Lighting for a shipping container
The first project completed by my lighting business, this system is motion activated and can even charge your cellphone.
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This entire system is powered by a small solar panel, and is completely self-sustaining. Simply open the door, and the lights turn on.
The brains of the operation, this small unit contains everything that powers the lights except for the solar panel. it features an adjustable time motion sensor, a built-in battery meter, and a USB charging port.
The finished system in action.
Total cost to the customer for this system was just shy of $225, and it was designed and installed in just under two weeks. Two years and several bouts of severe weather later, this system still functions perfectly.
Camp trailer lighting
The largest project I have ever undertaken, this camp trailer received a full compliment of LED lights virtually everywhere possible.
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Lighting work on this camp trailer ranges from decorative color changing lights, to utility lighting, to retrofitting old light fixtures with custom-made LED modules. The installation alone took around 14 hours of work to complete, and almost everything was constructed on-site.
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Total cost to the customer was around 250 dollars, and the entire project was completed in just shy of three weeks from the initial quote.
Decorative interior lights add an artistic touch to this project.
These lights are color-changing and can be set via remote-control.
On the outside, decorative lights illuminate the doorway and change color in sync with the interior lights.
Ultra-bright LED lights illuminate the kitchen area.
When viewed from a standing position, these lights are mostly concealed, providing good visibility without being too harsh.
All existing light fixtures were converted to LED.
These handmade LED modules are far brighter than stock, consume less power, and will last as long as the trailer.
Complete DC Power System With Utility Lighting.
This project called for the design and installation of a complete DC power system for a small utility trailer. This versatile system can be powered by either a vehicle, an external solar panel, or the internal rechargeable battery. The system can run the interior lighting off of the battery alone for at least 12 hours. It can power the lighting and a host of accessories indefinitely when coupled to the external solar panel.
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Work on this project included research and design of a multi-source power system, rewiring of the trailer, and the installation of a high power LED lighting system.
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The largest product to date in terms of budget, the total cost to the customer was just under 425 dollars.
High-brightness LED lights illuminate the interior, providing more than enough light to work in. An interesting effect of the placement of the lights is that there are very few shadows.
These lights are weatherproof and should easily last the life of the trailer.
The main power equipment is contained inside a standard automotive battery box, located just inside the side door. A mobile solar panel can be placed outside the trailer to provide power to recharge the battery as needed. When not in use, the solar panel assembly can be packed into a 2 inch thick flat panel for easy storage. Finally, an auxiliary DC power jack can provide up to 10 amps to run any power hungry accessories which may be required.
An extensive venture in "yard art".
This was a very interesting project to undertake, as it was one of the first "stand-alone" systems that I built. This system was designed from the ground up for continuous operation with no user input necessary. the system is designed to run dusk-to-dawn with a rated lifespan of over 10 years.
I was approached by this customer with a request to design a lighting system for the peace sign shown above. The system was to be solar-powered because there were no utilities in this part of the property. Full dusk-dawn operation, and multiple color choices were among some of the top requirements. Designing this stand-alone system required a lot of research into real-world operating conditions, including average sunlight hours and operating temperatures in the location specified by the customer.
The end result was a system that uses RGB led light strip to output a wide range of colors and patterns, with a complete solar energy system that is capable of reaching full charge in 8 hours while supporting continuous operation of the lights for multiple days without sunlight. The electrical control and battery systems were incorporated into a small "ammo can" which serves as an addition to the existing yard art.
An extensive venture in automotive wiring
Requiring the complete design and installation of a new wiring harness in a vehicle, this project was one of the most difficult installations to date.
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The final goal of this project was to fully connect a truck bed topper, and modify the internal lighting for a more artistic touch. This not only involved the installation of new wiring, but connecting to existing vehicle wiring as well.
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Total cost to the customer was just over 150 dollars, and the entire project was completed in less than a week from the initial quote.
The finished lights are controlled by remote and can produce a variety of patterns and colors. These lights are securely affixed to the interior of the topper, and will most likely last longer than the existing lighting systems in the topper.
The main power wires connect directly to the battery (by request of the customer) and are protected by multiple fuses. The wiring is covered by a protective loom and built to the same specifications as the original factory wiring. As such, this wiring should easily last the life of the vehicle.