LED Madness

[bigdonk]

Hi all, we all like to tinker and add things to our boats, I'm been busy putting LED lights under the gunnels. I'm sure illm be installing more around the boat.... show us what you have done with your LED's

[Richo1]

No problem finding that dropped sinker now big donk - love the esky!

[Blusta]

Yep. Have led's under the gunnels for night fishing. great idea IMHO.

[LittleSkipper]

Welcome to the world of Light Emitting Diodes...Blue Style.

Cheers
Wayno's. 8-)

[bigdonk]

Cheers guys.. Hay Wayno love the blue, Im wanting the same color in the waterproof ones (transom mount).. Do you or any one else an recomend something that doesn't require getting a second house mortgage?? lol seriously they are expensive..!

BD

[thylacene]

About to sort this out for our outfit.

These guys seem to have all the bits at a reasonable price to be able to do a schmick fitup http://volkalighting.com.au/ledstore/products/Flexible-LED-Strip-Silicon-tube-SMD-5050-30pcs%7B47%7Dm--Waterproof-IP68-with-Connector-RGB.html

A bit more expensive than some of the direct from china kit, but able to supply plugs clips etc to make the job a good one.

Will let you know how I get on.

Cheers

Thy

[ozscott]

I have been looking at transom lights also. You can pay thousands or bugger all. The cheapest ones I have seen which actually have a very high lumen rating is the Jarvis Marine Aqua-Bright (just google Jarvis Marine 600) which are 600 lumens for $35 odd...amazing and made for underwater. Even if they were only in truth say 400 lumens still amazing value. Can get them in blue or white, but I like blue out of those 2 options. Then you can go direct to Chinese manufacturer's and get 850 odd lumen units - 9x3 watters for about $220 (stainless 27 watt total and heavy at 1.25kg each!) and $45 delivery in blue, green, white, red etc.

I am chasing the amp rating/wattage for those Jarvis ones. I would be very reluctant to accept 600 lumens in the blue colour if it was only .5 amps say....we will see. I would have thought 600 lumens would draw 1 amp at least.

Cheers

[LittleSkipper]

Gidday Guys

Glad you like the blue BD!

Strewth! ozscott? whats all the bable about lumens, amps, watts & Chinese Manufacturers, sounds more like a scientific investigation than someone wanting to buy LED's for there boat. if you want blue LED's for the transom on your boat just look for the best possible price & quality without breaking the budget, I'm sure they probably are derived from China; but really what isn't from China these days? The ones I purchsed from www.boatlightfishing.com.au who now call themselves Korr Lighting was the waterproof 4 mt blue kit $99+$12 P/H I was able to cut down the 4mt length to fit 3.5mt around the inside of the cuddy cabin and fit & wire up the remaining 500 or so mm under the transom as in the photo's. If unsure send them an email with any questions you may have. Also check out there feedback? Good Luck!

Cheers
Wayno's.

[ozscott]

Wayne - checked them out. They are weatherproof. The ones for underwater immersion are IP68 waterproof rating for constant immersion. I cannot see any on his site for transom underwater use, but thanks for the link.

If you want cheap LED strip lighting you can get 5050 60 piece per metre in a 5 metre roll for about $40 delivered via evilbay. There is another thread on this recently. I got 2 rolls for mine and will cut and solder to suit lengths that I need.

Cheers

[hakuna]

if it is for night work they should be red so as not to disturb your night vision in your retina, otherwise your eyes will be contiually adjusting from in the boat to outside.

cheers

[xjonox]

thats a hell of a point you got there hakuna....

[ozscott]

True - I am going to have white for work lighting because you just cant beat it for rigging up etc and when thats done its back to red lighting to allow the eyes to return to night vision whilst still moving about boat, cleaning up, putting stuff away etc. Cant stand red for rigging etc. Dont mind reading maps with it, but again if sitting and not looking at moving for a while I still like white.

Cheers

[deckie]

Much much easier to see outside the boat and fish with red (the campfire effect), but nothing worse than fiddling about in the dark or low light trying to do anything. Really need some sort of bright light available nearby i reckon, especially cleaning up or when u drop anything. Can always use an el cheapo 12v dimmer.
There's a pic on another thread of a great setup with red for fishing but plenty of white when needed.
Do they make red ones strong enough to rig up or undo a tangle ? How do u go tying a hook with the blue ?

[Thunderace2]

Much much easier to see outside the boat and fish with red (the campfire effect), but nothing worse than fiddling about in the dark or low light trying to do anything. Really need some sort of bright light available nearby i reckon, especially cleaning up or when u drop anything. Can always use an el cheapo 12v dimmer.
There's a pic on another thread of a great setup with red for fishing but plenty of white when needed.
Do they make red ones strong enough to rig up or undo a tangle ? How do u go tying a hook with the blue ?

I normal 12 V Dimmer will not work with LED;s it needs to be a specific one for LEd's

[deckie]

I normal 12 V Dimmer will not work with LED;s it needs to be a specific one for LEd's
yepp...about $10-$20 fleabay, chaeper for those little white ones.

[bigdonk]

Wayne i looked through the gallery in the link you put up... Thanks alot, now i have to put lights in my under floor storage!! lol;D
I found these they look good and the price is okay...ill see what else there is!!
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12V-STAINLESS-STEEL-MARINE-6W-UNDERWATER-LED-BOAT-LIGHT-/280641642157?pt=AU_Boat_Parts_Accessories&hash=item41578b9ead#ht_2839wt_907


BD

[stue2]

Much much easier to see outside the boat and fish with red (the campfire effect), but nothing worse than fiddling about in the dark or low light trying to do anything. Really need some sort of bright light available nearby i reckon, especially cleaning up or when u drop anything. Can always use an el cheapo 12v dimmer.
There's a pic on another thread of a great setup with red for fishing but plenty of white when needed.
Do they make red ones strong enough to rig up or undo a tangle ? How do u go tying a hook with the blue ?

hey deckie, how would the underwater jobbies go under the gunnel strip for night fishing and gaffing?

[deckie]

hey deckie, how would the underwater jobbies go under the gunnel strip for night fishing and gaffing?
No good. They're made expecting to be in the water or will overheat. Assuming u mean the ones used on transoms etc. Too damn expensive too. You could also use red/blue underneath and flick a decent deck light on when u need bright light. I'm just about to refit lights also, so kind of hunting about at the moment myself.
Tested a few strips and also led bulb replacements in my s/s lights..brilliant things. You can replace halogen bulbs now for $2 which draw only about 0.3A and brighter. Great for the car too.

