Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Fishing => Lures => Topic started by: pjstevko on April 29, 2021, 03:57:59 PM

Title: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: pjstevko on April 29, 2021, 03:57:59 PM
How are you guys charging your glow jigs and flat falls????????? I usually use a uv flashlight but the glow never lasts long so I'm trying to think of a better solution to produce a longer lasting glow.

I've researched this a little and found out that ice fisherman use "glow cups" for their tiny jig heads and lures. A glow cup is basically a piece of 3" pvc with end cap that is lined with UV led strip lights and powered off their fish finder/sonar. I like the concept but would need to alter it to accommodate the long/larger sized flat falls jigs and figure out a different power source. You can buy plug-in, battery or usb powered UV strip lights fairly cheap so I think I'll start out trying to make an XL glow tube. Just gotta figure out how to keep most of the light concentrated in the tube. I'm thinking a flat bottom and a flip top of some sort.....But until I start with this I cheated and thought I'd try this out....

I just bought a uv light phone sanitizer box to see how well it'll charge up my flat falls and after a 5 minute charge my jigs glowed for over 15 minutes!!!!! There's UV light tubes on the side and 2 leds on either end but nothing on the bottom so I need to figure out a way to stand the jigs on their sides so it gets 360 degree exposure....It's not perfect but a good start.

I know this group has some very creative fabricators so how would you tackle the charging station idea?????

PJ
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: Maxed Out on April 29, 2021, 06:31:56 PM
 I use the halogen flood light on my boat to glow any lures. I've heard of people using a camera flash and glow lasts longer
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: pjstevko on April 29, 2021, 07:29:10 PM
Quote from: Maxed Out on April 29, 2021, 06:31:56 PM
I use the halogen flood light on my boat to glow any lures. I've heard of people using a camera flash and glow lasts longer

Yeah i've heard of people doing the halogen light thing before but the lights on the boat get crowded. Plus if i can devise something like i mentioned above I can leave a jig in there while i fish one and just swap it out after a couple drops so i always have a fully charged jig ready to go....

Plus I gotta do something to kill time between trips  ;D
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: jurelometer on April 29, 2021, 11:43:17 PM
You might want to start with a little research and also ask yourself a few questions.  I have only recently been playing with powder coating jigs with glow pigments, so I am learning myself.  You don't needs to go too deep into calculating everything, but getting some rudimentary familiarity with the concepts will improve your chance of success.

For the folks that get a rash from the boring sciency stuff, I will put my best guess of a design that I would try in a followup post.


1.  How does light wavelegth affect the charging of the pigment?  Are there light sources that are much more efficient?

I seem to remember (could be wrong)  that for your typical lure pigment you want stuff at the middle end of the UV-A range 350-380 NM?   Thee is a big difference in how well and how fast the surface is charged.

2.  How strong a light is needed to get a fast charge  (lumens per square inch of surface area)?

3.  What materials best reflect the light frequencies best?

You want to use this to line your chamber so that no light is wasted.   

From what I have read, Aluminum foil ain't too bad, reflecting about 75% of UV-A.  If you could get your hands on ePTFE film (the stuff Goretex is made from) it goes up to 95%.

4. Distance from the light source- every time you double the distance from the light source, the intensity is decreased by four times.  Getting the lure up close to the light source will do a better/faster charge, but depending on the light shape, you might not be charging evenly.

5.  Charging time.   From what I remember,  charging slows down as  the charge approaches full.  Getting that last little bit may take loner than getting that first 80%.   A timer might be nice so that you don't kill the battery after getting a decent charge.   You need to figure out how fast is fast enough, but I suspect really fast is valuable for that time when the guy next to you hooks up on a glow flatfall, and you have nothing charged.

5.  Power sources-  does this thing need to be battery run  and/or or can you plug it into a a 12Vv DC or 110V AC charging port on the boat or car?  More power gives you the ability to use more and more powerful bulbs for a faster charge.  How much is enough?  I dunno.

A timer is really cool.  One that shuts off the light is best, but a bit more work/cost. Just some cheapo battery powered timer that beeps is probably sufficient.


-J
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: jurelometer on April 29, 2021, 11:45:57 PM

If I just wantd  to go for it and see what happens-  I would try this: 

Line the inside of a chunk of a two to four inch diameter PVC or ABS  pipe with aluminum HVAC tape.

Get a roll of of blacklight (AKA-UV-A)  LED strip in the 365-ish wavelength.  There are rolls and kits in the evil web marketplace  for around 15 bucks with either a USB attachment a 110V AC to DC adapter, or both.  The USB version won't carry as much power.   If you compare the lumens per light and the max number of lights, you can decide.   Plus it depends on what your power choices are for charging- 12V lighting will be able to run off  a 12V boat system/ cigarette lighter, etc, in addition to  110 AC via the adapter- but battery choices are more limited in 12V.  Best to figure out your power source options before going too far. 

You can run DC lighting at voltages below the stated voltage, but you will be making the lights dimmer (that is how a DC dimmer works :) ).  Waterproofing the connectors and power source would be highly valuable.  On these type of projects, I always regret it if I don't first  figure out how much power I need, and how I am going o supply it.

