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Lighting for Otter hub house

Mistermojo

By Mistermojo
in Ice Fishing

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Mistermojo Collaborator

Mistermojo

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I just picked up an Otter hub house and want to run some LED's in there for some more light in the evenings.  Any suggestions which will be able to withstand the constant folding, flexing, and stuffing of the setup/teardown process of the hub-style house?  Pictures are a plus so I can get some ideas of what you have done.  I'm fine with either running off a flasher battery or having it's own battery pack (AA's, 9V, etc.)

 

I tried searching the forum but it appears to not work?  I got 0 results searching for LED.

 

Thanks,
Mojo

 

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JSK76 Mentor

JSK76

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Super happy with the amount out of light! Honestly I'm one of the pickiest people out there when it comes to my gear. I'm the guy that returns 50% of what I buy because it always seems to fail my expectations. I did pull on the cable tonight and I do believe it will hold up just fine if you mount it like I did or rember to leave slack so it can be folded down. 

Some new pics with the magnet mount and showing how much light this little guy puts out!

also amp draw is only .292

image.jpg

image.jpg

To answer your question about seeing the rod tip bounce YES! I can count the spots on that ladybug that's on the carpet! I don't think you'll find a brighter light that is this compact and doesn't hang down in your way.  And really no shadows to speak of wich is really a huge plus. Its been along time since I've used a gas lantern but I'm pretty sure this is MUCH brighter.

Edited by JSK76
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JSK76 Mentor

JSK76

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Ive had 8 different portables since I started using them back in 1996 but never owned a hub before. I really like the Fatfish and almost bought one but I like my shelters to be bright inside at night and that's one thing that sold me on the grey interior of the XTH vs the black on the FF.  I really liked the big reflectors on the outside of the FF and I like the window placement being lower compared to being high on the otter. I like the new fabric otter is using this year and feel it's better then what I've seen on the FF. At first my zippers seemed like junk but after using them they have been getting much better and seem fine now. The only complaint and its not deal breaker is the window fabric only has Velcro at the top so it doesn't seal 100% around the window. Other hubs might be the same way I'm not sure. I also currently own an Otter Clabin 1200 xt and have been pretty happy with it so I figured the quality possibly spilled over into the hub line also. otter claims the bag is "oversized" but it seems to be just right to me if it is oversized it not by much. I brought it out fishing but never set it up so all my observations are from set up in my home. Setup and takedown has been really easy. One other thing that I noticed is when I've seen pictures from otter the interior looks white but it's actually gray or silver. Over all I'm very happy with the house. 

Edited by JSK76
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Mistermojo Collaborator

Mistermojo

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Without having used the Otter yet, here are my observations so far:

Otter: Pros

nicest fabric, no stitching holes, good spikes, best bag, replaceable windows, good for spearing

Otter: Cons

Low headroom, less windows than Eskimo, completely dark - may need more light than windows provide

 

Eskimo: Pros

Lighter than Otter, good spikes, lots of windows, 2 big cargo nets, good fabric, good reflectors, replaceable windows, mostly dark inside with windows closed, get some light bleed from stitching, generally cheaper than Otter or Clam right now 

Eskimo: Cons

Stitching holes in fabric, tight bag, my bag ripped out at the bottom, weak tie-down string

 

Clam (specifically Jason Mitchell 5000) Pros:

Tons of headroom, more space inside because of 5-hub design vs. 4 on Otter and Eskimo, good tie down straps, cargo nets, light colored interior reflects light better

Clam Cons:

Smaller spikes, can't replace windows, stitching holes visible, heavier than Eskimo or Otter, light interior not good for spearing, JM 5000 is more expensive.

 

Bottom Line:

If I was going to buy again, I would probably still go Otter because of the nicer fabric, good spikes, lighter interior, and the better bag, however for the extra $50 they are charging, you are missing a couple of windows compared to the Eskimo and the cargo netting for storing jackets and such.  I'd put Clam in 3rd place because of the non-replaceable windows, weight, and weak spikes.

 

 

 

 

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JSK76 Mentor

JSK76

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Doesn't the Eskimo bag have back pack straps on it it too? I didn't realize the otter didn't until I went to bring it out on the lake. Not a big deal but at times it would be nice, just bought a Pelican Trek sled to haul it with.

Edited by JSK76
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bobbymalone Grand Master

bobbymalone

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I have an old eskimo quickfish 6 and a new Fatfish...  The old one is hands down better made.  better fabric, better stitching, thicker windows, etc etc etc.  I've been fishing out of that QF6 for close to 10 years and it's still going strong.  I can already tell that Fatfish is not gonna last.  Already had the fabric blowout around a hub, fixing it is beyond a simple patch job.

I've seen a number of manufacturers really drop on the quality of their portables in the last few years...  Particular in the fabric department.  I almost think they purposefully use cheap feeling fabric to push people towards the thermal fabric model and spend more $$$.     

Edited by bobbymalone
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