Harbor Freight.. sucks!

I took the light out of my pond yesterday and the bulb was in a plastic
holder with a lead weight - the contacts are inside and not wide open as I
remembered it (been a few yrs since I had it out) and the sealed beam is ~
garden tractor size, not a car headlamp
Gale :~)

"Gale Pearce" wrote in message
...
I just checked my transformer that came with the light - it is a Cal Pump
model # PS 11V16 20 amp unit - the cement housing that the nursery made
to
house it disintegrated in the pond and I found one of those red pottery
crock flower pots that fit the bulb perfectly - after dark it looks like a
lit up acquarium - one other thing - contacts are not sealed in any way,
the
wires are just plugged onto the bulb terminals like you would in a car -
thats the way it was sold to me
Gale :~)
"Gareee©" wrote in message
...
Hmmm... That's making me wonder if those smaller replacement headlights
that
plug into built in car headlight housing could be used somehow? They
look
like they might draw less power, and of course are smaller (but with no
reflector)

I might see if I can work up an alternate housing for the headlight in
any
case... instead of pouring quickrete, maybe I can use a Tupperware (or
such)
rectangular container, use silicon for a sealer, and fill it with small
aquarium gravel to weigh it down.
(that would eliminate the long cure time, and also eliminate any lime or
chemical leaching from the concrete.


"Gale Pearce" wrote in message
...
Home depot etc carry these - if you only want to run the one light , a
20
watt unit should be all you need - I think that is what mine is that
came
with the light ~ 8 yrs ago - I think it is a cal pump underwater
light -
looks just like a car sealed beam, in fact when I had to replace it I
got
the identical light from an auto store (a Philips - don't remember the
#)
~
$7 Can
Gale :~)
or buy a small 12 volt
transformer to run it separately. That's how mine is powered
Gale :~)

Where can you find those? Lowe's, auto stores, Home depot,
Wal-Mart??

--
Gareee©
Homepage:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine.../mainframe.htm
Custom Figures, Wallpapers and more!

Good additional info. We've had family visiting for the last week, and once
they leave (soon thanks Gawd!), I can look at working up a pond light.
Probably after Weds. this week.

I'm sure I'll find a lamp/headlight at Biglots, and then it's a matter of
getting the power correct, and then sealing it.

Caulking gun silicon is great for maming small things watertight, and I'll
probably try that. I also saw that they have electrical wiring and cables
there as well.

I want to see how inexpensive and easy I can make one that actually works
good and looks nice. Lovally, they only have some low watt ones that are $40
+, and for a low level light, that's just too expensive to me. It's not so
much that I can't afford it, it's the principal of the thing.

Worst case, I can always get sealed rope light, but I want to try an
underwater floodlight kinda thing first., and maybe have it under our big
gargoyle spitter, shining up at him...

I actually got a decent night shot of our backyard and pond last night.. and
I used a new photoshop tool I got called Noise Ninja.. it cleaned up the
nightshot quite well!


"Gale Pearce" wrote in message
...
I took the light out of my pond yesterday and the bulb was in a plastic
holder with a lead weight - the contacts are inside and not wide open as
I
remembered it (been a few yrs since I had it out) and the sealed beam is ~
garden tractor size, not a car headlamp
Gale :~)

"Gale Pearce" wrote in message
...
I just checked my transformer that came with the light - it is a Cal
Pump
model # PS 11V16 20 amp unit - the cement housing that the nursery made
to
house it disintegrated in the pond and I found one of those red pottery
crock flower pots that fit the bulb perfectly - after dark it looks like
a
lit up acquarium - one other thing - contacts are not sealed in any way,

the
wires are just plugged onto the bulb terminals like you would in a car -
thats the way it was sold to me
Gale :~)
"Gareee©" wrote in message
...
Hmmm... That's making me wonder if those smaller replacement
headlights
that
plug into built in car headlight housing could be used somehow? They
look
like they might draw less power, and of course are smaller (but with
no
reflector)

I might see if I can work up an alternate housing for the headlight in
any
case... instead of pouring quickrete, maybe I can use a Tupperware (or
such)
rectangular container, use silicon for a sealer, and fill it with
small
aquarium gravel to weigh it down.
(that would eliminate the long cure time, and also eliminate any lime
or
chemical leaching from the concrete.


