ROV lights Infared or LED???

[daveycleaning]

So i am building my ROV and i am wondering what everyone thinks about what kind of light source i should use. Right know my plan is to use 3 small diver flashlights (that i already own) but if it is worth it i could add some infared. Also where would i get some to build into my ROV?

 

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[daveycleaning]

one more thing. I have read some things about blue and green lights if i am using a color camera. What is this about? should i have one blue one green and one clear light? BTW the thing to keep in mind is i will have no remote control of the lights being on or off. I will just have to turn them on before my ROV dives.

 

[cptbil]

Richdiggins:
Say!
Let us/me know how you make out!
I am going to be building an ROV myself!
I, already have a 12v., waterproof, low light, IR Camera!
I use it with a quartz halogen light,
BUT!
I have been using it, out West, when I drill into caverns and such!
I am debating on what shape of ROV..
Box style, Open Frame, or submarine shaped!
What are you going with?

 

[daveycleaning]

well it kinda looks like a jet or sub. I will get some pics up soon. It has been a great cure for cabin fever (i live in wisconsin) LOL

 

[PaulM]

Hello,
Just wandering why you would put any other color other then white lights? When looking for a petroleum leak on a pipeline or natural leak we would put a Ultraviolet light on the front of the ROV or I did a project with the BBC where we put a red filter in front of a halogen so it wouldn't scare away some marine life. I currently work with manned subs and ROV's and my two cents is to put white lights on your ROV as far as you can away from the camera so you don't light up the silt directly in front of the camera.
Paul

 

[PaulM]

Cornelius, Yes I have noticed that.. The reason being that sunlight is made up of a spectrum of colors each color in the spectrum has its own wavelength. Red has a short wavelength and Violet has the longest wavelength. Since it is hard for the shorter wavelengths to penetrate water they get filtered out. That is why we lose red very quickly and have violet all the way down to about 1800' in some places before we lose all light. If you want to bring out different colors of the bottom or reef you need to bring your own "sunlight" with you. This would be a white light since it has all the color wavelenghts in it. Photographers would take a strobe or flash that generates white light as well. By your rational if you want to see red you need to bring a red light. This doesn't work.. Try using one of those little mag lights with the red filter and see if you can see the red lines on a map. They virtually dissappear. To see colors underwater you need to bring the full spectrum of light (white light) with you. The tricky bit is how bright should your lights be? You are right, the brighter the light the more the particles in the water reflect that light reducing your visibility and that is why I gave my opinion to move the lights as far away from the camera as possible. I would either shine them directly ahead on either corner of the ROV or at 45 degree angles toward the centerline of the ROV facing forward. The brighter the light the brighter the reflections by the silt in the water and the less visibility.

 

[PaulM]

Cornelius, You are ablsolutely right that white light is different then sunlight. I was speaking "in a nutshell" and did not want to get into color temperature of individual lights but what is available to the average person such as the white LED's. On our ROV's we use HMI and HID lights which throw out a wonderful light but as you say our bulb life is much shorter (about 600 hours). These lights are also very expensive with bulbs being 200 dollars a pop and lights and ballasts costing in the 5000 to 6000 dollar range. They are of course 6000meter capable. As you say though.. enough about lights. Paul

 

[FISHEYE]

to get the same light as sunlight you need to use 3200k (k = kelvin)daylight bulbs,they arent cheap an they dont last long an i doupt that they would hold up underwater more then 20 feet deep.an they need 120volts for power.see the link below for automotive 12 volt 3200k bulbs,still pricey but will run on 12 volts.if you are useing a color camera an you want to get all the colors useing any kind of a white light,you will need to have a CC30R filter (Color Compensating Filter)on your camera lens.the filters come in 4"x4" sizes an ca be found on the net for around $40.00.all my underwater still and video camera have these filters on them.also the filter doesnt have to be in the camera houseing,it can be in a holder in front of the lens but close to it say 1-2 inches away.some of my underwater video houseings have fisheye dome ports an theres no room for a filter so i have a filter holder on the outside of the houseing on a movable arm so i can flip it out of the way if i want to film on the surface.

http://www.intakeone.com/Light_bulbs/IPF_XX51_WhiteBulb.html