Delayed light shut off with dimming feature!

[slideruleracer]

Sorry for the repost, as I'll also link to this in my build thread, but check out the mod I made to my courtesy lights and my underwater lights. I installed a microcontroller programmable solid state relay to allow me to delay the shut off of my courtesy lights and also my underwater lights. When I'm covering the boat at night on the mooring, I use the interior lights to help me see, but on more than one occasion I have forgotten to shut off the lights before I finished putting the cover on and then I have to undo the cover and climb back in. Well, I setup this relay to allow me to delay the off for 5 minutes. Additionally, I set it up to pwm the on and off so the lights dim on and off, like a car's courtesy lights.

I also put one on the underwater lights to light up the swim platform and water while I swim back to shore (without the pwm as the relay wouldn't like it) . This is going to be sweet!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bbMuFvYygsNddv9y8

[AsLan7]

Awesome Chris!

[Big Block Power]

Very cool. Always nice to have lights when putting the cover on.

[cmattj]

Neat idea. I'm left in the dark at times as I keep the dock light sensitivity low.

Is it wired direct to battery or do you leave your master switch on?

[thunder550]

That's great!

[Ytmsn]

Slide you seriously amaze me

[slideruleracer]

Neat idea. I'm left in the dark at times as I keep the dock light sensitivity low.

Is it wired direct to battery or do you leave your master switch on?

I changed out my basic switch for an acr based switch over the winter. So, I'll leave the master switch on for this to work, but the micro controller only draws 4ma, which is pretty small compared to typical parasitic losses. With the acr, the worst case would be that it kills the house battery but the starter battery would still be ok.

[slideruleracer]

If there's interest, I'll write up a how-to if anybody else wants to mimic it. Total cost is about $30.

[cmattj]

Neat idea. I'm left in the dark at times as I keep the dock light sensitivity low.

Is it wired direct to battery or do you leave your master switch on?

I changed out my basic switch for an acr based switch over the winter. So, I'll leave the master switch on for this to work, but the micro controller only draws 4ma, which is pretty small compared to typical parasitic losses. With the acr, the worst case would be that it kills the house battery but the starter battery would still be ok.

Nice. Considering most vehicles these days live at 10- 15ma daily and last weeks that would be fine. Great add slide

[Southernboatman]

Very cool Sliderule Chris! Neat functionality to add!

[slideruleracer]

I figured I'd post an update. The timer relay works AWESOME! In the 1.5 weeks we've been back on the water this year, I've already put the boat away 3 times in the dark and being able to keep the courtesy lights and exterior swim platform and underwater lights on is really nice. On one of my more efficient efforts at covering up the boat, I made it back to shore and was toweling off when the association's security guard came up and started grilling me thinking I was a trespasser that had been messing with somebody's boat.

I explained that the lights were on relays about 5 seconds before the underwater lights shut off... The guy was surprised "I've never seen anything like that before".

Ha! Damn straight you haven't.

[cmattj]

Dinghy?? You don’t need a stinking dinghy!! Anyone else do that where you Boat? Geeze now you’ll be designing inline timer relays. After you perfect the “ Close enough umbrella stands”

[slideruleracer]

A few of us have moorings right next to the dinghy launch 'beach' that don't bother with dingy's or kayaks. Here's mine on the mooring.

[cmattj]

Nice spot! You could just uncover and have one of the best parking spots in the lake and never get out, And not worry about anchor slip. Great looking lake !

[tbully]

I’d be interested in details / circuit-design / etc. nice idea!