Re: Would this work? Just for fun

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

> >Wouldn't a cheap, efficient light source, with a great reflector,
> and
> >tempered glass cover be a car headlight? 

If you did this you wouldn't necessarily need a transformer.  If you
hooked up ten lamps in electrical series (each rated for 12 volts), 
then each would have twelve volts across its terminals and the ends of
the array of lamps would have 120 volts across them (house mains
voltage, give or take a few volts) .  That would give you about 550
watts of power consumption, of which, more than 500 watts would be
heat!  (This assumes using a typical "low beam" filament, which
consumes about 55 watts with twelve volts across its terminals.) 

This might be enough light for a small tank, but probably too much
heat.  It might be enough heat for a large tank, but not enough light. 
 But what you save by not buying a transformer or three you can spend
on some fans for a tank with 'twenty pounds of headlights strapped to
its chest.'  
;-)

Scott H.

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