Building your own underwater Led

[Sdc77]

Hi guys,
For those who want a cheap, nice and efficient underwater led with pride of making it by yourself, here are mine :

I started with a foot plastic hider sheet, found in my construction shop. It's 60mm diameter, exist in black or silver :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed00.JPG

Here is a link to get it in USA : http://www.componentforce.com/category/479/castor-cups

From UK : https://www.sinclair-rush.co.uk/product/479/CH2/order

Another kind of caster cup : https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Sliders-39719-Nonskid-Cup-1-11/dp/B000UVMOBW

Then bought 2 home leds, 12v DC, blue, with 24x SMD 5050 leds :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed01.JPG

You can go with a 30x SMD bulb : http://www.dx.com/p/mr16-470nm-5-5w-360-lumen-30x5050-smd-led-blue-light-bulb-12v-81375#.U4ROOlKKCUk

Or with direct PCB without need of breaking anything : http://www.gearbest.com/car-lights/pp_96118.html?wid=21

Broke it to keep the PCB :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed02.JPG

Then glue the pcb (with 1 meter wire welded) to the plastic sheet with spacers (it can be a water bottle or soda cap), to escape the stuff behind the PCB, and pour casting epoxy resin in it. You can use this resin : http://www.michaels.com/easy-cast-clear-casting-epoxy/10408248.html#q=epoxy&start=8. 24 hours after, it's crystal clear, solid and perfectly sealed :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed03.JPG


Black Caps : http://www.componentforce.com/category/479/castor-cups

From UK : https://www.sinclair-rush.co.uk/product/479/CH2/order

or : https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Sliders-39719-Nonskid-Cup-1-11/dp/B000UVMOBW

Blue Leds : http://www.dx.com/p/mr16-470nm-5-5w-360-lumen-30x5050-smd-led-blue-light-bulb-12v-81375#.U4ROOlKKCUk

or : http://www.gearbest.com/car-lights/pp_96118.html?wid=21

Epoxy clear casting resin : http://www.michaels.com/easy-cast-clear-casting-epoxy/10408248.html#q=epoxy&start=8

[Sdc77]

Back of the thing :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed04.JPG

Then I connect it to the boat with SS screws :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed05.JPG

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed06.JPG

It's bright and powerful :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed07.JPG

[Sdc77]

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed08.JPG

In water :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed09.JPG

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed10.JPG

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed11.JPG

[Sdc77]

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed12.JPG

It's 2 meters behind the boat lighting for ........ $8 each ...

Enjoy

:)

[docdrs]

Awesome diy job, very cool

[Sdc77]

Thank you Doug ;)

[villain]

holy crap!! that is crazy bright! im going to steal this for my boats. its way cleaner than my diy underwater led lights.

i think this needs to become a sticky

[Sdc77]

Thanks villain !
Do you have a link to your diy led ?

[Cusefan78]

Where can you get the black plastic thing to put the light in

[Sdc77]

Try at your local DIY store/shop. Where you can find table feet stuff, you should find it.
Here in France, my local DIY store's name is "Leroy Merlin".

In USA, you can get it here :

http://www.componentforce.com/category/479/castor-cups

From UK : https://www.sinclair-rush.co.uk/product/479/CH2/order

[villain]

i never did a build thread of them. they dont look as nice as yours thats for sure.

[brain_rinse]

This is awesome. Great work!

[McDye]

VERY VERY Cool...

[Sdc77]

Thanks everyone ! Really appreciate your comments guys

[olivier_20]

Incroyable ton idée le cousin !! j'aime vraiment beaucoup :D... For a test i'm gonna try 2 small submersible RGB LED spot light (w/ a remote and 16 colors) attach to the swimplate bracket to see what it's like, if it's isn't powerful enough i think i'm gonna steal this idea to !!

[Sdc77]

Merci Olivier pour ton commentaire ;)
I also thought about a RGB underwater with the same kind of 24 SMD 5050 led.
The main problem of this idea is that a 5050 SMD has 3 luminous dots. Means on my blue led, there is 3 blue dots. On a RGB, there is one blue, one red and one green. So, for the same number of LEDs, for a specific color, you will have 3 times less power than a one color led light.
That's why I choose blue ones.
But I plan to build next year a stage 2 of my concept with powerful 10w RGB led modules.
Keep us informed when you build your RGB system ;)
Salutations l'ami ;)

[Sdc77]

Hey guys !
I went back to my construction shop to see where the plastic sheet are from.
Here is what is written on the back :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed13.JPG.jpg

On the Hettich website, you will find nothing with the 22110 reference. But maybe you can contact them (there are 2 sellers in USA) to ask where to find it ...

We compare photos of our MC X35 $$$$$$ Leds in water and my DIY system ... I'm not shy with my cheap led, you can build it closed eyes, you will be happy with the cost/result :)

[Sdc77]

FOUND !!!! :)
Not easy to find the good translation of this thing ...
Here it is :

http://www.componentforce.com/category/479/castor-cups

The "furniture castor holder"

;)

[jasun]

I just ordered some bulbs off of amazon and am going to check the hardware stores for the casters. Looks good!

Did you wire yours into your interior lights switch?

[Sdc77]

Hi Jasun,
I have 3 switches on the dash that I use for leds :
"int" is switching interior leds
"court" is switching undewater leds
"acc" (on le right side, I have another on the left) is switching the tower leds

And still have the "nav" and "Anchor" swithes for dedicated lights.

What bulb do you order on amazon ? Can you post the link ? I'm curious, because the 24 SMD 5050 Led bulb I found in France seems to not be easy to find ...

[jasun]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007X9UBAA/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here is what i ordered. I found it in Red. I figured for 5 bucks, I would try it out

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31exzcol6qL._SS40_.jpg

sorry for the small pic

[Sdc77]

Hummm becareful, mr11 LEDs are not 5cm diameter. They are smaller. You should go for a mr16/GU5.3 model with 24 LEDs at least. Or maybe a 3x3w coloured Cree.
I'm afraid of low power in water with only 10 leds SMD 5050 ...
Hope it's not too late ?

I would suggest this model :

Link 30x5050 SMD (http://dx.com/p/mr16-590nm-5-5w-360-lumen-30x5050-smd-led-red-light-bulb-12v-65935)

It seems promising with high Lumen ! Exist in Red, blue, Green, white

[Sdc77]

Hey jasun, any news of your DIY project ?

[jasun]

as a matter of fact! I got the bulbs from www.dx.com and started to do the project but didnt buy enough clear epoxy! I will have more tonight to finish one of them!
Which switch did you wire yours into?

[Sdc77]

Great news ! with 30x 5050 red leds you will have more lumen than $$$ commercial leds.

Mine are wired on the "court" switch.
It's now more than 1 month submerged Under water. No problem at all, every led is running just fine, with nice and powerful blue colour.

How many clear époxy did you order ? I did mine with 1L and can do so many leds with it.
Did you find the plastic sheet, or will you use different holder ?

