--- title: Testing out the Watkins & Doncaster 30W LED 12v Heath Trap description: Trapping with the new Watkins and Doncaster 30w 12v LED Moth Trap image: https://dgpix.org.uk/hubfs/20260606_200801(1)-1.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://dgpix.org.uk/blog/testing-out-the-watkins-doncaster-30w-led-12v-heath-trap#main-content) [![](https://dgpix.org.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/DGPix%20Wildlife%20%26%20Nature%20Photography--1.png?width=400&height=400&name=DGPix%20Wildlife%20%26%20Nature%20Photography--1.png)Homepage](https://dgpix.org.uk/blog/dgpix.org.uk) - [Blog](https://dgpix.org.uk/blog) - [About](https://dgpix.org.uk/about) - [Gallery](https://dgpix.org.uk/image-gallery) - [Microscopic Mycology](https://dgpix.org.uk/microscopic-mycology) - [Resources](https://dgpix.org.uk/resources-reading) - [Moth Recording](https://dgpix.org.uk/moth-biodiversity) - [Blog](https://dgpix.org.uk/blog) - [About](https://dgpix.org.uk/about) - [Gallery](https://dgpix.org.uk/image-gallery) - [Microscopic Mycology](https://dgpix.org.uk/microscopic-mycology) - [Resources](https://dgpix.org.uk/resources-reading) - [Moth Recording](https://dgpix.org.uk/moth-biodiversity) ![](https://dgpix.org.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/20260606_200801(1)-1.jpg?width=2252&height=1648&name=20260606_200801(1)-1.jpg) data insects moth # Testing out the Watkins & Doncaster 30W LED 12v Heath Trap ![Danny Gibson](https://7528315.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/7528315/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_d-cms-elevate-theme_hubspot/elevate/images/avatar-placeholder.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=avatar-placeholder.jpg) Danny Gibson July 17, 2026 I have eventually invested in an LED moth trap - namely, the [30W LED 12v Heath Trap](https://www.watdon.co.uk/acatalog/30W-LED-12V-Heath-moth-trap-E7570.html) from Watkins & Doncaster.  This is a standard "heath" style trap, with vertical vanes and the LEDs a arranged in an upright configuration.  I have two other heath traps very similar to this but using a single 6W actinic bulb, so I know the general trap build works well.  I have been wondering about LEDs for a while now after seeing other mothing friends use them with good results, so I was pleased to see this setup at such a keen price. I already have a range of batteries for trapping away from home - mostly Lithium Iron Phosphate *LiFePo4 *types which work really well and are a lot lighter than the lead acid alternatives.  I used my 30ah 12v version for this, as it would take that capacity to run a 30w lamp all night.  If you need to work out how long a battery will a specific power of lamp for, here's the math: ![Screenshot 2026-07-17 182603](https://dgpix.org.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-07-17%20182603.png?width=474&height=78&name=Screenshot%202026-07-17%20182603.png)So for my 30ah battery it would be 30ah x 12v / 30w = 12hrs.  More than enough time in the summer, right?  However, battery systems are never 100% efficient so you do need to bake this in this to the equation in the form of an efficiency factor η  (usually 85%): ![Screenshot 2026-07-17 183218](https://dgpix.org.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-07-17%20183218.png?width=411&height=73&name=Screenshot%202026-07-17%20183218.png) This works out like this for my 30ah battery and 30w LED setup :  (30ah x 12v)x0.85 / 30w = 10.2hrs.   This is still more than enough in the summer evenings for trapping, and I usually set the trap at 9.30pm and open around 7.30am and the lamp is still running. So on Saturday 6th June I headed out to my local peat bog and moth trapping site to road test the new trap, a site that has always proved to be fruitful for moths.  The temperature was to be 10° overnight which wasn't great, but would be a good test for the lamp.    ![20260606_200801(1)](https://dgpix.org.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/20260606_200801(1).jpg?width=481&height=855&name=20260606_200801(1).jpg) I used the same location that I traditionally would put the 6w actinic setup, knowing that the habitat hosts a good few species of moths to attract.  