[Chimo]

You risk losing your night vision which IMHO can be a problem unless your camped for the night. In your case Stu being out at the light that long could get interesting I feel.

On the other hand red ones could be a proposition instead of the whites etc

Cheers
Chimo

[LittleSkipper]

Good luck with the underfloor LED lighting BD

Cheers
Wayno's.

[stue2]

Not for me Chimo. I dont mind sitting out there but its not much fun coming in. Just too many obsticles. I head north for night time.

yep I know your doing your lights Deckie. Not so much the underwater ones but the waterproff ones instead of lights on poles over the side. just a thought.

Cheers, Stu

[thylacene]

Just a few thoughts on colour choice. Red is a good option for interior lighting, but not much value for underwater lighting for attracting bait etc see the explanation at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underwater_photography as water "absorbs" the red wavelengths more quickly. Blue may look trendy for underwater, but full spectrum white light will get more distance through the water column.

The RGB led strips used with a controller can allow you to change the colour of the led lights and give a dimming function (you can also set them to run like a disco if you choose), providing a degree of flexibility and only requiring one set of leds to be fitted. I intend to try these with a short 1m string to see how they go. The $30 for the controller/dimmer will still be useful if it turns out that a single colour strip is the better way to go, so potential loss will be $20. The guys at volka offer a controller in an alloy housing wiht a multi-button remote for colour change and brightness (and the disco style light chasers). Will see how we go

[ozscott]

Thylacene are you going to stick a 1m led flexi strip on your transom as underwater lighting? Keen to know what you have found. I was thinking about that. The 5050 60 led per metre should put out 760 lumens, but blue and green (particularly blue) would be rated lower in lumens but are more efficient in water I understand. In any event, its hard to find 5050 60 leds pm in the IP68 casing for submerged use. How do you attach it if you can find one in a silicon sleeve without peppering the transom with holes? I see Volka have them though..EDIT - no they list them on the table but not in the shop.....

Keen to hear what you reckon and how you are going to set yours up. Those Jarvis Marine 600 lume ones look pretty good - white or blue, but again I doubt the blues are really 600 lumens - they are $31. Dont know the amps yet...

Cheers

[thylacene]

We have a small boarding platform on the port side of the transom, figure I will throw some under that and see how it goes. Either Sika or epoxy to glue them to the underside, not keen on drilling holes in transoms unless I have to.

The volka crew offer the end caps so I will have to look at what I can do to arrange a matrix of leds using strips placed side by side and wired together. Will probably use silicon to ensure that everything is watertight. Wouldn't be the first time I have wasted $20 experimenting ;D

[deckie]

some of the new bulb replacements.
Middle pic will be anchor light and has about 65 led's, about $15-20 from memory.
The other ones (pic 1) are supposed to be less wattage but are amazingly bright. All fit the same old bulbs, i think 2nd from left to the old halogen is the 5050 (about $2 delivered) then 3528 (also about $2 delivered). They seem to put out about the same (huge by comparison to the old filament type)...then there's another type with old style led's that isnt as bright.

The other is a cheapo 5m strip, advertised as IP67 and certainly looks watertight and up to the job, but perhaps not for long term out the back. Choofs out the light tho but wouldnt be anywhere near as good as those 5050 type strips ozscott is talking about. Good enough for the cabin tho and at $10 not bad.

[bigdonk]

Deckie. I installed the Led in your last pic I got 18m for $120 delivered... I'm very happy with the results....
Here's a You Tube vid/ advert for transom LED's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8qW8oWAPsA&feature=related
You can get them on eBay for $560 a pair
bd

[deckie]

Good idea stue, i bought one of those narva handheld led utility lights a cpl of years ago and hung it on a broomstick in a rod holder for a cpl of trips ;D.. it was last seen heading to davey jones locker by a mate. Wont do that again. Not easy to get the light up against the hull on the sides..like you;re saying. Toyed with the idea of a 1-2m strip under the rubber gunwhale strip on either side but then it there's a lot of reflected light from anything above the water. then my next idea u saw of of spreading deck lights...which muight be even dumber ;D

I think thylacene has a much better idea than my idiot experiments. Doubt anything can replace the light being in the water.

Its all fun i guess.

[ozscott]

What about using 3mm or 5mm perspex sheeting (for 3mm see http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Acrylic-Clear-Perspex-122cm-x-94cm-x-3mm-Thick-Sheet-/250799237330?pt=AU_Building_Materials&hash=item3a64cca8d2 ).

...and making up a box screwed and sikad together (placed under the boarding platform deep enough to be in the water at least on the bottom side...) and lined with strips of say green 5050 60 led per metre strip led cut and soldered, mostly on the bottom but 2-3 strips on the back side to project out and look purdy....nice bait attractent. A 30cm x 30cm bottom could get you say a 10 of 30cm x 1.5cm strips easily with room between them - total almost 3 metres of leds which might equate (without taking into account the point where you can cut them etc where you might lose some) to about 30 watts of light. You could sandwich the bottom layer and side for that matter with another piece of perspex.

I reckon you could go higher too with packing more in. I dont know about heat, but if it caught on fire its below the water line...! Seriously though surely as long as they were activated in the water only they should be cool?


Cheers

[leelee]

I have BLUE leds on mine.

4 strips on the front deck controlled by a dimmer from a chopper –




http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/P1010079.jpg
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/P1010079.jpg)

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/P1010082.jpg
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/P1010082.jpg)

2 strips on the rear deck

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/P1010078.jpg
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/P1010078.jpg)

1 huge strip in the bildge area

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/P1010092.jpg
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/P1010092.jpg)

Multiple strips on rod locker and tackle storage hatch

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/P1010093.jpg
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/P1010093.jpg)

Livewell leds installed under console for easy viewing of fuse box and wiring


http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/P1010097.jpg
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/P1010097.jpg)

Another strip in the cowl

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/IMAG0127.jpg
(http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z243/leelee_fishing/IMAG0127.jpg%5b/IMG)

Cheers

Lee

[LittleSkipper]

Nice one Lee! Another Light Emitting Diode Fan...Blue Style.

Cheers
Wayne.

[deckie]

Hey Ozscott..luv the thinking. Clear acrylic tubing might be more watertight with less to seal and less work. Might be useful. You could maybe get a piece of old pvc tube and tightly spiral wrap/glue one of those strong 5m 5050 strips all the way down the length. Then insert that into a piece of clear acrylic tube, end cap/ seal with a single cable outlet. Possibly a lot cheaper, more watertight and less work. You can aslo get clear IP68 electrical junction boxes that u could adapt, saves all that work making up a box and easy enough to seal.

