james campbell Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 the rest of my strobes are on the way and I have seen many people talk about weep holes. mine are going to be hanging lens down in my mega tree. how do I know what side of the lens to drill? will I have to wait until I put them up then drill the side leaning to the ground, or is it even necesary to drill? thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 You won't need weep holes for LED strobes. For Xenon strobes you probably will. If they're hanging down just drill/melt the weep hole as close as possible to the bottom of the lens. (I use a drill press and have no issues with damage to the strobe.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james campbell Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 George Simmons wrote: You won't need weep holes for LED strobes. For Xenon strobes you probably will. If they're hanging down just drill/melt the weep hole as close as possible to the bottom of the lens. (I use a drill press and have no issues with damage to the strobe.)they are xenon, so right in the middle would be good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfing4Dough Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 I put 2 weep holes on opposing sides of the end of the lens (so one of the other will be on the correct side), right on the the edge where there is a slant to the lens (on CLS xenon strobes). I use an old soldering gun and melt the hole right through so it doesn't "punch" through like I found a drill bit did and nearly hit the circuit board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james campbell Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 Surfing4Dough wrote: I put 2 weep holes on opposing sides of the end of the lens (so one of the other will be on the correct side), right on the the edge where there is a slant to the lens (on CLS xenon strobes). I use an old soldering gun and melt the hole right through so it doesn't "punch" through like I found a drill bit did and nearly hit the circuit board.mine are from cls as well,any problems? I was thinking of the two hole method so I guess if ti works for you than it's good enough for me:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Ancona Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 Jim, Some people drill wome don't. I have strobes from a few years ago and have 2 holes drilled in opposite sides. Mine also hang lens down. I understand the newer strobes have a coated PCB which may reduce the need for weep holes all together.That's my take anyway. Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james campbell Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 you guys are the best, looks like two holes is the way to go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfing4Dough Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 james campbell wrote: Surfing4Dough wrote: I put 2 weep holes on opposing sides of the end of the lens (so one of the other will be on the correct side), right on the the edge where there is a slant to the lens (on CLS xenon strobes). I use an old soldering gun and melt the hole right through so it doesn't "punch" through like I found a drill bit did and nearly hit the circuit board.mine are from cls as well,any problems? I was thinking of the two hole method so I guess if ti works for you than it's good enough for me:cool:I have had 2 seasons, with the "new" coated boards (1st set purchased 10/09 when the new dipped boards first were available) and have had zero failures. Have had lots of rain, lots of snow, some warm days so plenty of condensation, and even a few buried in snow, and haven't lost a single one. Darryl still recommends that even the coated ones still should have weep holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james campbell Posted July 5, 2011 Author Share Posted July 5, 2011 Surfing4Dough wrote: james campbell wrote: Surfing4Dough wrote: I put 2 weep holes on opposing sides of the end of the lens (so one of the other will be on the correct side), right on the the edge where there is a slant to the lens (on CLS xenon strobes). I use an old soldering gun and melt the hole right through so it doesn't "punch" through like I found a drill bit did and nearly hit the circuit board.mine are from cls as well,any problems? I was thinking of the two hole method so I guess if ti works for you than it's good enough for me:cool:I have had 2 seasons, with the "new" coated boards (1st set purchased 10/09 when the new dipped boards first were available) and have had zero failures. Have had lots of rain, lots of snow, some warm days so plenty of condensation, and even a few buried in snow, and haven't lost a single one. Darryl still recommends that even the coated ones still should have weep holes.good I think they will do fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Young Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I used weep holes for mine as well. I drill one small hole in the center of the acrylic lens (as they hang downward as well), and have had no water related issues. To avoid going in too deeply while drilling, either wrap electrical tap 1/4 inch up the shank of the bit (the frugal method;)), or use a commercial drill bit depth unit.You can use a soldering gun, but the hole will be bigger than needed, as the adjacent acrylic melts a bit. It's all personal preference as no one will notice a drilled hole as being neater from the distance they are viewing these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfing4Dough Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 Greg Young wrote: I used weep holes for mine as well. I drill one small hole in the center of the acrylic lens (as they hang downward as well), and have had no water related issues.Unless you are hanging them from a completely horizontal line (such as on a gutter line), don't your strobes tend to hang at an angle? When randomly stringing them through my megatree (so lines were at angles), the bulbs hang tilted (lens down) and I found that the water collected in the "corner" between the end wall and side wall of the lens. Hence why I put my holes on the edge rather than center, since it will be a lower point on the lens usually. Have you ran into small amounts of water still collecting in the corner beside your center hole? Probably not enough to make a difference since it would still find the hole once it fills enough and long before reaching the bulb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zman Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 I just updated my Curtain Strobe material on my web site for Christmas Expo. Grab a copy, I go over a lot of this in the Preparation section.I am leaning more toward universal weep holes. Top and bottom so that the strobes become universal. I have some pictures in the PPT to show you the orientation of the PCB to the lense mounting holes.There is a lot of support for additioanl conformal coating on the leads and comps. Moisture is the primary reason for failures, and this step helps insulate the comps rather than just the PCB from moisture.I also recommend using an old solder, cheap soldering iron for doing this. Less intrusive and damaging to the parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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