The LED strips are on self adhesive rolls, and they sell these little jumpers, so you can attach one strip to the next.   Now you want to fill the chamber with lights.  A  spiral will be hard to pull off, but if you can do it, it you wont have to mess with jumpers.

Finally some sort of end cap setup where you can suspend the jig supported at both ends, and secure the hooks.  You cant have anything bouncing around inside the light chamber  on a rocking boat and damaging the lights.  The closer you can get the light to the surface, the faster the charge, but a little extra distance will make the design more robust.

Or you can get some 1/2 inch thin nylon mesh, and make an inner liner so that the lure and hooks can't hit the lights.  But the mesh will block some light, so you might end up with a glow shadow grids on the jig, but I expect that that grid will go away with a long enough charge. 

Set up your charging system, attach  a cheapo timer, put a few fishing stickers on the outside , and go impress your friends :)

I am tempted to try this myself now, but have wayyy to many projects started.


Keep us updated!

-J
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: MarkT on April 30, 2021, 12:14:10 AM
Don't sweat it. They have no problem finding something to eat whether it's glowing or not. You don't think they just started eating at night the past few seasons after they came out with glow jigs, do you?
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: jurelometer on April 30, 2021, 12:28:58 AM
Quote from: MarkT on April 30, 2021, 12:14:10 AM
Don't sweat it. They have no problem finding something to eat whether it's glowing or not. You don't think they just started eating at night the past few seasons after they came out with glow jigs, do you?

Buzzkill.

:)
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: pjstevko on April 30, 2021, 03:35:46 AM
Quote from: jurelometer on April 29, 2021, 11:45:57 PM

If I just wantd  to go for it and see what happens-  I would try this: 

Line the inside of a chunk of a two to four inch diameter PVC or ABS  pipe with aluminum HVAC tape.

Get a roll of of blacklight (AKA-UV-A)  LED strip in the 365-ish wavelength.  There are rolls and kits in the evil web marketplace  for around 15 bucks with either a USB attachment a 110V AC to DC adapter, or both.  The USB version won't carry as much power.   If you compare the lumens per light and the max number of lights, you can decide.   Plus it depends on what your power choices are for charging- 12V lighting will be able to run off  a 12V boat system/ cigarette lighter, etc, in addition to  110 AC via the adapter- but battery choices are more limited in 12V.  Best to figure out your power source options before going too far. 

You can run DC lighting at voltages below the stated voltage, but you will be making the lights dimmer (that is how a DC dimmer works :) ).  Waterproofing the connectors and power source would be highly valuable.  On these type of projects, I always regret it if I don't first  figure out how much power I need, and how I am going o supply it.

The LED strips are on self adhesive rolls, and they sell these little jumpers, so you can attach one strip to the next.   Now you want to fill the chamber with lights.  A  spiral will be hard to pull off, but if you can do it, it you wont have to mess with jumpers.

Finally some sort of end cap setup where you can suspend the jig supported at both ends, and secure the hooks.  You cant have anything bouncing around inside the light chamber  on a rocking boat and damaging the lights.  The closer you can get the light to the surface, the faster the charge, but a little extra distance will make the design more robust.

Or you can get some 1/2 inch thin nylon mesh, and make an inner liner so that the lure and hooks can't hit the lights.  But the mesh will block some light, so you might end up with a glow shadow grids on the jig, but I expect that that grid will go away with a long enough charge. 

Set up your charging system, attach  a cheapo timer, put a few fishing stickers on the outside , and go impress your friends :)

I am tempted to try this myself now, but have wayyy to many projects started.


Keep us updated!

-J


You nailed it on the head!
The light strip I plan on using is linked below
https://www.ledsupply.com/led-strips/battery-operated-uv-led-strip
The hard part is gonna be finding a flat pvc end cap and fabricating a flip top.....
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: jurelometer on April 30, 2021, 06:17:25 AM
Quote from: pjstevko on April 30, 2021, 03:35:46 AM

You nailed it on the head!
The light strip I plan on using is linked below
https://www.ledsupply.com/led-strips/battery-operated-uv-led-strip
The hard part is gonna be finding a flat pvc end cap and fabricating a flip top.....

20 inch strip and 1.5 volts  from 3 AAA is not much light.  This is about what my fly tying UV flaslight has, and it is not too fast for charging  glow paint.  But nine bucks is not much of a risk, and better to start on the low end.    If folks use those cheap UV flashlights to charge glow jigs, and are happy, then you are in the same ballpark.   No reason to carry a 12V rechargeable battery if you don't end needing up  one.


End caps are a piece of cake.  Lots of choices at the big box store, our Just cut a disk out of plywood or some old cutting board.
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: pjstevko on April 30, 2021, 03:13:36 PM
I'm gonna buy a 3ft strip and try to spiral line the whole 8" long piece of 3' pvc to increase the amount of lights. This sstring runs off 3 AA batteries not 3 aaa not that will make much of a difference....