Post pics of your system ! ;)

[jasun]

I got 32 oz of epoxy from amazon and it came yesterday. going to make them tonight I think. I bought the caps from the link you posted. Could not find any from another supplier. I will post some pics when they are done.

How close to the top did you space them?

They are bright!!!!

[jasun]

I went home at lunch and started to make the 2nd one and after I had poured the resin, realized the other bulb was DOA... I am goign to order 3 more. I had to buy 5 caps anyway and I have enough resine to do them all!

[villain]

I just ordered 4. Can't wait to see how they turn out. You have pics of them in progress?

[Sdc77]

What means DOA ?
As I remove the wake plate (it generates splash at wakeboard speed and reduce the wake size), my led are exactly where the upper screws of the plate were. Somewhere in the middle between the bottom of the boat and the swim platform.

I really appreciate that you guys like my concept and you replicate it :)

Be careful to use inclusion epoxy resin (to keep insects for example)
If you use common resin it will not be crystal clear

[jasun]

I just ordered 4. Can't wait to see how they turn out. You have pics of them in progress?

I got the one finished but not mounted. I will post up a pic tonight. Did you order the caps?

[jasun]

What means DOA ?
As I remove the wake plate (it generates splash at wakeboard speed and reduce the wake size), my led are exactly where the upper screws of the plate were. Somewhere in the middle between the bottom of the boat and the swim platform.

I really appreciate that you guys like my concept and you replicate it :)

Be careful to use inclusion epoxy resin (to keep insects for example)
If you use common resin it will not be crystal clear

DOA = Dead on arrival....

I took the one i have done out with me last night and tested it and it is bright!!!

I used this epoxy (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BZYYQ0/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1), it is used to pour table tops with pics.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515JAR97nNL._SY450_.jpg

I found that it is easier to make them with 2 pours. The first pour fill the cup up 1/2 way so that the PCB just sits on the resin.. (The kinda I used was pretty thin so the PCB wanted to float to the top when i tried to pour it all at once). then once it is hard enough, pour the second half to cap it off. I had a lot of bubbles at first, but they worked their way out before it dried.

I am going to mount the one i have complete as it will be 3 weeks before I get my other bulbs.

[Sdc77]

That's great news guys ! Can't wait to see your finished LEDs.
The resin you used jasun seems good.
I pour 1 time for my 2 LEDs. To do that, you need to glue the pcb to the holder.
I used little plastic sheets to do that because of electronic under the pcb. But I think the best way to do that is to use water bottle cap. Simply glue it to the pcb with hot gun glue, and then the pcb + cap to the holder. Don't forget to weld a longer wire.

Go guys !!!

[jet]

You are a true craftsman. EXCELLENT idea! Way to go man.

[Sdc77]

Thanks jet, I appreciate your comment :)

[Sdc77]

Guys any news ?

[trayson]

Hi guys,


Then bought 2 home leds, 12v DC, blue, with 24x SMD 5050 leds :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed01.JPG

You can go with a 30x SMD bulb : http://dx.com/p/mr16-590nm-5-5w-360-lumen-30x5050-smd-led-red-light-bulb-12v-65935



So, you bought the Blue LED's but the link you have above is for RED ones.

I did find this on the same site, but noticed that the Red is rated at a lot more lumens...
http://dx.com/p/mr16-470nm-5-5w-360-lumen-30x5050-smd-led-blue-light-bulb-12v-81375

The blue says it is 80 lumens and the red says it's 340 lumens. And the red is priced at a lot less money. Are there brighter blue ones that I didn't find?

I might consider the red if it's really four times brighter and less money. But I would prefer inexpensive blue that is bright...

Thoughts?

[Sdc77]

full blue night shoot

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/2013-05.jpg

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/2013-06.jpg

[Sdc77]

hey trayson,
We post at the same time.
Yes it's normal that red has more lumen than blue.
For the same power of led, you will have for example :
- white = 1000 lumen
- Green = 500 lumen
- Red = 250 lumen
- blue = 100 lumen

Most of the Underwater led builders are lyers, because they rate same lumen for different color at same power, it's just impossible.

You can go with the 30x5050 led blue, I use 24x5050 blue and you can see the brightness of my leds.
But, be sure that in red, you will get more lumen

[jasun]

here is mine:
http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad38/jasunderland/boat%20rebuild/null_zpsbf098e68.jpg (http://s919.photobucket.com/user/jasunderland/media/boat%20rebuild/null_zpsbf098e68.jpg.html)

http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad38/jasunderland/boat%20rebuild/null_zpsa1ef8dfc.jpg (http://s919.photobucket.com/user/jasunderland/media/boat%20rebuild/null_zpsa1ef8dfc.jpg.html)

I went to install the one last night but i need to move my tank to fish my wire out and I didnt feel like moving it as I just filled it up...


I was thinking about doing 2 between the drainplug and exhaust and then 1 on each side of the outside of the exhaust. 4 total.

[sybrmike]

Just an FYI on the light output. Water absorbs light preferentially based on wavelength - reds and yellows are first with blues being last. So a higher output red may not throw light any farther than a lower output blue...

[jasun]

http://www.scuba-tutor.com/dive-physics/water-density/color-absorption.php

12744

Whenever I get mine done, Ill take some pics

[Sdc77]

Jasun good replication looking. Some bubbles left. Maybe your resin is not adequate to do this job. On the packing we understand it's more a protection resin than a real inclusion resin. "INCLUSION" resin is made for this thick job. In general you have no any bubble after pouring. I can't find it in english on google, even when I tape "epoxy inclusion resin", I only find french website with this search. Maybe I didn't translate it properly ?

Inclusion resin does those things :

http://www.aquila-resinedeco.fr/PicturesGallery/170_3_inclusion_groupe_3.jpg

Anyway, your led will work just fine.

Good link above, I didn't know about water absorbtion. But with our leds, we don't target a 20' brightness, so the red ones will be more powerful than my blue ones.
So don't worry man !

When I fixed it to the boat, I used hard house electricity wire, as you can get the target you want (almost). You start from the outside of the boat and you push it with a hook form behind the tank. Then you use tape on your leds wire attached to the hard wire and you pull it :)

Keep posting, I'm really curious to see it in water ;)

[villain]

Lookin great!! Can you let me k ow where u ordered the black buckets from? I prolly missed it in the thread somewhere I'm sure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[Sdc77]

villain, look at the first page and message of this thread, I edit my post, there are links for leds and black buckets (just Under the bucket picture) ;)

[Cusefan78]

So I'm trying this now. I just ordered the cups and the bulbs. I went with blue. My only question is will the epoxy you put on Bartops work. I'm in the same boat can't find that inclusion epoxy either

[NorCalPR]

Something like this?

http://www.amazon.com/Pebeo-Gedeo-Crystal-Resin-300ml/dp/B0085M0DZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374881570&sr=8-1&keywords=inclusion+epoxy

I would imagine you'd be able to find it at a crafts store like Micheals

[Sdc77]

NorCalPR, this resin should be fine.
It's epoxy, crystal clear and for modeling.

As soon as somebody find the perfect resin to do it, like the link above, I will edit my first post with it. This way everybody will be able to replicate with all necessary stuff.

