DIY LED Camping Lights

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DIY LED Camping Lights

Postby DWT77 » Fri Mar 17, 2017 2:51 pm

I took this DIY fishing lights and modified it for camping. I threw some diffusor paper in the polycarbonate tube. That way the lights aren't too bright while camping. Then I put a dimmer switch in line and an eyelet/hook on the top. That way I can take some paracord with a carabiner and hang it pretty much anywhere. Made my wire 10ft long so I can plug it into a battery or cigarette lighter plug.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzKzpjgtJi4
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Re: DIY LED Camping Lights

Postby DWT77 » Fri Mar 17, 2017 2:59 pm

or if you want to go overboard on the lights lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XkSTXclvMQ

I do plan on making a red one as well
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Re: DIY LED Camping Lights

Postby deleted » Mon Mar 20, 2017 7:06 am

Cool project! The dimmer switch is a great idea :thumbsup:
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Re: DIY LED Camping Lights

Postby DWT77 » Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:50 pm

This is how I did my lights. Waterproof, can hook up to a cigarette plug or a battery/solar panel
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Re: DIY LED Camping Lights

Postby DWT77 » Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:51 pm

This is full bright and dimmed to the lowest setting
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Re: DIY LED Camping Lights

Postby GuitarPhotog » Mon Mar 20, 2017 7:08 pm

Where do you get the inline LED dimmer?

Thanks

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Re: DIY LED Camping Lights

Postby DWT77 » Mon Mar 20, 2017 7:38 pm

Here are the parts I grabbed from amazon. The rest I went to big box store to grab the PVC pipe and fittings. I will say the polycarbonate is a slightly different size than regular PVC pipe. Be sure to take the polycarbonate tube with you to fit what you need. That is why I went with the fittings you see in the picture. For the inner PVC piece (what you wrap the led lights around) I went with a 1/2 inch piece. I found the 3/4 inch put the led lights too close to the outer polycarbonate tube. You could see the individual led lights through the diffuser paper. You can see in the pictures I posted earlier how the light gives off more of a glow than seeing each individual light. I figured if camping that might be a little annoying. Also in the picture below I got some fittings that the 1/2 inch pvc pipe would fit in. That way when I placed them in the polycarbonate tube it wouldn't rattle around. They were a hexagon/octagon shape. I did have to round the edges off with a grinder to fit in the round tube. There might be an easier way to put everything together. If you find something that works for you please let me know. I plan to make a couple of red ones as well. I hope I explained everything lol. Any questions just ask.

Dimmer
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R ... UTF8&psc=1

Polycarbonate tubing
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O ... UTF8&psc=1

Wire
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009V ... UTF8&psc=1

LED Lights
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HS ... UTF8&psc=1

Difusser Paper
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XJ ... UTF8&psc=1
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Re: DIY LED Camping Lights

Postby DWT77 » Mon Mar 20, 2017 8:12 pm

If you wanted to get fancy you could put some waterproof disconnects and get an extension cord wrap. That way you don't have to worry about eventually breaking your wires wrapping it around the light. Not that I over think things :D

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i ... F741JLHBQB

https://www.amazon.com/Huicocy-Waterpro ... +connector
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Re: DIY LED Camping Lights

Postby DWT77 » Mon Mar 20, 2017 9:44 pm

Here is another video that I had watched. If you go to the 2:50 mark you can see how he puts the inner piece in the tube so it won't rattle around. Using another piece of pvc might be a little cheaper than buying the actual fitting and grinding it down like I did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8idZ-UgJFtk
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Re: DIY LED Camping Lights

Postby GuitarPhotog » Tue Mar 21, 2017 11:36 am

Thanks
I built two LED light strips for my teardrop years ago, and the dimmer is just what I need.

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Re: DIY LED Camping Lights

Postby JaggedEdges » Tue Mar 21, 2017 2:41 pm

I have 3 "background process" LED projects going on, just chugging along collecting bits until I throw it all together.

Firstly, strips very similar to the above turned up in Canadian Dollarama stores for $3CDN for ~3 feet hooked up to a 3xAA battery box with a switch. These are a 5V strip though rather than a 12V strip, the resistors on the 12V one appear to be 240 Ohms, where as these are 75 Ohms.

My idea was to deploy 3 strips and electrically series them so 12V can be used, on 3 sides of the cabin. I have in the past seen stick on silicone feet about half inch square, that were frosted clear look and had a divot/recess in the back, I thought those would work pretty well for individual diffusers over each LED. I was also looking for some trim to go over maybe, have holes drilled per LED.

Secondly, a post christmas grab the other year was a set of LED icicle light type things. At the point I picked them up LED household bulb replacements were stupid money still, like $30 a pop, and they were a few bucks. I thought actually I could string them around a workbench for even/cheap illumination, but on household 115, they flicker rather annoyingly. Then I lately noticed, that I'm getting a number of vitamin/supplement bottles that are blue, some that are green, and some that are orange.... so I'm gonna make a set of awning/gazebo lights with them, maybe mask the bottles into lantern grid patterns.

Thirdly a "Hey that's a small solar panel for a couple of bucks" grab at a thrift the other week turned out to be a solar rechargable shed light, with up to 6 hours run time off full charge. The light unit/diffuser is okayish, wondering about using it for the reading lamp. Wondering whether actually to rewire it to 12V or leave it as an independent system with the panel catching rays outside somewhere.
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Re: DIY LED Camping Lights

Postby DWT77 » Tue Mar 21, 2017 6:36 pm

I am thinking about trying these in my teardrop for the interior and galley lights

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IY ... HPSMML9K44

Then I had a buddy make an LED light for his back porch at the house. Pretty cool looking light. I think he frosted the mason jar a little
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