Has any one ever built something like this ?

[cartbart]

so pelican makes a lighting system that would be awesome to have for my over landing step up but unfortunately at 2.5 grand its a little out of my price range. im wondering if any one has built anything like this on here.

http://www.pelican.com/us/en/produc...ea-lighting-system/shelter-lighting-kit/9500/

i know where i can source the polycarb for the lights but i dont really know about leds. i can figure out how to make the power system work. any help or ideas would be awesome thanks guys

 

[Chris Boyd]

I have one of the smaller single RALS systems for work. I actually built a similar version with just a pelican case and some batteries, Solar charger input and used the goal zero light-a-life led lanterns. Works great. When I have my trailer, i skip the battery back and just tie it into the trailer battery.

I built the kit for longer duration camping with tents when my kids were younger. They needed some light on all the time...

 

[Happykamper]

I think this is so cool. I wonder if an electrical engineer could duplicate ? I have two LARGE pelican cases I store some of my camp equipment in. I'll ask on Monday how hard it would be for him to duplicate .
I will let you know. I personally like the lower spots .
Great find

 

[cartbart]

i have a rals as well that i picked up for a steal from a pawn shop going out of business it paid 250 for it. its one of my favorite pieces of gear

I have one of the smaller single RALS systems for work. I actually built a similar version with just a pelican case and some batteries, Solar charger input and used the goal zero light-a-life led lanterns. Works great. When I have my trailer, i skip the battery back and just tie it into the trailer battery.

I built the kit for longer duration camping with tents when my kids were younger. They needed some light on all the time...

 

[cartbart]

im thinking about using leds on strips but i cannt find any rigid ones that work well for this application

 

[cartbart]

thanks let me know what your find out i asked two electrical engineers tonight but both of them where at games super drunk so not much help there

 

[mep1811]

Remote Lighting System

You can easily make your own for under $200.00. This one I made will run the 50 watt LED for 40 hours.

 

[cartbart]

You can easily make your own for under $200.00. This one I made will run the 50 watt LED for 40 hours.

where did you get the led, what tripod did you use, also lead acid or lithium ion ?
also nice looking set up

 

[lqdchkn]

What about a string of LED Christmas lights? Super cheap, easy to source, low power and most are UL approved given the Christmas tree and water and all. A 25ft string only uses 4.8 watts.

Here's a 9.5ft set, battery powered (use rechargeables) for $6

https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/36706/HLS-20LLED5MMBO.html

 

[cartbart]

yeah that would be the cheap way to go buy i really like the military look of the pelican stuff

 

[rayra]

Easy enough to replicate the kit using LED work lights. Either tubular hand wands as used in automotive lights, or the type marketed by tool companies to tradesmen, small 4"x5" LED arrays which are designed to attach to tripods or onto support poles. Or clamps. All the designs would be useful in a camping / expo environment.

 

[mep1811]

where did you get the led, what tripod did you use, also lead acid or lithium ion ?
also nice looking set up

I've been remiss on my write-up. I have all the info and just need to write it up. It has two 20 Amp H deep cycle batteries and on-board charger for starters.

 

[ikk]

This is my setup, Not done yet I want to add another deck above the battery with mounted flashlights for the family. This was system give me 10 hours of light and can be charged by Solar, or wall outlet. the lights are Goal Zero light a life. each uses 1 AH and you can daisy chain up to 8. Goal Zero has a new version of the light which is much more compact and so you could make this system a lot smaller now. This system cost me about $350.00 including the battery

 

[ikk]

Here is what are called shrimp lights. They are green but looking at the picture you can see how it is made. use a PVC tube on the inside and wrap the LED's around use PVC caps with a clear lens. I would much rather use a diffuesed lens if you can to scatter the light and not make it so bright if you look at it. LED strips can be found on Amazon. If time is not an object Chinese sites like www.Bangood.com or www.GearBest.com have them cheap.

 

[rayra]

Here is what are called shrimp lights. They are green but looking at the picture you can see how it is made. use a PVC tube on the inside and wrap the LED's around use PVC caps with a clear lens. I would much rather use a diffuesed lens if you can to scatter the light and not make it so bright if you look at it. LED strips can be found on Amazon. If time is not an object Chinese sites like www.Bangood.com or www.GearBest.com have them cheap.

View attachment 333934

ooh I really like that. Put a hangar hook on one end cap, put 10-20' of leader wire inside the pipe. In use you hang it where you wan the light and run the cord to a 12v source. Anderson power pole connectors, or clamps, all kind of connection solutions. The storage arrangement ikk posted is idea IMAO. The battery weight centered in the middle, pockets for the light tubes (or the other pre-made ligth sources I mentioned earlier) on the flanks of the case.

Add a plug at the hangar end and you could daisy chain them to each other for a long spaced run, with the power source at the end of the chain.

A few months ago I tried out some of those cheap chinese LED strings, they were a neat solution for what they are. I used them to trim out the hatch on my Suburban with red LEDs, chiefly for field use in my astronomy hobby.

One could even make the light tubes with white LEDs but fabricate clear red plexiglass sleeves to shift to red light is desired. Or interleave strings of white and red LEDs and mount a three position switch to change from red to white light. All sorts of possibilities here.