It'll be a fun project and something to tinker with.....
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: gstours on April 30, 2021, 03:57:15 PM
👌 ok,  this is proof positive that I,m not the only one out there that gets these "crazy " ideas.
   I made a long narrow box with a hinged lid.  It is lined all 6 ends,sides with thin glass mirror .
        The mirror was difficult for me to cut.  Clear silicone was the adhesive.  Power was a UV led flashlight 🔦 held in place, pointing down the box.
         It did increase the glow time of my luminous skirts and glow painted things butt I caught no more fish than with out the box.
  Maybe I expected too much out of it?   The jury is hung.🤔
  The mirror idea may be more efficient in reflecting the light waves?   You can decide.
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: pjstevko on April 30, 2021, 04:04:38 PM
Quote from: gstours on April 30, 2021, 03:57:15 PM
👌 ok,  this is proof positive that I,m not the only one out there that gets these "crazy " ideas.
   I made a long narrow box with a hinged lid.  It is lined all 6 ends,sides with thin glass mirror .
        The mirror was difficult for me to cut.  Clear silicone was the adhesive.  Power was a UV led flashlight 🔦 held in place, pointing down the box.
         It did increase the glow time of my luminous skirts and glow painted things butt I caught no more fish than with out the box.
  Maybe I expected too much out of it?   The jury is hung.🤔
  The mirror idea may be more efficient in reflecting the light waves?   You can decide.


I thought about using a hinged box but I'm not sure if the light strips can bend to near 90 degrees to line the box with the lights. The light strips can be cut to length but then you need to buy connectors to reattach them after you make your turn which is why i'm going tube so i can spiral the whole length and not need connectors....But i do like the mirror idea
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: jurelometer on April 30, 2021, 05:12:32 PM
Quote from: pjstevko on April 30, 2021, 04:04:38 PM
Quote from: gstours on April 30, 2021, 03:57:15 PM
👌 ok,  this is proof positive that I,m not the only one out there that gets these "crazy " ideas.
   I made a long narrow box with a hinged lid.  It is lined all 6 ends,sides with thin glass mirror .
        The mirror was difficult for me to cut.  Clear silicone was the adhesive.  Power was a UV led flashlight 🔦 held in place, pointing down the box.
         It did increase the glow time of my luminous skirts and glow painted things butt I caught no more fish than with out the box.
  Maybe I expected too much out of it?   The jury is hung.🤔
  The mirror idea may be more efficient in reflecting the light waves?   You can decide.


I thought about using a hinged box but I'm not sure if the light strips can bend to near 90 degrees to line the box with the lights. The light strips can be cut to length but then you need to buy connectors to reattach them after you make your turn which is why i'm going tube so i can spiral the whole length and not need connectors....But i do like the mirror idea

Glass  mirrors do not reflect UV-A light well.  The problem is that the reflective surface is behind the glass - which absorbs too much of th UV waves, converting it to heat.  I mentioned in my previous post that the most readily available material that works reasonably well (75%) is aluminum foil.   Like the stuff in the kitchen.  I would use the shiny aluminum HVAC tape.

The strips cannot be bent or curved horizontally.  If you are decent at soldering, you don't have  to use those little jumpers.

In terms of whether glow will catch more fish - that is a different story.  But I wouldn't be surprised if for certain situations that a little bit of glow could help, but lots of glow could be offputting. In most places there are  not too many sources of bioluminescence that large, and when ther is some thing that big, it usually flashes on and off. 

-J
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: pjstevko on April 30, 2021, 05:53:23 PM
I was cleaning out my work locker and stumbled upon a possible new container to use.....plastic ammo can!

I can line the entire interior of the box with HVAC tape and run the light strip along the sides from the bottom to the top. Then put small hooks into the lid to hang the lures from....


Plus when not being used for lure charging i can store other fishing items in there....
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: Dominick on April 30, 2021, 06:40:05 PM
Quote from: pjstevko on April 30, 2021, 05:53:23 PM
I was cleaning out my work locker and stumbled upon a possible new container to use.....plastic ammo can!

I can line the entire interior of the box with HVAC tape and run the light strip along the sides from the bottom to the top. Then put small hooks into the lid to hang the lures from....


Plus when not being used for lure charging i can store other fishing items in there....

Sounds like a winner.  Do the lures charge by sunlight?  If so, place them in the sun and when you are satisfied the have absorbed enough light wrap in aluminum foil and see if the will stay glowing until used at night.  Just a thought.  Dominick
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: Bill B on April 30, 2021, 10:13:43 PM
PJ, if the ammo can is big enough, you could section it off and place 2  6volt batteries inside in series to achieve 12 volts for a 12 volt DC LED strip.....6 volt batteries and be pricy, but then you wouldn't have to reply on other power sources.  Bill
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: jurelometer on April 30, 2021, 10:35:16 PM
Quote from: Dominick on April 30, 2021, 06:40:05 PM
Quote from: pjstevko on April 30, 2021, 05:53:23 PM
I was cleaning out my work locker and stumbled upon a possible new container to use.....plastic ammo can!

