Track Lighting

[cheers1247]

I am looking to install some additional lighting in my galley and over the dinning table and was thinking of using track lighting to accomplish this. Any suggestions etc.?

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, cheers1247.

I wouldn't use track lighting on a boat (< 80' or so).

[St. Elsewhere]

Have you found suppliers that can deliver 12/24 volt dc sockets and corrosion resistant materials? If so it will work.

[Pblais]

I am looking to install some additional lighting in my galley and over the dinning table and was thinking of using track lighting to accomplish this. Any suggestions etc.?

Not so sure track lighting is all that required. You can get flexible fixtures if need be. The track fixtures can be a problem. There are some great LED fixtures out there with both red/ white and dimmer. I replaced all the old bulbs with LED bulbs. For the counter I went with a Cold Cathode flourescent dual light (Taylorbrite) over the main counter and Fridge. It casts a large area of light that the spot lights don't. preparing food it covers the basics from sink to fridge to stove. It also lights the bottom of the fridge and gives a nice level for casual dinning. It wasn't a cheap fixture but it is lower power than fluorescent and yields little heat. There is a dimmer for it but I did not install it.

I think if you place dedicated lights hard-wired you'll just have fewer problems with the fixtures going bad. You probably have some fixtures that came with the boat that are located OK but perhaps a different fixture could provide better light or make it adjustable in terms of focus and brightness.

The bright halogen track fixtures work fine in your home but on board they suck more power and generate a lot of heat. if you begin with task based lighting you can fill in a few others for atmosphere. You'll save power and make less heat.

[IrishLass]

Originally Posted by cheers1247

I am looking to install some additional lighting in my galley and over the dinning table and was thinking of using track lighting to accomplish this. Any suggestions etc.?

IKEA has a great selection of 12V lights. We are currently installing the low profile LED strips in the galley and the main salon. They are very nice and affordable. You might want to seal the connections to prevent corrosion.
I have been wanting more light and I was so pleased when my husband suggested these.

[Pyxis156]

Not sure why Gord doesn't recommend track lighting on a boat < 80', we wanted additional lighting over the stove in our galley and used some LED track lighting from Imtra. Not cheap but was perfect for the application, low profile and you can aim the lights. They also have a built-in dimmer. All 12V and designed for marine use, was simple and straightforward to install. You can see the lights here at the Imtra website.

[GordMay]

The Resolux 850 Series LED Lighting, to which Pyxis156 linked, isn’t “Track” lighting, but “Linear” lighting, to which I do NOT object.

[IrishLass]

Waterproof LED Tape

This is a little more expensive, but it is top of the line. It is soooo thin (~ 3mm), has an adhesive background, and comes in a WATERPROOF application. They sell all the accessories too. I learned of this through our electrician ..... they use this for under cabinet lighting in kitchens. It is really NICE. It comes in a variety of colors.

One advantage to the IKEA lighting? They have an LED strip lighting that you can change the color on ..... white, to blue, to red, to green. Great for saving your night vision. Good luck!

[GordMay]

FWIW:
This is Lighting Track (for track lighting):
➥ Halo: Track Lighting: Power Trac: Track Systems

[MarkJ]

LED strip lights are sold by the metre and I have been looking for a bit of a deal...
I used LED clusters as indirect lighting but would like to change those to strips.
They run on a wide voltage range that covers 12v.

As for the living/Galley areas I now have 9 groups of 9 LEDS and 3 groups of 6 LEDS and one adjustable 9 LED light right over the stove top.

When they are all on the digital battery thingy doesn't even notice

[zimbu]

There is plenty of 12v "strip" available for a reasonable price.
The "automotive" stuff is usually waterproof as well.
Here is a search-sample from Ebay.

12v LED strip Ebay Search

Heres an edited Ebay search limited to "waterproof" 12v LED Strip.


Enjoy,
And BTW hello everyone. :-)

Zim

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, zimbu.

[St. Elsewhere]

Do any of you know if LED's produced now still have problems with DC system voltage variations? The DC voltage variations from partially discharged house bank to bulk charge levels caused the lamps to darken and fail more often than with a stable voltage.

[mrm]

Depends on a particular design. Proper ones drive LEDs with a constant current and provide adequate heatsinking. However, some use very poorly designed switching current regulators and can blank VHF reception... Be prepared to test some.

Currently produced LEDs (chips) are getting very good in both efficiency (in lumens per Watt) and in white light quality, but sometimes the rest of the light design lacks.

[zimbu]

Originally Posted by St. Elsewhere

Do any of you know if LED's produced now still have problems with DC system voltage variations? The DC voltage variations from partially discharged house bank to bulk charge levels caused the lamps to darken and fail more often than with a stable voltage.

I wouldn't run any semiconductor device without a stable V+.
a properly RF shielded +12V fixed <LM7812-based>
or a variable LM317 based Voltage Regulator would appropriate for this application.
And not to mention CHEAP.. ;-)

Zim