I was pleasantly surprised at the performance given the low temps with 119 individuals across 34 species showing up: | Clouded Border | 13 | | --- | --- | | Small Square-spot | 11 | | Buff Ermine | 10 | | Oblique Carpet | 10 | | Poplar Hawk-moth | 10 | | Map-winged Swift | 8 | | Cyclamen Tortrix | 6 | | Green Carpet | 5 | | Pale Prominent | 5 | | Common White Wave | 3 | | Flame Shoulder | 3 | | May Highflyer | 3 | | Pebble Prominent | 3 | | Small Seraphim | 3 | | Common Carpet | 2 | | Common Pug | 2 | | Common Wave | 2 | | Latticed Heath | 2 | | Mottled Beauty | 2 | | White Ermine | 2 | | Bright-line Brown-eye | 1 | | Brimstone Moth | 1 | | Burnished Brass | 1 | | Campion | 1 | | Common Lutestring | 1 | | Common Marbled Carpet | 1 | | Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet | 1 | | Garden Pearl | 1 | | Knot Grass | 1 | | Peppered Moth | 1 | | Pied Grey | 1 | | Sharp-angled Carpet | 1 | | Silver Y | 1 | | Timothy Tortrix | 1 |   ![55332678093_d07031c225_o (1)](https://dgpix.org.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/55332678093_d07031c225_o%20(1).jpg?width=3236&height=2220&name=55332678093_d07031c225_o%20(1).jpg) ![52188554224_b5b3c925e5_c](https://dgpix.org.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/52188554224_b5b3c925e5_c.jpg?width=800&height=611&name=52188554224_b5b3c925e5_c.jpg) ![55246109914_957f1eddf5_c](https://dgpix.org.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/55246109914_957f1eddf5_c.jpg?width=800&height=563&name=55246109914_957f1eddf5_c.jpg) ![55331594717_a9a4d3fc0d_c](https://dgpix.org.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/55331594717_a9a4d3fc0d_c.jpg?width=800&height=564&name=55331594717_a9a4d3fc0d_c.jpg) The Small Seraphim is a noteable species for the site and NI, being very locally distributed. This is an excellent trap to use in the field, easily portable and runs a treat on my current batteries.  At under £80 it is priced really well for LED technology, especially compared to competing setups from other suppliers.  Well worth it in my opinion!   ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fdgpix.org.uk%2Fblog%2Ftesting-out-the-watkins-doncaster-30w-led-12v-heath-trap](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fdgpix.org.uk%2Fblog%2Ftesting-out-the-watkins-doncaster-30w-led-12v-heath-trap) ## Keep reading ### [![](https://dgpix.org.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/55231649918_aba43e3665_o.jpg?width=2615&height=1333&name=55231649918_aba43e3665_o.jpg) data nature science Brackagh Moss Moths April/May 2026](https://dgpix.org.uk/blog/brackagh-moss-moths-april/may-2026) ### [![](https://dgpix.org.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/55118917574_214bf192c0_o.jpg?width=1074&height=1139&name=55118917574_214bf192c0_o.jpg) astrophotography solar astronomy Sunspots & Solar Observing](https://dgpix.org.uk/blog/sunspots-solar-observing) [![](https://dgpix.org.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/DGPix%20Wildlife%20%26%20Nature%20Photography--1.png?width=400&height=400&name=DGPix%20Wildlife%20%26%20Nature%20Photography--1.png)](https://dgpix.org.uk) - [Blog](https://dgpix.org.uk/blog) - [About](https://dgpix.org.uk/about) - [Gallery](https://dgpix.org.uk/image-gallery) - [Microscopic Mycology](https://dgpix.org.uk/microscopic-mycology) - [Resources](https://dgpix.org.uk/resources-reading) - [Moth Recording](https://dgpix.org.uk/moth-biodiversity) --- Privacy Policy · Legal · © 2026 DGPix Wildlife & Nature Photography. All rights reserved. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Danny Gibson", "url" : "https://dgpix.org.uk/blog/author/danny-gibson" }, "dateModified" : "2026-07-17T18:02:06.375Z", "datePublished" : "2026-07-17T17:54:45.000Z", "headline" : "Testing out the Watkins & Doncaster 30W LED 12v Heath Trap", "image" : [ "https://dgpix.org.uk/hubfs/20260606_200801(1)-1.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://dgpix.org.uk/blog/testing-out-the-watkins-doncaster-30w-led-12v-heath-trap", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://dgpix.org.uk/hubfs/DGPix%20Wildlife%20&%20Nature%20Photography--1.png" }, "name" : "DGPix Wildlife & Nature Photography" } } ```