I can line the entire interior of the box with HVAC tape and run the light strip along the sides from the bottom to the top. Then put small hooks into the lid to hang the lures from....


Plus when not being used for lure charging i can store other fishing items in there....

Sounds like a winner.  Do the lures charge by sunlight?  If so, place them in the sun and when you are satisfied the have absorbed enough light wrap in aluminum foil and see if the will stay glowing until used at night.  Just a thought.  Dominick

Sunlight works  the best.  We just need to figure out how to make it available at night :) 


A foil wrap might help a little, but the problem is that the light is being emitted in a visible light wavelength (some sort of green in most cases), which does not charge the pigment as efficiently as UV-A, so energy is lost on every cycle.


A correction from earlier-   the correct measure of a UV light is NOT lumens but output watts.  This is sometimes hard to find, but from what I saw on the interwebs- figure something around 20% of input watts for output watts blacklight.   A typical single AA UV flashlight will output about 3 watts,  And you really do want to find 365  nm wavelength instead of 380-390 if you you can-  a lot more charging per watt.   It is worthwhile to try and find a product that lists watts (probably per foot or per roll) and wavelength.

A second correction- It looks like it is a combo thing for why glass mirrors don't reflect UV-A well-  A typical glass window blocks a bout 25% of the UV-A light that hits it, and then we have to deal with the reflective surface.  I think mirrors use silver which is great for reflecting all visible light waves evenly, but not so so good for UV-A.  Bottom line is the same- better off with foil.


And it looks like the make waterproof led blacklight strips- which is probably a good idea.  The clear plastic acrylic that does not block UV light is pretty expensive stuff, That is why UV flashlights don't have lenses to protect the bulbs.Those blacklight LED  in a tube products are probably using something that ends up blocking a lot of light

Sorry about the inaccuracies-  I am just a science fanboy and not trained in this stuff.  Just trying to work through it cause I think it is a fun project.

As for the ammo can- as noted before every time you double the the distance from the light to the surface- you cut the intensity down to a quarter.  That means you will need some combination of more lights, more power, and/or or a longer charging time.  And I assume that you will only want to charge one jig at a time, so the size should be a close to the jig as possible.

Another idea, is some sort of flexible or heat formable c -channel to protect the light strip;  wrap it of form it in a coil- something like the attached drawing.

I would hack something together first with some foil and cardboard to see if I was happy with the charging time, or if I needed more/better  lights or more power, or a smaller chamber. 
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: pjstevko on April 30, 2021, 11:28:36 PM

[/quote]

Sunlight works  the best.  We just need to figure out how to make it available at night :) 


A foil wrap might help a little, but the problem is that the light is being emitted in a visible light wavelength (some sort of green in most cases), which does not charge the pigment as efficiently as UV-A, so energy is lost on every cycle.


A correction from earlier-   the correct measure of a UV light is NOT lumens but output watts.  This is sometimes hard to find, but from what I saw on the interwebs- figure something around 20% of input watts for output watts blacklight.   A typical single AA UV flashlight will output about 3 watts,  And you really do want to find 365  nm wavelength instead of 380-390 if you you can-  a lot more charging per watt.   It is worthwhile to try and find a product that lists watts (probably per foot or per roll) and wavelength.

A second correction- It looks like it is a combo thing for why glass mirrors don't reflect UV-A well-  A typical glass window blocks a bout 25% of the UV-A light that hits it, and then we have to deal with the reflective surface.  I think mirrors use silver which is great for reflecting all visible light waves evenly, but not so so good for UV-A.  Bottom line is the same- better off with foil.


And it looks like the make waterproof led blacklight strips- which is probably a good idea.  The clear plastic acrylic that does not block UV light is pretty expensive stuff, That is why UV flashlights don't have lenses to protect the bulbs.Those blacklight LED  in a tube products are probably using something that ends up blocking a lot of light

Sorry about the inaccuracies-  I am just a science fanboy and not trained in this stuff.  Just trying to work through it cause I think it is a fun project.

As for the ammo can- as noted before every time you double the the distance from the light to the surface- you cut the intensity down to a quarter.  That means you will need some combination of more lights, more power, and/or or a longer charging time.  And I assume that you will only want to charge one jig at a time, so the size should be a close to the jig as possible.

Another idea, is some sort of flexible or heat formable c -channel to protect the light strip;  wrap it of form it in a coil- something like the attached drawing.

I would hack something together first with some foil and cardboard to see if I was happy with the charging time, or if I needed more/better  lights or more power, or a smaller chamber. 
[/quote]

I like the strip channel idea.....

Anyone have a 3D printer wanna make me one  ;D
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: jurelometer on May 01, 2021, 01:30:04 AM
Quote from: pjstevko on April 30, 2021, 11:28:36 PM

I like the strip channel idea.....

Anyone have a 3D printer wanna make me one  ;D

If you can get a prototype going by strapping the lights to agfoil lined cardboard , I might be able to help.   Need to make sure that you get enough charging with your light setup .  Don't want to print a bunch of iterations.

