Author Topic: Home made Tip Up Lights  (Read 20576 times)

Offline Muskie Nut

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Home made Tip Up Lights
« on: Oct 15, 2006, 02:26 AM »
This is my set up for tip up lights.  If anyone has better plans, or improvements to mine, please post.
Supplies:
Carriage bolt (or any kind of bolt)
3 Nuts
1 washer
9 volt battery plug
9 volt battery
x-mas tree lights (I bought a set of 25 clear lights @ the dollar store)
I also use electric tape and hot glue
Drill a hole big enough for your bolt behind the spring of your flag, run your bolt thru the bottom & tighten w/a nut.  Run a nut about half way down the bolt, put your washer on (washer needs to be big enough to keep contact w/the flag spring when the flag is up), tighten with another nut.  Snip a single bulb and it's wire from the x-mas tree lights, place the bulb near the flag and run the wire down the flag pole.  Hot glue a 9 volt battery plug near the back of your tip up.  One wire goes to the x-mas tree light, the other gets tightened to the washer with the nut.  When the flag goes up, the flag spring will rest on the side of the washer, thus turning on the light...which really brightens the whole area. ;D



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Offline beeverfishing

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #1 on: Oct 15, 2006, 02:42 AM »
Great idea, do you have any pics?
  

Offline Muskie Nut

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #2 on: Oct 16, 2006, 01:49 AM »
No, sorry...I don't have any pics.  :-\
One thing I forgot to mention is the second wire coming off the x-mas tree light needs to be connected to the flag spring.  I bend the flag/spring backwards and insert the bare wire in between one of the spring coils.  Make sure you bend it backwards, if you put it in the other side, it will come out when you set your tip-up....duh  :P
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Offline beeverfishing

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #3 on: Oct 16, 2006, 07:48 AM »
np about the pics, I got the idea.  I was a little hesitant about a 9 volt battery lighting those lights as they are connected to 120v. But I gave it a try last night and sure enough, 9v lights it right up, very bright.  I have a cpl. small mercury switches laying around I might put to use on this project.  thanks again.
  

Offline pike4some

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #4 on: Oct 16, 2006, 07:02 PM »
How much did this cost you per tip-up

Offline brujharr

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #5 on: Oct 16, 2006, 07:38 PM »
We borrowed multi-colored sets, a different color for each person! Alligator clips on the end of +/- wires, of the system,  one screw and a little piece of coathanger on the tip-up. Just clip them on, when it gets dark! No extras, to mess with during the daylight fishing!  Lay it on the bare ice, or in deep snow, mount it as high as you as you want with a stick and more wire, with clips. One can buy a 9-volt battery, for less than most button style's and it will last for more than season! Muskie Nut, GOOD LUCK, FISHING AT NIGHT!!

Offline Muskie Nut

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #6 on: Oct 17, 2006, 01:28 AM »
brujharr,
sounds interesting, I don't suppose you have a pic? :tipup:
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Offline brujharr

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #7 on: Oct 17, 2006, 09:54 PM »
I, made allot of them from my mother's, borrowed lights. No, pictures! Muskie Nut, you have a great idea!! My two cents worth, keep it simple and fast, when it's below freezing!!  :)  Wausau, it's great place to be in!

Offline Muskie Nut

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #8 on: Oct 18, 2006, 12:21 AM »
Yeap, when out on the ice and it starts getting dark, all I need to do is attach the 9 volt battery and we're set.  All the hardware is permanent, minus the battery.
Wausau's alright...but if I had a choice, Minocqua is where I'd like to be.  :tipup:
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Offline pike4some

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #9 on: Oct 18, 2006, 07:36 PM »
Wausau what lakes do you fish there. My inlaws live there and I would like to bring some of the gear and possibly go out sometime I'm in town

Offline brujharr

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #10 on: Oct 18, 2006, 10:44 PM »
It all works, before a 1/16th " of freezing rain!  :) Just plug them in.  ::)   ::) I keep mine, in my pocket, use them when I want too!!

Offline Muskie Nut

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #11 on: Oct 19, 2006, 12:41 AM »
For walleyes & pike I fish Lake Wausau.
I don't fish much for panfish, but they do really good on the Eau Claire Reservoir (above the Schofield dam).  The Eau Claire also has pike, but all the ones I caught there last year were snakes, the biggest @14".  However, there are some big ones, like the 39 incher taken during the Lion's club Jamboree in February.
I keep my shanty on Lake Wausau, but we moved it to the Eau Claire the last weekend in January because of the warm temps killing the ice.
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Offline Walltrout

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #12 on: Oct 19, 2006, 03:26 PM »
Great Simple Idea! Do you have any problems with the 9 volt battery overpowering the light and burning it up?

Walltrout

"Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." - Henry David Thoreau

"If people don't occasionally walk away from you shaking their heads, you're doing something wrong."  John Giera

Offline brujharr

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #13 on: Oct 19, 2006, 10:02 PM »
NO! Your putting 12 volts D.C into a bulb, designed for 120 volts A.C. AMPS and OHLMS?  ???  My, opinion they aren't very bright in the house, because of the other thousand of them! ONE, on the lake, in the dark, PRICELESS!! ;)

Offline hunters08

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #14 on: Oct 28, 2006, 08:10 PM »
darn thats nice the wife is going to kill me cause i'm going to tear apart the xmas lights tomorrow night ;D :tipup:
If i'm not fish'n then i'd rather be turkey hunt'n [img width=100 height=80]

Offline Mainehazmt

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #15 on: Oct 29, 2006, 06:16 AM »
Maybe substitute a regular bulb  for one of those flasher bulbs
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Offline brujharr

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #16 on: Nov 22, 2006, 08:03 PM »
Computer's!  ::)  I'll, try to post some specs; and a picture!