There's these too.
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/9w-420lm-waterproof-rgb-led-underwater-lamp-12v-46669
and these
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/bright-Underwater-led-Light-9-1W-DC-24V-Waterproof-IP68-/140522683788?pt=AU_Home_Outdoor_Lighting&hash=item20b7cdfd8c
these for the trim tabs
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-x-9W-BLUE-NEW-Underwater-LED-Boat-Trim-Tab-Light-S-S-/400217875632?pt=AU_Boat_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d2ed824b0
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/18W-Blue-Underwater-LED-Boat-Dual-Trim-Tab-Lights-S-S-/400217875611?pt=AU_Boat_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d2ed8249b
but these ones look the go to me...look genuinly w/tight and easy to improvise with, few of them mounted up might go alright. If the wiring came out the side not the back u could even just sika them on where needed..maybe i dunno.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Blue-Transom-Underwater-Boat-Marine-High-3W-LED-Light-/140545070566?pt=Boat_Parts_Accessories_Gear&hash=item20b92395e6

[ozscott]

Cheers mate - I cant see where to log "thanks" anymore - must be the new site set up!

Cheers

[Bazzawookooka]

Hi all,

I've also recently completed a LED install in my 5m Trailcraft.

I used IP68 strip lights from eBay - similar to those in deckie's post and think the results are great.

I've attached a few pics - including my new all-round white light mounted (temporarily at the moment) on the VHF aerial.

You'll see from the pic of her on the water that it is quite bright, even before the sun is completely gone.

Hope you find this of interest. Thanks for the thread!!!

Cheers,

Steve

[fishfeeder]

I was sitting at Peel awhile ago and there was a boat there with the lights that change colours (disco), was pretty cool until he was only flashing RED and Green for about 10min I thought to my self wonder if people are going to start using him as a navigational marker !!!

Cheers
Brett

[bigdonk]

There are some good ideas and products on this thread.. Keep em coming..

[bigdonk]

I'm a Electrician by trade, Here's a short vid of some strip LED testing through the Dynalite system ( and yes this is in a house )


http://s815.photobucket.com/albums/zz73/12fishy/?action=view&current=IMG_2053.mp4

[xjonox]

im not sure about putting blue lighting in my boat, (looks cool) but does it light up much?
i bet it keeps the junkies away though! lol
im thinking of getting some led's on ebay too,,, has anyone here bought theirs on ebay?
Any good?

[Bazzawookooka]

xjonox,

Mine (see post above) were from eBay.

Here's a current sale item from the same guy at the moment.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4-METRES-Boat-Fishing-Led-Lights-12v-Waterproof-/290571133523?_trksid=p4340.m444&_trkparms=algo%3DCRX%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DSI%25 2BUA%252BLM%252BLA%26otn%3D14%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D 315396800040286459

Cheers,

Steve

[xjonox]

nice, just bought some Bazz. cheers :D

[deckie]

If u have some favorite old lights to change over, here's a result. $2-$4 per light using the fuse types. Just measure the length and get the one with the most led's. Chopped up a cheapo fuseholder from jacar to fit. You can get the round bulb type one that fit straight in with bayonet fittings but to me they arnt as bright as these types.
The larger looking one with more smaller led's is definitely brightest. Which came from this crowd that does all sorts...
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Car-Dome-SMD-18-LED-Interior-Festoon-Bulb-Light-41mm-/220784829033?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3367cd2269
I would've put money on the larger but less of them type coz newer tech..nope. 2 of those is only about 1 1/2 of the big face ones. getting a few more for the car but also putting a third into the larger of those two lights shown.

[Lancair]

With regard to the Blue lighting for night time use, Red used to be the preferred colour installed in aircraft but newer aircraft have blue night lighting now. Apparently the blue allows the eyes to adjust quicker to the dark.
In my old boat I had red electrical tape over white LED's but near the rear and forward seats I left about 1cm of light not covered in tape, to allow a shaft of white light to use for tying hooks etc.

Lancair

[ozscott]

I bit the bullet yesterday and in addition to the 10 m of 5050 60led/m led stripping I have comming for the cabin I got 4 of these http://www.jarviswalker.com.au/catalogue/boating/marine-lighting/jm-aqua-bright-led-underwater-light-diode-600-lumens-white.html

in blue for the transom as underwater lights, and 2 white for under the bimini top. Got some waterproof 10 amp switches off ebay with a little LED in the rocker that I am going to reverse wire so the little led stays lit when the lights are OFF - ie so in the dark they can easily be seen and accessed to turn on.

I am looking forward to the squid rising to meet me. I recall years ago I had front and rear 'all around' white light and the rear light attracted plenty of action, but they reckon, including aqualuma on the GC, that blue lights in our water are the way to go - very effecieint at getting through the water and better bait attraction. I wondered if green would be the go, but they reckon no here.

Cheers

[lethal098]

I put red LED strip ligthing in mine, great stuff for night time work, Prob lights up a bit too much, but awesome for visio67690n.
If you werent going to do red the next best thing is blue, it is not as good as the red for night work but definately better than other colours.
67689

[bigdonk]

That looks sweet lethal...

[Lancair]

http://stlplaces.com/night_vision_red_myth/

An extract from that page for those who couldnt be bother to read it all is below.



Conclusions:

No matter what your color choice it must be fully adjustable for intensity.
If you need the fastest dark adaptation recovery and can adjust to the limitations, or everyone in your group is using night vision equipment then blue-green.
If you must see detail (reading a star chart, or instrument settings) and can lose peripheral vision (see note 1) (http://stlplaces.com/night_vision_red_myth/#note1), then a very long wavelength red at a very low level. Red really only has an advantage at very low levels (were the night blind spot is very obvious).
A general walking around light so that you don't trip over the tripod, knock over equipment or bump into people, then blue-green with enough red added to get rid of the night blind spot, or maybe just use white. Blue-green at higher brightness also works very well and at a lower intensity than white.
If you need to see color and detail then likely the best choice is the dimmest white light for the shortest amount of time.
If you wonder why no one else has drawn these conclusions look at the dashboard of most cars. The markings are large, the pointers are large and an orange-red (a compromise, for certain "color blind" persons) and at night it is edge lit with blue-green filtered fully intensity adjustable light.
Note: Blue-green (also called cyan, turquoise, teal and other names) as used here is NOT the combination of two colors but is a single particular hue.

[bigdonk]

Thanks for the read Lancair..