BTW-  you need somebody that can do CAD design and has a printer.  I think I know a guy :)

Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: philaroman on May 01, 2021, 02:45:32 AM
just a thought:
at the rate that miniaturization is progressing, maybe time/money is better spent on lures that actually light up
(gizmos that convert motion to enough current to light an LED are getting mighty small & cheap)
save the "stored" glow jigs for daytime, when charging is easy/efficient/free
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: oldmanjoe on May 01, 2021, 03:54:10 AM
 How about this      https://glowproducts.com/us/night-sports/fish-lights
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: pjstevko on May 01, 2021, 04:30:09 AM
I think I'll just make a 3" x 8" pvc tube first to see if it's worth refining it after an initial test....
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: JK47 on May 01, 2021, 05:28:06 AM
I wouldn't worry about a glow lure. My last trip of the 2020 season on the Pacific Queen I landed 3 BFT on the Katy Perry (pink, silver, blue) Shimano 250gr in the middle of the night while hordes of fisherman were huddling around lights trying to charge their glow lures...
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: jurelometer on May 01, 2021, 04:50:11 PM
Quote from: JK47 on May 01, 2021, 05:28:06 AM
I wouldn't worry about a glow lure. My last trip of the 2020 season on the Pacific Queen I landed 3 BFT on the Katy Perry (pink, silver, blue) Shimano 250gr in the middle of the night while hordes of fisherman were huddling around lights trying to charge their glow lures...

Another shot of reality from Team Buzzkill :)

BTW:  I don't think  that Bluefin can't see pink :). I can't remember reading about any  tuna species known to have color receptors (rods) beyond blue.   Single color vision means that that the ganglia  and portion of the brain that collect and interpret what they are seeing are going more or less monochrome with the additional single color vision used to enhance visual acuity when there is enough light present.   Which is not at night.    

It is possible that the hoard is doing you a favor by creating a glowing commotion.   There is a species of jellyfish that glows brightly when under attack.  The scientists think that this is a survival strategy  to attract a larger predator to eat whatever the is attacking the jellyfish.

I am not completely sold on glow myself.  But at least it is a difference that the fish can see.  On the other hand,  if your jig is working on the zone, and everyone else's is hanging out under a deck light, I know who I am going to put my money on.

-J
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: pjstevko on May 01, 2021, 08:05:44 PM
I'm not 100% certain that glow jigs give you an advantage or not either!

I just thought it'd be a cheap fun project.....
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: JK47 on May 01, 2021, 11:04:19 PM
Also of note on the PQ, they only let the deck hands cast flat falls at night off the bow as we approach a school of BFT. They said they have had a few nasty accidents when passengers have attempted the same. Reason being as you approach the school you cast across the path of the boat, so you are the first lure into the zone and you can reel up and drop into the zone multiple times without having to reel all the way to the surface and reset. When you drop off the side or stern the drift scopes the lines out and you generally only get one shot to get down to the fish.

The crew went 5 for 5 when they cast off the bow during the night flat fall bite. The Captain said the deckhands are not there to fish, but to hook and hand off which they did. They were using and old non glowing Toro Tamer jig, and I asked which model it was. The deckhand said it didn't matter, what did was that you got into the zone quickly before the fish were spooked by a bunch of other lures...
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: JK47 on May 01, 2021, 11:06:15 PM
Quote from: pjstevko on May 01, 2021, 08:05:44 PM
I'm not 100% certain that glow jigs give you an advantage or not either!

I just thought it'd be a cheap fun project.....

I would rather bring fewer knick knacks and have more room in the vehicle for meat.
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: pjstevko on May 02, 2021, 11:10:57 PM
Well I started on the prototype today by lining a zip lock soup container with hvac tape. I also wrapped a tape measure around the outside of the container to get a general length measurement so I know what size led strip light to order.

Once the light strip arrives I'll line the inside of the container and see how it does.....
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: gstours on May 03, 2021, 03:43:16 AM
Hey fishee,  strike this. ;)   I,m not sure if in my fisherys the glo really helps or if its just the human idea that what we think the fish think.
   Butt when i have a good fish or day using the luminous skirt or paint in the catch its normal to think it helped.
      When fishing halibut below 150 feet for the last ten years ive used a led light above my baits about 2 feet above and its my standard rig up.
Butt others on the same boat may outfish me and its humbling to think I dont need the light.    So really i,m not sure glow helps at all,  oar were they just darn lucky? :o
  A couple of years ago I posted a halibut rig with a led light in the large octipus skirt that also was glow pigmented,  It did not work.......
Butt maybe it would for other folk.    You wont know if you dont try different ideas.   Good Luck.   Like Sal used to say,   the proof is in the pudding.    I hope he,s having fun up there watching us mortals with our experiments! :D
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: pjstevko on May 03, 2021, 04:05:47 AM
I don't know if "glow" helps either but it's a cheap fun experiment!
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: David Hall on May 03, 2021, 04:24:48 AM
I been using a little camera flash accessory and it lights them up better than my UV lights did.  It's a blinding flash and boy does it fire up the lures. 
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: Maxed Out on May 03, 2021, 04:37:44 AM
Quote from: David Hall on May 03, 2021, 04:24:48 AM
I been using a little camera flash accessory and it lights them up better than my UV lights did.  It's a blinding flash and boy does it fire up the lures.  

