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redsky49 · 18-02-2015, 17:09

We have been replacing the incandescent bulbs on our boat with LED bulbs from Marinebeam and are quite pleased with the results. We previously had a 22W PAR bulb in many fixtures and have replaced them with LEDs using 1.2 to 2 W, depending on application. That is a remarkable reduction in energy!

By the way, the smaller 1.2W replacement BA15D bulb is on sale at Marinebeam:

Bayonet Base LED Replacement Bulb BA15S, BA15D

Good service with this company as well. Recommended.

Group9 · 18-02-2015, 20:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by clownfishsydney

I changed all florescent lights to LED by removing ballast and wiring in one or two small sections of LED strips. I purchased a 5 metre roll from Ebay (not even from China, was an Australian supplier) for under AU$20. I also bought LED globes to replace all the halogen downlights and reading lights. Cost for this was under AU$30. I still have 2.5 m of the strip left.

No need to go to any great expense.

I did the exact same thing. I bought two 16 foot long strips for about $20 bucks US with leads for them for another $10. Your imagination is the only limit in how to use these things. And, at a fraction of the amp draw.

What's not to like?

**Lepke** · 18-02-2015, 21:02

It's probably my age, but I see most of the new lights offered to be near useless. The ones I have seen are dimmer than the light they replace. They cost 5 to 10 time more and they don't last for the time advertized. After month of searching for decent lighting for updated cabins, I decided to go with a new inverter and bigger battery banks and 120v lights. I do use the twisted florescent, but one size larger to get back to the same amount of light.
I guess most of the people today weren't around when we had real light bulbs.

roland stockham · 18-02-2015, 21:07

Just ordered a couple of cheep 5w LED floodlights from Ebay. Not 'marine' grade but fully waterproof, designed as security lights. Going to mount one on the radar pole at the stern as a working light but at 5w can use it as a deck floodlight when at anchor if either I need to find the boat on return or I want to be more obvious to traffic. Even left on all night it will only use about 5a/h. The other one will plug into a 12v power pack as a portable work light.
The other thing I order was one of the super bright torches, 5000 lumen, focusable beam. On the video demo it gave enough ligh at 500m to take photographs (will see what it's like in reality. Got it for long range spotting for hazards etc when entering unfamiliar places at night or SAR. Reading the recent post on the duchman who got shot in South America made me think that it might also be useful as a non-aggressive weapon for self defense. If it is that bright shining it in someones eye at close range even in daylight is going to confuse and blind them for long enough to run away. Just a thought if a little off topic!

roland stockham · 18-02-2015, 21:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lepke

It's probably my age, but I see most of the new lights offered to be near useless. The ones I have seen are dimmer than the light they replace. They cost 5 to 10 time more and they don't last for the time advertized. After month of searching for decent lighting for updated cabins, I decided to go with a new inverter and bigger battery banks and 120v lights. I do use the twisted florescent, but one size larger to get back to the same amount of light.
I guess most of the people today weren't around when we had real light bulbs.

Good point, the 'equivalent to...' on the packets has always be optimistic (to put it politely). but also the idea of what is 'adequate lighting has changed over the last 20 years. I wonder if it is that we used to want light to read or work by whereas now we want 'ambiance' while we work at a screen or watch TV!
I use directional 2w LEDs for main cabin lighting but then I have a small cabin with a low deck-head and beams. When working at the galley the light is 3 feet above the stove and 1ft away from me so anything brighter would be blinding and any area lighting would mean I was working in my own shadow. They replaced 10w standard bulbs and give about the same light so would say they are no more efficient than compact fluorescent. Oddly have always found the 7w CFL's give poor light compared to 9w and above. As for length of life, first LED's I tied where expensive and did not last but the replacement bulbs I then when to have done more than 5 years and where just a few $.

**newhaul** · 19-02-2015, 01:10

I installed these and at just 3 watts each they put out as much light as a 75 watt bulb (12v) for both Optronics RV LED 12V Fixture Ceiling camper Trailer Marine Single Dome Light V1 | eBay

ranger58sb · 19-02-2015, 04:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lepke

It's probably my age, but I see most of the new lights offered to be near useless. The ones I have seen are dimmer than the light they replace. They cost 5 to 10 time more and they don't last for the time advertized.

I guess most of the people today weren't around when we had real light bulbs.

I'm surprised to see your results. All the LEDs we've installed have been brighter than the original incandescent bulbs they replaced (while still at the "warm" color temperature we wanted).

OTOH, I don't have perfect longevity info for ours, yet. The first batch of G4 bi-pins (side-pins) was showing some signs of heat on the backplane, and a few of the individual diodes on a couple discs had gone south... but some of these were also in service for quite a while, older designs, etc.

Yes, I remember when Thomas first demonstrated his new-fangled "electric candle"...

