LED lights

[Hunter 2]

I was considering changing my boats lighting over to LED lights. They use much less power and last around 25,000 hours. New fixtures can be expensive but some regular incandescent bulbs have replacement LED bulbs. Does anyone have any LEDs already in use? I am kind of worried about draining my batteries too much while night fishing. I am even thinking of adding a third battery to my system. I tend to overkill things though. I'm kind of anal. My wife will tell you I'm too anal.
   I did purchase a rechargeable LED lantern that I use for night fishing, You can wind it up too to recharge the battery. I also have the LED headlamps the strap to your forehead which work great.

   Any input??    Eddie

[Pops Soul]

Hey Eddie I am a big fan of LED lights, I haven't put any on the boat yet but these did catch my eye Marine LED Rope Lights from Cabela's. They are an easy way to spread light out over an area with one connection. I was thinging of them for under the gunnels especially on my 14 ft river boat..

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat21276-cat601336-cat600053_TGP&id=0022913016310a&navCount=1&podId=0022913&parentId=cat600053&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat600053&hasJS=true

[Hunter 2]

Good idea!I was thinking of something like that too.

[Duffman]

Love em.  But you get what you pay for. I have bought cheap LED's off ebay that were not up to the quality of stuff you'll see in stores. 

 Do your homework before you buy.

[wb]

I like the LED concept but IMO they do not live up to their claims- or I just haven't found the right ones yet. I'd go with the 3rd battery.

Anal is better than DIW (ded inda wadder)

[Hunter 2]

Third battery is easy to install too. I guess I will parrallel it with one of my two already in use just for night fishing. This way I can keep it charged in the garage and just clip it in for the night trips.  Or even better use it as a Jumper battery if I do lose power while out.    Too many options

[brickken]

You might want to look at this site:

http://www.yachtlights.com/item--SeaMaster-LED-Strip--SML-20 they have decent strip LED lights as well as other options.

http://www.yachtlights.com/cat--LED-Lighting--ledlighting
Ken

[ped579]

Man are those things expensive.  I was thinking about some how installing an LED some where around the cutting board on the forward rack but I don't want it to cast a glow on the water.

Experimenting at those prices is totally out of the question.

[brickken]

I hear you, but they do have other options such as the rope led's at $3...
http://www.yachtlights.com/item--LED-Rope-Light--RL-LED

[ped579]

Now that might work and at roughly $10.00 thats not bad. (for 3')

[Still Running]

I put some small LED's in the boat and they work great. I am still looking for two lights for up on the arch. One guy I talked to used LED spot lights from an Fire EXIT sign. Let me know if you find anything.

[Hunter 2]

I put some small LED's in the boat and they work great. I am still looking for two lights for up on the arch. One guy I talked to used LED spot lights from an Fire EXIT sign. Let me know if you find anything.

LED spots from a exit sign are perfect! They run on 12 volts DC. I have been looking for some at work. I'm an electrician and some times we do rip outs of old fixtures. So far I have not come across any. Even the older incandescent type will work good.
 Another idea I have thought of is to use a 120 volt compact fluorescent Edison based bulb
in a clamp on light socket with the reflector. You can buy these at Home depot. And plug it in to a 120 Volt power converter on the boat.
 The power converters plug into a cigarette lighter adapter. I already have all that stuff..

[Still Running]

Here is a link to somp pics of one on a soft top. I don't know if they are LED.

http://www.lakeontariounited.com/fishing/viewtopic.php?t=4267&highlight=

[Hunter 2]

Here is a link to some pics of one on a soft top. I don't know if they are LED.

http://www.lakeontariounited.com/fishing/viewtopic.php?t=4267&highlight=

Those are incandescent Exit sign emergency spotlights. I was thinking of using those too.

 Funny thing though, The guy around 3 posts down in that forum used the same compact fluorescent idea that  I explained previously    BRILLIANT!

[Still Running]

You know what they say about geat minds?