.....exactly right David. A portable camera flash gets the job done fast too, and fits in a coat pocket

Halibut fishing off Washington north coast in 400-750'. Glow lures just don't work. Black actually works really good. Then just around the bend and into the strait of Juan de fuca, glow or white works and black not so much. Glow on a salmon lure doesn't do diddly IMHO
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: pjstevko on May 09, 2021, 03:30:49 AM
The strip lights arrived this week and I did a quick test....

I loosely coiled the 6' strip of lights and placed it in the foil lined container and put a sk jig inside then turned it on to charge the jig for 5 minutes....... The 5 minute charge made the jig glow for over 15 minutes!

It wasn't as bright as when I used the uv sterilization box but was decent for just throwing the light strip in without any real placement.

I think if I buy a longer (9' or 12') strip and carefully wrap it to completely cover the inside of the container it might work better. The distance between the walls and the jig is wider than I'd like but if I use anything smaller in diameter I won't be able to stick the lights to the wall because I can't get my hands in there.....

The jigs I use are around 7 or 8" long by  1 3/4" wide so if there was a way to get the light strip tightly spiraled around the inside of a 2 1/2" piece of pvc that would put the lights 1/4" from all sides of the jig..... Anyone got any ides to accomplish this?

Pj
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: wailua boy on May 09, 2021, 03:40:46 AM
I thought I remember hearing flat white paint reflects better than aluminum foil, not sure if anyone can confirm or deny this
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: philaroman on May 09, 2021, 05:19:10 AM
LED light strip inside wire bracket; foil outside wire bracket; insert into tube of choice

could also use wide-mouth (or, custom-cut top) SS soup thermos polished inside...  these 64-oz. are HUGE
not sure if mouth is wide enough, but the wide part inside is well over 8" tall
BTW, pretty good sturdy bottle to get on spec., even if it doesn't quite work as charging station:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/TAL-Stainless-Steel-Ranger-Tumbler-Water-Bottle-64-fl-oz-Slate-Blue/984477723?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222222275653345&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=o&wl2=c&wl3=74492027616621&wl4=pla-4578091573768761&wl5=&wl6=&wl7=&wl10=Walmart&wl11=Online&wl12=984477723_0&wl14=tal%2064%20oz%20water%20bottle&veh=sem&msclkid=10d87ea34fb8108ea1441e343df0a4ee (https://www.walmart.com/ip/TAL-Stainless-Steel-Ranger-Tumbler-Water-Bottle-64-fl-oz-Slate-Blue/984477723?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222222275653345&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=o&wl2=c&wl3=74492027616621&wl4=pla-4578091573768761&wl5=&wl6=&wl7=&wl10=Walmart&wl11=Online&wl12=984477723_0&wl14=tal%2064%20oz%20water%20bottle&veh=sem&msclkid=10d87ea34fb8108ea1441e343df0a4ee)
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: philaroman on May 09, 2021, 07:43:18 AM
anyway, why a tube/cylinder loaded from top -- why not, hinged box?
maybe get SS thermos just right size/shape & cut it length-wise
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: pjstevko on May 09, 2021, 03:21:00 PM
Quote from: philaroman on May 09, 2021, 07:43:18 AM
anyway, why a tube/cylinder loaded from top -- why not, hinged box?
maybe get SS thermos just right size/shape & cut it length-wise

Can't use a box because the light strip isn't flexible enough to make tight turns which is why I was thinking of doing a tight spiral
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: philaroman on May 09, 2021, 04:34:50 PM
the main body of that bottle (before it cones up) is approx. 8" x 4" ID
then, 2"+ coning up to mouth just under 2.5" wide...  if that helps
steel inside already better reflective surface than any foil...  could be polished more
could, maybe, drill holes for few individual "high-lumen" LED's instead of strip
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: jurelometer on May 09, 2021, 10:06:53 PM
As the risk of re-repeating:

1.  Just because a surface reflects visible light well, it does not mean that it reflects UV-A light well (common glass-over-silver mirrors being an example).   At least for some frequencies of UV light, stainless steel does not do a good job.  I did not bother to look up UV-A specifically, because you guys are not paying attention anyways :)

2.  Distance to the light is what makes or breaks your system - Look up the inverse square law- all you photographers out there that use flash know about this.  

For example, if your design moved the distance from the  light source to the jig surface form 1/2 inch to 2 inches, you would only have 1/16 the power (the inverse of the square of the change in distance).  You would need 16 times the number of lights, assuming that your power source was capable of running this many bulbs at full steam.

