Our Mini Swamp Eye Submersible and Swamp Eye Submersible Flounder Gigging Lights have long been the top choice for guides, commercial operators, and recreational flounder giggers due to their high brightness, durability, and excellent performance in saltwater environments. If you’re comparing overall light performance or building out a new setup, here is our in-depth guide to the best flounder gigging lights.
Why Use a Voltage Regulator?
As battery technology evolves, output voltages vary widely. A voltage regulator ensures your flounder gigging lights receive a consistent 12–13V DC, even when the battery feeding them does not.
Common batteries that require a voltage regulator:
- Lithium batteries (12V LiFePO4 can spike to 14V DC when fully charged, more info here)
- Power tool / drill batteries (18V or 20V)
- Batteries over 12V (trolling motor setups, 24V systems, etc.)
Why Don’t We Build Voltage Regulation Into Our Underwater Lights?
Our underwater lights—Mini Swamp Eye Submersible and Swamp Eye Submersible—use a compact, highly efficient circuit with no spare space for voltage flexibility components without sacrificing brightness, efficiency, or size. This is what makes them some of the brightest and most compact flounder gigging lights available today.
Our above-water boat-mounted lights, such as the Swamp Eye Gen 2.X Light Bar, Swamp Eye Silent Series Light, and Swamp Eye HD Lights, use larger circuit boards. This allows us to integrate voltage-flexible components directly into the light so they can accept 12V–24V without needing an external regulator.
How to Set Up a Voltage Regulator for 12V Floundering Lights
Step 1: Select the Correct Voltage Regulator
Determine the amperage required by your light or entire lighting system:
Watts / Volts = Amps
Example 1: Wading Light Sticks
1x Swamp Eye Submersible (128W)
128W / 12V = 10 amps
Use a 12V DC regulator rated for 10A: 8V–40V to 12V 10 Amp Voltage Regulator
1x Mini Swamp Eye Submersible (36W)
36W / 12V = 3 amps
Use a 12V DC regulator rated for 3A: 8V–40V to 12V 3 Amp Voltage Regulator
Example 2: Trolling Motor Bracket Kits
5x Swamp Eye Submersibles
(128W × 5) / 12V = 50 amps
Use a 12V DC regulator rated for 50A or more:
18V–35V to 12V 60A Regulator
Note: this regulator requires a 24V input due to its high amperage design.
5x Mini Swamp Eye Submersibles
(36W × 5) / 12V = 15 amps
Use a 12V DC regulator rated for 15A or more: 8V–40V to 12V 25 Amp Voltage Regulator
Step 2: Wire the Voltage Regulator
Most regulators include wiring instructions. Typical wire layout:
Input (from battery)
- Positive lead → battery positive
- Negative lead → battery negative
Output (to lights)
- Positive lead → light system positive
- Negative lead → light system negative
For best results, solder connections and seal them with adhesive heat-shrink. If that’s not possible, use solder-seal waterproof connectors.
Always test the regulator before final installation. It should output **12–13V DC** consistently.
Optional Step 3: Use a Power Tool / Drill Battery
This is a popular option for lightweight wading setups. Note that drill batteries have low amp-hour capacity; they are ideal for powering one or two lights, but not full multi-light systems.
Common battery receptacles:
- Milwaukee 18V Receptacle
- Dewalt 20V Receptacle
- Search Amazon for other tool brands.
Connect the receptacle to the input side of the voltage regulator. Avoid standard crimp connectors unless sealed with heat-shrink; they will corrode quickly in saltwater. Again, solder-seal connectors are the best choice.
Photo courtesy of Sean Shedlarski and our Facebook group, Flounder Gigging Nation, showing his Mini Swamp Eye Submersible setup with voltage regulation.
