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LED Spreader lights?
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Mako,
I have been using the solar power lawn spot lights on my boat and they work great. I just stick two of them in the rod holders on my T-Top. They aren't super bright, but they work. I leave them there all day to charge when the boat is in the slip. You can also take one down and use it as a flash light when you are trying to net or gaff a fish.
Andy
I have been using the solar power lawn spot lights on my boat and they work great. I just stick two of them in the rod holders on my T-Top. They aren't super bright, but they work. I leave them there all day to charge when the boat is in the slip. You can also take one down and use it as a flash light when you are trying to net or gaff a fish.
Andy
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10,097 Posts
One of this season's Spring boat upgrades was to lose the power-hungry Halogen spreader light and the portable fluorescents I've always used for night fishing and go L.E.D.
I wanted a light that would not consume much power (like the 55W Halogen certainly does). and also would not interfere with my AM radio reception (like the fluorescents always did) - so I can hear my Metsies night game broadcasts without it sounding like the Martians were attacking.
So after an extensive search I settled on the newest piece out there, the Hella "LED Mega Beam."
After installing & using it, I have the following observations:
1/ Its every bit as bright as the single 55W Halogen it replaced - an impressive surprise
2/ The color temperature of the light is a pleasant blue-white - a very welcomed change
3/ It burns spit for power @ 0.58A/hour
4/ After installing it and firing it up, I switched on the AM radio - mucho interference.
Darn. (Not the actual word I used).
So I e-Mailed Hella Customer Support - who took a week to get back to me. I had actually forgotten about it, and was resigned to living with the AM radio interference, due to what I saw as the usual field non-support. Pretty typical of my experience with the many other vendors of marine equipment I've dealt with over the years.
Not so with Hella, because sure enough a week later a rely comes back from their customer service people - I guess they were initially somewhat sceptical of what I told them, but after using that week for further lab testing, much to their credit, they found that the light did indeed emit RF interference in the 1 megahertz range. Since AM radio is broadcast from 0.54 to 1.6 mHertz, there was little doubt that the light was the culprit.
This was reinforced by the fact that I had already rewired the radio to move it far away from the light's power feedwire, and had changed the battery system that the AM/FM radio draws from. Additionally I had spoken with several electrical engineers at Brookhaven National Laboratory (some of my better business customers, truth be known) and they gave me some quality pointers on using clamp-on ferrite RF eliminators to attenutate the interference. Well, none of that stuff worked - so the problem was obviously on Hella.
So anyway, Hella stepped up to the plate and confirmed that their product was not what they intended, that they would immediately redesign the internal power board to now include RF suppression in the 1 megahertz range - and here's where it gets good - umprompted they volunteered to replace my piece with a newly redesigned unit - as very soon as they can get the running change into production - maybe 45 days.
Good enough for me. And good enough to earn my respect as a stand-up company that really does understand the value of end-user field feedback.
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BTW, the light never gave so much as peep anywhere in the FM band, the interference is strictly on the AM side.
Additionally, this is BY FAR the best piece of work I have ever seen in a marine light. The housing is a clamshell of HEAVY cast aluminum and wieghs far more than it looks like it should. Just holding it in your hands will convince you of its overall level of quality - a super piece of work - now to include the RF suppression that it should have had to begin with.
Here's a link to the retailer I purchased mine from:
www.yachtlights.com
And here's the light:
This post edited by Leprechaun 10:21 PM 05/27/2008
I wanted a light that would not consume much power (like the 55W Halogen certainly does). and also would not interfere with my AM radio reception (like the fluorescents always did) - so I can hear my Metsies night game broadcasts without it sounding like the Martians were attacking.
So after an extensive search I settled on the newest piece out there, the Hella "LED Mega Beam."
After installing & using it, I have the following observations:
1/ Its every bit as bright as the single 55W Halogen it replaced - an impressive surprise
2/ The color temperature of the light is a pleasant blue-white - a very welcomed change
3/ It burns spit for power @ 0.58A/hour
4/ After installing it and firing it up, I switched on the AM radio - mucho interference.
Darn. (Not the actual word I used).
So I e-Mailed Hella Customer Support - who took a week to get back to me. I had actually forgotten about it, and was resigned to living with the AM radio interference, due to what I saw as the usual field non-support. Pretty typical of my experience with the many other vendors of marine equipment I've dealt with over the years.
Not so with Hella, because sure enough a week later a rely comes back from their customer service people - I guess they were initially somewhat sceptical of what I told them, but after using that week for further lab testing, much to their credit, they found that the light did indeed emit RF interference in the 1 megahertz range. Since AM radio is broadcast from 0.54 to 1.6 mHertz, there was little doubt that the light was the culprit.
This was reinforced by the fact that I had already rewired the radio to move it far away from the light's power feedwire, and had changed the battery system that the AM/FM radio draws from. Additionally I had spoken with several electrical engineers at Brookhaven National Laboratory (some of my better business customers, truth be known) and they gave me some quality pointers on using clamp-on ferrite RF eliminators to attenutate the interference. Well, none of that stuff worked - so the problem was obviously on Hella.
So anyway, Hella stepped up to the plate and confirmed that their product was not what they intended, that they would immediately redesign the internal power board to now include RF suppression in the 1 megahertz range - and here's where it gets good - umprompted they volunteered to replace my piece with a newly redesigned unit - as very soon as they can get the running change into production - maybe 45 days.
Good enough for me. And good enough to earn my respect as a stand-up company that really does understand the value of end-user field feedback.