------------------------------

The camera flash is a good idea.  What we want is a  more light for less time, which is what a flash is designed to do.  The covers/filters over the flash bulbs do filter out UV-light -something of a disadvantage.  While UV-A light is the most effective at charging glow pigments, visible light will also work- lots of visible light is better than a small amount of UV-A.   There could also be an effect on efficiency- for a given amount of energy the pigments will absorb more if it is delivered in a short blast vs a long steady drip (I seem to remember reading this but I am not certain that I am not getting this backwards).  Plus you can get the flash right up tight to the jig.

At any rate - you can't catch fish if your jig is not in the water, and the front end of the bite is often prime time for tuna,  so being able to quickly charge a jig is extremely valuable.  There are cheap, off the camera flashes out there.  Since the flash filters out the majority of UV light emitted by the bulb, you don't have to worry about having a very powerful light source that is invisible to the human eye, but still can be quite damaging.  And you can also use it for a camera flash :)

A quick note on UV light.  It is not visible to the human eye, but that does not mean it is safe.   That purple-ish glow from blacklight /UV-A bulbs is just a small fraction of the total light energy being emitted that ends up in the visible light spectrum.  You can be damaging you eyes without knowing it.   It is useful to minimize exposure to yourself and others, especially if you are using large amounts, or getting it close to your eyes.  Not an expert on the stuff, but I did read the warning label that came with my UV flashlight.

-J
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: gstours on May 12, 2021, 05:56:20 PM
Here's some filler material to keep this post alive,  to learn more possibly?
   Our eyes see colors differently than quarry,  and different light sources may be measured in us intensity, or power correct?
  Here's a quick test of a split tail plastic design for jigs.   The sun charged it on a cloud less day for 5 minutes.
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: gstours on May 12, 2021, 05:58:16 PM
Then it was put immediately into a dark room.  Pik #1
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: gstours on May 12, 2021, 06:00:26 PM
#2 pik shows immediate loss of brightness in 5 minutes.
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: gstours on May 12, 2021, 06:09:06 PM
Pik #3 shows in 2 more minutes serous differencing.  Does this mean the fish might still see a color or glow?      I dunno.    Just wondering?  🤷‍♂️
  There's a lot of variables in purchasing a lure that is labeled "glow".     Even pigments for paint might need some testing?      Just saying.
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: jurelometer on May 12, 2021, 07:45:22 PM
Quote from: gstours on May 12, 2021, 06:09:06 PM
Pik #3 shows in 2 more minutes serous differencing.  Does this mean the fish might still see a color or glow?      I dunno.    Just wondering?  🤷‍♂️
 There's a lot of variables in purchasing a lure that is labeled "glow".     Even pigments for paint might need some testing?      Just saying.

If you are fishing with glow in the dark lures, you are probably fishing in a situation wher color matters less than normal. Fish don't care about what they can't see, and most species don't see many colors with much specificity to begin with, and even less when it gets dark.  I haven't found a good argument for more light intensity generally being more effective, although this is the popular opinion.


Here is a more detailed explanation, but take this with a grain of salt, as I like to read about this stuff, but am not trained in it:

The retina in the eyes contain rods (respond to a wide range of colors , AKA black and white or night vision) and cones (color). Rods are more sensitive to light but less specific (hard to get a clear image).  Cones are the opposite, and each cone cell will only respond  to  a single range of light wave frequencies  (red, green, blue,  or UV). Fish  species that live near the surface in clear water will often have three or even four types of cones, but one or two is more common as we get into deeper and murkier waters.

The darker the environment, the more rods will dominate. Fish that live in dark or murky waters will have a much higher ratio of  rods in the retina.  Some (many?)  fish species physically move the rods  toward/away from the retina surface on a night to day schedule.

Different glow in the dark pigments have different properties in terms of how bright and how long they glow.  (I think they also charge differently, but am not certain here).    Greens do the best, then whites, then blues, then reds. Green is also the cheapest.  That is why glow in the dark lures are all green glow. The powder is not inexpensive, and the medium it is embedded in further decreases the performance.  Particle size also affects glow properties and finish.  Most folks that buy lures believe more glow is better, so the focus is usually on getting the most bang for the buck glow-wise.  

Out in the wild, most  bioluminescent food sources  are not large slabs that  glow brightly, or if they are, flash on and off (just as Mom always said, leaving the lights on is a waste of energy :)  ).  And in many fisheries, the target species do not feed on biolumescent prey.  The jury is out for me  on whether glow helps, and if it does, what is the right way to utilize it.  At least the fish can see it, which is more than we say about most of the stuff we obsess over in a lure's paint job.

I have messed with glow a bit to make glow jigs and flies for folks  that want the stuff, but my "expertise" is pretty limited.  There is a longer conversation about how to finish a lure to get a desired glow effect, but maybe a separate thread?  