Cheers

[xjonox]

ok so the conclusion....a healthy dose of blue and green are the go. white with a dimmer. And a touch of red for the hell of it.

Sorted. :D

[ozscott]

Gday all,

Just got 2 rolls of 5m 5050 60 led/m...incredibly bright. I see that the board has cut lines, and R,G,B and 12 volt solder connectors. Currently the negative wire is soldered to R,G,B and positive is connected to the 12v board connector....so does this mean that if say I cut and solder the negative wire to the R and positive wire to the 12v connectors for eg the leds will light up in red? If so does it mean I can buy a controller and change my lighting strips to whatever colour I want at any time...

Cheers

PS. How do the controllers get wired up - just straight to 12 volt dc?

[deckie]

Excellent ;D You;re a bit of a guinea pig for me with these. Do they look watertright/proof ? They've got to be bright as hell compared to those module type older tech ones i woulda thought. Sounds like a good chance of being able to do what you''re saying. Just dont know enough about them sorry.
Was it an RGB one you bght ? If so you should be able to get a controller and plug straight in. Just 2 in (+ -) in from the switch/fuseboard (maybe a 4-5A fuse for those u have i;d guess) and 4 out (R G B Comm). If its an RGB means u can have any colour of the rainbow OR just the one at a time, plus dim the brightness.
I'm no expert, but those rgb controller/dimmer thingies are pretty cheap on ebay and i suspect the REALLY cheap ones caould only handle 1-2A per colour. I;d guess 5m of those 5050 60/m strips must draw at least 2-3A and you;d be looking for one that maybe handles up to 4A.
A lot of stuff around must be old stock relating to far less powerful strip lighting...but either way these sort of controllers and dimmers we see in oz all seem to be just identical rebranded <$10 stuff out of china "on sale" here for > 30-$40. If u sniff abround ebay for ones that can handle a bit more current there must be plenty.

[bigdonk]

Deckie is right on the money there!! Ive been working with the Digilin, Harliquin RGB LED strips (Domestic use). Im spewin its 24vDC otherwise id have it all through my Boat.. ;D.. Im Keen to see how it looks. post some pic's when your done..

BD

[deckie]

Something springing to mind now is these controller thingies and dimmers cant be even remotely water resistant i woulda though..unless big bux are shelled out. Realisitcally it'd be really good to be able to reach it from where the action is rather than bringing a fish in then going behind the dash or inside the cabin side pocket just to turn a damn light up. I imagine whenever i;d want access is when i;ve got one hand free fighting my regulation cockney bream, or slimey pilchard hands. Thought about running wire up into a switch on the cutting board but many of these things now come with those remote controllers like a tv.

By the time you;ve wired it into a small junction box or something u may as well just buy one of those aquapac w/proof plastic bag things, throw the remote in and just have it ready on the cutting board with some sort of lanyard. No need for a switch or lenghts of wiring down back and no knobs to snap off down back. Maybe just throw the controller right out of the way where it can be dry.

Do u reckon one of those IR remotes would still work thru plastic then to a controller in the cabin, wothout having to point the thing maybe ? Seem like they;d be handy things.

[bigdonk]

Yea it should work.. shoot the manufacturer an email to see if it works for what you want it you do....
Well i just bought some more strip LED, Im going to install them in the console ( way to dark to find stuff ) Might light up the under floor storage too!!;D..

[thylacene]

Something springing to mind now is these controller thingies and dimmers cant be even remotely water resistant i woulda though..unless big bux are shelled out. Realisitcally it'd be really good to be able to reach it from where the action is rather than bringing a fish in then going behind the dash or inside the cabin side pocket just to turn a damn light up. I imagine whenever i;d want access is when i;ve got one hand free fighting my regulation cockney bream, or slimey pilchard hands. Thought about running wire up into a switch on the cutting board but many of these things now come with those remote controllers like a tv.

By the time you;ve wired it into a small junction box or something u may as well just buy one of those aquapac w/proof plastic bag things, throw the remote in and just have it ready on the cutting board with some sort of lanyard. No need for a switch or lenghts of wiring down back and no knobs to snap off down back. Maybe just throw the controller right out of the way where it can be dry.

Do u reckon one of those IR remotes would still work thru plastic then to a controller in the cabin, wothout having to point the thing maybe ? Seem like they;d be handy things.

I wouldn't bother with IR, too hard in a marine environment. Have a look at this http://volkalighting.com.au/ledstore/products/-LED-Controller-RF-Remote-3-Channel-RGB-Waterproof.html

[bigdonk]

This is a good link thylacane thats awsom.. and cheep too.. thanks

[deckie]

I wouldn't bother with IR, too hard in a marine environment. Have a look at this http://volkalighting.com.au/ledstore/products/-LED-Controller-RF-Remote-3-Channel-RGB-Waterproof.html
Bingo.
Thats exactly what i'm afte. Cheers great site that.
Thing is that from i know these strong lights will chew a bit of juice and the dimmer will cost some power too. Easy enough to light a boat drawing less amps with a longer string...u can get it down to 2A for 10-15m and get maybe 20W, but if you want the option of really bright OR dimmed AND different colour options all in one then the heavier drawing stuff with a dimmer has to be the go surely. Basically didnt want to get a cheap crappy dimmer setup coz not only is that the part likely to fail first, but they wont be rated for the current draw at full pelt either. Dont want anything getting hot, not only for the obvious reason but also as far as i know heat is the enemy of LED's and will shorten their life dramatically anyway.
Looks a great unit that one...4A per channel. Though i guess like anything else "waterproof" is a fairly loose term these days. People will flog stuff they say is IP68 but if you ask if you can immerse them they'll tell you no...or "we dont recommend it". IP68 is supposed to be immersible >1m. Anything IP66 thats like set in epoxy or covered in those pvc/silcone gel tubings should be plenty for under the gunwhales as long as the connectors/plugs are decent and waterproof types..and our soldering is heatshrunk with a bit of dual wall stuff. I'm really starting to think its better just to look at a 12v product and guess its true "waterproof" rating coz its just marketing junk rather than anything solid to go off.

Its the power draw we got to watch. 5m of these 5050 ones is about 40-50W which i think will mean maybe 5Amps+( ??? ) , which is not "tiny" by any stretch, but for the output provided it hopefully is. A cpl of them on full blast for awhile will soak a bit of juice. But then i want the bright option when cleaning up or looking for the hook i just dropped, and using 5-10A at the end of a trip off the house aint gonna matter to me...IFFF i can turn them down to maybe 2-3A whilst out there. Dunno if i'm making any sense here.

