FoldCatOne, Regarding the clear pipe, have you looked into using the clear guards they slide over fluorescent bulbs to keep them from raining glass on people if the bulbs break? I suspect they may be easier, more local and less expensive than clear PVC pipe.

I might, BUT it eliminates using standard PVC end caps, etc for sealing the tube IF necessary. With the waterproof Led strip, sealing may not be necessary. To answer your question - I did a long time ago, but not recently.

I am not happy with the Post Office - no LED strip in the mail today, in fact, no mail at all.

Come on postman!

Still no mail. 3 days without even Junk Mail. I wonder if the mail lady has the flu or something. My next ranch over neighbor says he doesn't think the mail made it over from San Antonio this morning - watching the idiots on the news this morning I can see where that might be the case. There is always some possible this afternoon and again tomorrow.

Hang in there, ice is everywhere and the thaw is about to begin.

Good news all around. LED strip arrived late this pm and it works just fine. quite bright although I am going to order one of the companies non-waterproof strings just to compare. Literally one could just hook the light directly to a battery and throw the strip over the side with no protection at all needed. The pvc coating seems very durable and even in the cold it was flexible enough to fold into 3 16 inch long sections and they will fit down into a 1 inch pvc pipe easily. The wires on the strip are delicate however and will to be beefed up by attaching to something like lamp cord. The wires are essentially light gauge speaker wire. My source for the LED strips is on Ebay and here is a link to one of the auctions:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LED-STRIP...=item20b06f01a0

The non-waterproof one is:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LED-STRIP...=item255f7528ab

The Clear PVC pipe comes from: http://webcat.rhfs.com/familydetails.aspx?FamID=421

Fittings and miscellaneous supplies from Home Depot or Lowes

I am going to use the 1 inch clear PVC, but I am not sure if I will make it a watertight system or allow the tube to fill with water. If it were a watertight system, I would put a 1 inch white PVC fitting with a threaded cap on it for the top with a watertight electrical fitting on it and the a 1 inch coupling at the bottom connected to a section of 1 inch white PVC that would house the weight, ending with another 1 inch PVC Cap. I would extend the cord using the paint on PVC rubber electrical tape to insulate the wire connections. If I were to make a non-watertight light I would drill a hole in the bottom cap to allow water to fill the tube. It's much lighter and easier to make this way. This way the whole light is shorter (no added piece for a weight) and lighter. The weight of the fittings and tube would be enough to sink the light since no air would be trapped inside.

The 1 inch Clear PVC is $2.82 per foot or $28.20 a 10 foot length. If I were to make the lights 16 inches long, I can get 7 out of one long pipe. Adding in the costs of the longer lamp cord and the fittings, I am sure I can make a light for quite a bit less than $20. That's for a light that has 120 super bright LED's.

I forgot to add - you need to go to Radio Shack and get a package of TELEPHONE BUTT CONNECTORS size 22-26 wire to connect the very small wires from the LED strip to regular speaker wire to extend the connecting wire. I then will connect the speaker wire to lamp cord for the main battery connections.

If it's not waterproof, here's 8' of clear tube for $4 and local- no shipping which will kill you on a 10' piece.

http://www.homedepot.com/Lighting-Fans/h...catalogId=10053

In fairness to the guys that sell lights like this for a lot more money, you haven't included shipping, labor, marketing expenses, warehouse and shop rent, etc. Personally, I'm a DIY guy, but I don't begrudge anyone an honest profit for their labor.

I'll be at Home Depot in the morning and I will check it out. Maybe I can find some fittings for the ends too.I don't BEGRUDGE ANYONE MAKING A PROFIT EITHER, I just don't feel obligated to contribute. It's why I work to find the DIY method of doing things. I pour my own jigs, slabs, and weights too as well as make spoons, etc.

As for shipping of a 10 ft piece, I would want it in 2 ft sections so I would try to prevail on them to cut it for me. If not my buddies son lives in Austin and is always coming to Kerrville and he will pick up and bring to me. The company has an outlet in Houston too.

I'm the same way. I make a lot of my own stuff, and since it's fun I don't consider it "work".

But when you deal with employees, W2's, workman's comp, business licenses, product liability insurance, OSHA, PLU numbers, packaging, shipping, distributors that pay in 6 months (if at all), returns... and on... and on... Suddenly, that $20 looks more like $120.

I am RETIRED, I choose not to deal with "employees, W2's, workman's comp, business licenses, product liability insurance, OSHA, PLU numbers, packaging, shipping, distributors that pay in 6 months (if at all), returns... and on... and on..." AND IN THIS ECONOMY I CHOOSE TO HELP OTHERS WHO CAN HELP THEMSELVES - hence I take time to figure out how to do things, source out the materials and post to boards like this.

Sorry for any rants. I'm in the middle of a small business receivables crisis. If I paid my bills like my Fortune 500 customers do, they'd turn off my lights, cut off my phone and come tow my car away. But my corporate customers seem to think they are "too big to pay according to our agreed terms"- and sadly, they're right.

I appreciate your info and mean absolutely no disrespect to you.

No problem - recessions are hell, unless you are the Federal Guberment!!! I had a small business several years (10) ago. Getting even customers to pay was hell. One lady had me order thousands of dollars of art and stiffed me for that - I still had the art though and do so to this day.

I'm curious if they are bright enough to run under the gunnel to shine ON the water like the VWERY expensive led strips marketed for that.???

2 4ft. strips down each side of the boat sounds like a good lighting set up for me and the family. Would cost all of $50 bucks.

We love that night fishing.

I'm not the best with these nautical terms, what is a gunnel?

Would be cool to run em down the sides of the kayak, directed at the water so you could have it permanent and just have a switch or something to turn them on.