T. Souza wrote -
>>Hi Jerry et al,
>
>I think the ideal location for the wreath is on the spare tire. Morgan
>exposed spares are just aching to be covered with a Xmas wreath.
>
>A lighted Morgan wreath brings smiles from all, this from many years of
>displaying one on my Morgan. I suggest a series-parallel 12 Volt
>combination of miniature multi-colored lights. For the electrically
>challenged, picture a ladder arrangement of wires where the two vertical
>parts of the ladder correspond to the + and - 12 Volts from the car
>battery and the rungs are nose-to-tail strings of lights (series
>connected). I prefer to use a string of 3.5 Volt lights with 4 lights
>per "rung". This gives a series string with a 14 Volt rating. Keep in
>mind that a car's charging system puts out 14 Volts or so to charge the
>battery up to 12.6 V, so a 14 V string should have a long life. Put on
>enough lights to populate the size wreath you get or make and plug the
>lights into the car's 12 V system. I use an underdash switch now but
>for years I just used an alligator clip.
>
>Alternately you could use a string of five 2.5 Volt lights (12.5 Volt
>string) and I have used a string of two 6 Volt lights with acceptably
>low burn-out. The 3.5 V lights came from Walmart.
>
>Last night at the MOPs Xmas party I left the +4 flat rad four-seater
>wreath lights on from 7 PM to Midnight ( 48 - 3.5 V lights) and there
>was still plenty of battery to kick the engine over at 30 deg. F.
>
>Tony Souza
>Ottsville, PA
>
I'll definitely add this piece of technology to my Morgan file. I've never
even thought of doing that with low-voltage lights. I always thought in
terms of an inverter, etc, which is a lot of hassle. What's the switch for
the Christmas lights labelled as? That's going to confuse some Morgan owner
of the far future...I can hear the Morgan List discussion now in 2029; "No,
I'm sure that the Christmas Light switch only came out on the US-spec +4
AFTER 1960, starting with serial number 1234...."
The old professor who used to own Elton's Morgan used to make a point, on
snowy days, of riding around Lynchburg with the top down, a leather cap,
goggles and a long "duster", and spreading joy and good cheer (not to
mention adding to the legends of his eccentricity) with snow blowing all
around and a white frosting on the car. Of course, Elton is paying for that
now, payment being in the form of new ash and steel to replace the wet,
rusty stuff....
Lannis
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