Good luck with replications guys :)

[Cusefan78]

How about this stuff?
http://mobile.walmart.com/m/phoenix;jsessionid=A85E715211C8DF0E2CF50A0D08C6A48 8#ip/Environmental-Castin-Craft-Easycast-Clear-Casting-Epoxy-16oz./12356345

[Sdc77]

Your link doesn't work on my PC Cusefan78

[Cusefan78]

Sorry here's a photo of it.
12800

[Sdc77]

Seems to be good !

[Cusefan78]

Ok perfect. Thanks. Ill post pictures after I make and install them. I was thinking about putting three on the transom. One on each end and one in the middle. Thoughts?

[Sdc77]

More led = more brightness
I can only say "action" ;)

[trayson]

How about this stuff?
http://mobile.walmart.com/m/phoenix;jsessionid=A85E715211C8DF0E2CF50A0D08C6A48 8#ip/Environmental-Castin-Craft-Easycast-Clear-Casting-Epoxy-16oz./12356345


Your link doesn't work on my PC Cusefan78

Better link: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Environmental-Castin-Craft-Easycast-Clear-Casting-Epoxy-16oz./12356345
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/akaranseth/33032-EasyCast-32-oz.jpg

[jzelt]

Before poking holes, I would be inclined to use temporary wires hooked to the switch, (so run the wire over the stern), put the lights where you think you want them and see the result in the water you use. Then you would be able to gauge their effectiveness and location. (Move 2 to one spot, spread them out more, etc) All with 2 lights at the time, then determine if you want more or less.

[jasun]

Before poking holes, I would be inclined to use temporary wires hooked to the switch, (so run the wire over the stern), put the lights where you think you want them and see the result in the water you use. Then you would be able to gauge their effectiveness and location. (Move 2 to one spot, spread them out more, etc) All with 2 lights at the time, then determine if you want more or less.

I like your thinking... i was debating doing 2 or 4 lights... I think I will velcro them on for a test and see how they look... and see if I need 4 of them.

[Cusefan78]

Great idea I'm going to try that over the weekend

[Cusefan78]

Just to give everyone a heads up. That dx website is in china it took a week to prepare shipping and its going to take another 2 weeks to arrive at my house. I would avoid that site. There are other sites I found later. I would recommend superbrite.com. Also the dx doesn't have any working numbers either.

[Blakearooskey]

Anyone ever buy from www.oznium.com ? I have purchased LED's from them for my car with great success. Thought I would throw that out there.

[Sdc77]

oznium doesn't have the 30x5050 SMD Led MR16 (12v) buld.

For that project, you will need this kind of Led. Oznium sells a mono led marine for $18. It's only 11.7Lm in blue color. My Led is 7 times more powerful for half price and some hand work.

In France I found a website that sells a 24x5050 SMD led (the one I used). They are made in china but they have leds in stock, so I got it in 2 days.
Simply find a US website that have it in stock ! You can also check on eBay.

[trayson]

Can you tell me about these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MR16-4W-Pure-White-Warm-White-Green-Blue-60-3528-SMD-LED-Light-Bulb-Lamp-220V-Z8-/321177263007?_trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA% 252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D181110 933919%26ps%3D54

Versus these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MR16-470nm-5-5W-80-Lumen-30x5050-SMD-LED-Blue-Light-Bulb-DC12V-/181110933919#vi-content

The second link is the 5050. But the first link is the 3568smd and I am not sure how they would compare... The first link is less money, but I don't want to buy an inferior product.


Nevermind, I figured it out. the 5050 is a lot brighter: http://www.flexfireleds.com/pages/Comparison-between-3528-LEDs-and-5050-LEDs.html



I ordered some supplies to make some of these. of course the LED's from China will be probably 3 weeks out. But that's life. I ordered supplies to make more than I need, so I'll have some extra ones that I can sell at a profit to go towards my "tower speaker fund".

[Sdc77]

Hi trayson,
The 3528 is a 1 luminous dot led.
The 5050 is a 3 luminous dots led.

Means a 60x3528 is 60 dots. A 30x5050 is 90 dots. Still 1,5 times less bright than the 30x5050 ;)

[Cusefan78]

So I finally got the bulbs. I made three of the transome lights today and I'm going to install them this week. I can't wait ill post pics on Monday.

[Sdc77]

Great news man,
Witch led color do you choose ?
Is it 30x5050 SMD ?
Keep posting :)

[trayson]

So I finally got the bulbs. I made three of the transome lights today and I'm going to install them this week. I can't wait ill post pics on Monday.

Likewise. I got my blue SMD's this week and last week I got the resin and the plastic pieces too... Of course, I've got a list of projects a mile long so not sure if this one will make the cut right away. Especially since it means drilling holes and running new wires...

[Cusefan78]

I went with blue also. Made three of them one for each side and one for the middle. Those 5050smd are crazy bright. I tested them off my car battery and saw spots for a few hours. I can't wait to get up north to the boat so I can install them. Ill post pics on Monday.

[villain]

Everyone is saying the 5050 smd's are bright. Got 4 red ones and I think they suck. So bad that I'm actually going with the life form LEDs on my boat. Maybe I bought the wrong ones. They are the 5050 with 30 lights each.

[sgoyal]

RED lights are not good underwater light since they loose the intensity in the water.

Again, I might be wrong

[Sdc77]

Yes sgoyal, jasun gave a link on page 5 for underwater color intensity. But it seems to be true for 20' and more.
villain, sorry to read this. The blue ones are powerful, you can't look it directly, then you will see blue dots for few minutes.
Do you keep that color for your boat ? Will you test it in water ? Do you have pics of it out/in water ?

[Cusefan78]

Well put my lights in over the weekend. They are brighter then I anticipated. Everyone on the lake was commenting in them. This really is a great DIY project with a professional look when complete. 13009130101301013012

[trayson]

Well put my lights in over the weekend. They are brighter then I anticipated. Everyone on the lake was commenting in them. This really is a great DIY project with a professional look when complete. 13009130101301013012

How many did you end up using and where did you mount them?

I have supplies for more than I need, so I was thinking that I'd do 3 or 4 on my rear transom...

[Cusefan78]

I put two in. I have a third made that I may add over the winter. I mounted them between the exhaust flaps and the mounts for te swim deck. Getting the wires up is a pita. I had to take the blower covers off and reach down to pull them up over the gas tank then feed them over the tank to the wire tube then hooked them to my kicker speakers that have LEDs built into them. The one thing that annoys me is that back factory light that is clear. Thinking about getting a blue bulb for that also. Does anyone know what type bulb goes in there. It's the one that's in the center of the transom. Comes on with the from nav light.

[trayson]

I put two in. I have a third made that I may add over the winter. I mounted them between the exhaust flaps and the mounts for te swim deck. Getting the wires up is a pita. I had to take the blower covers off and reach down to pull them up over the gas tank then feed them over the tank to the wire tube then hooked them to my kicker speakers that have LEDs built into them. The one thing that annoys me is that back factory light that is clear. Thinking about getting a blue bulb for that also. Does anyone know what type bulb goes in there. It's the one that's in the center of the transom. Comes on with the from nav light.