"Gale Pearce" wrote in message
...
Home depot etc carry these - if you only want to run the one light ,
a
20
watt unit should be all you need - I think that is what mine is that
came
with the light ~ 8 yrs ago - I think it is a cal pump underwater
light -
looks just like a car sealed beam, in fact when I had to replace it
I
got
the identical light from an auto store (a Philips - don't remember
the
#)
~
$7 Can
Gale :~)
or buy a small 12 volt
transformer to run it separately. That's how mine is powered
Gale :~)

Where can you find those? Lowe's, auto stores, Home depot,
Wal-Mart??

--
Gareee©
Homepage:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine.../mainframe.htm
Custom Figures, Wallpapers and more!

I and a friend have also taken these floating 12-volt fishing lights from
Walmart. They have a styrofoam case that makes them float, light facing
into the water. You just wire them into your 12-volt landscape lights.
Easy to do. The lights sell in the 5-8 dollar range. MIKE
"Gareee©" wrote in message
...
Good additional info. We've had family visiting for the last week, and
once
they leave (soon thanks Gawd!), I can look at working up a pond light.
Probably after Weds. this week.

I'm sure I'll find a lamp/headlight at Biglots, and then it's a matter of
getting the power correct, and then sealing it.

Caulking gun silicon is great for maming small things watertight, and I'll
probably try that. I also saw that they have electrical wiring and cables
there as well.

I want to see how inexpensive and easy I can make one that actually works
good and looks nice. Lovally, they only have some low watt ones that are
$40
+, and for a low level light, that's just too expensive to me. It's not so
much that I can't afford it, it's the principal of the thing.

Worst case, I can always get sealed rope light, but I want to try an
underwater floodlight kinda thing first., and maybe have it under our big
gargoyle spitter, shining up at him...

I actually got a decent night shot of our backyard and pond last night..
and
I used a new photoshop tool I got called Noise Ninja.. it cleaned up the
nightshot quite well!


"Gale Pearce" wrote in message
...
I took the light out of my pond yesterday and the bulb was in a plastic
holder with a lead weight - the contacts are inside and not wide open
as
I
remembered it (been a few yrs since I had it out) and the sealed beam is
~
garden tractor size, not a car headlamp
Gale :~)

"Gale Pearce" wrote in message
...
I just checked my transformer that came with the light - it is a Cal
Pump
model # PS 11V16 20 amp unit - the cement housing that the nursery
made
to
house it disintegrated in the pond and I found one of those red
pottery
crock flower pots that fit the bulb perfectly - after dark it looks
like
a
lit up acquarium - one other thing - contacts are not sealed in any
way,

the
wires are just plugged onto the bulb terminals like you would in a
car -
thats the way it was sold to me
Gale :~)
"Gareee©" wrote in message
...
Hmmm... That's making me wonder if those smaller replacement
headlights
that
plug into built in car headlight housing could be used somehow? They
look
like they might draw less power, and of course are smaller (but with
no
reflector)

I might see if I can work up an alternate housing for the headlight
in
any
case... instead of pouring quickrete, maybe I can use a Tupperware
(or
such)
rectangular container, use silicon for a sealer, and fill it with
small
aquarium gravel to weigh it down.
(that would eliminate the long cure time, and also eliminate any
lime
or
chemical leaching from the concrete.


"Gale Pearce" wrote in message
...
Home depot etc carry these - if you only want to run the one light
,
a
20
watt unit should be all you need - I think that is what mine is
that
came
with the light ~ 8 yrs ago - I think it is a cal pump underwater
light -
looks just like a car sealed beam, in fact when I had to replace
it
I
got
the identical light from an auto store (a Philips - don't remember
the
#)
~
$7 Can
Gale :~)
or buy a small 12 volt
transformer to run it separately. That's how mine is powered
Gale :~)

Where can you find those? Lowe's, auto stores, Home depot,
Wal-Mart??

