Need advice for lighting water well exploration project

[David Treibs]

Project: I'm building a PVC underwater housing for a small CCTV board camera which will go down in a water well so I can see what's going on down there. I need to retrieve some items: a Tiablo T9, an 18" pipe wrench, and a pipe coupling.

The PVC pipe used will be small, probably only 3" diameter, or even 2" if I can make everything fit in it. The light(s) will be inside the housing, shining out the same side as the camera, facing down the hole.

What I need from y'all is advice on LED lighting to illuminate the 6" - 12" diameter hole.

I already have 2 Luxeon star 1w LEDs, and I have a 3rd one somewhere, but haven't find it yet. Unfortunately, I think I chunked the lenses for the Luxeons, and I don't have the black plastic housing for the lens on one of the Luxeons.

Can someone recommend a driver that will drive the 2 Luxeon 1w, and the third if I find it?

Is there an inexpensive combination of 1 or 2 or 3 bright LEDs and driver that wouldn't cost me more than $20 or $30?

I'll be using acrylic for the camera to see through, so I don't want LEDs that generate so much heat that they melt or soften the acrylic.


Underwater camera housing for small camera:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Underwater-Camera-Housing-for-small-video-camera/

KT&C KPC DNR700 board camera:
http://www.ktnc.co.kr/english/viewtopic.php?t=645

 

[Hallmcc]

Just go to DX and order SKU 11836, grab a cr132 battery and you should have all the light you need. Less than $15.00 total.

 

[David Treibs]

Just go to DX and order SKU 11836, grab a cr132 battery and you should have all the light you need. Less than $15.00 total.

Will I need some sort of heat sink?

 

[mahoney]

if the Luxeons are on stars, you don't need additional heat sinking if the drive levels are moderate, say less than 200ma and there's at least some air flow. I would just direct drive the Luxeons from 3 volts each of batteries, 2 AAs, 1 123, etc., or 2 AA lithiums if you have a high Vf Lux. 1 LED may be enough depending on the light response of your camera, and how far away you need to see. If you need 2 or 3 LEDs just put them in series across 6 or 9 volts of batteries. You could run them in parallel, but run-time would be short off of 2 AAs

 

[HarryN]

How about just picking up a cheap flashlight and gluing it shut with silicone sealant?

 

[David Treibs]

How about just picking up a cheap flashlight and gluing it shut with silicone sealant?

Well, I did think about that, but it seems cost wise that an LED/driver combination would be less expensive than a full blown flashlight.

Besides that, if you read my first post, you will note that I dropped a Tiablo down into the well. That was my only decent flashlight. I'm trying to retrieve it, along with a wrench, etc.

Actually, the flashlight would not even need to be sealed, since it will be in a sealed housing with the CCTV.

 

[CKOD]

I just picked up a coleman x2 CR2 XR-E for $25 from walmart including the batteries. (cant find a link to it...) It is small and cheap, you can do cheaper (the p60 dropin on DX) but youre not waiting weeks like you would be from DX. I got it as something cheap to throw in the car and leave it there for if I need it. Pretty sure it should be bright enough for a camera light being > 100 lumens in a small space.

 

[Hallmcc]

Will I need some sort of heat sink?

It is part of the unit.

 

[David Treibs]

How about just picking up a cheap flashlight and gluing it shut with silicone sealant?

Now that you mention it, it jars my memory to what I was originally thinking, and what would allow for the most compact design.
I would use a ring of LEDs to go around the camera.

Do you think you or some of the others here could find a couple of them?
It wouldn't have to be anything super bright, because I will probably be able to see only a few feet at the most.

The camera is about 1.22" square.
If I could fit that and a ring of LEDs inside a 2" or 2.5" (that's the inside diameter) PVC, it would be perfect.

The inside diameter of 2" PVC is about 2.00" (50 mm), and 2.5" PVC ID is about 2.4 (60 mm)"

The following would be perfect for 2.5" PVC, but I'd like to buy or build one for 2" PVC.

Do you know where I could find one, or has anyone made one who could give me instructions on it?
It would need to be battery powered, and not so powerful that it would melt the acrylic cover on which it would be sitting.
Can you please point me to a bright but inexpensive LED along with a driver that will work.
Perhaps a configuration of 4 would be enough, or more, depending on their brightness, and whatever number has a handy, ready-made driver.
Also, can you please tell me where I can buy the LEDs and drivers, since it seems rather difficult to find them for sale.

(the above has a min order of 1000--not in my budget)