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I just started shrimping late last season and have been exploring different equipment and lights. I have purchased the LED Greenie from NightOwl last year and it works great! However, going to the bridges and seeing different setups led me to tinker with the different types of lights. Below is a picture of several different "styles" or generations of lights and I would like your opinion on the different styles.
The LED I built from Plexiglass(acrylic). I was looking around for quite a while for good containers for the lights. The PVC pipe is expensive $7-10/foot with a minimium of 10 feet, so what else is cheap and effective?
Eureka!! I have in the past built fish tank aquariums from acrylic and have all of the welding chemicals on hand. So, off to Home Depot to buy a $20 sheet of plexiglass. I cut the sides of the box and welded it together in about 30 minutes. I sealed the inside and out with 5200 and covered with silicone. Tested in the saltwater of the FL Keys this past weekend and no leaks. Total cost of the LED light was about $50 with the LED strip, cord and plexi. I can make probably 8-10 out of one sheet of plexi depending on dimensions of course.
The one item that is perplexing me is the cord bulkhead thru the top. I want to find a mechanical seal of some sort to add stability. I read Brian's post about DIY Led's a second ago and looks like he used a cable grip. I have no idea what that is but I need to try one.
There was one interesting artifact that I did not anticipate with the lights. On the square containers, there is a shadow produced at the corners that radiates from the light. It is not bad, but I am not sure I care for it. This LED strip is the 3000 series and not as bright as NightOwls, but I do have a 5050 LED strip that I am going to build with, which I believe is the same as NightOwls production.
I also built a lobstering/floundering light to use in the Keys. It is simply a starfire 2 with a PVC glare shield that is mounted to my trolling motor guide. Works great for seeing the bottom.
The Flourescents are run thru an inverter. LED 12v.
The LED I built from Plexiglass(acrylic). I was looking around for quite a while for good containers for the lights. The PVC pipe is expensive $7-10/foot with a minimium of 10 feet, so what else is cheap and effective?
Eureka!! I have in the past built fish tank aquariums from acrylic and have all of the welding chemicals on hand. So, off to Home Depot to buy a $20 sheet of plexiglass. I cut the sides of the box and welded it together in about 30 minutes. I sealed the inside and out with 5200 and covered with silicone. Tested in the saltwater of the FL Keys this past weekend and no leaks. Total cost of the LED light was about $50 with the LED strip, cord and plexi. I can make probably 8-10 out of one sheet of plexi depending on dimensions of course.
The one item that is perplexing me is the cord bulkhead thru the top. I want to find a mechanical seal of some sort to add stability. I read Brian's post about DIY Led's a second ago and looks like he used a cable grip. I have no idea what that is but I need to try one.
There was one interesting artifact that I did not anticipate with the lights. On the square containers, there is a shadow produced at the corners that radiates from the light. It is not bad, but I am not sure I care for it. This LED strip is the 3000 series and not as bright as NightOwls, but I do have a 5050 LED strip that I am going to build with, which I believe is the same as NightOwls production.
I also built a lobstering/floundering light to use in the Keys. It is simply a starfire 2 with a PVC glare shield that is mounted to my trolling motor guide. Works great for seeing the bottom.
The Flourescents are run thru an inverter. LED 12v.
I need a mechanical bulkhead of some sort.
Flounder and lobstering light