I think at this stage the right compromise for me is one of those 3528120p/m or 5050 60/m 5m jobbies ozscott bgt on a good qualityhigh capacity controller, for around the back fishin area...plus the cheapo low current module types in the cabin on just a dash on/off switch. Might even run a cpl of small red or blue ones up the bimini poles either side behind the seat, connected to the anchor light switch..if i dont like em i;ll rip those off.

[ozscott]

Ok - plenty of planning and building up my fused switch box, all the twin core looms etc and soldering all the joints I am pretty close to fitting it all in the boat. One thing I did discover is that 5050 60 led p/m puts out some heat...so when I took out my double fluros from the Lucky brand lights and replaced them with 60cm of 5050's, with the diffuser put on they get hot enough to cause the 3m double sided tape to stop holding....so I will try again by zip ties every 3cm or so and drilling some holes in the diffuser to let some heat escape. The diffuser takes a little of the edge off them, but they are bloody bright still. All up I have 10m of led strip lighting accounted for. Most for under gunwales lighting.

Cheers

[LittleSkipper]

Bigdonk! Your welcome. Good luck with the underfloor lighting. Looks the goods.

Cheer
Wayno's

[LittleSkipper]

Gotta love LED's

Cheers
Wayno's

[ozscott]

Deckie mate they are about 12w per metre for 5050 60led/m which is 1 amp per metre and bloody bright for that metre. You can save a lot of juice with the 30 led. Having said that 60led is still better on the juice than fluro

. They are sPlash proof if the ends are sealed. Cheers

[deckie]

tx mate...sounds like you're gonna be lit up like Las Vegas. They're supposed to be amazingly bright by comparison but like u say seem to draw a fair bit of juice compared to those superflux/piranha module type which from what i understand are real low current but also low brightness. No free lunches with these things. Did u grab some sort of dimmer to go with it ? Sounds like the way to control the current use coz cant imagine we'd need all that light all the time. At up to 6A it makes me wonder about the tiny wiring in the strips...too hot is it ?

5-6A means they're probably the way to go if u have a dual batt and run off the house...if a dimmer/controller drops the consumption they should be peerfect and give options coz u have the option of LOTS of light when u really need it. The module ones are probably more waterproof and use far less current but then u get far less light...guessing more suited to single batt rigs or without a dimmer/controller. Trying to get my head around these things.
The 5050 ones are supposedly 3 times the brightness of the 3528 but do suck the juice so i guess thats all we need to watch...still a massive amount of light for the current draw compared to how it used to be...just our choice how much current we're happy to chew per hour i suppose.

I got some acrylic tube for rod holder liners recently and u can get clear stuff. You;ve got me thinking about making up like a metre long drop light by wrapping one of these cougars in a spiral and inserting in the clear tube. I know u can get this sort of thing off the rack but most are halogens i think..If i can draw only a few amps and get a massive amount of bait/squid light going it might be worth a project for some fun over winter.
I better just go order one of these things and suck it and see.
Also thinking about a spreader light from this guy. His u/water lights are supposed to be damn good too.
http://coastalnightlights.com
Be great to see some pics when you;re done.
Steve

[ozscott]

Steve - mate that blokes lights are incredible value for money. He is ScarabChris from thehulltruth.com. Problem is the postage - about $150us from memory for a couple of lights. If you are after nice little spreaders with .08 (yep..point o 8) amp draw try Jarvis Marine. Just put my twin white 600 lumens in and they are very bright and very small (easy) to attach to the Bimini. I will start posting up photos when its all done. I have not used a dimmer mate. I have done a number of separate circuits and tried to make the lighting so it lights up but not direct in the eyes where I can - eg under gunwale and under Bimini. I have also converted 2 Lucky 16w fluros to brighter 6w leds (Ie half a metre/2 of 5050 strip inserted into the Lucky holder). With diffusers on they cut the glare a little...I have installed 10m of led stripping, which if its all on is 10amp, however I have 2 large marine batteries that are about 65amp hours..so one battery fully souped will run all lights at once for about 6hours with residual starting current for the outboard. I am also installing 2 x 60cm strips of 5050 30 led/m in red on the gunwales for packing up light - ie 30mins of cleaning up after a fish before getting under way. I also have the four blue transom lights at .08amps each, a rear stern light in led (bugger all - same as my all round white mast head light), sounder, GPS, VHF, stereo (almost never on)...but they are very low amp draw, so realistically for a night session where only some of the lights are being used at the same time I would be looking at running the same batt all night with no dramas.

Cheers

[deckie]

Thats some serious lighting you're whacking on. I'm still refitting and hadnt planned on doing the lighting till after the new donk goes on..BUT might shunt it up the things to do list. Those JM marine lights look too good to be true for the price...30-40 bux for underwater lights :o. Are they the same ones you're using for the spreaders as well ? I was just gonna grab one of those 18W jobbies flooding fleabay these days for maybe $40 but definitely gonna check these ones of yours out. Might grab a cpl for the transom...can you wire them without drilling the transom ?..i.e. surface mount. Does the wiriing come out the rear of the unit or the top edge ?
Yepp read nothing but good things about those ScarabChris lights...sounds like over the top postage. Some of the u.s. guys/outlets must just guess postage and add 100% just in case. I guess if its adding maybe $50-70 per light in a multiple order though it might still be worth a sniff if they're THAT good. Those JM underwater ones you;ve picked up look like a no downside option. 600 lumens each for < 50 bux ? Sweet. Done.

I work on keeping minimum about 30% reserve in house agm for recharging/longevity...cant imagine those 5050 lights will be on for long periods or on full blast much anyway...so i'm with you. Beats the old hanging utility light on a broomstick in the rod holder. Like you say most of the stuff we carry draws sweet fa, so might as well use the battery. Adding 5-10A for lighting i'm fine with for a average nights fishin. Bit concerned re the wirng size tho if your getting lots of heat...looks like pissy little wiring on these things for the current draw. How long u had the strips running for so far ?
Steve

[thylacene]

Made a start, bought a string of twenty 3 led modules, cut up the string and have fitted four modules so far.
http://db.tt/lYIYrm4

Still have 16 left, and reckon I will only use 12 and a lamp in each bait tank. Already have cabin lights, so only doing the deck area under the gunnels.

Will now be able to see enough to go out after dark/
Before dawn and chase some night critters.

[Scott79]

This thread has got me keen on a couple of things, hoping someone can advise the suitability of the following:

# 1 metre strip in White (30 LEDs) beneath a hardtop to provide lighting for rigging up etc, surely this would be enough to light up an area sufficiently ~2m x 2m? Or should I just go to 60 LEDs?

