The bug-free reading light redux

I mounted the Luxeon emitter (LXHL-PL01, not a star) on an aluminum slug that fits snugly in the housing, surrounded with heatsink compound. The emitter is secured to the slug with Omegabond 101 thermally-conductive epoxy. The result is quite low thermal resistance from die to enclosure, so the enclosure serves as a heatsink.

BTW, Luxeon also makes the K2 in amber, LXK2-PL12. These can take up to 700 mA (2.38 watts) producing up to 75 lumens, but would run warm. The 1-watt job produces 36 lumens, plenty for this application when collimated into a 30-degree beam.

The advantage to an LED here is that all of its light is amber. An

1157 bulb with an amber filter would be about the same brightness, but it'd run quite hot at about 8 watts for the taillight filament producing about the same amount of amber light. It'd also be considerably larger, not that it matters. The amber Luxeon is 5 bux in onesies from Shipping was about 5 bux by USPS priority. (Future socks ya 9 bux for shipping on orders over $25)

Don't think a magnet would stick real well to a wooden cabin or an aluminum boatlift canopy.

The secret to night wally-gator fishin' is total stealth. I'm afarid to use ANY light - they are cruisin' near the surface and it don't take nothin' for them to head away.

I'd be real interested to know if the walleyes spook when you turn it on. it WOULD be nice to see your reel once in a while.

Karl

The light goes on the cabin, not in the boat!

It's not a good idea to run completely dark on 'Waska at night, but running lights are set up so they don't illuminate the close-in water. The trick is to drag a shallow diving Rapala with a fair bit of line out.

Oh, sorry.

My night fishin' is a couple hundred miles further north. Got a dozen great bays to hit every night. We motor to about 1/2 mile out, then go in slow on the electric and even kill that when 50 yards away. Toss rapalas ahead of and beside the boat, catch a fish, then get set up for the next spot. repeat.

karl

It'd be interesting to see if red light would spook them. Many animals (like deer) don't see red light but I don't know about walleyes. You could see a reel or lure just fine with a head-mounted 1-watt red Luxeon. Just two or three ordinary red LED's (as used in taillights) would probably be ample once your night-vision has kicked in.

I refer to a particular bugfree reading light, serial number 1 of 1 thus far, so a definite article is appropriate. Further, a google search produced no hits for "bugfree reading light" (and Hammacher-Schlemmer doesn't offer one) so an indefinite article would have been less suitable.

Ye gods, a grammar critic in a machine shop?

Cool, Don, but what's with that pesky definite article? You've been reading the Hammacher-Schlemmer catalog?

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Only way to know is to experiment. Species differ significantly, and what works on one lake doesn't work on another with the same species.

No fair using the DuPont plug up nort', Karl. BTW, if you go about

200 miles due north of 'Waska, I hope you have friends that are members of the tribe...

Dupont does make the worlds best lures.

Gunner

"Abortion is self defense" Bob Kolker

AND, I'm afraid to change anything if its working. I think the WALL eye can see damn near anything in zero light. Smell it too. I've proven to myself that you don't dare have any DEET (mosquito repellent) anywhere near if you like catching fish.

Aren't you near Alexandria? I don't know that lake but I thought it was just over from Miltona. I fish Kabetogema and Rainy lake right at the border. The slot limit up there makes it hard to catch a keeper but has certainly improved fishing.

Karl

Yup, we're a bit south of Alex, between Starbuck and Glenwood. I do trailer up and go up to Miltona once in a while to chase muskies. We like Rainy a lot, but I don't care much for the drive up there. Ya gotta mind the border on that lake. Some of the best fishin' is on the Canadian side, but they make it too painful to want to bother.