Beginner on a budget (1 Viewer)

[Richard D]

My moth identification has always been what I come across but wondered about trying trapping. I would need something that could run off batteries (anything that would run off a usb powerpack?). Thinking LED might be the way to go. Ideally something fairly small - quite happy with just attracting a handful at this stage. Not wanting anything overly complex, big or expensive. I don't know whether I'll get into it.

Light pollution levels aren't too bad - garden backs onto hedgerow then open fields/Marsh, but am on edge of small town.

UK supplier ideally. Not sure I've got the time for a DIY approach.

Any thoughts on a real budget beginners set up, and any essential accessories?

 

[Farnboro John]

My current set up is a LepiLED powered by a 40,000 mAh Anker power bank (on offer at the moment from Anker direct via Amazon for £99 down from £129). It needs more than that for a full autumn night (hence I've just ordered a second) but will do 2100 to 0600 on one, fine for summer. I have it mounted on a plywood flat-pack self-assembly Skinner moth trap with rain guard (from several suppliers, NHBS do one that certainly looks like mine for £100.) Self-assembly was quick and easy with no tools required.

Dr. Gunnar Brehm | LepiLED

Dr. Gunnar Brehm — Biologist at Phyletisches Museum, Jena, Germany. Expert for Geometridae (Looper moths) und Arctiinae (Tiger moths) of South America.

www.gunnarbrehm.de

I think my LepiLED set-up is pretty much their full monty. It's independent of a mains power source so I can put it where I like. I have a tupperware box to rain proof the powerbank.

Between sessions the egg boxes and powerbank including the tupperware box sit comfortably inside the trap, which has carrying handles carved out of the sides as standard.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

John

 

[pppppvvvv]

I suspect I've built the cheapest moth traps possible! Just a crate, a wine making aluminium funnel, and Sylvania uv365 blacklight.
Probably around £70 for all of it.
BUT it's mains powered.



I do make 8xAA battery powered UV LED lights myself, but that involves a bit of soldering, wiring, and swearing. Used on the same crate as the pic. It's more a winter project to build them. Light set costs me about £30, and they can be used anywhere. (My next "project", I'm going to build the electrics in a lockable box, so I can padlock them to a chain around a tree. If the lockable box can be used to store the lights as well as the electrics, that would be quite neat!)

 

[Richard D]

Thanks both - I don't want the hassle of installing mains in the garden or daisy chaining a few extesion cords so running batteries and LEDs would be the way to go. I was ideally hoping there would be such a thing as a cheap ready to go small 'beginner's' set, but I'm guessing the market is pretty smalll.

 

[pppppvvvv]

There is the podlight

LED Lights, Leads & Plugs | Ento Nets

Podlight: The Ento Nets Podlight® provides a durable and effective way of attracting moths. It is a compact, handy, cylindrical 12V system providing 360° of light. The six LEDs, two ultra-violet, two royal blue and two pure green, are effective in trapping a wide variety of moth species...

www.insectcage.co.uk

which is just over £100, but I only know of one person who has bought one and he says "bought one very happy with it run it with my tracer battery". No reason to think it won't work to some degree. (My home made UV LED lights are an amateur version of the podlight and the Lepiled. Wires hanging out, held together with tape etc!)

I'm going to run an experiment this coming week hopefully, with a moth trap made up of 3 or 4 cheap UV torches, and a UV LED light bar.
All are USB powerbank or battery powered. I'll let you know how it compares against my UV LEDs which do well away from other light. That could be a really cheap and ready made solution.

 

[pppppvvvv]

The other option, I can think of, is the mains solution I mentioned above, with a Heavy duty portable power supply such as:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/POWEROAK-Portable-Generator-Emergency-Inverter/dp/B07N423HLH/ref=sr_1_3?qid=1691922554&sr=8-3&srs=15705195031&th=1

Which powers my 20w Blacklight for about 8 hours max.

But that isn't cheap, not waterproof, likely to be stolen if left out unattended.

It only works for me when I can keep it in the car or campervan, and run a mains lead to the moth trap.
Plus the power supply was only viable as it can get plenty of use on family holidays, camping, power for the internet router during short power failures at home etc.

 

[dantheman]

I've seen various websites in the past on cheap diy setups eg

How to build a low cost moth trap – Ealing Wildlife Group

ealingwildlifegroup.com

To really keep costs down a tub, funnel (as per website above from hardware store or supermarket), 12v compatible lights (maybe lighting strip as above) and 12v battery. If you don't have an old car battery, you can maybe get one from a car tyre/battery place at the cost they would get for scrap (£3- £10, depending on size, a 12v motorbike battery good for portability or a 12v gel battery eg the old ones from electric bike). A duff battery for a car would still be good for trapping as long as it holds charge). A cover could be jemmied up relatively easily, and another tub over the battery maybe to keep rain off.

Not sure that soldering would be required - crocodile clips may do it. Peter may have an opinion on this set up ... ;-)

(I've always used old batteries, but with a 'proper moth trap' - last 1-2 nights no problem on a charge depending on factors. Led lights as above could last a lot longer.)

