Submersible Fishing Lights

[abkeenan]

38 minutes ago, Bozinsek said:

Sounds like a great afternoon project.  Even if it doesn't catch fish, the grandkids will enjoy it while swimming off the dock!

Thanks for the material list.

 

Not sure I would trust myself making an electrical apparatus, throwing it in the water and having anyone, especially kids, swimming around it.

[GNSfishing]

40 minutes ago, abkeenan said:

Not sure I would trust myself making an electrical apparatus, throwing it in the water and having anyone, especially kids, swimming around it.

I would agree if it is an AC bulb, no way would I do that. Now DC bulb should not present an electrical shock problem. 

[bobby b.]

12 hours ago, abkeenan said:

Not sure I would trust myself making an electrical apparatus, throwing it in the water and having anyone, especially kids, swimming around it.

These are low voltage 12 volt DC devices - no concern regarding electrical safety.

[abkeenan]

1 hour ago, bobby b. said:

These are low voltage 12 volt DC devices - no concern regarding electrical safety.

I have limited knowledge of electricity. Changing a light bulb requires me to get out a manual. But I do know that it doesn't take much voltage to cause muscles to spasm/contract and that's the last thing you want while swimming. Sorry to get off topic but I did see an article a few months back about people drowning as a result of boat batteries somehow discharging current into the water around the dock they were swimming around. Causes the muscles to contract and the person just can't move. I guess it's not all that uncommon as they cited multiple cases (although obviously still pretty rare). I didn't even ever think about that before I happened across the article. Water and electric just don't make a good pair.

[Flysmallie]

There is not enough electricity there to execute an ant. And I do have some knowledge of it. 

I think the problems with the docks was the AC power coming to them. He's basically talking about 8 AA batteries. More capacity yes, but the voltage is the same. Besides, it's not the volts that get you. 

[Old plug]

Anytime you mix 110 volts with water you got to be careful. Thing happen that are not even hear the dock and result in things happening on the dock. Last death we had here was due to a cut off switch way up in the yard. For some reason some of the wiring got loose and the hot wire fell onto the ground wire. A guy went down jumped in the lake and grabbed the swim ladder and  was hit with a full 110 volts killing him. So your far better off paying out $60-80 for one of those  12 volt led green lites. They work fine if used at right time and right place. Nothing will work if those two conditions are not met. 

[abkeenan]

It's an older article and I think I found it through facebook a few months back. It certainly made me more aware of what I am doing on the water and at the dock when playing with electric and batteries.

 

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/magazine/2013/july/electric-shock-drowning-explained.asp

[vernon]

49 minutes ago, abkeenan said:

It's an older article and I think I found it through facebook a few months back. It certainly made me more aware of what I am doing on the water and at the dock when playing with electric and batteries.

 

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/magazine/2013/july/electric-shock-drowning-explained.asp

Wow.  I've never even heard of this before.  That article is pretty amazing.  When you look at some of the old, dilapidated docks on pretty much every lake, it's hard to believe this doesn't happen much more often.  Typically, there are power wires still strung and hanging all over the place on many of these docks.

Not that it's relevant but since the tornado at Kimberling, there's a light pole on the north side of the ramp at the Kimberling Inn that has loose wires hanging down that used to go to the dock that was destroyed by the storm.  Always looked kind of scary to me but what I know about that kind of stuff could get lost on the head of a pin.

Thanks for posting.

[MOPanfisher]

AC current and water can be a dangerous mix.  Wired right and maintained/checked regularly no worries.  I do like that a lot of docks are installing solar power, panel, converter/inverter, and batteries to store the electricity.  I dont know enough about the solar engineering to understand it per se, but have had it explained to me one who does, that it is much safer.  All that aside the light is pretty cool.

[bfishn]

35 minutes ago, MOPanfisher said:

... a lot of docks are installing solar power, panel, converter/inverter

Solar can shine (pun intended) for lots of reasons, but as soon as you put an inverter in the mix, you're synthesizing AC again at the end use (and most hazardous) points on a dock. No safety factor gained. As long as we demand AC with our gadgets it'll be there ready to bite us. We need stuff that runs on 6-12VDC to have safe solar docks. But...the wiring needed to satisfy our  contemporary needs on 6-12V is the size of the wire that feeds our houses...