help, underwater flood light

Other Types of Lights LED Spotlights
1

Hi, I have serious OCD here. I want to build a underwater light for the back of my johnboat.
Why, I don’t know, but I want one. I have looked on line for one and the cheapest one I have found is about $70. Too much for my taste. So Im thinking this idea.

Find an LED that puts out an equivalent to 60watt incandescent, blue colored .
Figure out how to run it on a 12 volt battery.
Make a small container for light and wire and fill the container with the led and smother it with clear epoxy.
Once the epoxy hardens, break off the container and bolt the now leftover form to the back of the boat.
Run the wire to the battery with a fuse and switch.
MY question is, . HOW THE HECK DO I DO THIS.
What size/style led do I need?
Do I need a led “driver” (whatever that is)
Can I even put the Led in the epoxy or would that just destroy the led. If it destroys the led what can I use to “pot” it for waterproofing?
With it being submerged in water, do I need to put a heat sink on it?
Thank you for any help,
If you know of any links that would point me in the right direction, that would be great
Thanks again
Steve

2

You can use that clear polyurethane encapsulant resin as the container

Just build a 12vdc driver, tie em into a few good XM-L or XM-L2 emitters on bases attached to a larger block, the encapsulant should wick the heat way enough to not overheat the led's, but a good temperature sensor to throttle the led's back would be advisable

I have always wondered if those dive lights if they just filled the heads with the above resin if it would waterproof it even more...hmmmm

3

Welcome , youstolemybeer .

To be fair though , Steve , you did leave it in my cooler ...

I use one of these when I'm fishing for crappie at night .

http://fishinglightsetc.com/AquaStarComboII.html

4

ok, so an XML2 on a base, I take it the base acts as a heat sink? Attach that to a larger “block”? Do you mean another mount or another heat sink? The temp sensor you speak of… where would I find information on this
As far as my beer in your cooler, I got nothing. Normally I would have a witty comeback, but alas I got nothing here
Hey
Thanks for the help so far. Im a complete newbie and am not hoping to be spoon fed the information, just hoping to be pointed in the right direction
Thanks
Steve

5

Yeah the base is there to give electrical connections to the emitter and provide a path to give larger surface area to dissipate heat…

I like that tube light from the link above…very cool, I wonder if a reverse reflector (shiny on the outside of the cone to reflect outwards at 90 instead of forward)

Even a good XM-L at 2800mA make a BUNCH of light, reflect that light out rather than forward and you could have a pretty good light
To heck with a XM-L…go with one of these
https://www.fasttech.com/p/1103509

Ok…the idea…see this image

see the top cone reflector directing light out rather than forward
Main reason for this reverse reflector cone is to direct light out omni-directionally instead of following the tube like a fiber optic and shooting out the end

A XM-L maybe a brazed 1/2”dia 3” to 4” solid aluminum or copper rod to draw the heat away and increase surface area

12vdc driver
http://www.fasttech.com/products/1110706

Everything stuffed down into a 1” clear PVC tube, sealed to prevent leaking or encapsulated like the above

6

amazon, blue boat drain plug, xte, 39.99 at the time of this writing. I would put a little epoxy around the connection of the wire and the plug based on the photos. one mode.

http://www.amazon.com/Amarine-Underwater-Garber-fishing-Swimming-Diving/dp/B00GDY6ETS/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1394147547&sr=8-11&keywords=boat+plug

7

Wow…neat!

8

The drain plug light looks like it might work if you're after bling for your johnboat .

I have used the light I linked many times to 'wake up' fish . It really attracts the bait well .

I guess it all depends on what you intend to use the light for .

I like beer . My favorite type - cold . My favorite kind - free .

And if it's cold and free , that's as good as it gets .

9

I saw the drain plug light at the boat show, but if Im going to do that, then why not go VERY bright. Im sure everyone has heard the saying, If some is good, more is better, then too much is just right. That is what I want. I am thinking that for less than 20bucks I can do this.
1 12V 1x10W driver
1 CREE XLamp High Power LED Emitter (Blue Light)mounted on a 20mm star PCB
Solder it together, encase it all in resin/epoxy died light blue
Have a beer while it all sets up, mount it on the boat and I should have what I want.
looking at the lamp, it requires 3.2-3.4 volts, will the resistor be adequate or do I NEED to use the driver.
Thanks for everything folks
Steve

10

Should…but remember they get hot…hopefully the resin can hold up to the heat (solid objects no matter the materieal will still have a thermal connectivity, how fast, that is to be seen, but plunked in the water, cooling “should” be adequate)…this is why I was saying something about

This is the 10W emitter…alot bigger than any XM-L
https://www.fasttech.com/p/1103509

Here is a “blue emitter” but it’s lumen output is MUCH lower than the above white LED
https://www.fasttech.com/products/1609/10001245/1103510-10w-180lm-470nm-blue-light-led-emitter

This thing is the driver for the above emitter
http://www.fasttech.com/products/1110706

It is already rated at 12vdc, the driver is there as a “regulator” but it should work just fine

Resin
http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/clear-polyester-casting-resin-840462/

Transparent resin dye
http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/blue-transparent-resin-dye-761676/

1” (25.4mm diameter) clear plastic PVC tubing

Solder the emitter to the driver, solder a lead from the driver to battery clips, maybe bend the wing/tabs up so they don’t poke out as far, slide all of it down into the clear plastic tube…mix up some light blue tinted resin, fill it up…let it harden/cure

plop it in a bucket of water, hook it up to a battery and see if
A. It makes a TON of blueish light that you want
B. see if it gets too hot it melts the resin/pvc and goes kaput

If it makes enough light…yay…win…if it doesn’t…might need more heatsinking

Good way to make sure the led is level is to do a couple pours, first pour to make a plug on the end, as it cures and get’s tacky slather the led in liquid resin, gently lower to harder plug till it nestles level, then fill it in the rest of the way, make sure you bend/kink the battery leads to give it some tension strength, don’t want to accidentally pull the cord out if it isn’t held tight enough by the resin

As I was saying with fiber optics, a few bits of shiny glitter or foil below the emitter might keep the light from just following the tube and shooting out the end without any side reflectivity

Oh you want a bling light to bolt up to your boat not a plunk sink down and bring the fish light

Might experiment with different mounds, maybe a square mold, then drill out the corners for mounting bolts…either or, that LED should be pretty darn bright

Reflector like the below, modeling clay to make a mold this way it give you a mounting option

11

I hate insomnia, its 2am and Im on this board thinking about LEDs, I need help or medication.
Ok enough ranting. In regards to a heat sink, why not make cooling tubes into the resin mix? when the boat is moving, cool water will flow thru the tubes. When the boat is sitting still the tubes will act as a Thermosiphon. Point the tubes up and down in relation to the boat and that should work.
Thanks
Steve

12

I was thinking you wanted a light you could lower into the water to attract fish, I didn’t realize you wanted a bling mount like ground effects on your car

You will have to figure out a design for the mold of the resin, and a mounting scheme, once you have the resin object mounting it will be the next part

I think as long as the resin is in the water, the heat “should” conduct thru the resin and keep everything cool…but I have been wrong before

13

why your are so professional,I can learn more in here.

14

why your are so professional,I can learn more in here.