Offline Doubles Shooter

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #17 on: Dec 02, 2006, 01:43 PM »
Muskie Nut, I have been using darn near the same set up for many years. I hot glued a mercury switch to the flag wire instead. I like your idea better. Simpler and cheaper. The lights are great for night fishing and dark snowy days. They also light up the area like you said. Plenty of light to see what's going on.

Offline Muskie Nut

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #18 on: Dec 06, 2006, 01:38 PM »
Muskie Nut, I have been using darn near the same set up for many years. I hot glued a mercury switch to the flag wire instead. I like your idea better. Simpler and cheaper. The lights are great for night fishing and dark snowy days. They also light up the area like you said. Plenty of light to see what's going on.
Awesome!!!  I was going to use the mercury switch as you stated, but when I went to Radio Shack, they said they'd been taken off the market.  :%$#!:
So I had to revise my plan to the one I posted.
Wishin' I was Fishin'

Offline Mainehazmt

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #19 on: Dec 06, 2006, 01:50 PM »
Awesome!!!  I was going to use the mercury switch as you stated, but when I went to Radio Shack, they said they'd been taken off the market.  :%$#!:
So I had to revise my plan to the one I posted.
Prob a good thing!  ya really wouldnt want to break that mercury on the ice   cleanup would be hell!
I am a Veteran Not a Terrorist!

Offline brujharr

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #20 on: Dec 06, 2006, 07:40 PM »
I'm, still trying!!  >:(

Offline pontiac787

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #21 on: Dec 07, 2006, 12:25 AM »
You can buy something called a rollerball tilt switch for about a $1.00.  They operate on the same principal as a mercury swith but they're a sealed unit with a ball bearing inside. 

Offline Muskie Nut

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #22 on: Dec 07, 2006, 01:47 AM »
Never heard of them, but I'll have to look for them. Thanks Pontiac :)
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Offline gator_hunter71

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #23 on: Dec 07, 2006, 05:20 AM »
I have some tip-ups in the garage that I used the christmas lights on years ago. My buddy got some mercury switches from some equipment they tore out on a job site. They were an ugly sight, but the lights were very bright. I put them on my walleye rigged tip ups so after dark, I would just pull my beaver dams with my pike rigs and drop in these baby's ready to go! It made for a quick, easy switch over with no messing around with lights. I stopped using them a while ago because of the mercury, and now a days I have the strike sensor pager system, but I will dig them out of the garage and post some pics of these ugly devils for you guys.
If you jig it...... They will come.


Offline brujharr

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #24 on: Dec 07, 2006, 07:34 PM »
Almost, there. Material list and pictures.  :unsure:

Offline Go Fish

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #25 on: Dec 07, 2006, 09:14 PM »
Do any of you have any problems with the 9 volt battery freezing. I have tried AA batteries and they would always freeze.

Offline beeverfishing

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #26 on: Dec 07, 2006, 09:48 PM »
Unfortunately, i did have problems with the battery getting cold.  I connected a new 9 volt battery to the light.  worked really well inside, but once it sat out in the cold, (less then 15 min.) the light dimmed down to the point I couldn't hardly see it..   But in all honesty, it was a cheap battery so My advice is to purchase GOOD batteries.  I plan to get some and try it again.
  

Offline Doubles Shooter

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #27 on: Dec 07, 2006, 09:55 PM »
Go Fish, I've never had a problem with the 9volt batteries freezing. The only drawback is the price. I had a free supply when my wife was working at the hospital. They change them regularly in the med equipt. I went to Radio  Shack today to try to get a few of the super bright LED's that run on 2-3 volts but they didn't have any. I figured I could use two 1 1/2v AA batteries to save a few bucks. Still looking.

PS: beeverfishing posted while I was typing this. I used Duracell alkaline batteries. They went the whole season with out a problem. Just keep them out of the water if it is sloppy out. If it was wet I took them from the clip and rubber banded them to the flag spring.

Offline beeverfishing

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #28 on: Dec 07, 2006, 10:09 PM »
I used Duracell alkaline batteries. They went the whole season with out a problem.

Thank you dblsshtr, I"ll pick up some tomarrow and give it an other try.  I should have known better, trying to save a buck and end up spending twice as much.  Never fails...
  

Offline gator_hunter71

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Re: Home made Tip Up Lights
« Reply #29 on: Dec 08, 2006, 09:15 AM »
Hey guys, here are some pics of my old christmas light tip-ups.





I made a styrofoam holder for the 9 volt, seemed to help with freezing, but I also learned quickly that batteries is not the place to try and save a buck :P. The mercury switch was just the right size so the flag would still pop despite the weight, I just had to make sure it was set the right way in the wind.


Merry Christmas everyone! and tight lines!
If you jig it...... They will come.


 



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