I saw the excellent post for installing LED bulbs into an 's light fixtures.
Here is a simple way to change the existing overhead lights to LEDs. Just install this item and put the lens back on. See this website http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/ ... roduct=CAR
And lok up this item:
1156-PCB-W36 White LED Lamp
12VDC 1156 Base with 1-1/2 inch square circuit board
With 36 Super White LEDs
Designed for overhead lighting in boats, campers, box trucks, etc.
With Wide 100 Degree Beam Pattern
$ 19.95
Are these the same fixtures on the ? I know the light from the LED is not as "warm" as the power hungry incandescent bulbs. I wonder if the difference is worth worrying about. I really want the power savings as I plan weeklong trips to lakes Mead and Powell with no shorepower.
If you are thinking of putting them under a "clear type" fixture lens cover, you could add a piece of pale amber colored filter material into the lens fixture to warm up the light somewhat. This is only just a generic type answer. Photographers or live theater folks use this material to change the color of lights all the time. Many colors and densities are available. Heat will not be a problem. Perhaps you could find some sort of cellophane that is the right color to act as a filter. I, like you, also think that the harsh bluish white light needs to be toned down somewhat.
Cool site, by the way. I've been meaning to look into the LED answer to the 800+ milliamp incadecent bulbs all over my boat now. I like the idea of 15-20 milliamps per individual LED, with almost forever service life.That 36 LED bulb isn't much electrical savings though, at around 720 milliamps a shot.
Good luck with your quest.
Hardcrab wrote:That 36 LED bulb isn't much electrical savings though, at around 720 milliamps a shot.
With 12 paralled strings of 3 in series, it would be more like 240mA. But that's probably at 14.5V charging voltage. As supply voltage goes down, current and brightness drop pretty significantly in series setups using only a resistor instead of a current regulator. Typically, 50% (one f-stop) at 12.5V.
David - do you have other power hungry appliances that you are planning on using? Your lights really shouldnt pull too much, even for a week trip. You could easily run your motor an hour to two every few days to keep up with the electron load for lighting.
I did 5 days on Cuttyhunk with no shorepower with two weak batteries and kept my electrons balanced ok....
I have both on my boat - the light over the dinette still has its standard incandescent bulb and the one over the galley has been changed to an LED.
I find that the LED (same setup as noted in the first post) is a very cold light and not *nearly* as bright as the one over the dinette. Frankly, I was a bit disappointed in the output, and that on a set of fully charged dual batteries. However, I've kept it there because it does offer a lesser light/power option for the cabin, and frankly the one over he dinette is so bright we don't really use the one over the galley much anyway.
I would think that for the cost of a few LEDs, I could just get another battery and have more than the power they save. That extra battery would be much more useful, IMHO.
Bought two LED bulbs from an automotive store last year--cost me about 14 bucks (five or six leds in a bundle per bulb). They fit the overhead fixtures, they're economical and also kinda cool in a new wave sort of way. One failed the first night we anchored at sea. The other one I mounted over the dinette table gave such a dim, cold light that I quickly replaced it with the filament bulb from the head.
This year I mounted a fluorescent light over the table that apparently uses half of the amps a regular bulb would. Did not notice any big savings. Of course, the rest of the interior lights were still incandescent, and we didn't use them all that much anyway.
I am planning to use a LED for the anchor light. Now that one will stay on all night long and the difference is likely to show. But it doesn't seem to be legal?
I think the LED lights are great for indicators, anchor light and anything that doesn't really need a lot of light. But for the cabin I stay with the regular lighting. I have a 2 battery setup on an isolater with a house battery and a start battery so draining the battery isn't an issue.
I agree that doing one as a night light or with a red lens for nav/night lighting is a good idea.. Makes a great way to go on deck if you are night sailing without loosing your night vision..
The red lens does keep the bugs down also.. Has something to do with UV that they can see and we can't..
's light fixtures.
? I know the light from the LED is not as "warm" as the power hungry incandescent bulbs. I wonder if the difference is worth worrying about. I really want the power savings as I plan weeklong trips to lakes Mead and Powell with no shorepower.
