IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Tipups => Topic started by: Muskie Nut on Oct 15, 2006, 02:26 AM
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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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Great idea, do you have any pics?
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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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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.
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How much did this cost you per tip-up
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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!!
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brujharr,
sounds interesting, I don't suppose you have a pic? :tipup:
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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!
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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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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
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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!!
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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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Great Simple Idea! Do you have any problems with the 9 volt battery overpowering the light and burning it up?
Walltrout
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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!! ;)
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darn thats nice the wife is going to kill me cause i'm going to tear apart the xmas lights tomorrow night ;D :tipup:
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Maybe substitute a regular bulb for one of those flasher bulbs
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Computer's! ::) I'll, try to post some specs; and a picture!
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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.
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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. :%$#!:
So I had to revise my plan to the one I posted.
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Awesome!!! I was going to use the mercury switch as you stated, but when I went to Radio Shack, they said they'd been taken off the market. :%$#!:
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!
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I'm, still trying!! >:(
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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.
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Never heard of them, but I'll have to look for them. Thanks Pontiac :)
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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.
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Almost, there. Material list and pictures. :unsure:
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Do any of you have any problems with the 9 volt battery freezing. I have tried AA batteries and they would always freeze.
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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.
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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.
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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...
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Hey guys, here are some pics of my old christmas light tip-ups.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/gator_hunter71/PB050024.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/gator_hunter71/PB050027.jpg)
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.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/gator_hunter71/PB050026.jpg)
Merry Christmas everyone! and tight lines!
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Just a thought I had to maybe keep the battery from freezing was to use two different colored lights. Use one color when the tip up is set and another when it is tripped. Thinking the battery would always be active. Any one ever try this?
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If you wire it up for AA bateries you could use Lithium batteries which arn't affected by the cold. I use them in my trail camera in the winter and there good for over 900 pictures. Regular batteries in the cold won't last one night. There alot more expensive but should last all winter and hey... if we wanted to save money we'ed go to the store and BUY fish ;D.
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Just took down the Christmas lights last night and had a string that was not working up to my wife's specifications. ;) Lucky me.... So I grabbed a tip-up, a 9 volt battery and headed to the shop. My problem was that 9v was too much for the light and it would quickly burn out (i.e 2 - 3 seconds). Have any of you had that problem? My solution was to gang 4 lights in parallel. Now when the flag goes up there is enough light to read by! The down side is the size of the contraption. It it too much to put by the flag, so I'm working on a removable stand that will have a quick attach mechanism to the base of the flag spring. I'll be modifiying my prototype and will post pictures if I get it to my liking.
My plan is to make something that will be removed when not in use.
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Macker, Try the bulbs from a 25 light or fewer string. They handle more voltage.
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Hmmm. 25 or fewer lights on a string...I'll have to see if we have any of those. If we do I'm certain that that sting will experience "issues" and need to be replaced. ;)
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I took Muski Nuts idea but went one step farther and also added an old smoke detector to it now it shines and screams like a banshee............... .
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Smoke detectors....hmmm yeah, I have a few of those in the house. One or two might experience some technical difficulties.... ;)
Thanks for the advice. I picked up some parts at Radio Shack last night and will be tinkering in the coming weeks.
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Anybody know where I can find those ball switches that are replacing the mercury ones? No luck at my local Radio Shack.
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Well, since I started this thread, I've gotten alot of excellent ideas from you. I especially like the smoke detector idea.
Macker, hope to see some pics of your rig. ;D
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Here try this page i had my dad working on a setup up for me and my son.
http://www.mouser.com/search/Refine.aspx?Ne=254016+1447464&N=1323038%20254113&Ns=P_SField&RefType=Header (http://www.mouser.com/search/Refine.aspx?Ne=254016+1447464&N=1323038%20254113&Ns=P_SField&RefType=Header)
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Macker, hope to see some pics of your rig. ;D
They don't call them prototypes for nothing......
My wiring interfered with the spindle's rotation. It would work well with big baits!
I'll have to re wire it to keep the wire parallel with the top of the flag staff. I wasn't able to spend as much time on the initial concept as I wanted, but testing quickly showed the flaws.... :-\
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They don't call them prototypes for nothing......
