RE: Inserting LED lights into your tufa creations (Follow-Up #26)
posted by: Tommyc on 05.03.2005 at 10:04 pm in Hypertufa Forum

Heres My Original Post about the way I put the LED's outside. One winter outdoors and they are going strong. The Liquid Electrical tape is good to use to cover the exposed wire, and then wrap it in regular electrical tape. Also, If you use silicone around the bare wire, put it on a little at a time. The wet silicone has a tendency to do something to the resistor, maybe getting inside the plastic coating. Also make sure you overlap the crystal of the LED just a little so that water won't get inbetween the crystal and posts exiting the Crystal. Be careful on buying Super Bright LED's... Every package you see anywhere will say they are superbrights, inreality they aren't. I know the Superbright LED website are truly Super Bright.
LED Pond Lights 2004

Here are the directions to making Pond Lights with SUPER BRIGHT LED’s. These LED’s are Super bright Literally. You can’t get these LED’s in any store. Some store clerks will tell you that they are super bright, but in the end, until you see these, you can’t appreciate the intense brightness and pure color they emit. It’s a very easy project and low cost.

Super Bright LED’s http://superbrightleds.com/
5 mm type with high MCD rating. The lower Degree Angle the narrower the beam of light it emits. I like the higher degree when lighting a broader area. The Lower degree produces a narrower more intense beam.

Resistors from Radio Shack
½ watt 470 Ohm #271-1115 (.99 Cents for 5) One per LED
Here’s a calculator to figure out what resistor to use with different voltage supplies http://www.bit-tech.net/article/68/

Wire… I used Lamp wire. It doesn’t have to be too heavy since its not using 110 volts.
Thin Computer wire is what I use from the LED (9 inches) to the lamp wire. Its easy to work with (Bendable) and color coded.

Soldering Iron
Solder
Wire Stripper
Electrical Tape
Electrical Wire Twist Caps

Radio Shack 12volt Power Inverter (2.5 to 5 amp) Mine is 2.5
This is the most expensive part of the project. I think the new Radio Shack power inverters are 3 amps. I think its important to be a regulated power supply too. I think its around $35.

1" PVC Pipes and end caps used as the fixtures for the LED’s to mounted in.

Drill & Drill Bits for drilling holes for the LED lens to be mounted in.

ASSEMBLY Directions

--Solder the Resistor to the Longer prong from the LED. Solder the computer wire to that led… this is the positive side. Now solder a new Computer wire to the Negative prong of the LED.

-- Make sure you wrap each prong with electrical tape separately so that they do not touch when you mount them. Better Yet USE LIQUID ELECTRICAL TAPE.

-- Attach the lamp wire to the computer wire and attach them together by using the electrical twist caps. By using these caps you can easily take the LEDs off of the wire.

-- Drill a hole in the PVC end cap from the side closer to the round top of the cap (or whatever angle you want it to shine onto). Use a 3/16 drill bit. It is smaller than the LED lens but you can widen the hole a little and then the LED will fit snugly into the hole by pressing the LED at the base into the whole with a small screw driver. If you use 7/32 the LED will fit easily but you will have to put super glue into hole to securely hold the LED in. If you glue it in, you won’t be able to take the LED in the future.

-- Drill a hole about 4 inches from the bottom of PVC tube. Place the wire through that hole. This is the hole that connects it to the power line that finally connects to power supply. Now using a hammer, gently put the PVC Tube into the ground where you want the Light to go. I didn’t place the wire under the ground, I just laid it on the ground and allowed the plants to cover the wire. This gives me the opportunity to add lights or do any maintenance in the future easily. The plants hide the black lamp wire nicely. Finally press on the End Cap with the LED gently onto the PVC pipe. There is no need to glue that on. It fits on nicely.

 Now finally run the wire to where you locate the power supply. Make sure you place the positive terminal to the resistor side.
 Finally, I placed the power supply in the garage on a timer so that its only on at night.

This is a very low cost way of dramatically accenting your pond or anything at night. The lights are brilliant, and much nicer than those Malibu "Landing Lights" everyone uses. I hardly use any electricity, and I do monitor it daily. Below are pics that easily depict what I’m trying to describe here.