kerosene lantern: can be toggled on-off?

kerosene lanterns which use a mantle, are a very frugal way of gaining night time illumination.
by keeping the unit outside the insulation envelope of the residence, and piping light in through optical fibers or mirrors, we overcome fume safety problems and thermal inefficiencies.
There remains the problem that a kerosene lantern doesn't readily lend itself to being toggled ON and OFF light an electric lantern so easily can.
any way of accomplishing this?

wrote in message

kerosene lanterns which use a mantle, are a very frugal way of gaining night time illumination.
by keeping the unit outside the insulation envelope of the residence, and piping light in through optical fibers or mirrors, we overcome fume safety problems and thermal inefficiencies.
There remains the problem that a kerosene lantern doesn't readily lend itself to being toggled ON and OFF light an electric lantern so easily can.
any way of accomplishing this?

Move one of the mirrors?

dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com wrote:

kerosene lanterns which use a mantle, are a very frugal way of gaining night time illumination.

No they arent. Solar powered systems are a lot more frugal now.
The ones intended as solar powered garden lights cost peanuts now.

by keeping the unit outside the insulation envelope of the residence, and piping light in through optical fibers or mirrors, we overcome fume safety problems and thermal inefficiencies.

Barking mad. Makes a lot more sense to use solar power now.

There remains the problem that a kerosene lantern doesn't readily lend itself to being toggled ON and OFF light an electric lantern so easily can.

Yep.

any way of accomplishing this?

Yep, toss it in the bin and use solar power instead.

wrote in message

kerosene lanterns which use a mantle, are a very frugal way of gaining night time illumination.
by keeping the unit outside the insulation envelope of the residence, and piping light in through optical fibers or mirrors, we overcome fume safety problems and thermal inefficiencies.
There remains the problem that a kerosene lantern doesn't readily lend itself to being toggled ON and OFF light an electric lantern so easily can.
any way of accomplishing this?

CFLs are a frugal way of gaining night time illumination. No farting around getting them going, refueling, fiber optics, etc.
$5 light lasting 10000 hours. $0.0005 per hour for ownership.
At $0.12 / kWh, a 15W bulb costs $0.0018 in energy consumption per hour.
That means for a light that's easy to control, with no farting around, it costs an amazing $0.0023/ hr to run.
In fact around the camp site (not back country), or around the house during power outages, I use a couple CFLs running off an inverter connected to the car. I got fed up with discovering broken lanturn mantles when I try to set up camp in the dark.

wrote in message

kerosene lanterns which use a mantle, are a very frugal way of gaining night time illumination.
by keeping the unit outside the insulation envelope of the residence, and piping light in through optical fibers or mirrors, we overcome fume safety problems and thermal inefficiencies.
There remains the problem that a kerosene lantern doesn't readily lend itself to being toggled ON and OFF light an electric lantern so easily can.
any way of accomplishing this?

Sounds like a challenge. If it uses a mantle, it probably has a vaporizer. It usually has to burn with a yellow flame until it boils enough kerosene to provide gas pressure to burn with a white light through the mantle. You would need some type of automated starting system, that would possibly boil the kerosene with an electric element, then attempt to light the mantle with an electronic igniter, similar to a gas furnace.
Another method might be to have the lamp inside, but isolating the intake and exhaust air outside the insulation envelope. A glass enclosure and a small dual chimney might do the trick.
A century ago, kerosene lighting was near it's peak of technological development: http://members.aol.com/lumiara/en/keroen.htm
It seems to me the more practical solution would be to use fluorescent or LED lighting. It seems to be asking a bit much to have the convenience of instant on and off from such a basic technology.

JoeSP wrote:

A century ago, kerosene lighting was near it's peak of technological development: http://members.aol.com/lumiara/en/keroen.htm
That's an interesting site. He doesn't cover pressure lamps very well

though (at all?) and in his list of modern manufacturers there's no mention of the wonderful Tilley lamp.
-- Malc

JoeSP wrote:

dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com> wrote in message
kerosene lanterns which use a mantle, are a very frugal way of gaining night time illumination.
by keeping the unit outside the insulation envelope of the residence, and piping light in through optical fibers or mirrors, we overcome fume safety problems and thermal inefficiencies.
There remains the problem that a kerosene lantern doesn't readily lend itself to being toggled ON and OFF light an electric lantern so easily can.
any way of accomplishing this?

Sounds like a challenge. If it uses a mantle, it probably has a vaporizer. It usually has to burn with a yellow flame until it boils enough kerosene to provide gas pressure to burn with a white light through the mantle.

Not so -- look at the most common kerosene mantle lamp -- the Aladdin. We were off-grid with no electric for about 18 years, used kerosene lamps, but they are a hassle. I'd never do it again -- now I use halogen and LEDs on a 12v system -- a million times better. No comparision.