It's a festoon bulb, just take it out and measure it in millimeters and that will correlate to a size on a website like www.superbrightleds.com

However, I would advise against changing that color. It's designed to be white as part of your navigation lights to signal that it's the rear of your craft. I think that changing it to blue would be quite frowned upon by any sheriff, coast guard or other law enforcement. I will probably change my white incandescent festoon bulb there to a WHITE led. But I won't be changing my rear white nav light color. Where I boat, we have Washington and Oregon law enforcement as well as US Coast Guard. Too much heat for me.

[Cusefan78]

Yeah I'm on a small private lake that's 5 miles by two miles. Very few boats out at night and never any police. I was thinking rgb but I'm either going to pull the bulb, put a blue bulb in or an rgb that I can change from blue to white when I want.

[Sdc77]

Nice replication Cusefan78. And kind comment on the DIY thing, thank you !
Hope you will enjoy your night excursions ;)

I did replace my incandescent rear light with by a white led. As trayson said, I kept it white because of laws. Anyway if you stay on your private lake you can do what you want :D

[trayson]

Yes sgoyal, jasun gave a link on page 5 for underwater color intensity. But it seems to be true for 20' and more.
villain, sorry to read this. The blue ones are powerful, you can't look it directly, then you will see blue dots for few minutes.
Do you keep that color for your boat ? Will you test it in water ? Do you have pics of it out/in water ?

I tested one of my blue SMD's last night. They seemed pretty bright. so many projects though, this might end up waiting until winter (since I have to pull the gas tank and work on the rudder anyway in the winter.)

[Sdc77]

Glad to read that my DIY underwater led is in minds.
That will be a good winter with many réplications :)

I also plan to add a 3rd led in the middle.

And maybe to work on a v2 of this concept with 3 high power Cree leds with directive 60° or 30° lens. The main difficulty with that idea will be to find the plastic holder in aluminium or stainless steal, acting as a heat exchanger for the HP leds.

Keep posting pics of your réplications guys ;)

[Sdc77]

Cusefan78, did you use the resin you show on page 6 ?
Do you have pics of the leds after pouring ? Do you have bubbles ?

Need this informations to update my first post with a link for a good époxy resin in the USA.
Thanks ;)

[Cusefan78]

Yes I used that resin. No bubbles and they are crystal clear. I didn't take any pictures, wish I did. Been really busy with work. I bought the resin at micheals it was around $20 with the hardner.

[trayson]

Yes I used that resin. No bubbles and they are crystal clear. I didn't take any pictures, wish I did. Been really busy with work. I bought the resin at micheals it was around $20 with the hardner.

GOOD TO HEAR! That's the same stuff I bought off Amazon. Glad I have the right stuff.

[Cusefan78]

Just make sure you make enough to do one pour. I tried a test light and I didn't fill it all the way so I went back and refilled it and it wasnt as clear. I hot glued the lights to the cup then siliconed the hole that the wire went through.

[Sdc77]

Thank you Cusefan78, the first post of the thread is updated with a link to this resin to Michaels.com

To get the exact quantity of resin, I firstly pour water in the plastic holder, then transfer that water in a translucid plastic glass. Then I draw a line to the level of the water. I finally used another glass (to don't mix water and resin) and draw the same level line, to get the exact quantity of resin (a mix of catalyst + resin actually). Easy and cheap ;)

[Cusefan78]

Yeah figured that out after my test light was made. Good tip though

[Sdc77]

Any news guys ?

[Cusefan78]

Yeah I took my white stern light out and added a blue one. The colors really pop now. Ill take a pic this weekend and post it.

[Sdc77]

Cooool ! Do you put a Led stern light ? You try the link I gave you in your dedicated thread ?

[Cusefan78]

Yeah it's a blue led I got from the local parts store.

[Cusefan78]

13119 did a little tweaking with my lights. Much brighter now. Ill try to get a picture with an actual camera next weekend

[Zteven]

Glad to read that my DIY underwater led is in minds.
That will be a good winter with many réplications :)

I also plan to add a 3rd led in the middle.

And maybe to work on a v2 of this concept with 3 high power Cree leds with directive 60° or 30° lens. The main difficulty with that idea will be to find the plastic holder in aluminium or stainless steal, acting as a heat exchanger for the HP leds.

Keep posting pics of your réplications guys ;)

Any update on a build with the Cree LED's? I'm thinking of doing this project with these (http://dx.com/p/mr16-5w-6500k-500-lumen-5-led-white-light-bulb-dc-12v-101352), but I'm a bit concerned with the possibility of heat build-up and burning out the LEDs.

[trayson]

Any news guys ?

So, I used the info on this thread to make my lights. I didn't have to break the housings of the lights, I was able to pry them up with a small screwdriver. I added a spacer underneath and hot glued them down. I chose to drill my holes more on the side corner of the housing. I then sealed the holes with some gasket maker RTV silicone I had laying around. You can see that one of these lights is partially filled with resin. Well, that's because I got ahead of myself and forgot to seal the wire hole before putting resin in. That was messy!!!
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0tKZTr8k4-k/U2qgcGgp4LI/AAAAAAAAQGs/Tgs6Anb-I7U/s800/20140428_113924.jpg


The encasing clear expoxy worked great and most the bubbles went away. I popped many too before it dried.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-P20gPq_TfDw/U2qgZNCtCCI/AAAAAAAAQGk/Lw8muiySoRU/s800/20140428_201620.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-WLkTpLWKkm4/U2qgRpD9UyI/AAAAAAAAQGM/NaZG1vkvCPY/s800/20140428_201606.jpg

This is my hull with the gas tank removed. I had to get in there to replace my rudder packing anyway, so it was the logical time to install the transom lights:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3WDgKg3AlmY/U2qgXIxTmeI/AAAAAAAAQGc/g-pkbYnMB04/s800/20140428_184721.jpg

[trayson]

So, I had chose to drill my holes above the lights because I wanted the lights as LOW on the hull as possible and didn't want to risk not being able to access the wires. So the holes for the wires are all above the stringer level. As you can see from this pic, the wires go through the hull just above the stringers and had I tried to mount the lights where I did, I wouldn't have been able to access their wiring from the back...
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-79dJX9pSeDo/U2pJBWXOqnI/AAAAAAAAQFs/Rcppsvo6dE0/s800/20140507_072136.jpg

I was actually really suprised that the hull was barely thicker than 1/4 inch. It was probably 5/16th's of an inch at most. That meant that I was going to have to patch holes for not only the wires, but also for the screws...

Sadly, it didn't turn out as nice as I'd like with the wires going through the hull and the 3m 5200. I've got some ideas for how I'll clean up that, so in the meantime you only get to see the mounted lights, not my "unfinished" section where the wires go through the hull.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-89EIO7wdL3I/U34eVhKv87I/AAAAAAAAQPE/lurAxq1auYY/s800/20140507_072201.jpg

I was thinking that 4 lights would probably be "good enough". So I did 6 because anything worth doing is worth over-doing!!!

