I finished my first test for the lighting. I’m pretty pleased with my results. I’m just using a single Rebel Endor Tri RGB LED. It’s not as good as Mario’s results, but they are a good start. The good thing is is that I am going to just use one LED per nozzle. I’ve designed a “lighting core” that uses use 3 fiber optics. The LEDs or the Rebel Endor is placed at the bottom of the lighting core below the nozzle.
The problem that I have is that the stream is too clear and is transmitting the light too efficiently and not producing a nice light effect during the day or in light.
enjoy! Ideas for making the light shine better?
Mad Laboratory 
Very nice Job! looks impressive. Try the enhancer i was talking about in the forum. I wonder how your new cutter is working.
Cheers
Mario
Thanks Mario!
The cutter had a couple of snags and I am still working on it. I’m hoping that it will be a good design. I did some initial testing and it seemed that it might work, but I couldn’t tell for certain.
Hi, I watched your LED video agin, what i think, if you plan to use the LED unter the nozzle, why you are using Fibers? If you use a single solid plexiglass rod, diameter 1/2 “, i think you will have more sucsess and less problems. I will try this with my old nozzle, i test a little around and i thinkits amzing bright. Just a input. What are you working on? MArio
Have you tried using the LEDs?
Or a plastic rod?
I was thinking why not mount the LEDs in the water under the straws?
Doug
That’s a good idea but I couldn’t think of a way to water proof the LEDs to pevent th from shorting out.
johnchristensen
I thought about just mounting them in the water at the top of the straws just under the discharge outlet. It’s low voltage, so it won’t short out and the water will provide cooling.
I’m working on the electronics portion of the lighting. I’m trying to package it so that it is small and can be put in the bottom of the nozzle where there is some vacant space.
As far as the lighting goes. You are absolutely right. I think it would be easier to work with a rod, but due to design changes I already had the fiber and it wasn’t much effort to put the fibers in.
I’m still toying around with the cutting mechanism. I have done some tests with the cutter, but it is not as good as I had hoped, but I feel that the design can work perfectly once I get the bugs worked out. As is with most cutters the cutting is easy, but the uncut is where the problems lie
Ohh nice, when you find a smaller solution for a constant power suply, let me know. You dont think you will have problems because electronics get hot and the cool water arround? Condens water!
I am trying arround with my second cutter too, damn, its so hard, one day it works perfect, next day not. I planed to finish this summer, forget it. Next year. I am looking forward to see some of your work in the futre. Regards mario
Hi John
From marios video he says you found the answer for the nozzel [ 3/8ths or 1/2 inch] diameter. Brass but how thick Cut at a 45degree angle if i rember right.
I am using a pump with 1200 gallons per hour but cant get any distance with a 1/2 in nozzle maybe 6 feet and 3 foot in height.
What happens if you use UV LEDs in the nozzle head, and dissolve some UV Fluorescent powder in the water?
where might I get that uv flourescent powder? That sounds like a really cool idea!
I got a starter kit of powders of various colours from eBay for quite a reasonable price, as I wanted to have a play with making liquid glow using UV LEDs. Just look for ‘fluorescent dye’ or ‘fluorescent powder’ and see what is there. Another possibility is ‘flurosceine’ (spelling?) used for leak and crack detection, which seems to come as a bottle of concentrated liquid that you pour down a drain to detect leaks, or pour over metal castings to detect cracks.
That’s a great idea! Thanks I’ll try that as soon as I can get over to the dollar store!
It has been a life long dream of mine to build a jumping jet at Disney [ 20 ] years ago. I fouynd you guys by mistake and am in heaven at the thought of making one. Any and all help to get me on my way would really help.
Rick
Rick! Welcome to the club! It’s an awesome project, but it takes some time! I’ve been working on mine for just over a year! Of course, I’ve will work on it then take some time off, and so on.
I’ll answer any question that I can!
OK
First of many questions. The garden hose will not work, [ big suprise hugh ] what size pump and what gallon rate will i need.
I’m doing research on building one of these next spring. If you look at some other people’s streams they have what look like light pulses flowing though the tube of the arc. From what I understand they achieved this by hitting the stream with a needle, the size and angle I’m unsure of. What this would do is cause an imperfection in the flow and give the light something to hit and reflect out of the stream to the viewer.
Basically, I think it’s a needle popping into the stream and out again using a mechanism like your cutter. It shouldn’t take too much to give the effect, the trick may be to not interrupt too much, maybe just the needle tip grazing the stream? You are way ahead of me, I won’t be experimenting for another 6 months or so.
Wow, I JUST noticed the date. Sorry, I got linked to this post and assumed it was new haha.
I’d like to see the finished product!
I’m still working on the project, but it has been a while since I’ve updated the blog on this subject. I too would like to see the final product. I’m still trying to figure out a few things.
That is one of the techniques, the other is a knocker. Basically just thump the jet with your hand and you will produce a pulse of water that will be a different shape and emit lots of light. This can be done with a simple solenoid from a sprinkler valve.