My wiring interfered with the spindle's rotation. It would work well with big baits!
I'll have to re wire it to keep the wire parallel with the top of the flag staff. I wasn't able to spend as much time on the initial concept as I wanted, but testing quickly showed the flaws.... :-\
Trial and error eventually leads to perfection. ;D
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Saranacjoe, Thanks for the link. I'll have to get a few of them to try.
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Way to much engineering going on here. ;D
You could get the small cylume lights (glow siticks) that are either clip on for rod tip or straight (which can be scotch taped on). There used for night fishing, most shops should have some type. I have used these on the metal arm of the tip up just below the flag or on the flag. You can get a 3 pack for under $3, so it's fairly cheap too compared to buying batteries.
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You can get a 3 pack for under $3, so it's fairly cheap too compared to buying batteries.
Our Dollar store had them 10 for a dollar. Check out plces like that. Also, ebay always has them for sale in bigger lots.
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Saranacjoe, Thanks for the link. I'll have to get a few of them to try.
Anytime I'm getting 10 For me and my son, Not sure if we'll use them this year with the late start but we'll be ready for next. Only the ice gods know. Got battery holders and the leds already if anyone wants a link for cheap leds I'll get the link from my dad. Go Team NY
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Well finally got the switches and got one done. Here are some Pics if any one wants a parts list let me know and i post a list.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r99/saranacjoe/100_2674.jpg)
The switch is under the black shrink tubing.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r99/saranacjoe/100_2672.jpg)
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r99/saranacjoe/100_2668.jpg)
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r99/saranacjoe/100_2669.jpg)
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please post a parts list...
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Hey Saranacjoe, that looks like ET's finger!!!!
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Saskman here is the parts list with part #'s and where they were purchased. Hope you find this infomation helpful.
Part List for LED Tip UPs
ALL THE PART'S I BOUGHT WERE FROM DIGIKEY EXCEPT FOR THE TILT SWITCHS
WHICH ARE FROM MOUSER (ADDRESS'S BELOW)
THE LED'S ARE RED DIFF. PART #160-1127-ND PRICE .19 EA OR $1.45 FOR 10
THE BATTERY HOLDER IS FOR 2 "AA" PART #BC12AAL-ND PRICE .60 EACH IF YOU BUY 10
OR MORE THEY ARE ONLY .54 EACH
THE RESISTORS ARE 33 OHM'S 1/4 WATT PART #33QBK-ND PRICE .27 FOR 5 or $3.82 for 200
THE TILT SWITCH IS FROM MOUSER PART #107-2005-EV PRICE $1.51 EACH OR $1.26 WHEN YOU
BUY 10 OR MORE
EACH COMPANY OFFERS A FREE CATALOGE WHICH YOU CAN ORDER ON LINE
====================================================================================
THE WEB ADDRESS FOR DIGIKEY IS WWW.DIGIKEY.COM OR THE MAIL ADDRESS IS
DIGI-KEY CORPORATION
701 BROOKS AVE. SOUTH
THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN
56701-0677
TELE PHONE # 1(800)-344-4539 FOR ORDERS
THE WEB ADDRESS FOR MOUSER IS WWW.MOUSER.COM OR THE MAIL ADDRESS IS
MOUSER ELECTRONICS
1000 NORTH MAIN STREET
MANSFIELD, TX
76073
TELE PHONE # 1 (800)-346-6873 for orders
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I made up all sorts of homemade lights and used store bought ice fishing lights and you still have to rely on a power source which can go dead. My solution, use the sun to power my "lights" I ordered glow in the dark paint and will be coating the flags and wooden uprights on my heritage lakers for night striper fishing. A half hour in the sun before it gets dark and they'll glow all night. No sun, just shine your headlkights on em for about 5-10 minutes.
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used an old smoke decector and came up with this. works good i just insulated the batteries in thin styrofoam and they lasted all night.
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f373/echolakefisherman/15-02-07_2230.jpg)
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f373/echolakefisherman/15-02-07_2231.jpg)
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also there are water activated batteries, I am trying to find out where we get replacements for our life boats.......there a small battery aprox 6 inches tall by 2 inches wide