# 1 metre strip in Red (60 LEDs) on the back edge of the hardtop, angled at 45degrees to provide deck lighting, to an area ~2.5m x 2m. I don't need it to be a substitute for the sun or anything, but would like to know if it will provide enough light to bait up, clean up, etc. Shadowing may be an issue, but I think I can put up with it as long as the light itself is ample.

Thanks,
Scott.

[ozscott]

mate - I am still decking mine out and have fallen behind. I can tell you that 1 metre of 60 led per m in 3030 is not enough to rig up in my view. I will post some pics when I can once its all wired up. The 1 metre strip of reds would do for cleaning up and putting stuff away though. I think for lighting in the bimini you are better to have spreader lights. I used the Jarvis marine lights at $30 odd each and they throw a really good light - fully waterproof and easy to attach with zip ties to the alloy tubing. I have added to that 2 1m strips of 3030 along the gunwale inside but wouldnt turn that on unless required. I have also re-worked a old Lucky dual 16w fluro to be 2 30cm strips of LED 3030 and with the diffuser that puts out a nice light. I also have about 5 metres of 3030 60 leds pm under the gunwales and under the pockets for floor lighting and pocket lighting. I dont think I would want less funnily enough. I have 2 60cm strips of 3030 red leds, but only 30 leds per metre and that is probably ok for cleaning up and not spoiling night vision, but double that would be better...will let you know.

Cheers

[Grand_Marlin]

Hey Guys,

I only just found this thread, so sorry for no earlier input.

We have been doing a lot with LED's.
There are heaps to choose from, a few excellent, some good, most ordinary.
Prices on a lot of them are completely ridiculous.
The downfall with most LED lights is getting a spread of light - most are very directional.
Also waterproofing / quality is ordiary in many of them, even though they claim to be waterproof.
We can light most boats nicely with 3 x 110mm LED's! at $30 each.

For night work, the old days told us to use red ... because we only had two choices - red or white!
Yes, red was heaps better than white.
In LED world, BLUE is by far the best for night vision.
White is best for clear viewing / lighting up brightly.

I have attached a couple of pics of boats we have done recently.
This first boat (Yalta 555) has 3 LED's - 2 under gunwhales and one on canopy frame.
It also has the baitboard lights we have been doing for people as well.

[ozscott]

Nice Pete. Mine will be overkilll but I have carpet on the floor and up the sides and bottom of the pockets and floor so for me I get no reflected light and need a heap to power it up...having said that I have made up a waterproof switch box behind the drivers seat (which is accessable from where I fish) and each main circuit is seperately switched - eg undergunwales and pockets are one..side of gunwales are another, spreaders under bimini is another, reds are another etc. Lots of wiring and lots of switches! I am also spreading the light souces around to make sure I have no shadows (or minimal shadows).

Cheers

[Grand_Marlin]

Two 110mm blue lights on "Plan B"

[Grand_Marlin]

Marty's Noble 7.5

Note: This has boat has both blue and white lights, individually switched... blue for night and nice effect, white lights light up like daylight.

[Grand_Marlin]

Nice Pete. Mine will be overkilll but I have carpet on the floor and up the sides and bottom of the pockets and floor so for me I get no reflected light and need a heap to power it up....

Cheers

I understand where you are coming from, but with the right lights you still don't need many of them.
I did a heap of research / trials to get the best we could find at a decent price.
Take a look at Marty's boat - 4 blue LED's for the 3m long cockpit and still lights up nicely.
It also has 4 white LED's that light the whole area up perfectly. (I will get a photo for you)
Marty has Regupol flooring which doesn't reflect light either.
The lights I use are all available in Brisbane and are waterproof.
If colour is a problem, we can also supply remote controlled RGB lights which you can change colour - red, blue, green, pink, yellow and white!
That way you can have them all in one light!

Cheers

Pete

[ozscott]

Thanks Pete - much appreciated.

Cheers

[Scott79]

Thanks Ozscott and Pete.

Pete, do you have any pics on the 110mm's that you are using? That pic of the deck on the Yalta looks good mate.

Thanks,
Scott.

[Grand_Marlin]

Thanks Ozscott and Pete.

Pete, do you have any pics on the 110mm's that you are using? That pic of the deck on the Yalta looks good mate.

Thanks,
Scott.


Scott,

I will have to take specific pics for you.
Here is a link that shows the 280mm we installed to give you an idea.

http://ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?175069-Searaider-2-Wiring-Tidy-up-amp-Electronics-Hookup-(-Thanks-Grand_Marlin-)&highlight=searaider

The 110mm is the same, just shorter.

Cheers

Pete

[bigdonk]

Love those Transom mount underwater LED's.. thats next for sure!!!

[Scott79]

Scott,

I will have to take specific pics for you.
Here is a link that shows the 280mm we installed to give you an idea.

http://ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?175069-Searaider-2-Wiring-Tidy-up-amp-Electronics-Hookup-(-Thanks-Grand_Marlin-)&highlight=searaider

The 110mm is the same, just shorter.

Cheers

Pete

Thanks Pete, the 280mm looks like it does the job nicely.
Do you know how many LEDs are on the 110's or 280's?

Thanks,
Scott.

[ozscott]

What brand and type are those underwater LED's Pete. I have mounted 4 Jarvis Walker brand 600 lumen blues, but yet to test them out..they were a very inexpensive $30 odd each and look solid resin encased waterproof lights. Mine look very bright at night but are not projection style lights like the expensive ones are. Still they should attract bait and squid ok.

Cheers

[FishHunter]

Blue lighting pretty much done, its a Kor lighting kit 8m under the gunwales, then I put a 15cm hi intensity strip under the bimini which wasn't enough so i bought a 1m strip and cut it in half for the either side of the bimini. I think thats enough.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/razzo/Australia/Reef%20Ranger/2011-07-27185226.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/razzo/Australia/Reef%20Ranger/2011-07-27185026.jpg

[PinHead]

bloody hell FH..so much light.

[FishHunter]

bloody hell FH..so much light.
LOl I don't like fumbling in the dark.

[Chimo]

Hi LED People

A question for you. The blue lights all look swish and seem very bright and I believe that blue is best for under water and white is the go to see stuff that your working on for eg in the boat, but wouldn't red be better above the water in the boat from a night vision point of view?

Ta

Cheers
Chimo

[tropicrows]

Hi LED People

A question for you. The blue lights all look swish and seem very bright and I believe that blue is best for under water and white is the go to see stuff that your working on for eg in the boat, but wouldn't red be better above the water in the boat from a night vision point of view?

