped a lot, especially on Sunday which had a slight drizzle.
Where are the lights?
One takeaway from the festival that was a bit disappointing was that Chicago definitely needs to get LIT more! While we are used to having LED hoopers, poi spinners, LED glovers, and full on lighted costumes at our fests in Texas, it seems that this trend has not hit our northern friends! For this weekend, however, that turned out to be a plus for us. Nobody had seen anything like our Firefly Cloaks before, and were more than happy to try it out for themselves out in the crowd. We love it when we can spread our light and start the family smiling into the night!
Overall, Spring Awakening was a great trip home! We were glad to see that Chicago is embracing their roots in electronic dance music (they did invent house music!) in a cool venue with a friendly atmosphere. We cannot wait to do this again next year, so bring your Firefly Cloaks and join us!
]]>Recently, we took a break and spent an evening with friends – who we strive to spend time with year round – going for a stroll at the Winter Wonderland exhibit at the Circuit of the America’s F1 race track grounds here in Austin.
We each wore a Firefly Cloak and took some candid photos around the fantastic light exhibits at Winter Wonderland. The best part of the evening was our interactions with other Winter Wonderland goers, young and old, who approached us with genuine warmth and smiles. It was wonderful that a silly costume should also serve as a catalyst to connect people and spread joy in an unexpected way.
Meeting someone else with a smile and making a real connection -if only for a moment – is a gift we are very grateful to receive! We hope you are finding time to connect and smile often this holiday season.
We would love to hear stories see your photos bringing smiles to others. We have created a special album on our Facebook page called “Firefly Adventures” to foster a community of people sharing their stories of wearing their Firefly Cloak and other costumes to bring smiles to others. Please submit your pictures to jason@austinbrightlightdesign.com or gerry@austinbrightlightdesign.com to make sure we highlight your happiness!
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"If I can make it there, I'm gonna make it, anywhere! It's up to you, New York, New York!" - Frank Sinatra
We are pleased to announce that as of October, you can now purchase your very own Firefly Cloaks from our new partners, Abracadabra NYC, in the heart of Manhattan! After a lengthy process of seeking out qualified retail locations, we are very lucky to find a new outlet for our fashion with a well known and respected, full service costume shop like Abracadabra. Reports have already come back of brisk sales and heavy rental interest!
If you are in the Tri-State area, stop by and check out our wares in Manhattan yourselves! Austin Bright Light Design is ecstatic to add to the nightlife scene of the city that never sleeps and a fashion mecca, the Big Apple. Please patronize our friends at Abracadabra this holiday season!
About Abracadabra - Welcome to AbracadabraNYC! The world’s most unique store, located in the heart of New York City! Open year-round, we offer the best costumes, accessories, makeup and magic throughout the Tri-State area.
You’ll find everything you need here at Abracadabra NYC! Costumes, wigs, makeup, props, rentals, magic, masquerade masks and much more. Whether you are looking for creepy or cutesy, we’ve got you covered!
Already have a costume in mind? Our friendly staff is happy to help you find or piece together what you’re looking for. In addition, we have in-house seamstresses for those customers looking for something tailored and/or customized.
So what are you waiting for, come on by!
Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am to 10pm and Sunday 11pm-9pm
About Austin Bright Light Design- A startup in the heart of Texas with the mission to “Bring more light to your night!”, ABLD is an innovator in high quality, lighted clothing and costumes that merge outrageous designs with the latest in electronics and LED technology at a price point that remains accessible to the masses. Their flagship product, the Firefly Cloak™, has been featured on stage and in the crowd at concerts, festivals and dance clubs around the world including appearances on stage at major music festivals and on national TV with Shinyribs during his Austin City Limits Live (ACL Live) taping in season 43.
ABLD costumes are meant to inspire, bring joy and spread smiles to friends and strangers alike as they draw attention to the wearer in a positive and social way. If you want the latest and greatest in LED costumes and clothing, look no further than Austin Bright Light Design!