BTW, the light never gave so much as peep anywhere in the FM band, the interference is strictly on the AM side.
Additionally, this is BY FAR the best piece of work I have ever seen in a marine light. The housing is a clamshell of HEAVY cast aluminum and wieghs far more than it looks like it should. Just holding it in your hands will convince you of its overall level of quality - a super piece of work - now to include the RF suppression that it should have had to begin with.
Here's a link to the retailer I purchased mine from:
www.yachtlights.com
And here's the light:
This post edited by Leprechaun 10:21 PM 05/27/2008
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MakoFever,
I have seen those lights and like what I see although have not purchased them yet. On the big boat, I am using Pyramid's 500w quartz lights that look and work great on the boat. On the 23 Mako, I have older Halogens that I put on in 2000 that draw alot of juice and I dont like to use them. I am planning on buying the lights you linked to and installing them within the next month - just have too many projects going on at once!!!
I have seen those lights and like what I see although have not purchased them yet. On the big boat, I am using Pyramid's 500w quartz lights that look and work great on the boat. On the 23 Mako, I have older Halogens that I put on in 2000 that draw alot of juice and I dont like to use them. I am planning on buying the lights you linked to and installing them within the next month - just have too many projects going on at once!!!
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I have found that in general when it comes to boats, its best to buy once, and buy the best you can find.
Lep
Lep
ScarabChris from TheHullTruth.com modified my stock spreader lights to LED. He is going to be producing his own units in a few weeks.
The pics below are the lights he modifed for me. I wanted to keep my factory housings.
This post edited by Mim019 08:28 AM 05/30/2008
The pics below are the lights he modifed for me. I wanted to keep my factory housings.
This post edited by Mim019 08:28 AM 05/30/2008
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Very Cool Mim!!
Nice job!!
This post edited by Dorymate2530 01:49 PM 05/30/2008
Nice job!!
This post edited by Dorymate2530 01:49 PM 05/30/2008
DeepBlueFishing wrote:
55 watt halogens on a 12v system pull 4.6 amps each. More than 10 time the current draw. LED is the way to go.
Thats the main reason I upgraded. When I used to turn on my halogen spreaders my electronics would dim for a second. It was obvious they were a heavy load on the batteries.
Every single light on my boat is LED now. It was expensive to replace each one, but it was worth it.
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I have LED spreader lights, ****pit lights, nav lights, anchor light, dome light, and under gunnel lights.
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This post edited by Mim019 03:34 PM 05/30/2008
55 watt halogens on a 12v system pull 4.6 amps each. More than 10 time the current draw. LED is the way to go.
Thats the main reason I upgraded. When I used to turn on my halogen spreaders my electronics would dim for a second. It was obvious they were a heavy load on the batteries.
Every single light on my boat is LED now. It was expensive to replace each one, but it was worth it.
I have LED spreader lights, ****pit lights, nav lights, anchor light, dome light, and under gunnel lights.
This post edited by Mim019 03:34 PM 05/30/2008
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Current Info/Advice?
After changing the live well pump and ducer on my boat last night I went to turn on my spreader light to help cleanup in the driveway and she wouldn't come on. Worked fine the night before in the bay, so I pulled the light bulb out (looked fine) and put a volt tester on the feed to the unit and got 11.5 volts (had the ****pit lights on a long time without the boat running, so may have drawn down a little). Couldn't get voltage at the back of the light bulb though.
Anyway, rather than just replace the bulb I am seriously considering changing out the halo light with an LED. Any current suggestions on an LED spreader? I saw Leps suggestion from 2 years ago, but LEDs are constantly improving and although his light was 500 lumens I see a Lumitec Abaco light with 800 lumen output for $119 on line.
So, let's hear the latest!
Thanks!
Scott
After changing the live well pump and ducer on my boat last night I went to turn on my spreader light to help cleanup in the driveway and she wouldn't come on. Worked fine the night before in the bay, so I pulled the light bulb out (looked fine) and put a volt tester on the feed to the unit and got 11.5 volts (had the ****pit lights on a long time without the boat running, so may have drawn down a little). Couldn't get voltage at the back of the light bulb though.
Anyway, rather than just replace the bulb I am seriously considering changing out the halo light with an LED. Any current suggestions on an LED spreader? I saw Leps suggestion from 2 years ago, but LEDs are constantly improving and although his light was 500 lumens I see a Lumitec Abaco light with 800 lumen output for $119 on line.
So, let's hear the latest!
Thanks!
Scott
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10,097 Posts
Hi Scott - what is it two seasons now? Still works great, no water intrusion. I don't know about you, but in my sized ****pit (which you have seen), the Hella is almost too bright for night fishing use. I'm lookin' into making a red filter to snap onto its snout for extended night use. 800 lumins you say? I can't imagine a light 75% more powerful in a small boat's ****pit being all that useful for anything other than after-trip cleanups. Too much is sometimes too much.
Lep
Lep
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I found these lights, Coastal lights but I'm concerned that a light comparable to 50 watt halogen may not be enough for my ****pit. The strip lights in red would be a hot ticket under the gunnels!
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Mike, I night fish with someone that installed those red LED strip lights under his gun'nels - completely around his ****pit. Nice enough and cool to look at, but useless for anything other than keeping yourself from tripping over a fish. I suppose they are brite enough to tie knots, but the weird "UFO-effect" guarantees PLENTY of attention as you steam by other boats. If they see that you are into fish, there is no way to hide with those lights on.
Lep
Lep
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