Ta

Cheers
Chimo

You beat me to the same question. So what is it like trying to see at night with blue/red light everywhere.

[FishHunter]

With red lights u cant see blood, mine is setup so i can see to rig up and unhook fish etc and still see out around the boat.

[Chimo]

Do you bleed a lot? Are you happy with your night vision otherwise?

C
C

[tropicrows]

I just have the normal deck lights, and some white led's under the side pockets etc. So how different is it with blue led's ??? apart from the obvious color difference how do you compare the blue with normal lighting + & -..

[ozscott]

I will clean up the boat and post some pics this weekend - I have used white extensively with a total of 10m of 3030 60 leds per metre combined with 2 overhead spreader led's and some red 3030 30 led strips for night vision general clean up work. I cannot stand trying to rig with red/blue especially small line diameter. I find just mucking around now on the trailer that having white shining down from under the top of the gunwales into the side pockets is a great place to stick you hands to rig up - all the light you could ask for but not shining in your eyes...

Cheers
PS. Blue looks cool

[deckie]

Looks good FH
hey ozscott..sounds like we're working similar timeframes. Not far off finished too.
Will post pics soon too, not much point yet. Just ordered some more and the only thing left will be the HID spottie.

[FishHunter]

Do you bleed a lot? Are you happy with your night vision otherwise?

C
C

Just mentioning the blood smartypants, The other downside of red is u cant see red or orange lines very well. I just prefer the blue and I can see well enough for my purposes, if I cant I turn the white flood light or docking lights on

Sent from my X10i using Tapatalk

[ozscott]

OK - I have attached some photos as promised. No flash used except the transom shot where it shows the wiring. All taken with the iphone on auto. The reds are not wired in yet because I am waiting for a third strip to arrive. The level of internal lighting is very sweet - 5 circuits so lighting is able to be customised to suit. The transom blues cost $120...fully waterproof (and they look it) and can be mounted as I have done with transom wiring, or you can drill holes and run the wires through the transom. The switch box is behind the driver's seat for all lights and allows me to turn lights on and off whilst fishing without going up to the helm. I love it.

The photos are named (when you click on them) with the description of what lights are on so you can see whats what.

Cheers

[deckie]

Niceee. Luvvin those surface mount transom lights. The less holes drilled in the transom below waterline the better. Are they those JW marine ones u were saying ?..any idea what wattage they are ? coz 4 of them looks pllleenntyyy and look easy enough to rig up. If they fail for any reason, so what anyway...no holes, no harm ;D. Sweet Vag u got there. Looks plush with the lights on the blue...just need a tv and a bar fridge now ;D
I ended up putting the switch box just inside pass side in cabin where i can flick it but cant see it. Prefer your idea of having it closer to the action though. Taking some up the poles inside the baitboard and behind it.

[whiteman]

Scott, more lights than I need but similar to what I'm planning. Can you post a summary of what you have installed as it is hard to troll through all your posts to piece it all together. If Grand Marlin or others could chip in to summarise best parts and where to buy for a reasonable price that would be a valuable resource.

I assume the LED control box (switch box/dimmer?) needs a simple connection back to the battery like any other piece of electronics using a fuse in the line?

I went to the local BIAS today and though they sell some LED stuff it is mostly the finished products from Hella or expensive kits.

[deckie]

Almost done. Probably put on some of ozscotts blue transom lights and a bar across the back of the baitboard, which isnt finished yet (hence the long poles not cut to size yet till donk goes on) Outlet in outboard well also not done yet for my underwater drop lights.

I spend more of my time after dark than during the day, (Hawkesbury/Pittwater, Nth of Syd) so kitting it up better during this refit. Amazing difference and no idea how i went all those years with assorted useless halogens straining just to tie a bloody hook or feeling around in my own shadow for the car keys in a blacked out sidepocket back at the ramp. Trying to fix all the little things that used to shit me before the new donk goes on.
Everyone is different and red seems to suit my night vision better than blue. Can see further outside the boat and easier to make out lines in the water. I dont like any lights under the canopy when driving except a sounder coz i get better night vision, hate reflection off the dash/windscreen. Run off a 100AH AGM aux batt. Seperate inline fuses on small switchboard for lights only, run off anchor light dash switch fused at 15A...saves using up dash switches on lots of lights.
Some details if you're interested.
Cabin lights in sidepockets are the cheapo white superflux module type string set so nothing shines in eyes. 0.3A, 4m string $10. Brighter than show in pics.
Converted existing S/S cabin light to festoon LED's over tackle storage. 0.4A, $2
My own creation detachable spreader light coz sick of being in my own shadow everywhere with normal ones. 2 X white + 1 X red 5050 IP66 rigid bar LED, 0.5m each, about $20 each. Draws 1.4 A (2Xwhite) and 0.8A (1Xred) for fishing = max 1.4A at anytime. Mounted on thin anodised ally with a couple of small honda gold wing w/proof dot switches. This thing cranks it out with red for normal fishing out the back but plenty of white for rigging up, cleaning etc. Couldnt find anything on the market for any money that i didnt need to modify.
Under gunwhale is a 5m string of 5050 RGB (60/metre, $50) with an RF controller i took apart and waterproofed. Easy to control the brightness and if getting RGB's get the RF (radio frequency) controller rather than the IR (infra red) coz dont need to point it at the controller like a tv remote. Tucked away and mounted on a thin bit of eva foam to dampen vibration and shock coz they dont look too tough. Connections epoxied coz they looked a bit soft too. When on full brightness it puts out maybe 60W and seems to draw between 4.5-5A..but dimmed to one third brightness is plenty. Nothing wrong with a bit of extra. Can get less thirsty strings but wanted plenty of light and a choice of white/blue/red, and happy drawing maybe 2A. My nephews are gonna luv the new disco coz they flash all sorts of colours. Anything to stop them getting bored at night. Suppose i better put the new stereo on next complete with the Bee Gee's and Sat Night Fever.

[deckie]

A few more pics (no flash in any). Including a random pic of the big Cabo at the boat show i decided would be a reasonable upgrade...till i checked my wallet.
700927009370091700867008770088700897009070095http://ausfish.com.au/vforum/images/misc/pencil.png

[ozscott]

Mate - great job! Loving that overhead led panel work up...nice.

