LED spreader/deck flood lights

[Raider Ronnie]

Anyone got them ?
Opinions - suggestions ?
Thanks

[blaruffa]

Hi, Ronnie. I took my regular Spreader Lights and changed the Bulbs out with LED "bulb" from superbrightled.com... Worked great.

[MakoMike]

Anyone got any links to them? I need new Spreader lights this year.

[CowHunter]

I had them installed last year, loved Em... Drew less juice than my fishfinder. I'll have to look up the ones I had and post back... I'm having them in the new boat too...
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Mr. Sandman]

I came across this the other day on the tht site. I think I am going to order a pair and if I like them I will order some uder the gunnel lights to light up the enire deck. The halogens are bright but draw 10 amps and I don't want to leave them on all night, the LEDs draw about 1 amp and produce as many lumens as a 50 watt halogen.
CoastalNightLights.com

Over the winter I plan to change out all the lighting to LED, everything (except my spot light)

[CowHunter]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sandman

I came across this the other day on the tht site. I think I am going to order a pair and if I like them I will order some uder the gunnel lights to light up the enire deck. The halogens are bright but draw 10 amps and I don't want to leave them on all night, the LEDs draw about 1 amp and produce as many lumens as a 50 watt halogen.
CoastalNightLights.com

Over the winter I plan to change out all the lighting to LED, everything (except my spot light)

I had the Coastal LED Lights on My 21, I did like them alot. My new boat has the Lumitech Spreader Lights glassed into the Hard Top. They Have 3 models to choose from....

[Mr. Sandman]

Got the spreaders the other day. They are alot smaller in all dimensions (then the old halogens), don't know how bright they are but I hope to replace them this weekend and test them. Just looking at them it seems tough to imagine that they will be bright enough, but I'll check them out. The case is plastic and they appear to be well sealed, the board with the LEDs is sealed via a clear (epoxy?) that is poured into the light opening, it should be plug and play.

On the colored under the gunnel lights...be aware of the lumen output of the colored lights. I noticed that some of the specs show them actually putting out a lot less light/watt as compared to the white. (I have not ordered these yet but I def. want them)

[macojoe]

Be waiting for your report as I need some new spreaders myself. Thanks

[MrHunters]

i read somewhere that led production cannot keep up with the demand which will hike prices up in the future so if you believe what you read, I'd get em now.

Wish I could remember where I read that.

[MrHunters]

im looking at the rope lights for under gunnel as well from that website.

[Mr. Sandman]

If you look at your DC amp meter when you hit those lights you will believe in the technology pretty quick. The LED's draw next to nothing compared to the halogens which can take a bite out of your batteries and a lot of the energy they use goes to make heat not light.

I will probably make 2 20' strands of the rope lighting next as well. What color are you thinking about?

They make surface mounted LED's for underwater too but you need to put them in a protected place. I was thinking about mounting a set under the swim platform and not drill any holes in the boat below the wl... but one step at a time, let's see how this goes first.

BTW, I had an email conversation with this guy within a few minutes of my order, ships same day.

[MrHunters]

thats a good idea about the swim platform. I would do the same if I had one. Nothing to worry about there.

Did you say you already ordered the rope lights? I'm thinking I'm going to go with the blue.

[Mr. Sandman]

I just ordered the spreader lights...I want to try them first. If it works out and they are rugged enough, I will add under-the-gunnel lights...(don't know about color though)
can't beat the price.

[InTheHole]

I was thinking about ordering some of the under gunnel lights, was thinking red as I am told that red light will not affect your night vision?

[taJon]

Originally Posted by InTheHole

I was thinking about ordering some of the under gunnel lights, was thinking red as I am told that red light will not affect your night vision?

it doesn't but it washes out all the other colors. So reading a map with greens and yellows you can fogettaboutit.

[Mr. Sandman]

Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Mr. Sandman]

Well I hooked up the lights. The hardest thing about hooking them up was the incoming wire from the boat was pretty heavy, to handle 10 amp lights, the wire on these LED light is small, like 14 or 16 gauge. The heat shrink connector was shrunk all the way and barely closed on the thin wire. I got it as good as I could and then taped it and enclosed the entire thing in a cable protector sleeve.

