Fishing/Shrimping Light

I'd like to make these green fluorescent lights as they are near impossible to attain locally... can someone give advice/instructions on how to go about building one, thinking 24" long +/-... I'm not an electrician not even in the amateur sense, but I learn quick Thanks for any advice.



Also, these look like they'd work great too:

Welcome to CPF, letbelight.

You posted this in a fairly obscure part of the forum, but as these definitely do look like "special application" lights, I can understand why you posted there.

I'll move the thread to Homemade & Modified as I think that may be the best place for responses.

Thanks very much, lots of electrical gurus here, this site is a god-send.

Presumably you'll need them to work off a 12V supply from a boat? Or are they 110V?

Nice light, remind me of Master Yoda.
Pardon me for asking, how do you use it during fishing/shrimping ?

DM51 said:

Presumably you'll need them to work off a 12V supply from a boat? Or are they 110V?

Click to expand...

12v supply using alligator clips

Vbeez said:

Nice light, remind me of Master Yoda.
Pardon me for asking, how do you use it during fishing/shrimping ?

Click to expand...

Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt_DHcnxiUM

My biggest problem is that you can't buy these type of lights unless you join that club... makes me wanna build one out of spite!

That just looks like some PVC pipe and fittings, maybe clear acrylic pipe, fluorescent tube ballasts, and extension cords. I think the top ones may use 110VAC, probably by inverter.

That's prob all it is... any direction on how to build one... components, suppliers, etc?

letbelight said:

My biggest problem is that you can't buy these type of lights unless you join that club... makes me wanna build one out of spite!

Click to expand...

You found the right forum. The Experts will guide you, even make a better one
Interesting way of shrimping. Thanks.

letbelight said:

That's prob all it is... any direction on how to build one... components, suppliers, etc?

Click to expand...

I google-product-searched "green fluorescent tube" and got a bunch of hits.

Clear plastic tubing of all kinds in all sizes comes from mcmaster.com

PVC pipe, fittings, solvent, 110V inverter, silicone caulk, and construction adhesive are at your local home center. Depending on that length tube you get, the ballasts might come from there too.

Is the light greenish because shrimp like green, or is that just a side effect of whatever light they're using? Do you need small lights scattered all around, or would a couple big ones on poles do?

Ken_McE said:

Is the light greenish because shrimp like green, or is that just a side effect of whatever light they're using?

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I'm sure it's just a green florescent tube, I also think it's a bit of a sales gimmick.

I've been prawning with nothing more than a waterproof incandescent torch and a prawn net, I'm sure there would be plenty of LED solutions a bare P7 on a heat sink in a screw top jar with a cable gland or similar would probably give as much light as the compact florescent version. A lot easier to build an power.
Just thinking if you had you power source (batteries) inside the jar there would be no need for any waterproofing.
Norm

The guy that built these locally here is now selling led versions and reports are that led is spanking the fluorescents... considering I have lots more options with LED I think I will try that first and for now abandon the fluorescent version... there is another thread on this forum re led lights for this application so I'll give that a looksee... thanks everyone