Cheers

[deckie]

tx mate..coz i probably spend a bit more time at night than others here i might try to also pass on what i've found that helps enormously to see..and more importantly to keep on being able to see. Pretty amateurish but i put the car next to the boat in the driveway as something to look at outside the boat, then shut all other lights out and waited 10 mins with my eyes to test how i could detailed the car was in the dark, with the various colours and levels and found out all sorts of things helped..but i suspect its all about the individual as much as anything.

The most important aid to nightvision is simply keeping all lighting as low as possible and never looking into any type of light source...hence why the under gunwhale is so good i guess. Whilst they have the potential to be switched up real bright i doubt they'd ever be on more than maybe 1/3rd their capacity. Having the white/blue/red combo was half about testing my own night vision as anything else and pretty cheap to have the option.
It takes a lot longer than we think for our eyes to adapt after bright lights have been on. Hence just enough in the cuddy part to find something but not much more. Best to have that in the side pockets coz the spilled light is enough for everything else. Looking in a bright cabin then turning around back outside the boat is like being blind for 5 mins or more...i suspect our eyes dont properly recover for ages.

Supposedly the best colour for night vision is cyan which is a bluey green colour. These RGB's do have cyan but when i switched it on its not really a true cyan colour but some sort of mutant of white blue and green. Possible that its the go though instead of dimmed red or blue and wont know till i'm on the water. In the driveway its a big improvement on white though at same level.
Maybe its something to do with wavelengths or whatever but for some reason the red in these led thingies was actually a big advantage over the blue..but at low levels blue was really good too. Its why i went with the red bar into that decklight...it just uses a couple of pipe clips to hold firm but can be turned upwards so that only a little is on the deck. The more powerful white is coz there's always a time when i need a bright light to rig up or whatever but often its at the ramp and cleaning up at home. Just as important tho in my area is safety...lots of hire houseboats that require no license and whilst they arnt allowed to be out and about after dark its bizzarre what u see. Lots of the best jew holes are near prominent points and u feel like a sitting duck for a drunk..u hear the whines of motors getting closer and you start to get nervous. Then of course along comes Mr Idontgiveashit in his 50ft Riviera doing 25 knots on his way to anchor and get on the piss for the weekend. Being near points everyone cuts corners and i'd rather have the ability to switch that thing on fast. Anchor lights are ok but maybe they just dont register as light to some jokers. You stay out of obvious travel channels but they dont stay in them. A strong torch at the ready is still damn handy.

I reckon our allround white/anchor lights are probably the most obvious and easiest fixed hassle to driving at night. Even on new rigs you see them placed in the most stupid spots. Best is to get the ones that have a barrier to letting light down onto the boat or even better just fashion a small piece of thin ally and put just under the light itself as a barrier. Must have them bright and on whilst driving but we can at least stop that light falling onto the boat anywhere in front of driving position. Probably the biggest and easiest fixed cure for driving at night in the inky black.
Even little lights from a 27/vhf/stereo on the dash screw things up too. Sounder the biggest issue and difficult coz its about the only thing you want, but needs to be dimmed anyway u can. This time around i;m putting everything over on the passenger side wall and in the cabin out of direct line of sight. Who the hell cares what rpm/speed you;re doing so no bright gauges. No light whatsoever under the canopy when driving i find is the best. Just no need for 90% of what is on the dash. Fixing these little things (and especially the anchor light) its amazing how much better u can see.

So, i reckon low light is better than any colour, red/blue not much difference. Being closer to 50 than 40 means my eyes arnt what they once were anyway, so it has become a slight issue for me i guess. Must be VERY visible to others without that light shining downwards on the boat. Whether its just me or what i dunno but the light from LED's is actually so much better at keeping night vision going..whilst its only a driveway test right now its already an obvious advantage, plus i can dim them easy. Need to avoid sudden light level changes as much as possible but there's a safety issue there...the guys in here might care about getting too close but its mind blowing how many tossers there are and they travel at speed. Then there's my pet hate right now...the special k iron man wannabe in his yak and no lights dreaming about his muscle development. Gotta get this little scooter back out there soon i suppose.

[fandtm666]

looks great deckie, one thing i noticed in the full white light pic showing the bait board
i see you have a tap setup on it is it sea water or drinking water and if drinking water what
circulating pump did you use .

[deckie]

Its a bit of an unfinished project still..decided best to trim the support poles and wire it up after the donk goes on. Put an 1100gph on a s/s livey bracket on the transom that will do for both bait well and get some water onboard. Decided against another pressure pump coz they just go bung too easy and all i wanted was some water where its handy...and no leaning over for buckets anymore. I throw burley out like a goose and it just ends up everywhere so went with this and for general cleanup. Its a 1/2 inch line to get the pressure with an inline tap that i will divert to a tank. The little tap is light as a feather and cheap as chips from Whitworths and tho not perfect i can attach a small tube to the end and poke it down the bung on the opposite side of the board and keep it on when cleaning fish etc...easy to control the flow. It all pulls apart and detaches easy..just pull garden hose fitting underneath and attach a nozzle for cleaning the deck or just use a finger to spray. Much prefer the light shower hoses to coil hose...come in 2m bits u can replace for $20, not a pain, sit flat in an outboard well, less room etc etc. Will replace the plastic T fitting with s/s when donk is fitted and height is right. Shouldnt need to be concerned with the baitboard as donk is tilted...the new 70 yammie is a high cowling and wanted the baitboard set right back, light, and to raise with the motor as it tilts.
Will put an LED bar across the back of it coz its a great spot for a light out the back that isnt in your eyes.

[deckie]

dbl post. No idea how u delete them.

[marty+jojo]

I got some SMD LEDS off ebay a few weeks back. I got 2 x 4.5mtr lengths delivered for $48. They come with 3m double sided tape on them. I ran them all the way around my 4.2mtr Bluefin. I am very pleased with the results.
Marty.

[deckie]

Last part of the lighting finished....ok its the last part till i find something else to play with like underwater lights 8-).

Baitboard done so nothing direct in eyes. Played with lights/amount of light and inside from the sides seems to work best without reducing night vision too much. A removeable bar simply clips onto the back of board as needed and faces back to illuminate spread of lines. Not even a reflected light off a rail or shiney holder to piss me off so i'm happy now. Be able to see much much better than ever before.

[Bubsy]

I am chasing the amp rating/wattage for those Jarvis ones. I would be very reluctant to accept 600 lumens in the blue colour if it was only .5 amps say....we will see. I would have thought 600 lumens would draw 1 amp at least.



Ozscott,

How did you go with this mate? I see these in the shop and I am quite keen, but I am worried about the amp draw as well. Mainly because they advertise them as "low amp draw" instead of giving a figure. Has anyone sussed these out?