-J
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: philaroman on May 12, 2021, 09:26:06 PM
another thought: if trying to mimic natural bioluminescence, shouldn't the glow be
streaky/blotchy/veiny/lateral... anything, BUT uniform?!?!
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: gstours on May 13, 2021, 02:15:06 PM
Thanks again for sharing your information everyone,  my test was to see also what the camera could pick up for light.    I,m not the brightest light 💡 on the block anyway!
   While I've been lucky enough to catch fish on glow stuff,  I've
Fished right along some one who doesn't and they might outperform me on the same day with the same bait, or scents.    My jury is still out,   I just don't like wasting time while fishing 🎣 not fishing 🎣. ???
   It was only a test.🤗
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: Benni3 on June 09, 2021, 03:30:47 AM
These things are on sale everywhere now,,,,,,, ;) and work pretty good too,,,,,,,,,,, ;D
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: smnaguwa on June 09, 2021, 12:31:47 PM
When using UV-C, please be aware. From the FDA website -

Risks: UVC lamps used for disinfection purposes may pose potential health and safety risks depending on the UVC wavelength, dose, and duration of radiation exposure. The risk may increase if the unit is not installed properly or used by untrained individuals.

Direct exposure of skin and eyes to UVC radiation from some UVC lamps may cause painful eye injury and burn-like skin reactions. Never look directly at a UVC lamp source, even briefly. If you have experienced an injury associated with using a UVC lamp, we encourage you to report it to the FDA.
Some UVC lamps generate ozone. Ozone inhalation can be irritating to the airway.
UVC can degrade certain materials, such as plastic, polymers, and dyed textile.
Some UVC lamps contain mercury. Because mercury is toxic even in small amounts, extreme caution is needed in cleaning a lamp that has broken and in disposing of the lamp.
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: jurelometer on June 09, 2021, 07:37:02 PM
Quote from: smnaguwa on June 09, 2021, 12:31:47 PM
When using UV-C, please be aware. From the FDA website -

Risks: UVC lamps used for disinfection purposes may pose potential health and safety risks depending on the UVC wavelength, dose, and duration of radiation exposure. The risk may increase if the unit is not installed properly or used by untrained individuals.

Direct exposure of skin and eyes to UVC radiation from some UVC lamps may cause painful eye injury and burn-like skin reactions. Never look directly at a UVC lamp source, even briefly. If you have experienced an injury associated with using a UVC lamp, we encourage you to report it to the FDA.
Some UVC lamps generate ozone. Ozone inhalation can be irritating to the airway.
UVC can degrade certain materials, such as plastic, polymers, and dyed textile.
Some UVC lamps contain mercury. Because mercury is toxic even in small amounts, extreme caution is needed in cleaning a lamp that has broken and in disposing of the lamp.

THIS!!!   ^^^^^

The marketplace is full of cheap UVC sterilizing products.  UVC is not something to be messed with, and I suspect that many (most?  all?) of these products have not gone through any rigorous testing.

If you have to decontaminate your phone, try a wipedown with isopropyl alcohol, available at any pharmacy and most supermarkets.  It will also clean the screen at the same time, and is less likely to damage the plastic.

All  UV light is not the same.  UV just means that the wave length (distance between each wave of light) is small enough to not be visible to the human eye, but not small enough to be categorized as x-rays. UV-A has the longest wavelength, is the most effective at charging glow paint, and is generally the least dangerous- it will still eventually lead to sunburn and cancer risk.  At increasing risk  comes UV-B, then UV-C, then a couple more levels before we end up at X-Rays.

UV-C lights will probably suck at charging your glow lure, but will be effective at damaging the paint job, and if any light leaks out will be a health risk.

I am just a science fanboy, not trained in this stuff.  Always a good idea to check out the official sources (like the FDA  reference from smnaguwa), and not to rely on advice  from random people in the Internet.

-J
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: Bill B on June 17, 2021, 02:10:55 AM
Quote from: smnaguwa on June 09, 2021, 12:31:47 PM
When using UV-C, please be aware. From the FDA website -

Risks: UVC lamps used for disinfection purposes may pose potential health and safety risks depending on the UVC wavelength, dose, and duration of radiation exposure. The risk may increase if the unit is not installed properly or used by untrained individuals.

Direct exposure of skin and eyes to UVC radiation from some UVC lamps may cause painful eye injury and burn-like skin reactions. Never look directly at a UVC lamp source, even briefly. If you have experienced an injury associated with using a UVC lamp, we encourage you to report it to the FDA.
Some UVC lamps generate ozone. Ozone inhalation can be irritating to the airway.
UVC can degrade certain materials, such as plastic, polymers, and dyed textile.
Some UVC lamps contain mercury. Because mercury is toxic even in small amounts, extreme caution is needed in cleaning a lamp that has broken and in disposing of the lamp.

I can confirm this.  In my previous working life, I accompanied a DOJ forensic technician in the search of bodily fluids in a sex assault case.  UV lights were used to illuminate the areas in question.  With out the UV goggles, my eyes felt like they had a pound of sand dumped into each.  Yes I was warned, but had to "see" for myself.....Bill
Title: Re: Glow jig charging station ideas
Post by: Crab Pot on July 08, 2021, 03:33:14 AM
Here is what I use, nothing fancy-just a black light UV looking flashlight that I got off Amazon for less than $10.00.

I hold it right on my glow flat falls, two swipes each side and it's good for 2-3 drops.

Fits right in my pocket and works great.