Upgraded Bubbler Displays

[Earl Weiss]

Here are links to video of the bubbler displays I changed to chasing lights. About$25.00 Each.

First is an Old Coleman Fresh N Vac where I painted the Display tubes. Next is a new one that comes with colored tubes and last is the JE Damas Unit where I painted the tubes.

Sorry they are aideways. Couldn't figure out how to rotate them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckVlcrClUTI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5uQQNsAYVU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehz54IWZW0g

No more replacing air pumps and messy bubbler fluid.

So Far have been in about a year and run 24/7

 

[lag]

Did you just spray paint the JC tubes? How long are the rope lights?.
They look great!!! Well done.

PS I just turned my monitor on its side to view.

 

[vinh]

can you tell where you got the lights? is it one long continuous light or 3 separate. As for spray painting the tube, what type of paint. acrylic? more details please.

step by step instructions would be great.

 

[vinh]

I did some research online and noted that you can get these rope in 1/2in LED rope light and the color you want. red yellow or blue. Downside is that the minimum length is 3 feet. I notice the rope light were position vertical. Weiss can the rope be coil around the cylinder or inside the cylinder so that you can eliminate spraying the tubes?

 

[Mitch]

Cool. The light ropes are available at noveltylights.com. I have been planning to do this and like Vihn I wanted to coil the lights inside the tubes and I was having a hard time deciding how many feet/colors to order. Then Frag came out with their new $129 display and now I am all confused. Save money or plug-and-play?

 

[pitzerwm]

Try turning the camera, Earl, Looks great.

 

[MEP001]

Try turning the camera, Earl, Looks great.

Yeah, but which way? The next videos might be upside-down.

 

[Earl Weiss]

One 3 foot Chasing rope lights from Novelty lights.com. Since the chasers have 3 strands inside, the really don't seem flexible enough to coil in the tubes. While they only get a little warm, if you could coil them you may get a lot of heat.

Basicaly, start at the end and fold in half long enough to go up an down in that portion of the tube that is visible from the outside. Only failure was in the JE Adams machine where the conector was below the surface of the tube and it filled with water from torntial rains.

Thanks Bill, I knew I could trun the camera and re shoot. In windows Moviemaker it also has a rotate function as well as a way to combine the clips. But for some reason, as changed, You Tube could not properly upload.

Got paint at a hobby store that said it would paint Glass which the old tubes were. Just do a light coat.

Make sure you get the chasing roap light and chasing light controller.

FWIW, years ago I had added a power strip inside the machines to make changing out pumps and flourescent lights easy. Just plugged them in instead of splicing wires.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Looks great! I might try that on my magic mist display! Great innovation.

 

[Earl Weiss]

On second thought (I need to get a life) perhaps you could coul it. If you cooil it so there is no space between the coils you would need to then run the end up thru the middle as well to do th next tube if you have the old style tubes / jars with bottoms or the JE Adams. With bottomless tubes you can run it out the bottom of one and up thru the bottom of the next. Perhaps you could try to wind it around a 1/2" 0r 1/4" pipe (It would be easier to do in warmer weather) and then insert the coil in the tube and remove the center pipe.

I wouldn't think you would really need to coil it so tightly since you would only really see the front half anyway. Coiling it tightly loses half the light in the middle of the coil. Leaving space of the rope width between coils allows the light from the front of the rear coil to come thru the front as well as also allowing light from the back o the front coil to reflect off the shiny housing.