LED Lighting

[liquidlite]

How tough is it to install LEDs in the transom? Also, i remember seeing here before that someone was thinking about putting LED bulbs in the docking light housing. Any update there? Is it possible?

[zegm]

LEDs???

Anyone figure out how to get the Euro Tow Vehicles to stop the Warning the tail lights are blown when they hook up the Boatmate Trailers with the LEDs??

[yearround]

Euro Tow Vehicles???

anyone figure out how to stop people who drink grape pop from puking in the back seat during long trips?


i would saw stop allowing grape pop or make them ride in the back of the truck. for the LED in the transom? no help here!

[501]

Ya, I wanna do this too. Someone here has had to have done it and can give us some tips.

[Razzman]

That's a pretty broad question your asking. Transom lights can be done many different ways. Flush mount, recessed, surface mount, LEDs under swim platform. You can buy dedicated underwater transom lights from companies like Abyss, you can buy lesser expensive like the Malibu or Bullet Lines lights. Or you can add HiPower LED pucks from companies like PlasmaLED or SuperBrightLED. It all depends on what you want or expect.

The docking lights, assuming that's what your referring to, have a MR16 base and are rated @ 50w. You can get LED MR16 base lights in 12vdc but i can't honestly say they be any brighter or really worth the effort, after all how much would you really use them? If you want them for night driving lights they'd be worthless and illegal in most states.

[zabooda]

z, you need a fake-a-conventional tail light kit. Sorta kidding, the LEDs are a very high impedance and the sensor thinks there is an open circuit. Add a resistor from positive to ground that will mimmick a conventional bulb and I would think a 100K ohm would work.

[zegm]

Zambooda,

I bought some 100 ohm resistors, did you mean 100k ohms or 100ohms? When you say from positive to ground do you mean in series in the trailer harness?

Ed, please stick to convincing all the normal average skiers on the board that a flat wake at 36mph is good, even though only 10% of the skiing population skis at such speeds!

[zabooda]

z, I was thinking of trying a 100K as I'm guessing that any current flow would keep the sensor from coming on and 100 ohms would work better. I would test it by putting the resistor across the vehicle trailer connector contacts and see if you have good results before installing it. If it works then you can install at a location that is convenient. Good luck.

[wolfeman131]

[QUOTE=Ed G;50529
I have been thinking of installing LED's in the interior of my boat for a few weeks now. I'd like to hear about it too...from people who have actually done it - successfully.[/QUOTE]

I remember seeing photos of the LED's Ian Ashton installed on his boat and thought they looked great. I think others replied to his thread with pics of their handywork too.

[ian ashton]

Here is a link to that thread;
https://forum.moomba.com/showpost.php?p=47272&postcount=66


There is another thread on WakeWorld with a ton of pics. I plan on adding a bunch more lighting to my boat over the winter, including transon lights, as well as some more interior lighting.

[Razzman]

OK I'll bite ... I did it SUCCESSFULLY on my last boat as well as this one already. :p

Seriously, if you can run wire, make a splice, add a switch and fuse then you can do it. In fact i'm working up a new install for the LSV as we speak, something i've never seen done and will be just too cool! And no i won't give details, just have to wait and see when it gets done! :p

LEDs draw so little power that you chain them together virtually anyway you want. There are so many choices that it can boggle the mind when shopping. Here's a few of my favorite sites to get them from.

http://www.plasmaled.com/
http://www.oznium.com
http://www.besthongkong.com/index.php
http://www.superbrightleds.com/led_prods.htm

[Sled491]

Liquid, are refering to interior or should I say above the water line LED's or to the ones that go under the swimplatform to light up the water at night?

[zegm]

It might be cool to install them under the swim platform so I could watch the alligators, fish and turtles in our lake at night!

Zabooda,
I will try that and see what happens. If that works I might try to put them inside the 5 pin flat to 7 pin round connector if they don't create too much heat and melt the plastic. Then I can sell them to the Euro dealers as boatmate is not the only trailer company switching to LEDs. We might be on to something here! Time to go make some grape Koolaid!

