LED lights for '02 Marlin

[Lil Lucky]

I'm doing a lot of research on LED lighting. I'm looking to put blue LED lighting underneath the gunnels as well as underneath the helm area. I also want to put a few recessed blue LED lights into the hardtop and some blue LEDs where the cockpit lights are.

First, has anyone used the website yachtlights.com? I was using them as a possible source for my lights.

For my lights under the gunnels, I was looking at the following:

http://www.yachtlights.com/item--LED-Wa ... -RBL-COLOR

I'm just concerned about brightness of them.

As far as the hardtop, I was looking at the following:

http://www.yachtlights.com/item--Tri-Co ... P-742L-SDI

I could personally do without the other colors. My other concern is drilling a hole into the hardtop. Is the back of this light too big in the extent it goes through the top? How many would I need to illuminiate the helm?

As far as the cockpit lights in the walk around steps, I was looking at the following:

http://www.yachtlights.com/item--Viken--ILRC4672

Would this be an easy swap out of the stock Attwood cockpit light or do I need to do some modifications?

On another project, I'm looking to install 3 Abyss S-1515 blue underwater lights in the transom. I know that one guy on this forum has Abyss lights on his 33 GW, but wasn't sure which model he used. Any feedback would be great.

Thanks in advance!

 

[el jefe]

I replaced the step courtesy lights, which were Atwoods, with the Hela courtesy lights. It was an easy replacement job. The blue led looks great.

 

[el jefe]

I hit send to fast. The Attwoods screw into the fiberglass. The Hela, and it looks like the lights you linked to, attach from the inside out. If so, all you have to do is put the light in the existing hole and seal with your choice of product. There is no way to drill through the step out and the fiberglass is to thick. So the only way to secure the light is to seal it in to the exiting hole. Make sure you seal around the lens ring as well to make sure no water gets in.

 

[Strikezone]

Lil Lucky,
I just installed LED lighting under the gunwales on my Grady a couple of weeks ago. The lights I purchased were the 12v rope lighting and came with nylon clips that hold the lights in place. I disconnected the cockpit lights and simply plugged the LED lights in their place.

The price I paid was substantially less than the link that you posted -- I only paid about $15 each for a 6 foot section of lighting. Not sure how long these will last but at that price it doesn't matter. I did have to seal the connection between the pigtail and the rope lighting with shrink wrap so it should be water & air tight.

The lights present a nice glow without any direct light in anyone's eyes. I'll take some photos and post as soon as possible.

Hope this helps.

 

[ahill]

I got dome light replacement bulbs for 1142 bulbs from jbillings on ebay. $14.95 for 63 LEDs fits fine and puts out a ton of light. He has other marine bulbs as well.
Ordered on a Tue. & received 3 days later.

 

[BobP]

I believe I used the same ones that Strikezone used, under the gunnels, they are round diameter rope lights, not flat ones. Blue looks great, had to try different positions under gunnel, found the best closest to hull wall screwed into top edge of glass liner, in order to reach out the furtherst on deck.

I used 1/2 in. nylon cable clamps by AMP from the Home Depot, every 6 - 8 inches or so, cheap and effective.

They come in 6ft 6in long sections but it looks like it it is cut from a continuous roll. Inside the tube which is nearly solid (formed with circuits in place), is multiple section of 4 leds and one resistor every inch or so, off a continuous parallel pos & neg bus bar, so it can be shortened with a hack say every 5 inch or so, the end comes with a seal cap, make sure you add silicone selant , even at the connect end.

Under my gunnels didn't have to cut each fit just right.

I think I paid about $25 for both, a few bucks for clamps and ss screws.

Be careful not to kink the rope or bend it hard across a sharp corner, they are not designed for that, make your bends on a smooth radius.

The LEDs are directional so you roll the rope under the clamp for direct focused light down, or roll them around for less light.

Connected them where the deck light were connected, disconneded the decl light, never liked them anyway, didn't do a good job of lighting the deck, more glare up and harsh to look at.

 

[BobP]

http://www.yachtlights.com/item--LED-Rope-Light--RL-LED

 

[gradyfish22]

I bought yachtlights blue led's, I'm going to post the pictures in a few minutes, they are excellent quality and look great. Had the boat out 2 nights this week and loved them, we could work the cockpit without any other lights on, can run the boat at the helm and have them on and have someone clean the cockpit on the way in, and are great for having a drinka t the dock without having blinding lights on or attracting the bugs. Yachtlights uses imtra marine led rope lights, they are a good quality light, and I believe they draw .04amps/ft which is nothing...run them all night and you won't go dead.

 

[Strikezone]

Here are a couple of photos with the lights that I mounted....

 

[Grog]

Ohhh Ahhh.

I should look similar in a couple weeks.

 

[BobP]

My error, got the LED rope light from this outfit -

http://www.cbconcept.com/led-166warmwhi ... 1-1-1.aspx

Lil Lucky,

the Marlin hardtop, or any other Grady hardtop for that matter, I believe, can't take recessed lighting, the coring is not too thick. You can check thickness yourself.

You need to go surface mount.

Alternately, you can ring the three sides of the top with same rope lights in the inner corner where the alum frame meets the top of the hardtop, or perhaps two sides is enough, and skip the rear. Can even bond them in the corner avoiding clamps

The lights you select for the step, consider if they are directional focused downward, otherwise they will be lighting up your face, or be sure they have a return policy in case you don't like them. My gripe with the origonal attwoods in the step was glare, way too much considering how little light they sprayed down to the deck. Never used them. I guess they are OK if you keep your back to them.

I find the blue color of the LED ropes much to my liking, it is not a washed out sky blue and not dark at all, but intense true blue. And not too bright, try to position them under the guinnel so direct light reaches out on to the cockpit deck the furthest, and overlap from both sides, otherwise the sides will be very bright and middle dim, but you may prefer this look.

The LED ropes have some directionaility to them so they can be rotated for somewhat less or more light.

I general, I think all the ropes have a bulb every inch or so, similar wattage per foot.
.

 

[BobP]

http://www.cbconcept.com/12vledropelight.aspx

 

[Strikezone]

That's the same place I purchased mine.

 

[Capt Armchair]

Here are a couple of photos with the lights that I mounted....

Strike-
How did you connect power/switches to the strands?

 

[Strikezone]

I just disconnected the cockpit lights on the step up to the walkaround area. Crimped on connectors for the LEDs and I was set. I used the cockpit switch on my panel.

The lights that I purchased did need to have shrinktubing put on the area where the wire connected with the rope lighting itself.

I also used zip ties with screws to attach them to the underside of the gunnel. Gives off a nice, non-harsh glow.

 

[Elliott Munz]

I replaced the step courtesy lights, which were Atwoods, with the Hela courtesy lights. It was an easy replacement job. The blue led looks great.





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