 

[Richard D]

Thank you for peoples thoughts. @Farnboro John -The LepiLED looks good, but with trap is going to be more than I want to invest on a 'try it and see if I like mothing' basis. @peter.jones I'll be interested to hear how the UV torch experiment goes. I did look at the Podlight with Safari cage as a possible option, but struggled to find reviews. I also looked at the Moonlander with Gemlight and reviews on that were pretty poor (although more to do with the trap than the Gemlight I think). @dantheman - I did look at 12V SLA solutions, but started to get confused as to whether I'd need a ballast unit for non-LEDs or an inverter and I'd need to buy a charger and battery as I've nothing that uses SLAs (have existing powerbanks). I found what looked a distinct possiblity as a starter set up from pwbelg, and I've emailed, but fear the web site is an internet relic rather than live site.

 

[Farnboro John]

Good luck with it and I hope you do enjoy mothing, I've found it very interesting. Not only is it a new identification challenge (and a whole new slew of variety to investigate) but the odd occasion when you get a garden/county/national rarity gets the heart thumping.

Cheers

John

 

[Stuart Goodwin]

Morning Richard.

I would be interested to know how you get on as I’m thinking about starting mothing more seriously next year.

In addition, I’m keen to do some mothing at our local Country Park. Mains power isn’t an option and batteries look to heavy/ difficult to lug across the park.

Regards

 

[Owene]

I’m curious about starting this as well. We have a few mains connections in our garden. Aside from portability is there any issue with using mains rather than battery?

 

[Richard D]

I’m curious about starting this as well. We have a few mains connections in our garden. Aside from portability is there any issue with using mains rather than battery?

I'm only looking into it, but from what I can see mains is much cheaper for the set up, with portability the only real downside (experienced moth observers might know something I've missed though).

 

[Richard D]

After a few helpful discussions I'm having an LED trap built by Paul Batty - his prices seem incredibly reasonable, and other people seem very happy with his work.

 

[pppppvvvv]

After a few helpful discussions I'm having an LED trap built by Paul Batty - his prices seem incredibly reasonable, and other people seem very happy with his work.

yes, thinking about it, both of my mains light sets have come from him.
I wish he would do something UV LED, USB Powerbank based

 

[Richard D]

yes, thinking about it, both of my mains light sets have come from him.
I wish he would do something UV LED, USB Powerbank based

I think I'm going to end up with a Lithium Motorcycle battery - I have got a large USB powerbank that supposedly will output 12v that I could try with a USB-C to croc clip /probe lead but the Ampage might not be enough.

 

[pppppvvvv]

Thank you for peoples thoughts. @Farnboro John -The LepiLED looks good, but with trap is going to be more than I want to invest on a 'try it and see if I like mothing' basis. @peter.jones I'll be interested to hear how the UV torch experiment goes. I did look at the Podlight with Safari cage as a possible option, but struggled to find reviews. I also looked at the Moonlander with Gemlight and reviews on that were pretty poor (although more to do with the trap than the Gemlight I think). @dantheman - I did look at 12V SLA solutions, but started to get confused as to whether I'd need a ballast unit for non-LEDs or an inverter and I'd need to buy a charger and battery as I've nothing that uses SLAs (have existing powerbanks). I found what looked a distinct possiblity as a starter set up from pwbelg, and I've emailed, but fear the web site is an internet relic rather than live site.

It wasn't a very good experiment with the uv torches sadly, for two reasons.
First I accidentally brought normal torches so only had 1 uv instead of 3, and secondly, the whole area was very poor for moths.
This coupled with some heavy rain when we examined the catches meant the data was a bit rushed.
Having said that, the cheap UV torch/UV light bar wasn't as good as the UV LEDs (similar to a lepiled).

 

[Richard D]

Thoughts on the best identification guide for a relative beginner (okay with some common species). Looking for something that aids reasonably quick identification more than a reference guide to species.

Waring Field guide or Manley photographic (can't really stretch budget to both at the moment)? What's the Bloomsbury Concise guide like compared to the full field guide?

Any thoughts much appreciated. I've got old general insect guides (80's), but am aware things have changed. Are any of the current gides about to be updated?

Thanks

 

[Stuart Goodwin]

Thoughts on the best identification guide for a relative beginner (okay with some common species). Looking for something that aids reasonably quick identification more than a reference guide to species.

Waring Field guide or Manley photographic (can't really stretch budget to both at the moment)? What's the Bloomsbury Concise guide like compared to the full field guide?

Any thoughts much appreciated. I've got old general insect guides (80's), but am aware things have changed. Are any of the current gides about to be updated?

Thanks

Evening.

I’ve got James Lowen’s book but also the book’s illustrated by Richard Lewington.

Regards

 

[pppppvvvv]

I’m curious about starting this as well. We have a few mains connections in our garden. Aside from portability is there any issue with using mains rather than battery?

Not really. I think Mains UV blacklights or actinics are quite cheap to purchase, potentially more moths, and more convenient.
an outdoor/waterproof e27 bulb holder, and the Sylvania uv365 blacklight I mentioned further up the thread is ideal.

 

[Richard D]

Evening.

I’ve got James Lowen’s book but also the book’s illustrated by Richard Lewington.

Regards

Thank you. How often do you catch moths that aren't in Lowen?