headlights ? fixed spotlight

[darylive]

A few punters now have headlights fitted to their boat.

I am thinking of fitting some thing, possibly a little flood light on the bowow.

What have got?

How good is it?

What did it cost?

Yes I know the ol'dolphin is a handy standby so let's get past that.

I put this in the Boat talk but really who wants headlights in the bloody ocean.
Plenty of us were picking our way home in the dark from the back blocks of Monduran last weekend.

[Obi _ Wan]

G'Day Daryl,

Good to meet you last weekend mate, i have just got to get you to show me how to rig an Easter Egg with an 8/0 backbone jig.

As to the fixed spot lights, i have been thinking the same thing, nothing to report yet but it may be the answer to finding your way around in the forrest.

Cheers,
John.

[Rhino80]

Hi Darylive
There are a few boats with them fitted on the broadwater and they are pain in the ass as they destroy the oncoming vessels vison at night.

[darylive]

Hi Darylive
There are a few boats with them fitted on the broadwater and they are pain in the ass as they destroy the oncoming vessels vison at night.

Yes I don't think you would want them coming toward you.

Common sense would suggest they only be used in the bush and as necessary but we all know common sense is not nearly as common as idiots.

I am thinking small flood light, like a reversing light and more for up the back blocks of the dams where there is usually no other traffic. Negotiating the timber in the dark is a bit hairy.

[cormorant]

New hella spot / flood ( new ones are half size of older version ) $180 (ouch) plus $20 for their magnetic plug connector A couple one at stern as well and on teh 4wd.

Mounted away from anchor on bow rail with a nylon hex rod holder base that swivels. Can easily walk anywhere on boat with it and use it as a hand held flood. Use it reversing at night pointing down side of trailer facing rearwards at the ramp and on the 4wd when camping., prawning.

Not super powerfull but just really usefull and white light and not too much power. Think they have 4 luxor watt led with decent reflectors for each.

No doubt there will be generic ones cheaper in 12 months but Hella seems to acess the good leds earlier than other companies.

[robersl]

Negotiating the timber in the dark is a bit hairy

Come on daryl harden up princess lol

No i think you are right if out on the dam at night i think you should have some sort of light for picking your way past the tree's but i think a light the illuminates the area from above and down forward of the boat onto the water maybe like a fluro type light but does not shine brightly straight ahead i have used spotties on the water but unless you hit something solid like land it is hard to see anything like water out in front of you

Shane

[NAGG]

I think the topic came up a few times last weekend - a hand held spotlight is a must .......... but if used in combination with headlights - life would be much easier.

Steve B has spotties fitted ...... send him a pm

Chris

[finga]

What about a crabbing light put in the rodholders??
The stick bit of the light could be glued in the butt of an old broken rod with a gimble fitting on the bottom. (that'll make it point in the one direction).
That'll give you light from up a bit higher then something mounted on the boat.

[aussiebasser]

I've driven a couple of boat with headlights and they aren't all that good. A spot light in a rod holder, or anywhere back from the bow will give you a lot of reflection back into your eyes. It's very difficult to get light to show up anything over water. I don't have a solution, apart from going slow and using a dophin.

[nipsta]

yep i agree they do throew heaps of glare at ya if your at the back back of your boat but im thinking of getting a extension handle so when im travelling bak at night im up the front more and when im using the hand held million candle floop light i wont get the glare maybe

[black_sheep]

Daryl,

Mate in Tinaroo has a normal $80 car spottie mounted under the bow. He has a decent gunwhale so light is tucked right under and protected when bashing into trees. Works great, especially when travelling at speed or back to the ramp. Problem with them is when manouvering around the timber just to change spots or flick on elctric is that they too bright so you get blinded as well as the fish!!! They also terrible when the insects are around.

'BLA' sell boat spotties that flush mount into the bow of your boat but they only good for boats that have a flat bow/nose not a 'V' nose as they shoot too much to the sides and not forward. They are not cheap either and range between $400-$900 but look great and work really well.

I have gone for a 1 metre long (60 LED) strip. You can get them from a few places now and they are great. They are very cheap and p/easy to install. Very bright, low voltage, low insect attractant (big bonus at Mondy). They don't throw a beam like a spottie but luminate a large area. I still use a handheld spottie at Mondy when travelling back in the main channel but the LED strip is great for the cut thru's and moving from one spot to another in the timber. Also great for fighting fish in the dark as net man doesn't need to hold the net and the torch and drive the electric. Very handy at ramp too as they light up the whole car park so person collecting car can see where they going without needing a torch. I have mine connected to a dimmer switch so I can control the brightness - handy when hitching the boat up at it doesn't blind you (or others). The strips that I use are fully waterproof and use double sided 3M tape so minimal drilling required. They also very slimline so shouldn't get ripped off in the timber. They come in a range of colours too.

A few of us are using them. We have them hooked up inside our boats as well so we can see around the boat at night. We also have them under our hatches etc so you don't need to shine a torch inside a hatch to find something and then have a blind spot for 5mins waiting for your eyes to adjust back again. Again, these lights come in various colours so you can get very low irritant ones that again DON'T attract nugs as much as a bright white light.




If you would like more info on the LED strips, just shoot me a PM.

Hope this helps.

[Magella]

Darryl,
Have a 60w on the front of my boat mounted under the bow mount plate no reflections off the console, bow etc would not travell without it at night.
60w not over bright but enough to see where you are going, Besides how do you hold a spotlight, steer and drink your back to the ramp stubbie all at the one time?

Cheers Foxie

[Roo]

I hold my spottie over the side under the Gunwhale height to avoid the glare issue...just need Kim to hold one too and we'll be set....but I'd rather set up some headlights....the rod holder idea is good, I have a bow rail up there that i can use.
Also the LED strips is interesting, could be a winner if they're not too exxy. I want to set it up so the headlights are a easy fit and remove thing just for the Dams. not much need for them down here as I dont fish at night usually.

Cheers Roo.

[Luc]

If your boat has a bow sprit, fitting the light under it would seem ideal. Rather than a spotlight, something like a floodlight should give good visibility.

Right at the front of the boat and no reflected glare from the boat.

I like Roo's idea to make the light removable. I use a BIAS 12V halogen floodlight (cat. 7105) as a reversing light on my ute and it's great. It should work well as a boat driving light.

Of course if $$ are no object, then maybe the BIAS high powered LED spreader light might be OK (cat. 5415 $289)!!

A few year ago night fishing at Boondooma Dam, the nav lights gave plenty of visibilty for moving around in the timber when trolling / changing spots.

Luc

[finga]

Also the LED strips is interesting, could be a winner if they're not too exxy. I want to set it up so the headlights are a easy fit and remove thing just for the Dams. not much need for them down here as I dont fish at night usually.

Cheers Roo.

Have a gander here then
http://www.besthongkong.com/
Good to deal with too.
Go blue or red to save the night vision