You

would need some type of automated starting system, that would possibly boil the kerosene with an electric element, then attempt to light the mantle with an electronic igniter, similar to a gas furnace.
Another method might be to have the lamp inside, but isolating the intake and exhaust air outside the insulation envelope. A glass enclosure and a small dual chimney might do the trick.
A century ago, kerosene lighting was near it's peak of technological development: http://members.aol.com/lumiara/en/keroen.htm
It seems to me the more practical solution would be to use fluorescent or LED lighting. It seems to be asking a bit much to have the convenience of instant on and off from such a basic technology.

Actually, Aladdin kerosene mantle lamps work quite well, with light approx equivalent to 60-100w incandescent, and about 3200 BTU/hr byproduct.
Why throw away that much heat? With its cylindrical wick in any decent shape and not raised too much, such a lamp is very clean-burning.
Problem occurs when a finger of flame from the wick gets too long and touches the mantle. Quenching occurs, and carbon builds up around mantle, with lots of fine soot delivered out of the chimney. Requires expertise and attention.
Stinks on extinguishing flame, too. All in all, good for emergencies.
J

On 2 Jan 2006 18:47:45 -0800, dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com wrote:

kerosene lanterns which use a mantle, are a very frugal way of gaining night time illumination.
by keeping the unit outside the insulation envelope of the residence, and piping light in through optical fibers or mirrors, we overcome fume safety problems and thermal inefficiencies.
There remains the problem that a kerosene lantern doesn't readily lend itself to being toggled ON and OFF light an electric lantern so easily can.
any way of accomplishing this?
I remember my Grandpap talking about a kerosene lantern/lamp

situation that had them all stumped. The great blizzard that hit Kansas in 1887 got so cold that the flame in their kerosene lantern froze and they couldn't blow the flame out. They had to sleep through the night with the light on. ;-]

wrote in message

Actually, Aladdin kerosene mantle lamps work quite well, with light approx equivalent to 60-100w incandescent, and about 3200 BTU/hr byproduct.
Why throw away that much heat? With its cylindrical wick in any decent shape and not raised too much, such a lamp is very clean-burning.

Actually, it looks as if all problems have been solved with the Noorie Lantern.
http://nariphaltan.virtualave.net/lantern.htm

"Gordon" wrote in message

On 2 Jan 2006 18:47:45 -0800, dances_with_barkadas@yahoo.com wrote:

I remember my Grandpap talking about a kerosene lantern/lamp situation that had them all stumped. The great blizzard that hit Kansas in 1887 got so cold that the flame in their kerosene lantern froze and they couldn't blow the flame out. They had to sleep through the night with the light on. ;-]

HAW!

JoeSP wrote:

barry@sme-online.com> wrote in message Actually, Aladdin kerosene mantle lamps work quite well, with light approx equivalent to 60-100w incandescent, and about 3200 BTU/hr byproduct.
Why throw away that much heat? With its cylindrical wick in any decent shape and not raised too much, such a lamp is very clean-burning.
Actually, it looks as if all problems have been solved with the Noorie Lantern.
http://nariphaltan.virtualave.net/lantern.htm

You still have to handle flammable liquids.
This lanterns has LEDs that run on D cells: http://www.ccrane.com/lights/light-accessories/led-camping-lantern.aspx
This one needs no fuel OR batteries, and gives you LED white light and a radio to boot. Just wind it up! (SERIOUSLY!) http://www.ccrane.com/radios/wind-up-emergency-radios/freeplay-plus-radio.aspx
I used it when Hurricane Isabel ('03) knocked out our power for several days. I also use it when camping.
Tom Davidson Richmond, VA

Actually, it looks as if all problems have been solved with the Noorie Lantern.
*************************
Boy, that's one powerful lantern. ALL problems? Like the Iraq debacle???? The problem of human extinction due to greed and non-cooperation? Oh. Maybe it's a magic lantern. Never mind.
- Emily Latella

wrote in message

Actually, it looks as if all problems have been solved with the Noorie Lantern.
*************************
Boy, that's one powerful lantern. ALL problems? Like the Iraq debacle???? The problem of human extinction due to greed and non-cooperation? Oh. Maybe it's a magic lantern. Never mind.
- Emily Latella

Not every one caught my sarcasm I guess.

John Smith wrote:

CFLs are a frugal way of gaining night time illumination. No farting around getting them going, refueling, fiber optics, etc.
$5 light lasting 10000 hours. $0.0005 per hour for ownership.
At $0.12 / kWh, a 15W bulb costs $0.0018 in energy consumption per hour.
That means for a light that's easy to control, with no farting around, it costs an amazing $0.0023/ hr to run.
In fact around the camp site (not back country), or around the house during power outages, I use a couple CFLs running off an inverter connected to the car. I got fed up with discovering broken lanturn mantles when I try to set up camp in the dark.

How would the Canadian Football League help light my cabin?
Ok, so what is a CFL?
I am in process of building myself a cabin in the woods, and this sounds like a good way to light it, if I only knew what the heck it was. ;-)