Last night I ran the wiring to power and ground. I made sure to test to polarity of each one. I had an unused factory switch on my dash that was labeled "aux" so I used it for the lights. So, now my factory court light switch is for my interior LED's. My factory Aux light switch controls my tower mounted spot lights. And the factory Aux switch is the transom LED's. I'm pretty happy with how that worked out.

This shot is taken from an angle obviously. I think they're going to look pretty cool underwater.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZhZnn4z3zdA/U34aE_UCChI/AAAAAAAAQO0/MLLPOukXJV0/s800/20140521_221136.jpg


If I had to do this over again, I would drill my holes for the wire in the center of the plastic housings. I then would make a way to keep the housings level as I poured the epoxy in them. (maybe a piece of cardboard with holes in it? Or a board with holes drilled it it?) I would then choose my locations for the lights and drill from the inside of the boat to the outside. that way I could be sure I could get them mounted low without worrying about the stringers keeping me from the back of the wires. I would then most certainly mount the lights over the hole so neither the hole nor wire could be seen. I made a judgement call by thinking I could have the holes higher and the lights lower and while functional, it's not as asthetically pleasing. And man, that 3m 5200 is messy crap to work with.

But in the end, I have some bright, waterproof lights that will look awesome while underway for less than I'd pay to purchase some.

[Sdc77]

Man, it looks awesome ! Bravo, very nice work, can't wait to see it underwater by night. Glad to see my system working on other member's boats :)

You make me shy, I need more Leds on my boat too now, 6 leds seems shiny and powerful !

Keep posting man ;)

[bens250ex]

So, I had chose to drill my holes above the lights because I wanted the lights as LOW on the hull as possible and didn't want to risk not being able to access the wires. So the holes for the wires are all above the stringer level. As you can see from this pic, the wires go through the hull just above the stringers and had I tried to mount the lights where I did, I wouldn't have been able to access their wiring from the back...
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-79dJX9pSeDo/U2pJBWXOqnI/AAAAAAAAQFs/Rcppsvo6dE0/s800/20140507_072136.jpg

I was actually really suprised that the hull was barely thicker than 1/4 inch. It was probably 5/16th's of an inch at most. That meant that I was going to have to patch holes for not only the wires, but also for the screws...

Sadly, it didn't turn out as nice as I'd like with the wires going through the hull and the 3m 5200. I've got some ideas for how I'll clean up that, so in the meantime you only get to see the mounted lights, not my "unfinished" section where the wires go through the hull.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-89EIO7wdL3I/U34eVhKv87I/AAAAAAAAQPE/lurAxq1auYY/s800/20140507_072201.jpg

I was thinking that 4 lights would probably be "good enough". So I did 6 because anything worth doing is worth over-doing!!!

Last night I ran the wiring to power and ground. I made sure to test to polarity of each one. I had an unused factory switch on my dash that was labeled "aux" so I used it for the lights. So, now my factory court light switch is for my interior LED's. My factory Aux light switch controls my tower mounted spot lights. And the factory Aux switch is the transom LED's. I'm pretty happy with how that worked out.

This shot is taken from an angle obviously. I think they're going to look pretty cool underwater.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZhZnn4z3zdA/U34aE_UCChI/AAAAAAAAQO0/MLLPOukXJV0/s800/20140521_221136.jpg


If I had to do this over again, I would drill my holes for the wire in the center of the plastic housings. I then would make a way to keep the housings level as I poured the epoxy in them. (maybe a piece of cardboard with holes in it? Or a board with holes drilled it it?) I would then choose my locations for the lights and drill from the inside of the boat to the outside. that way I could be sure I could get them mounted low without worrying about the stringers keeping me from the back of the wires. I would then most certainly mount the lights over the hole so neither the hole nor wire could be seen. I made a judgement call by thinking I could have the holes higher and the lights lower and while functional, it's not as asthetically pleasing. And man, that 3m 5200 is messy crap to work with.

But in the end, I have some bright, waterproof lights that will look awesome while underway for less than I'd pay to purchase some.



Could you provide a detailed list of where you ordered all your stuff from. I read through everything but it's a lil confusing

[Sdc77]

Read the first post, first page, everything is there

[trayson]

Man, it looks awesome ! Bravo, very nice work, can't wait to see it underwater by night. Glad to see my system working on other member's boats

You make me shy, I need more Leds on my boat too now, 6 leds seems shiny and powerful !

Keep posting man

Thanks. I got some underwater shots over the weekend. I was quite happy. Mine were definitely brighter than my buddy's who had a pair of blue purchased lights.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-i_PwBjixE8o/U4FHMHWsO1I/AAAAAAAAQR4/QM5d2YKTetc/s800/image.jpeg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ckv1VKPSIbs/U4FG8oFxwmI/AAAAAAAAQRY/oiXoMqdumdE/s800/image-9.jpeg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sihA_dnV5TI/U4FHQvuJUSI/AAAAAAAAQSA/TXPofTsYWcU/s800/image-4.jpeg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-nUDUo3saj5Y/U4FHXB1Ge3I/AAAAAAAAQSQ/v6gwhz7EHPc/s800/image-3.jpeg

[trayson]

And google images put a few of the pics together to make this animated pic:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vZFUHN3q1Xs/U4FH_nrY-4I/AAAAAAAAQSU/YwV3b6HP1BU/s640/image-4-MOTION.gif

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vZFUHN3q1Xs/U4FH_nrY-4I/AAAAAAAAQSU/YwV3b6HP1BU/s640/image-4-MOTION.gif

[Sdc77]

Impressive ! Nice job man, it looks very powerful in water :o

[trayson]

Impressive ! Nice job man, it looks very powerful in water :o

Well, I did go with SIX of the lights!!! And each light is 5.5 watts of SMD 5050's. That's something. :-D

I was just pretty happy that the Marine police didn't have any problem with any of my blue lights.

[Big517]

First of all you guys are awesome for detailing such a nice DIY mod. :grin:

This thread caught my attention and I've already ordered my stuff. I noticed that the higher the wattage, the higher the lumens, so I ordered 4 of these 15 watt Blue LED MR11s
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G9BOJG0
These were the highest output in MR style I could find.

I want to ask everyone a question who has done this.

Are you having any issues with the Resin yellowing from UV rays?

Any issues with the wire you chose? (Some appeared to use standard speaker wire)

Anything you would do differently next time?

Thanks everyone!

[trayson]

First of all you guys are awesome for detailing such a nice DIY mod. :grin:

This thread caught my attention and I've already ordered my stuff. I noticed that the higher the wattage, the higher the lumens, so I ordered 4 of these 15 watt Blue LED MR11s
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G9BOJG0
These were the highest output in MR style I could find.

I want to ask everyone a question who has done this.

Are you having any issues with the Resin yellowing from UV rays?

Any issues with the wire you chose? (Some appeared to use standard speaker wire)

Anything you would do differently next time?

Thanks everyone!

