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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 found the following review helpful:
 They don't last! Jun 11, 2008
By P. Willey
Bought 4 of these for a solar system. ONLY used them in one socket, withing 4 days, 2 were already blown. They do not handle fluctuting DC voltages such as those seen in a solar system. No built in regulation. I've use many items for years off the 12v solar that are sensitive equipment; to include Cell Phones, external Hard drives, and a wireless cellular repeater. So, in a nut shell, a waste of money!
12 of 13 found the following review helpful:
JUNK Sep 16, 2009
By Mitchell E. Weingrad
USED A BULB FOR 2 WEEKS ON EMERGENCY LIGHTING CIRCUIT....RUNNING FROM BATTERY, SO THERE WAS NO VOLTAGE FLUCTUATION..ON AND OFF MAYBE 15 TIMES AND BULB FAILED
NO WAY TO CONTACT ANYONE....SAVE YOUR MONEY, DONT BUY THESE
15 of 17 found the following review helpful:
 Disappointing Mar 29, 2009
By K. Henderson
"Solar Powered 12v Guy"
This is a great concept. You can use any light socket or lamp, connect to a 12 volt system, and you have an energy efficient light source. Unfortunately they do not last! They burn out very quickly and at 10 bucks a pop they are not worth it. I have not found any way to contact the manufacturer to find out if there are any special requirements for increasing the life of this product. Wal-mart sells a 12 volt bulb with a 1000 hour warranty for $1.50
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Super 12-Volt Light Source! Oct 19, 2011
By cabin-pal
If you've ever camped with LED lanterns or flashlights as your only night-time light source, you'll be more than pleasantly surprised by the quality of light produced by this Camco CFL bulb! You can actually read a book without eyestrain in your tent or cabin, just as if you were reading at home. My cabin is off the grid, deep in the forest, and I couldn't believe how much light my Camco bulb put-out when I first tried it, coming to full brilliance after about 20-30 seconds of warm-up. My nearest neighbor in the woods was also astounded when I showed him. Admittedly, I've not used the Camco bulb for very long, so I can't speak directly to the issue of longevity. The negative reviews, indicating this bulb burns-out all too easily, initially made me a little hesitant to purchase. But, having first seen the product favorably presented on the website of an RV supply outfit I respect, I decided to give it a try. So far, no regrets.
It should be noted that most, if not all, 12-volt fluorescent lights are prone to early failure, if a few, basic guidelines for extending their life are not followed. As spelled-out in the Backwoods Solar on-line catalog, 12-volt fluorescents should not be used in situations where they'd be turned on-and-off frequently, or used for only brief moments of lighting (as in a closet or storeroom). These bulbs need to warm-up fully and should remain "on" for periods of at least 15-20 minutes at a time. Using them for only a minute or two, or switching them on and off repeatedly in a short period of time, burns-out their internal ballasts prematurely. They are not up to that kind of cycling. Consequently, 12-volt fluorescents are best suited to installations where they'll be lit for an extended time: for example, in living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens. For closets -- or bathrooms, in instances of brief lighting -- it is better to use standard incandescent or LED bulbs, which don't mind frequent on/off cycling. DC fluorescents can also be readily destroyed by power surges. Never turn on more than one 12-volt fluorescent bulb at a time. Having these electrically-sensitive bulbs wired so that two or more are controlled by a single switch guarantees a power surge, which will knock them out in no time. Likewise, it's best to connect them to batteries which are not being charged (by solar panels, wind charger, etc.) at the time of bulb use. The idea is to avoid power fluctuations/surges, which lead to an early demise for these otherwise wonderful, energy-efficient light sources.
Running a single Camco 12-volt CFL uses hardly any current (just about 1.5 amps). I power mine from a standard car battery when camping. Three hours of light from this bulb uses so little "juice" that my automotive charger fully replenishes the battery after approximately 5 minutes of recharging -- no exaggeration! A single car battery and one Camco bulb thus delivers several nights of more-than-sufficient illumination for my cabin, with plenty of battery juice to spare. Camping's never been easier!
I'm sold on this particular product. Provided the special guidelines for using 12-volt fluorescents are adhered to, it appears the ideal solution for folks wanting to light their dwellings off the grid. Also, from lots of Internet searching, Amazon appears to offer the best price on this bulb -- when building an order large enough ($25 or more) to meet their free Super Saver shipping requirement. Great product. Great distributor. If you want light you can actually read by at night, off the grid, you've come to the right place!
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Wonderful Oct 14, 2009
By Eric Tobin
I love the light bulbs. I have 3 of them hooked to my solar panel in my shed. With only a 7Ah battery, I can run all 3 of them for almost 2 hours. They are dim when they turn on like any other CFL, but quickly get brighter. I would recommend them to anybody with a 12 volt system. One of them was broken upon delivery and I simply contacted Amazon.com and they sent me a new one and paid for the return postage of the broken one. It couldn't have been easier!
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