Hilux 4x4 Forum

Often the simplest ideas are the best. A few days ago I saw this in a posting by Edge .......

Edge wrote:I have a double row of about six LED's on a piece of aluminium flat bar with a hook bent on the one end, with two stoppers on the one side over which I can then wind about 10 meters of flex cable. I use this as an extension lead for light near the braai fire or light around the camp. It also can be hooked over a tree branch or onto the support of the awning.

....... and being practically minded (at least, I like to think so), I thought the idea had a lot of merit. Looked at the alu that I had and decided it was going to be easier to use some 12 x 2mm flat steel bar, than cut strips of alu. Bent the hooks after drilling a hole so that it could hang on a nail / screw as well. Washed the strips off in phosphoric acid, rinsed, dried and treated with anti-rust before painting.



Made up a couple 30mm lengths of Bright LED strips (I have stock that I got from Pieter) and glued them to the metal strips.

Walla! Easy 12v camping / utility lights! They are lightweight, don't take up much space and will run for days off a small 8a/h motorised gate battery. (Will put them to the test next weekend.)

Very cool idea,i like

now thats cool Andy, you havent patented it yet....hehehe, but no seriously very simple but clever way to utilize the LED strips.....I like

That is very nice Andy. Will work very well for many things, even when working on the vehicle

Edge's idea, not mine.

Your idea has just given me an idea for the braai....

simple & practical I'll use that one for the tent the upcoming long WEnd...with permission...

Stef wrote:simple & practical I'll use that one for the tent the upcoming long WEnd...with permission...

................. and if I said "No" ?

After posting this thread, I made a few more of these 'camping' lights (6 in total) and used them often - no good being stuck away in a box and find that the batteries have gone south after an extended period of not being charged.

I used them on outings, hunting trips and even around the house with load shedding before I did the permanent solar PV panel thing. Even used them just for the sake of saving electricity, but didn't save that much - the batteries were still being charged from mains.

Anyhow, the purpose of this post is a warning to anyone that has used the idea and made their own similar units.

With the regular packing and unpacking the connection at the LED strip took some strain and unbeknown to me started arcing under the heat shrink. This is what happened .....

Luckily it didn't start a fire!

At the time I made these units I glued the heat-shrunk ends to the bar to prevent this. It's not good enough!

I have now re-done the units with a slightly longer 'overlap' of the base metal and secured the connection end with a small cable-tie so that there can be no movement.

Maybe add a in-line fuse.

george wrote:Maybe add a in-line fuse.

Also an option, but would the fuse blow if the heat build up is from an arcing connection and not a short? I think not. Stabilizing the connection so that it cannot work loose would be the main solution IMO.

I examined it carefully before and during the 'clean-up' and it had not made contact with the base metal and also didn't appear to have shorted out, but certainly a fuse would still be a good idea in any event.

Nou moet ek weer vanand garage toe....

Better safe than sorry.

Baie nice idee sal ook soe iets moet doen dankie

ek het n 2 meter pvc pyp wat split een kant n meter strip op wat met cable ties vas is. na die koneksie het ek n s in die draad gemaak en met n cable tie vasgemaak sodat die koneksie nie kan los kom nie al haak jou voet die draad. werk soos n bom. maak die yster langer en sit n cable tie op.

Dis basies wat ek gedoen het deur die LED strip bietjie op te skuif.

Vlak vark wrote:ek het n 2 meter pvc pyp wat split een kant n meter strip op wat met cable ties vas is. na die koneksie het ek n s in die draad gemaak en met n cable tie vasgemaak sodat die koneksie nie kan los kom nie al haak jou voet die draad. werk soos n bom. maak die yster langer en sit n cable tie op.

Dis basies wat ek gedoen het deur die LED strip bietjie op te skuif.

Wat van 'n foto of twee. Dan kan ons dom ouens ook vestaan:oops:

Louis, ek is ongelukkig in nelspruit in die hospitaal met my suiker. sodra ek uitkom vat ek n kiekie of twee vir jou

ek cable tie die draad na die LED ook vas aan die yster :)

GEEN beweging op die soldeersel.



ANDER idee - daai magnetiese signs wat die manne so op die kant van n voertuig plak - kry van dit en sny dit in strokies. Plak die LED strip op dit. Die magneet sit mos vas teen die voertuig se staal :) MAKLIK om die lig te skuif tot waar jy hom wil hê :)



kry sommer van die nuwe 12 LED ligte by 4x4Direct :) :) Wit en GEEL :) :) :)

Vlak vark wrote:Louis, ek is ongelukkig in nelspruit in die hospitaal met my suiker. sodra ek uitkom vat ek n kiekie of twee vir jou

Dankie

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ChrisF wrote:ek cable tie die draad na die LED ook vas aan die yster :)

GEEN beweging op die soldeersel.



ANDER idee - daai magnetiese signs wat die manne so op die kant van n voertuig plak - kry van dit en sny dit in strokies. Plak die LED strip op dit. Die magneet sit mos vas teen die voertuig se staal :) MAKLIK om die lig te skuif tot waar jy hom wil hê :)



kry sommer van die nuwe 12 LED ligte by 4x4Direct :) :) Wit en GEEL :) :) :)

Chris

Het jy aandele in 4x4Direct?:twisted:

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As hy nog nie nie het nie, probeer hy baie hard

I have a double row of about six LED's on a piece of aluminium flat bar with a hook bent on the one end, with two stoppers on the one side over which I can then wind about 10 meters of flex cable. I use this as an extension lead for light near the braai fire or light around the camp. It also can be hooked over a tree branch or onto the support of the awning.


Andy, what mine also has added is a T-piece at the bottem to which the cable leads past after the LED lights. I then wind it back between the T-piece and the hook on top which stops the cable from sliding off either end. My hook is also bigger and rounded so that I can hang it over/around tree branches where I camp...
See my first post...
Hope this helps to clear up your shorting problem, as my system had had no problems for more than five years that I have had it in opperation...

Yeah, but you didn't post any pics, so I was unable to understand!!

You have seen that light in opperation on our first trip to Hoggs Back...
You know my computer skills & that I haven't the faintest idea how to post pitchas, especially from the tablet...
That you could not even master...

Ahem! If you recall, I found the embedded picture resize toll on your tablet, showed you how to access and how to use it, but the problem was that you didn't have an interface between your PC and tablet to transfer the pics to the tablet.

Can this be repeated in Engels, so that I can also verunderstand it...

You know I do not understand Computer JARGON...

Andy, remind me next time I come to East London with the Camper, so that I can show you...
Probably on Saturday close to LUNCH time...
No we are not comming for lunch, we alreadsy declined one offer just down the road from you...

Cool, I should be home.