rope lights for fishtrap

[say_der]

anybody know where to get rope lights that run off 12V's? or how to go about hooking them up? I'm planning on attahing them with zip ties. Any advice would be great. Thanks.

[deadeye]

I would think going to an auto parts store would be a good bet. I would try pep boys, they have a lot of stuff like that.

[Guest]

I'll save you some time and money. The rope lighting you find in hardware stores and part outfits is PVC. Your basic PVC rope lighting will crack and fail in conditions under or near freezing. Try bending a PVC garden hose in -0 once?

What I found is this. The internal wires will separate from the expansion and contraction due to the extremes in heat and cold, and it will short the of light string out. They can't take the jarring in the cold either. They snap like frozen licorice in -0 weather.

I know this because I have been testing a lighting system I designed and have a patent pending on.

My first prototypes were PVC rope. They all failed miserably in the cold. I dumped that idea and went back to the drawing board. After testing many sources of materials I found the proper materials and changed the lighting system I designed. Now my system will remain dependable down to -40.

Field tests from the past 2 years are encouraging and I plan to market them very soon. Some lucky guys including some staff at In-Fisherman got a few to test last season. The feedback overall has been very good. A few bugs but I got them ironed out now. That is why you field test stuff, to find bugs.

Just a friendly tip from somebody who had to toss a bunch away. If you use PVC rope, be prepared for complication in the cold.

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[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 11-21-2003).]

[loosegoose]

If you can't find 12 volt lights but a power inverter that converts 12 volts dc into 120 volts ac.

[fiskyknut]

Say_Der, if you want to do it yourself I know you can find various online sources for the good stuff. Do a Yahoo search, keywords like 'rope', 'light', '12v', ect. dig around for the good stuff rated to -40. As Ed said there is cheap stuff {pvc} out there too. You can find this good -40 stuff in 12v kits and in bulk in various lengths, and also find all kinds of dimmers, switches, mounting hardware, and other options to monkey around with. I've seen some of these products in shanties and rigged in boats and it works very good. Comes in all kinds of groovey, psychodelic colors too. There are also 12v led rope lights, brighter but spendier, and waaaay groovey!

Hope this helps.....Peace man!

fiskyknut

[This message has been edited by fiskyknut (edited 11-21-2003).]

[Matchman]

I saw 12V LED strips encased in a tube for use in cars at Target the other night which were very reasonably priced. They look pretty simple. You could cut off the cigarette plug and attach gator clips to run the lights off a vex battery. I'm not sure what kind of draw they have but I belive LEDs use very little power.

Match