My version of a DIY Pig/Feeder Light

d2admin

Administrator
Having bought a couple of "cheap" feeder lights and not being satisfied, I decided to build my own.

What you will need:
Fat 50 Ammo Box
12v Photocell
12v Lawn Mower Battery
12v Landscape light that uses a MR16 bulb
12v Green LED MR16 bulb
12v Solar Panel with shielded wiring
Tube of Black Silicone sealer
10' long 2" conduit
Several 2 1/2" U-bolts
Several 3" hose clamps
T-Post
Various drill bits, 7/8" hole saw, bolts as required

Photocell

LED Bulbs

Landscape Light

Solar Panel

It is a fairly simple design. I put the photocell behind the handle for the ammo box to protect it from squirrels and what not. I also used garden hose washers to shim it to the right depth. My solar panel didn't have a shielded wire so I had to buy that too. I chose a 12v lawn mower battery because it was on sale for $20. I had to order the bulb and photocell online. I got a good deal on the bulbs, so I bought a couple of both the flood and spot light bulbs. They will store nicely inside the ammo can and replacement takes about 20 seconds tops.

You can pretty much figure it out from here. I mounted mine on 2" conduit so I could slip it over a T-Post pretty much anywhere I wanted. It also makes removing or moving very easy. I also drilled some 3/16" plate to use inside the ammo can to reinforce it and a 1/4" piece to shim the box out away from the conduit so the lid will close. You can shim it with washers, just make sure to put a little silicone on them to seal the can up.

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Ingenious design, but I don't think the solar panel will charge a depleted battery up after a week of running all night. The solar panel specs: Amps: 0.07 Volts: 12
 
The solar panel will power the light without a battery, the bulb only consumes 300ma. I put it out Friday morning at 11am. It was fully charged using a Battery Tender maintainer and was at 18.32 volts. I will give it a week and check the voltage. Who knows, you may be right, but the same panel/battery combo has been powering my feeder and cameras for over a yr. I feed 6 times a day and one camera is a plot watcher style and snaps about 7000 pictures average daily. They both record video at night.

I hope you're wrong, but if not, I'll add another solar panel.

I hunted over it tonight, it maybe too bright, I'll post a picture tomorrow, I'm tired and heading to bed.
 
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