Interesting choice of bulb. if it's got 12 LED's and it's rated at 15watts, that means that each LED is just a smidge over a watt. 12 of the 1 watt led's should be bright!!!

in contrast, my bulbs with 30 of the SMD5050's are 5.5 watts.

I think that anything that's 16 gauge or higher should be more than enough. I just used what I had laying around. yes, speaker wire.

If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't have been stupid and mounted 4 of my lights behind where a Fresh air exhaust would someday be installed. I'd also scrap my idea of having the wires go through the hull above the stringers and the lights mounted much lower and just do what others have done and have the lights covering the gob of ugly 3M sealant. I'd probably use 4200 instead of 5200 also. Live and learn. I might actually be moving mine since I have my gas tank pulled again... We'll see how ambitious I get after my "surf system" project is buttoned down.

[Sdc77]

Hi and thanks big517 for your interrest.
I will put many reserves on the link you give. These kind of led bulb does not provide brightness. First it's MR11, smaller than MR16 bulbs. Then they are fitted with standard LED, and that's a problem. It's not powerfull at all. I think it will produce equivalent of 15W incandescent light, it will probably be not more than 1 or 2w real consumption.

You really should go for at least 5050SMD or CREE high power model LED on a MR16 bulb.

No issue with wires, we talk about really low wattage, so no problem with any kind.

[Big517]

@sdc77 you are under the impression that the bulb is a 15w equivalent, i really hope it's not. I will have my hands on them today and test immediately.
I also considered the 10w single chip epistar and Cree chips however I couldn't find a US retailer so delivery would have been a month. Then I stumbled onto these mr11s. I will be very upset if I find they are advertised wrong.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Big517]

I went ahead and ordered 4 of these w/ Saturday delivery because I really want to get it done over the weekend:
Blue 6w MR16 500Lumen
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOEQDVE/


Also
Check this OUT!
2000 Lumen 100 Watt Blue LED Chip!
http://www.amazon.com/Led-World-Extreme-Royal-2000LM/dp/B00J3KJXCO/

[olivier_20]

Salut Sdc77 !! Cette année j'ai finalement eu un peu de temps pour installer mes lumières !!
Hey guys , this year i finally had time to install my 2 RGB led spot light ! It's pretty cool and it glow way more than my best expectation, especially for the price !(+/-50$)
Unfortunately I didn't have my iphone or a camera when test them.. Next weekend i will take some shot for you guys !! I didn't try them at night while cruising but i will and i hope it will glow enough the wave to be able to ride in the dark ! The only thing is it's a bit tricky with the remote to change colors or to put strobe/flash mode. I have to put the first end of the remote (IR) in the water to change color but it work and in my lake the light blue color is the best and way better than the white/green and other.

This is what i bought :
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAwMFgxMDAw/z/FOkAAOxycmBS0Kvg/$_35.JPG

http://www.cafr.ebay.ca/itm/IP65-10W-12V-Convex-Lens-Integrated-RGB-LED-Underwater-Spot-Light-Remote-Control-/130896535924?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e7a0aa174&_uhb=1

Install on the boat :
http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p737/olivier_20/Le%20Sharkcuteur/F6E4BA9A-0DDD-4665-9246-E964FFE8C7D4_zpsv0mhgknl.jpg

[Sdc77]

Salut Olivier !
Pas mal du tout ton système, puis de les avoir accroché sur les équerres de la planche de bain c'est pas con ;) Hâte de voir ce que ça donne de nuit sous l'eau, 10W c'est pas rien !

Nice system, cant' wait to see it running by night underwater, 10w is something

Cheers

[trayson]

Did a little bit of night surfing last night. It was a blast. This video does a great job of showcasing my transom LED's. They look so awesome while surfing. Thanks again for the DIY input!!!

You can also see my surf system in action.

I even wore my Ronix LED vest!

http://youtu.be/PpVsYygFdrc

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CUWRwzAZXbM/U9yDCQsuucI/AAAAAAAARQU/GOjQNgpPvv4/s800/GOPR0138.JPG

And another quick video...
http://youtu.be/JVTFzB2AmY0

[Sdc77]

Cool vids man ! Your boat really rocks with the decals, hifi, bleu leds everywhere ...

[Cusefan78]

So how did those big lights work. I'm curious.

[cjtpilot]

Does anyone know where you can get these caster cups now, the link in this thread only sells them in bulk of 500 or more now.

[cjtpilot]

Hi guys,
For those who want a cheap, nice and efficient underwater led with pride of making it by yourself, here are mine :

I started with a foot plastic hider sheet, found in my construction shop. It's 60mm diameter, exist in black or silver :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed00.JPG

Here is a link to get it in USA : http://www.componentforce.com/category/478/furniture-castor-holder

Then bought 2 home leds, 12v DC, blue, with 24x SMD 5050 leds :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed01.JPG

You can go with a 30x SMD bulb : http://www.dx.com/p/mr16-470nm-5-5w-360-lumen-30x5050-smd-led-blue-light-bulb-12v-81375#.U4ROOlKKCUk

Broke it to keep the PCB :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed02.JPG

Then glue the pcb (with 1 meter wire welded) to the plastic sheet with spacers (it can be a water bottle or soda cap), to escape the stuff behind the PCB, and pour casting epoxy resin in it. You can use this resin : http://www.michaels.com/easy-cast-clear-casting-epoxy/10408248.html#q=epoxy&start=8. 24 hours after, it's crystal clear, solid and perfectly sealed :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/marinLed03.JPG


Black Caps : http://www.componentforce.com/category/478/furniture-castor-holder

Blue Leds : http://www.dx.com/p/mr16-470nm-5-5w-360-lumen-30x5050-smd-led-blue-light-bulb-12v-81375#.U4ROOlKKCUk

Epoxy clear casting resin : http://www.michaels.com/easy-cast-clear-casting-epoxy/10408248.html#q=epoxy&start=8

Since we can't get the "Black Caps" here in the States unless you order in bulk I found this substitute over the weekend... I will post pics soon but here is the link

http://www.lowes.com/pd_23491-34146-RPC50_1z10x33+1z11abr__?productId=1065601&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1% 26page%3D1&facetInfo=Cap

[trayson]

Since we can't get the "Black Caps" here in the States unless you order in bulk I found this substitute over the weekend... I will post pics soon but here is the link

http://www.lowes.com/pd_23491-34146-RPC50_1z10x33+1z11abr__?productId=1065601&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1%2 6page%3D1&facetInfo=Cap

Good idea. I would probably go with a non-flexible one, just a regular pvc or abs cap. Just make sure you don't get the one with the rounded top. Good thinking.

[cjtpilot]

Good idea. I would probably go with a non-flexible one, just a regular pvc or abs cap. Just make sure you don't get the one with the rounded top. Good thinking.

Anything under 3" had the rounded end or else I would of gone with a 2" PVC end cap.

[Sdc77]

Hi guys,
You can go with rounded end cap, but you need to place the led in the round direction. Don't forget to add some oïl or grease on the cup and use it only as a molding piece. Then remove the solid resine piece. I did this test when I built my definitive model with castor holder.