]]>Down To Fest, that is! We have another exciting partnership to announce with this San Antonio, TX based festival gear outlet. We met the owner, Abel Longoria, last year at the Vulcan Gas Company in Austin with the promise of doing future business one day. Mr. Longoria, being the tenacious businessman that he is, tracked us down months later and put ABLD at the forefront of his new philosophy in festival apparel- dressing up and stylish as the way to be! We could not be happier to be at the vanguard of his re-launch of the brand and the core of D.T.F. offerings! Please follow the link to see all the other great Down To Fest initiatives in supporting local business, artisans and concert family!
About Austin Bright Light Design-
A startup in the heart of Texas with the mission to “Bring more light to your night!”, ABLD is an innovator in high quality, lighted clothing and costumes that merge outrageous designs with the latest in electronics and LED technology at a price point that remains accessible to the masses. Their flagship product, the Firefly Cloak™, has been featured on stage and in the crowd at concerts, festivals and dance clubs around the world including appearances on stage at major music festivals and on national TV with Shinyribs during his Austin City Limits Live (ACL Live) taping in season 43. ABLD costumes are meant to inspire, bring joy and spread smiles to friends and strangers alike as they draw attention to the wearer in a positive and social way. If you want the latest and greatest in LED costumes and clothing, look no further than Austin Bright Light Design!
]]>Austin Bright Light Design™ is proud to announce a new partnership with GloFX, the #1 Global leader of Dimensional Eyewear since 2009!
Austin Bright Light Design™ (ABLD™) has entered into a marketing agreement with GloFX to list a limited selection of GloFX products on the Austin Bright Light Design™ website. “The addition of complementary products from other original designers is meant to broaden the selection of vetted, high quality lighted costumes and accessories offered to our customers,” said Jason Balcauski, President of Austin Bright Light Design. The GloFX products listed include the Pixel Pro Goggles™ , Pixel Pro Glasses™, GloFX Space Saber™ and LZR Laser Gloves™.
“We spend a lot of time and resources designing and prototyping the costumes and the electronics that go into them to make sure that we produce original designs that can stand up to repeated use and represent a good value. We aim to “wow” our customers and those around them. The GloFX products we are offering do that,” said Gerry Gilligan, CEO and Lead Designer of ABLD.
Austin Bright Light Design continues to develop new products to add to its flagship Firefly Cloak™ collection.
The curated collection of GloFX products offered on the ABLD website are listed under the “Rave Toys” menu at www.austinbrightlightdesign.com.
About Austin Bright Light Design-
A startup in the heart of Texas with the mission to “Bring more light to your night!”, ABLD is an innovator in high quality costumes that merge outrageous designs with the latest in electronics and lighting technology at a price point that remains accessible to people who want stand out. Their flagship product, the Firefly Cloak™, has been featured on stage and in the crowd at concerts, festivals and dance clubs around the world including appearances on stage at major music festivals and on national TV with Shinyribs during his Austin City Limits Live (ACL Live) taping in season 43. ABLD costumes are meant to inspire, bring joy and spread smiles to friends and strangers alike as they draw attention to the wearer in a positive and social way.
About GloFX-
GloFX is the #1 Global Leader in Dimensional Eyewear and has sold millions of pairs of rave glasses to EDM enthusiasts around the world since 2009.
In addition to Diffraction and Kaleidoscope Glasses, GloFX offers a wide range of LED Products and Rave Gear including Light Show Gloves, Orbits, Fiber Optic Props, and Glow Poi. GloFX continues to pioneer and innovate new products that lead its industry.
GloFX products get their appeal from their ability to enhance one’s experience and leave a lasting impression. Built on the importance of innovation, GloFX strives to push the boundaries of perception with its revolutionary eyewear and LED Products. The emphasis on quality makes GloFX a popular brand amongst eclectic light and music enthusiasts. Most importantly, the methods for creating a unique experience for each person is what separates GloFX from every other brand in its niche. GloFX changes the way people see the world and the way they interact with it.
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ABLD has had a busy summer and we wanted to keep you posted! |
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