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Moonlights


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  1. #1
    dakar - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    NOLA
    Posts
    4,336
    First Name
    Dave

    Default Moonlights

    Some of the recent talk of moonlighting must have sparked something in me this afternoon, really this has been on the to-do list for over a year now.

    Amazing what you can create with stuff thats been collected in all of my treasure boxes (aka junk bins)

    DIY Moonlights:
    old cell phone charger - 6VDC @700mA
    some CAT5 wire - actually just one pair (any wire 24 gauge or lerger will do)
    10 LED's - 3.3V 30mA @ 3000mcd
    10 - 100 ohm resisitors

    The wall wart should be able to drive 20+ before it's stressed.

    A bit of soldering and voila.

    The hardest part was waiting until dark to see how they worked.... I finished soldering them and had them installed in the canopy around 2pm or so... waiting the 6+ hours almost caused physical pain!

    Pics are really sorry, they don't do the effect any justice, I really need to work on on figuring out how to get better exposure in low light with our digi. In person the effect looks fantastic. Need to get some more resistors to add another half a dozen or so to the string, I really can't believe I actually ran out of them, most likely I put some away so they wouldn't be lost....hence I couldn't find them.
    Every electronic device is manufactured with smoke stored deep inside... only a true genius can find a way to set it free.

  2. #2
    Guido - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Cincinnati, OH
    Posts
    240

    Default

    I like that second picture. Makes you wonder whats going to creep out of the shadows into the light and scare the bahjesus out of ya!
    Failure is for those who accept it.

  3. #3
    zoo-a-holic - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Brandon MB
    Posts
    445

    Default

    #ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#LOL. Very true. Dakar do i leave these moon lights on all night???#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#
    120 Gallon Reef With Starfire Front, 2 overflows and 30 Gallon Sump. Mag 18 on the Return. Lit by Aqua Light Pro Deluxe. 2 250 Watt HQI Halides and 2 96 Watt PC Actinics all in one. ASM G-2 In-Sump Skimmer. 2.5 years in the making.

  4. #4
    dakar - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    NOLA
    Posts
    4,336
    First Name
    Dave

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Beginner Reefer
    LOL. Very true. Dakar do i leave these moon lights on all night???
    Dunno...... That was a question I was going to post today to see what other folks are doing. Not that i'm likely to get nuts trying to sort out the lunar calendar to figure out what time the moon should rise and set and all that jazz..

    But I left them run all night last night. Just left the wall wart plugged into a non-switched outlet so they'll run 24x7 for now.

    Not that Angel and I were setting in front of the tank at 3am in total amazement of the activity we often miss out on.
    Every electronic device is manufactured with smoke stored deep inside... only a true genius can find a way to set it free.

  5. #5
    graphixx - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    2,785
    First Name
    Greg

    Default

    I wouldnt see any harm in leaving them on allnight?!! I dont think they would pose any sort of distraction to the inhabitant at night. But this is just me talking
    fulltankshot 1 - Moonlights

  6. #6
    graphixx - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    2,785
    First Name
    Greg

    Default

    dakar,

    I called a company here that does electronic stuff and asked him what it would cost to buld me one of those. I told him I wanted to be able to plug it into the wall and run 15 led's I gave him the specs on the led's he said he does not like to do that off of 120 cause it runs the risk or shorting or something to the fact that there is a chance it would burn my house down. What is your take on this???? I am not an electronics building whiz like you (which is sad because I was an area sales trainer for Radio Shack for 3 years) help a fella out would ya
    fulltankshot 1 - Moonlights

  7. #7
    dakar - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    NOLA
    Posts
    4,336
    First Name
    Dave

    Default

    That he's full of _______. In this case the actual voltage from the wall wart to the LED's is only about six volts. If the wires I stapled to the canopy were to fall into the water the wallwart would likely pop. A fella could easily install a small fuse inline outside of the tank if really worried about it.
    Every electronic device is manufactured with smoke stored deep inside... only a true genius can find a way to set it free.

  8. #8
    CR Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Huntsville AL.
    Posts
    39

    Default

    I leave mine on 24/7 and have for a year. The guy you talked to must be retarted to think a 9 or 12 volt power supply would burn down your house, It would be 1000x's more likely for a desk lamp to burn down your house.... Its just not very likely.
    90gal cichlid tank & 30gal Tropical tank.

    e-mail jimmy_w1979@yahoo.com

  9. #9
    graphixx - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    2,785
    First Name
    Greg

    Default

    awesome, thank you guys like I said this is not my area of expertise, well I might have to look at geeting some of these then. fishez you still selling those?????
    fulltankshot 1 - Moonlights

  10. #10
    CR Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Huntsville AL.
    Posts
    39

    Default

    Yeah, I still have some for sale.
    90gal cichlid tank & 30gal Tropical tank.

    e-mail jimmy_w1979@yahoo.com

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