Actually you can use any kind of molding cap or tube. The Cap can be kept for esthetic, but is not necessary, the perfect sealing of the led is the real subject.

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/led09.JPG

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/led10.JPG

Then for a perfect effect you can polish the resin

Becareful with too small caps, you need space between Leds and outside to fit screws. Not sure 2'' is enough ...

[trayson]

I kinda like the idea of no housing required.

Did you do it in a single pour? How do you space the LED's from the front of the resin? you want the LED's to have a few MM of Resin covering them so you wouldn't want them touching the mold when you poured the resin in...

[Sdc77]

You're absolutly right trayson.
Here is how I managed it :
You can clearly see it on pics above : I used some bended metal sheet (welding stuff) to hang the led while I was pouring resin in the cup. There are 2 holes on the PCB, i simply use them to attach my bended stuff.
Here is a scheme :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/led11.JPG

Green color is the cup, black is the LED PCB, blue is a plastic sheet, red is the hanging bended stuff

[trayson]

Okay, I was thinking of some way of spacing it from underneath, but suspending it from the top would work just as well. You could really use any material to suspend it I would imagine. Good ideas.

I will be doing transom lights on my Moomba XLV over the winter. I still have enough materials to make four of the lights with the caster cups. I am going to supplement that with one of the CREE LED drain plug lights. I liked the output of the six lights I had on the Supra, but I only had caster cups for 4. I suppose using the non-cup method, I could make as many as I liked. (for less money too).

[cjtpilot]

That looks great without the housing!!!

[Sdc77]

Yes you can use any material you want. Just a thought, you can also imagine using screws to suspending it. This way you can use those screws to connect it to the hull, and then no more holes to drill in resin finished led.
And sorry I didn't answer but yes, all my pouring are 1 pass pouring.

[trayson]

Yes you can use any material you want. Just a thought, you can also imagine using screws to suspending it. This way you can use those screws to connect it to the hull, and then no more holes to drill in resin finished led.
And sorry I didn't answer but yes, all my pouring are 1 pass pouring.

Yeah, once you told how you're suspending them, it was pretty logical that it'd be one pass pouring.

The screws might work. I guess it all depends on the diameter of the screws relative to the holes in the board...

[Sdc77]

Guys,
You can imagine every kind of system with 5050 SMD Led. This was my first attempt before I go for the castor holders and round Led.

I took adhesive strip led, glued it on a piece of pvc, then weld everything together and fit it in a tube end cup. Idea was to cut the wings and srew it to the hull from the cup. But the resin can goes out from the cup. And I didn't liked the visible wires, plus, strangely the resin didn't dry normaly, it looks just horrible. I probably can save it with another pouring.
I show you this thing just to let you imagine every king of arrangement with 5050 SMD leds as they are cheap and with resin they are perfectly sealed and will last a long time underwater.

Here are pics :

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/led12.JPG

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/led13.JPG

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/led14.JPG

http://sdch2o.free.fr/perso/bateau/supra/led15.JPG

[trayson]

Found a new potential source for the LED's. No more breaking light bulb housings.

http://www.gearbest.com/car-lights/pp_96118.html?currency=USD&gclid=CjwKEAiAmOymBRD0_evS4aTh2hUSJAB7FkhyOEeq7F-vvpMOcUt0hs5Et9t5z4jjWKdWxnj8JNScRRoCnf7w_wcB

http://gloimg.gearbest.com/gb/2014/201409/source-img/1411942741679-P-2030885.jpg

http://gloimg.gearbest.com/gb/2014/201409/source-img/1411942741207-P-2030885.jpg

[Cusefan78]

If we can find these in rgb you will be onto something. Kind of getting sick of the blue until I pull up to my friends dock and everyone goes craZy.

[trayson]

If we can find these in rgb you will be onto something. Kind of getting sick of the blue until I pull up to my friends dock and everyone goes craZy.

I found them in Red, and also in white.

The white to me seem boring. the red is supposedly brighter.

RGB would be neat, but would also be 1/3 as bright since instead of having 3 LED's per chip they'd only have one of each color, correct? So you'd be sacrificing brightness for color changing...

[Sdc77]

RGB would be neat, but would also be 1/3 as bright since instead of having 3 LED's per chip they'd only have one of each color, correct? So you'd be sacrificing brightness for color changing...

True !

Nice find, and very cheap !

[Montgomery]

I'm assuming the answer is yes, but does anyone know for sure if these (the lights in the epoxy) will overheat out of the water?

[cjtpilot]

I don't see how they would over heat since they are lights to use in your house.

I'm assuming the answer is yes, but does anyone know for sure if these (the lights in the epoxy) will overheat out of the water?

[Montgomery]

I don't see how they would over heat since they are lights to use in your house.

But since they're being encased in epoxy, it seems like they would overheat, if they're left on for an extended period of time out of the water.

[cjtpilot]

Hope this helps
http://www.ledlightware.com/blog/do-led-lightbulbs-get-hot/

But since they're being encased in epoxy, it seems like they would overheat, if they're left on for an extended period of time out of the water.

[Montgomery]

Hope this helps
http://www.ledlightware.com/blog/do-led-lightbulbs-get-hot/

Awesome! I just got my bulbs in yesterday and was planning on putting some in my storage compartments, but also wanted them to be waterproof and was worried they'd overheat and fail after a while

[Cusefan78]

I actually tested them out of the water. My first one didn't come out right. I wanted to test it out so I plugged them into a transformer and kept them on for 24 hours. No problems

[Sdc77]

Same here,
I tested it few hours out of water when I finished it, no problem. And I have to say that they have now 3 years of almost every summer day use, and they are still alive !
I remember those factories on a friends MC X35 died one by one dot every month.

You can go with those SMD cheap Led Montgomery, it's so cheap that you can build 20 units until you hit a commercial underwater led price ;)

[Montgomery]

Same here,
I tested it few hours out of water when I finished it, no problem. And I have to say that they have now 3 years of almost every summer day use, and they are still alive !
I remember those factories on a friends MC X35 died one by one dot every month.

You can go with those SMD cheap Led Montgomery, it's so cheap that you can build 20 units until you hit a commercial underwater led price ;)

I picked up 5 and about to order more, just for the heck of it. I have blue LEDs in random spots throughout the boat to light up the inside at night, but I think I may replace them with these to really light that thing up lol

[Sdc77]

Oh man it will be very shiny ! Did you take a look at my RGB Inside setup ?
I didn't pour resin on it, and they still work :

https://forum.supraboats.com/showthread.php?10021-Supra-Saltare-in-France/page19

Check at post #187 to #193

[cjtpilot]

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ztzZBZc5DxY/VUi9x-Do3gI/AAAAAAAADks/GMTQperL7WA/w1313-h985-no/2015_05_05_07_55_32.jpg

[Sdc77]

Nice and shiny man ;)
Already tested underwater ?
Do you go with or without castor holder ?
What Led do you use ? Those with or without bulb ?

