What Are The Best Lamps To Use

[sanyassi]

hello i am a newbie but love the site,



i live in malta, well gozo actually and want to learn more about catching these monsters...basically i have a small 20 ft boat and like to go at night for the squid, i started using torches to shine into the water, but now have moved onto lamps to run off the boat battery whist in motion, i am starting with a 600 watt hps lamp with reflector, as it seems that the brighter the light the more they see the jig and the more bites i get, has anyone got any suggestions about this as i really am a novice.



thanks guys,,,



sanyassi..malta...mediterranean

[glen]

hi sanyassi and welcome to the forum. its nice to have yet another member from malta.



it sounds like your light rig is working very well. to save your boat battery you might like to try a small petrol generator. i am not sure about prices in malta but in australia some very cheap generators are becoming available.



a small generator might be more efficient than your boat outboard (especially considering the price of fuel these days). are you just running the motor at idle or are you actually moving while fishing?



at what depth are you getting the squid? are you able to draw them right up to the surface?



cheers, glen <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[sanyassi]

hello glen,

thanks for the reply, firstly, i have not yet used this 600 watt bulb because i bought it in the uk, where i saw them in a gardening shop, so having used torches in the past and the cost of the batteries being so much , i thought it might work with one big bulb 650 watt, but i wanted to know if anyone can tell me what other equipment i will need to make the rig work as i want to elevate the bulb 4 feet off the water at the back of the boat, i have found the bulb holder , with wiring, which i plan on connecting to the boat battery, which i think will give the right power to get the brightness, do i need anything else to make this rig work, i also bought a hummingbird fish finder which helps find and locate the suid in the first place, thses are good to use and can easily spot anything over 2 feet in mass, also as the squid move slowly it seems quite accurate. however using the torches was the first method then i bought a starfire lamp which must be submerged whilst on which causes problems when pullling squid in, from that i learnt that the brighter the lamp the more inquisitive the squid and i have had them up to maybe ten feet from the surface, here is a bay here in gozo that always has several 3 ft upwards size squid about, so really i need help with the actual putting together technically of the 600 watt system, and if you know someone who can give me the right advice it would be really appreciated, also dropping a small amount of bait into the beam helps to atract the hungryier ones.

please reply



sanyassi

[glen]

hi sanyassi,



do you know how many volts your light requires?



i suspect that if you run such a powerful globe from your boat battery (presuming it provides the correct voltage), you will totally flatten the battery in less than 1 hour. if i were you, i would either take a spare battery along OR get a small petrol generator that can output the required power.



in terms of the rigging, i guess that any sturdy frame would be adequate to suspend the light. however, if the globe was made for a garden environment, then perhaps it may not tolerate the salty environment and the base may start to rust or corrode. If this is the case, then you might want to cover the external metal parts of the globe with a silicone gel or some other material that is heat and water resistant. I recommend you ask an electrician for better advice as I am no expert when it comes to electricity.



whenever you mix electricity with water there is a risk of electrocution so please be careful. You would be be advised to where rubber boots etc and take all other reasonable precautions <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />



let us know how it goes.



cheers, glen <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[squidjigdotcom]

[quote name='glen' post='7163' date='Aug 1 2006, 12:07 AM']hi sanyassi,



do you know how many volts your light requires?



i suspect that if you run such a powerful globe from your boat battery (presuming it provides the correct voltage), you will totally flatten the battery in less than 1 hour. if i were you, i would either take a spare battery along OR get a small petrol generator that can output the required power.



in terms of the rigging, i guess that any sturdy frame would be adequate to suspend the light. however, if the globe was made for a garden environment, then perhaps it may not tolerate the salty environment and the base may start to rust or corrode. If this is the case, then you might want to cover the external metal parts of the globe with a silicone gel or some other material that is heat and water resistant. I recommend you ask an electrician for better advice as I am no expert when it comes to electricity.



whenever you mix electricity with water there is a risk of electrocution so please be careful. You would be be advised to where rubber boots etc and take all other reasonable precautions <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />



let us know how it goes.



cheers, glen <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />[/quote]



Make sure you use the correct type of socket for the HPS bulb that you purchased. The HPS High Pressure Sodium bulbs require additional electronics that are inside the housing fixtures for the lights (ballast, coil, starter, etc.). I used this type of fixture and it worked quite well. It was actually a parking lot light. I think however the bulb size you chose is too high, the HPS bulbs put out a tremendous amount of light, you would be better with about 150watt size HPS.



Jon