DIY light swivel (picture inside)

[kuramura]

Hi

Same principle as powerhead what you guys think?


Picture worth 1000 words

 

[xinumaster]

Very nice. Looks like it covered all angle. Make sure you got some protection incase the reflector falls off.

 

[miwoodar]

Very neat. The GIF made me dizzy though. Please excuse me while I go have a seizure.

 

[kuramura]

It's inside canopy on 3/4 rpm motor so it looks still.

 

[james3370]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13765065#post13765065 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by miwoodar
Very neat. The GIF made me dizzy though. Please excuse me while I go have a seizure.

wanna get dizzy....watch the tang in the lower right LOL

 

[xinumaster]

With the reflector constantly moving some screws might get loose. Add loctite on the screws thread and maybe extra string to hold the reflector incase it falls off.

looks like a good project for my light rail mover. Can you tell us more about the motor, some spec? Where you bought it? Closer picture maybe?

 

[kuramura]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13765685#post13765685 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xinumaster
With the reflector constantly moving some screws might get loose. Add loctite on the screws thread and maybe extra string to hold the reflector incase it falls off.

looks like a good project for my light rail mover. Can you tell us more about the motor, some spec? Where you bought it? Closer picture maybe?

Motor for this project can be found on ebay or local surplus store. I used 3/4 rpm 9vac gear motor that I found for under $3 locally. You can see few more in the picture connected to powerheads. Light pendant is hanging on two hinges one parallel to front of tank and another rotated 90 deg. This keeps pendant in line and stops it from twisting. All necessary steps have been taken to make sure nothing is going to get loose over time.

 

[leoslizards]

Very cool project! Is the white puck like thing screwed to the right side wall the motor?

 

[Reefer08]

I don't understand why you would want to do this. Why not just hang your reflector a few inches higher so the light spread covers the entire tank. Its not like clouds move that fast in nature.

 

[Scythanith]

That is truly a unique DIY light project! Does it make one full revolution per light cycle (12 hrs)? I would love to see how your corals growth is affected by the light hitting them at variable angles, even if the angles are subtle.

Congrats!

 

[kuramura]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13768394#post13768394 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by leoslizards
Very cool project! Is the white puck like thing screwed to the right side wall the motor?

That's the motor with arm connected to pendant.

Reefer08 I don't understand why you would want to do this. Why not just hang your reflector a few inches higher so the light spread covers the entire tank. Its not like clouds move that fast in nature.

LOL

To understand someones motives to do this or any other project including diy skimmer, 2-part doser or something outside hobby like 2.5 W per channel SET tube amplifier takes another hobbyist.

My reflector hangs in canopy therefore will not go any higher.

Scythanith That is truly a unique DIY light project! Does it make one full revolution per light cycle (12 hrs)? I would love to see how your corals growth is affected by the light hitting them at variable angles, even if the angles are subtle. Congrats!

The motor I used has 3/4 rpm ( revolutions per minute), so it takes about 90 sec to rotate back to starting position.

My goal was to spread light across the tank so I can place light demanding corals to the side of tank and not only in the center.

 

[miwoodar]

This is something that could help my tank too. Do you have any close up pics of how everything has been assembled?

 

[kuramura]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13769726#post13769726 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by miwoodar
This is something that could help my tank too. Do you have any close up pics of how everything has been assembled?

I'll get some after work for you.

 

[leoslizards]

Yeah it would be better if it was set to a 12 hour cycle. You might be able to do it using a timer and have it constantly turning the motor on and off. Have you noticed any behavioral differences with your fish since you set it up?

Could you please post more info on the power head setups as well? I first thought that the power head on the right side was also connected to the same motor as the light.

 

[miwoodar]

Why would a 12 hour cycle be so important? I was actually thinking a one-minute cycle would be preferred.

 

[Spartan]

It's a nice corollary to the Swirl Stein.

 

[miwoodar]

I have an extra motor that I've been looking to apply somewhere.

 

[riosrios]

what can of Joint are you using for the reflector?
is it a ball joint?

 

[yrema]

Very interesting DIY. :thumbsup: x2 on perry's suggestion. You need some sort of protection in case something goes wrong. Better safe than sorry.

 

[jmkarcz]

I'll give this a Cool and unique rating...

The person above that mentioned 12 hour cycle above got me to thinking.. what if you mod this further and made it like an upside down pendulum. as the light starter on the left it would be tilted and favoring shining the light toward the right...

As the day progressed, it would reach the pinnacle over the center facing straight down... and then eventually advance to the point where the light turned off at the point where the light was located on the right, but tipped to the left...

<a href="http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c205/jmkarcz/temp/?action=view&current=Noname-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c205/jmkarcz/temp/Noname-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>