[cjtpilot]

I haven't had it in the water yet, I couldn't find anywhere in the States or that shipped to the States the deep casters so I used rubber plumbing 2" end caps. Here is the link to where I got the LED's
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SENCART-MR16-470nm-5-5W-80-Lumen-30x5050-SMD-LED-Blue-Light-Bulb-DC-12V-/261704133711?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ceec82c4f

Nice and shiny man ;)
Already tested underwater ?
Do you go with or without castor holder ?
What Led do you use ? Those with or without bulb ?

[tackle]

The LEDS have a limiter rectifier on the back, if you just cut that of, and solder the wires directly to the disk they will burn more intense. Btw. Really no need for it on a carbattery.

[Cusefan78]

Has anyone found the led lights in the USA. Want the make a few for my bass boat and don't want to wait a month for them to ship from China.

[cjtpilot]

When I got mine off eBay they were here in a week or two at most.

QUOTE=Cusefan78;118215]Has anyone found the led lights in the USA. Want the make a few for my bass boat and don't want to wait a month for them to ship from China.[/QUOTE]

[Cusefan78]

Trying to get them this week. I pulled my bass boat out last weekend to wash and wax it. Was hoping to get them on before I put it back in.

[Sdc77]

Let us know and take pics of your new underwater leds ;)

[Cusefan78]

Let us know and take pics of your new underwater leds ;)

Will these work. Blue 5050 48smd16221 thinking of wiring two of them per light and making my own mold.

[Cusefan78]

I'm going to try those lights. Ordered 4 of them and going to wire them together. I also ordered some silicone casting mold maker stuff. Going to make a rectangle mold big enough for the two panels. That way I can make as many as I want without getting those casters that seem to be an issue getting now. My question is now that I won't have a dark frame around the edge do you think I should darken the edge so I can focus the straight out instead of out the entire block. Any thoughts

[Cusefan78]

16229 well after thinking about it I have come up with something for a mold. They are reusable and should work perfectly. The square led lights I picked up fit in the soap mold and give me enough room on the sides for a screw hole. I'm thinking about spraying the sides and back of the light with spray paint or plasti dip so the light get focused straight out.

[Sdc77]

Hi Cusefan, I'm not sure spraying or adding some black or anything else on the sides will change something. I built tower leds for my boat, you find it here : https://forum.supraboats.com/showthread.php?10021-Supra-Saltare-in-France/page27 I positionned the cap low to prevent leds lightenning the boat dash. Unfortunatly it did. I removed those leds from the tower when I mount the new HLCD speaker box, 2 weeks ago.

Just build it as you planed, and see how it looks. My first prototype is shiny and we clearly see that I used 140° leds.
It will look clean and chic with a rectangular form.
Just, keep in mind that resin is Crystal clear, you will perfectly see the back of the PCB, wires etc.

[Cusefan78]

That doesn't really bother me. Other then me nobody will ever see them out of the water. If the edges come out of the mold super clean then I probably will leave the edges Raw. What do you think about pouring them upside down. What I mean is placing the back of the panel towards the opening in the mold that way the light side will have the natural round over from the mold. Thinking about placing something small on the bottom of the mold to hold the led panel above the bottom of the mold. Was even thinking of using fishing line to suspend the lights up off the bottom

[Sdc77]

Hi man,
I did the same on a prototype you can see on page 12 :

https://forum.supraboats.com/showthread.php?14950-Building-your-own-underwater-Led/page12

Leds were facing the inside of the can, I did suspend them with bended paperclip and a plastic sheet on the can's border (see the scheme).

Fishing line will be invisible, great idea man ;)

[Cusefan78]

Well here goes nothing. 16244

I spent some time at hobby lobby today and met an nice old lady that was picking up resin also. Turns out she does this on the side and sells pieces all
Over the country. After picking her brain I'm trying a different resin then I used last time. I'm also pouring them differently. I started out by mixing 3/4 of a cup of resin. Poured it into the bottom of the mould. I then waited about 45 minutes till it turned into jello consistency. After that I painted on a thin coat of resin and embedded the led panels into the jello making sure they were centered. After that I poured another layer of resin into the molds. The older lady said to not pour it on top but to pour it down the side so it can spread. This method will minimize the air pockets trapped between layers. After they were poured I grabbed a hair dryer and quickly ran it over each mold to bring any residual air to the top. I'm now waiting for them to dry completely so I can demold them. Cross my fingers and hope they come out as nice as I'm hoping. I'll post pics tomorrow after I pop them out of the mold. All together I have around $65 into 4 lights. My next batch will be even cheaper because the molds are reusable

[Sdc77]

Sounds great, can't wait to see the final result :D

[Cusefan78]

So here they are. When I removed them out of the mold I found one air bubble in the face. After researching resin polishing I did I light wetsand of the face with 1000 grit. I then added another very thin layer of epoxy over the top of them to make a dome look to the top. I also brushed on a thin coat of epoxy around the edges to seal in the black paint I used on the sides. For my first batch I think they came out pretty nice. I'll post pics of them lit up tomorrow. After I mount them and the silicone dries. 1624516246

[Cusefan78]

1625116251

[Sdc77]

Cool man ! How bright are they Vs round ones ?

[Cusefan78]

It's hard to tell because I have 4 on my bass boat and three on my supra but from looking at them they look brighter and the blue light projects further in the water. It's not really a fair comparison though cause the supra has the platform on it and the bass boat doesn't plus the bass boat sits a lot higher in the water but I'm going to build some new ones for the supra this fall. They do seem brighter though. I saw a blue haze after looking at them out of the water and don't remember tre round ones doing that to me.

[atlong]

Can anyone send a link to the cups they ordered for this project? I'm finding the site very hard to manage and not finding what I think I need. Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sdc77]

Hi atlong, the link didn't work anymore for USA ordering, I found it from UK, if it helps :

http://www.componentforce.co.uk/category/480/furniture-castor-holder

Try "castor holder" or "castor cups" on Google and see if you have more chance ?

Anyway you can use any similar stuff, or even pour it in a cake mold and get a époxy led without cup, only clear resin.

[Sdc77]

Hello guys,
Looking to get more Lumen underwater led, I just found this cup holder :

https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Sliders-39719-Nonskid-Cup-1-11/dp/B000UVMOBW

It should do the job well, as the one I posted on first page seems hard to find in the USA.

I'm also about to build a new model, using 10w High power blue led :

http://www.satisled.com/10w-high-power-led-module-blueroyal-blue-led-emitter-squareround_p1393.html

With this kind of aluminum holder, to get heat exchange with water, as I'm afraid it will burn quickly in a plastic holder :

http://www.planete-sfactory.com/pipe-a-eau-bang/accessoires-bang/accessoires-divers/base-alu-pour-bang.html

It's a bong aluminum base holder :rolleyes:
My lack of English vocabulary doesn't help to find this kind of aluminum holder for other applications. Anyway it will do the job. Outer diameter is a little too big but is still ok for what we are building.

Can also be this kind : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Solid-Brass-carpet-coasters-BRASS-CHROME-NICKEL-PEWTER-ANTIQUE-castor-cups-/161986943937

I edited the first post on page 1 with links to Trayson PCB led find and the new caster holder.

[joe surfer]

oh thats cool