A number of articles on constructing lights for cave video have appeared in Cavideo over the years. Here is my latest compilation of all that has gone before. Almost all the parts are available at any local home improvement center, and the total cost is under $25. These lights are very compact and extremely rugged. They are designed to be powered by 12 volt 5-10 amp hour lead acid gel cell batteries.

Most of the cavers I work on videos with use standard 120 volt power cords, sockets, plugs and switches, since they are available almost everywhere. Others don't like them because there is always the possiblity that some rock-head will plug a 12 volt light into a 120 volt wall socket creating some nice fireworks, but I've never found that to be a problem.

This particular light design is so compact, I do not recommend using lamps with wattages higher than about 50 watts. I have had some problems with heat build-up melting the caulk, but that may have just been a problem with using the wrong caulk. Unless you are lighting huge rooms, 50 watt lights are about as bright as you want anyway.

Get all your parts together. The parts list is below.			Glue the lamps into the cleanout pipe using a silicone caulk. The caulk serves as a shock mount. The roll of tape supports the light while the caulk dries.
Drill a hole in the end cap for the power cord.			Cut the power cord in two. The short power cube end can be used for the batteries.
Tie a knot in the cord to keep it from getting pulled out of the light.			Connect the socket for the lamp to the power cord using small wire nuts.
Following the directions on the switch, cut one side of the power cord and strip the ends. The switch should be about 2-2 feet from the plug.			I had to enlarge a few of the openings in the switch housing to accomodate the thick power cord.
Put a piece of tape on the tube, to make a snug fit.			The finished video light. Don't forget to write the wattage on the outside!