--
Gareee©
Homepage:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine.../mainframe.htm
Custom Figures, Wallpapers and more!

wrote in message ...
I and a friend have also taken these floating 12-volt fishing lights from
Walmart. They have a styrofoam case that makes them float, light facing
into the water. You just wire them into your 12-volt landscape lights.
Easy to do. The lights sell in the 5-8 dollar range. MIKE

Hmm. and I'm going to Wal-Mart today...

Maybe the case can be submerged, or it can be used as a floating planter of
some sort...

--
Gareee©
Homepage:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine.../mainframe.htm
Custom Figures, Wallpapers and more!
--
Gareee©
Homepage:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine.../mainframe.htm
Custom Figures, Wallpapers and more!

Do this at you own risk of course. {:O) It has worked for us. MIKE
"Gareee©" wrote in message
...
wrote in message ...
I and a friend have also taken these floating 12-volt fishing lights
from
Walmart. They have a styrofoam case that makes them float, light facing
into the water. You just wire them into your 12-volt landscape lights.
Easy to do. The lights sell in the 5-8 dollar range. MIKE

Hmm. and I'm going to Wal-Mart today...

Maybe the case can be submerged, or it can be used as a floating planter
of
some sort...

--
Gareee©
Homepage:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine.../mainframe.htm
Custom Figures, Wallpapers and more!
--
Gareee©
Homepage:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine.../mainframe.htm
Custom Figures, Wallpapers and more!

wrote in message ...
I and a friend have also taken these floating 12-volt fishing lights from
Walmart. They have a styrofoam case that makes them float, light facing
into the water. You just wire them into your 12-volt landscape lights.
Easy to do. The lights sell in the 5-8 dollar range. MIKE

Ok, I grabbed one of these lights (They do look like easy pond lights!)..
any resource for the 12 volt adapters though? The cheapest thing at Lowe's
was $40 or so...


--
Gareee©
Homepage:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine.../mainframe.htm
Custom Figures, Wallpapers and more!

"Gareee©" wrote:
wrote in message ...
I and a friend have also taken these floating 12-volt fishing lights from
Walmart. They have a styrofoam case that makes them float, light facing
into the water. You just wire them into your 12-volt landscape lights.
Easy to do. The lights sell in the 5-8 dollar range. MIKE

Ok, I grabbed one of these lights (They do look like easy pond lights!)..
any resource for the 12 volt adapters though? The cheapest thing at Lowe's
was $40 or so...

Should've picked one up while you were at Wally World -- $40 there will get you
a kit with ~20 lights, a 12V transformer, and a few other odds and ends.
Should be able to score just a transformer for well under that. Just ask where
the "landscaping lights" are.

"Andy Hill" wrote in message
news
"Gareee©" wrote:
wrote in message
...
I and a friend have also taken these floating 12-volt fishing lights
from
Walmart. They have a styrofoam case that makes them float, light
facing
into the water. You just wire them into your 12-volt landscape lights.
Easy to do. The lights sell in the 5-8 dollar range. MIKE

Ok, I grabbed one of these lights (They do look like easy pond lights!)..
any resource for the 12 volt adapters though? The cheapest thing at
Lowe's
was $40 or so...

Should've picked one up while you were at Wally World -- $40 there will
get you
a kit with ~20 lights, a 12V transformer, and a few other odds and ends.
Should be able to score just a transformer for well under that. Just ask
where
the "landscaping lights" are.

I already have solar lights, so don't need (or want) the low wat lights..
they are a pain to setup, and maintain. (Last set we had always seemed to
have some problem, and the way the lights hooked up to the wireing was a
nightmare!)

Solars are *so* much better.. just pop them into the ground, and forget
them. Plus, if you want to redo your lighting, there's no hassle at all. (we
actually re-arrange our lights every few months.)

so I really just need the 12 volt transformer.


--
Gareee©
Homepage:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine.../mainframe.htm
Custom Figures, Wallpapers and more!