The photos below are:
one old light one new light
two new lights
the AMP meter reading when both new lights are ON! (Less than 1 amp!!!) The old lights were about 9 amps.

I have yet to check them out at night yet.

I think I am going to order the under-the-gunnels next.

[macojoe]

Sounds great!! I just ordered some, as far as the wire I use Liquid electrical Tape, to coats sealed to everything.

Thanks for the info!!

[Mr. Sandman]

Liquid electrical tape? That sounds like a must-have item. Can I get that at Home Depot?

[macojoe]

Yes I am sure I have seen it there, also saw it at Ace hardware and any west marine or other marine store.

[MakoMike]

Sandy,
How did the light output from the LEDs compare to your old lights? I'm concerned that output equal to a 50 watt halogen may not be enough.

[Mr. Sandman]

I will not know until next week. (I have to be out of the boatyard before it gets dark so I have not really tried it out in complete blackness yet) I am still on-the-hard. (working on the bottom (see http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...tml#post770123)


But, that said, they are pretty bright but you may be right, they may not be as bright as the originals, The "color" of the light is also different, its a much colder light so it is hard to tell. But I think they will probably be bright enough. Still, I am going all LED. I am convinced even though they are not as bright, the pros outweigh the cons buy a big margin.

If I have to add a couple more I will but I am going to do full under-the-gunnel lights with those 1' sections that you can daisy chain together. They provide great indirect lighting. I think together I will have enough lighting ...probably look like Ernie Bock's house (MV insider pun...his Edgartown house is lit up like a Vegas hotel.)

[Mr. Sandman]

MakoMike,

Got the boat home, tied it up to the dock and went back last night and turned on the new LED spreader lights. Plenty bright enoungh, very pleased!!! My son said...these are so bright you can't look directly at them. The entire cockpit was very well lit up.

[MakoMike]

Thanks Sandy!

[Typhoon]

I have blue LED rope lights from IMTRA Marine. They work great.. not cheap though

IMTRA Marine Products

[MakoMike]

I'm very skeptical at putting holes in my boat below the water line.

[Mr. Sandman]

You don't really ***have*** tobore a big hole in the boat...they have surface mounted ones that allow you to drill the 1/4" wire hole above the wl. Yes, the real heavy duty lights from OceanLED and Abyss require a substantial hole in the hull below the wl....and also some have to be hooked up to a transformer or black box. The ones I have are light weight and relatively inexpensive but from what I have seen are brighter or as bright than the real expensive ones and about 1/5 the price. Also the are 12v direct, simple hook up. I figure if they break then no great loss...but from what I read on other sites they seem to work fine, so I tried them, the fellow is nice and makes them up for you quickly. They seem to be fine.

Also, what is amazing with the strip lights...26 linear feet of lights, (1' strips daisy chained) each 1' strip has about 10 LED's ( I didn't count but that is approximate)...all this draws less then 1 amp combined!!

The downward facing one I plan to mount will be installed under the swim platform facing down, completely out of the water. The other two aft lights will be mounted below the WL on the transom, all are surface mount and only require a small hole about 1/4". I have seen some lights that even mount on your Trim tabs. This is a rapidly evolving technology.

PS, how is your transducer mounted?

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sandman

PS, how is your transducer mounted?

Thru hull. I'm thinking about installing the strip lights under the gunnels. But I'm still leary of punching more holes in the hull.

[Moses]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sandman

Also, what is amazing with the strip lights...26 linear feet of lights, (1' strips daisy chained) each 1' strip has about 10 LED's ( I didn't count but that is approximate)...all this draws less then 1 amp combined!!

I'm curious how these "strip lights" are mounted and wired? Any close ups pics or additional information you can share? Thanks.

[Mr. Sandman]

There is some adhesive on the back but it is lame, that will not hold over time. I used that initially, then, put a dollop of clear silicon around each connection every foot. Figured it would seal out water getting into the connection as well as help hold it up. That holds it up fine. It is not the cleanest installation but it is in a non-visible area. You can get strips that are housed in a plastic case with a couple screw holes. I just used silicon.

If I was to do it again...I would only install these inside away from all the harsh elements. They still work but OK. I like the idea of a sealed tube. I have seen some that are in a tube.