-Chris

Group9 · 19-02-2015, 05:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lepke

It's probably my age, but I see most of the new lights offered to be near useless. The ones I have seen are dimmer than the light they replace. They cost 5 to 10 time more and they don't last for the time advertized. After month of searching for decent lighting for updated cabins, I decided to go with a new inverter and bigger battery banks and 120v lights. I do use the twisted florescent, but one size larger to get back to the same amount of light.
I guess most of the people today weren't around when we had real light bulbs.

I was slow to get on the LED bandwagon, myself, thinking they were too good to be true (and, too expensive at first). But, your experience is not matching mine with the new lights that are available. I'll never go back the way you are heading.

redsky49 · 19-02-2015, 07:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lepke

It's probably my age, but I see most of the new lights offered to be near useless. The ones I have seen are dimmer than the light they replace. They cost 5 to 10 time more and they don't last for the time advertized. After month of searching for decent lighting for updated cabins, I decided to go with a new inverter and bigger battery banks and 120v lights. I do use the twisted florescent, but one size larger to get back to the same amount of light.
I guess most of the people today weren't around when we had real light bulbs.

This was my concern as well. With the existing high wattage PAR bulbs that I wanted to replace, the bar was set pretty high for LED alternatives.

Before I went all in, I purchased several LEDs of varying output. These were then rotated around the boat and compared with the existing bulbs and their particular applications. We found that we needed the 2W versions where the lamps provided general lighting, and were able to use the lower wattage LEDs for berth reading lights. Without a light meter to verify, but with my wife and I doing back-to-back comparisons, we found that the lighting levels were roughly comparable with the LEDs. Not exactly the same (because the light quality is slightly different), but certainly more than acceptable. Note that I installed "warm" temperature LEDs.

Previously, I had installed fluorescent fixtures, cold cathode lamps, etc., and was underwhelmed by them all. The LEDs seem to me to be a maturing technology and I am more than satisfied with the results - in some cases reducing my energy consumption by 95%!!!

I also replaced a "festoon" bulb in a dome light with an LED alternative and at half the energy use have way more light than previously. Plus there is no heat build-up in the fixture that always bothered me before.

And I was around when they had "real light bulbs"

and I have the gray hair to prove it!

leftbrainstuff · 19-02-2015, 07:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by SURV69

I'm curious to know what boaters think about lighting ... leaving out ambience(sp), emotions, and the like.

My feeling is that, pound for pound, dollar for dollar, safety for safety and even light for light, that nothing really beats LED.

Not to say I enjoy a nice oil lamp ... I have two.

But I can't hardly stand the lamps even when I use the purest of the purest, most costliest of the costly oils.

I do have interest in using oil lamps, but only as a backup for the most unlikely situation where, between the wired-in, battery operated, or built-in individual solar lights stop working.

Doesn't the idea of using oil lamps involve nothing more than "romantic", and "emotional" ideals?

With LEDs the choices are simple. Cool white for detail and warm white for ambience. 1W for mood lighting and 3W for work areas such as the engine room, galley, workshop and sail locker.

The warm white will give you the oil light ambience. With LEDs you can also choose the light shape to further tune the light distribution. This is something you cant do with incandescent or fluros.

We've replaced all the old incandescent bulbs and fluros with mostly Lunasea Leds. These have the built in bucks and run on 10V to 40V. Energy consumption drops significantly and there is no waste heat produced. Light quality is far superior to any of the older technologies.

Note that older LEDs are useless. Poor quality reduced spectrum white light.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Privilege · 19-02-2015, 08:49

I've refitted my catamaran throughout with LED's. You don't have to go to the marine stores to buy expensive marine products. You can get these bulbs online from China (eBay) for a couple of dollars each. (Get the warm white ones). They last for ages/ever...

You can get these pigtails for a few cents. ...

This way, you can convert your LED system from any existing light fixtures or you can buy household-type fixtures and convert them...

You can use on/off switches from Home Depot for a few bucks. The decorative AC switches will work fine on 12v DC (LED) current as long as you just use the single pole on/off switches..
.

If you want to get fancy, you can install dimmer switches, again from eBay anywhere from $5-$60....

I've also got some hidden LED strip ligths to add 'atmosphere'. Last night, I had my main cabin lit up and was using 2.2amps.

jongleur · 19-02-2015, 09:09

Group9:

two 16 foot long strips for about $20 bucks US

Maybe I missed it, but would you be so kind as to say where
you bought them?

roland stockham · 19-02-2015, 09:58

As has been said before there are concerns with safety and performance with the Chinese one, some are excellent some shoddily built and low output but as you say much cheaper. Have you actually bought and checked all these?

Privilege · 19-02-2015, 10:08

I've been using these bulbs for quite a few years wihout any problems. I've never had one fail and have yet to replace any. I can't really see how the bulb would create a safety issue. I have had problems with some of the cheaper LED dimmers. They work fine once they are installed but they seem to die quite easily during installation. Unfortunately, I haven't yet found a viable alternative LED dimmer which is decorative and can be visibly mounted like household dimmers. I haven't tried these yet as my system is all updated and finished but I'd be interested in any feedback...