[Sled491]

See, for us rednecks up north, the lighted swimplatform helps with the night bow fishing. the Carp can't help themselves, they have to come and see what's up.

[Razzman]

Look at some of these examples, be prepared for some insane installs! Don't blame me either if any of y'all get LED fever! :p

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/3183/585839.html

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/546704.html

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/405184.html

http://www.teamneptunes.com/galleries/cpg133/albums/userpics/10001/light%20rings%20001.jpg

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/3183/616160.html

[zegm]

Last week I had a friend visiting me from Atlanta. Unfortunately he was late getting to the house so it was dark before I could show him our new boat sitting in the lift. As we went down to the dock we heard a noise and there he was as cute as he could be a 2ft alligator. We watched him swim off and then something spooked him and he quickly came back. I aimed the flash light over to see what spooked him and there was a large soft shell turtle. Now having some LED's on the boat shinning into the water would really make it an interesting night sitting out in the middle of the lake throwing some fish food into the water!

[jclay5]

Last week I had a friend visiting me from Atlanta. Unfortunately he was late getting to the house so it was dark before I could show him our new boat sitting in the lift. As we went down to the dock we heard a noise and there he was as cute as he could be a 2ft alligator. We watched him swim off and then something spooked him and he quickly came back. I aimed the flash light over to see what spooked him and there was a large soft shell turtle. Now having some LED's on the boat shinning into the water would really make it an interesting night sitting out in the middle of the lake throwing some fish food into the water!

ok I've installed a ton of LEDs In my boat it's cheap and very easy I will eventually get some pics.

Now to my main reason for posting. How in the hell! Do you wakeboard or surf or even swim with alligators in the water! That sounds crazy! I'm not sure if I could handel it.

[jclay5]

just gives me chill bumps thinking about it but if no one ever becomes lunch for a gator I guess I'd be game to get in the water.

[kaneboats]

A guy once told me this:

Imagine you are dead asleep at about 3 am and somebody wakes you up and shoves a plate of foreign food in your face. You don't ever eat at this time and you're not hungry and don't really know what it is except it looks like some kind of meat. That's what it's like for an alligator in the middle of the day.

Needless to say, the middle of the night is a different story for Mr. Smiles.

[Badger]

I can barely get my wife to jump in a northern lake knowing that there are fish swimming around her. She'd give up boating with the thoughts of Gators being anywhere near. I probably wouldn't waste much time in the water either.

[zegm]

Yeah the Florida gators are rarely seen in the middle of the day. Sometimes we will see them but it is rare.
Now the Georgia Alligators are different. We had a situation where a 7 to 8 footer, sitting on the bank in the middle of the day, actually saw MrsZ as she was floating in the middle of the Chattahoochee River just north of Lake Seminole. This gator did leave the bank and proceeded to swim to within 20 ft of MrsZ before I got back to her with the boat. We then idled behind him as he returned to shore. Later that same day (DAYTIME) but about 15 miles away in a State Park swimming area MrsZ was again floating in the water when I returned with the boat and saw a MONSTER Gator staring at her from about 30 ft away. That explained why no one was swimming!!! So stay away from the Chattahoochee river where it empties in Lake Seminole. It is an undeveloped area and everytime we take the Kayaks there during the day we are guaranteed to see at Least 5 of these guys DURING the DAY!!!!
MrsZ would not get in any fresh water for about 1 year!!!!

[Badger]

People who don't live in Florida are usually the ones most often terrified of the gators.

It's kinda like being afraid to go into the woods cause you know snakes live there and you might get bitten by some huge poisonous monster. That doesn't happen that often either.

First gators, now you have to bring up snakes?! The one time per year we see a water snake by our cottage, ends the day of swimming for my family! Please, nobody mention Muskrats!

Sorry for the hijack...what was the topic...LED lights...I gotta get some!

[zegm]

Badger No Problem!

I got to get some too!

And make the ones on the trailer work with my T-Reg!

[zegm]

jclay5,

Forgot to mention that a Ruger 9mm is also with us at all times while on the water, fresh or salt. If anything it gives you a little piece of mind, well OK especially MrsZ.

[1LOKMOOMBA]

"Ed, please stick to convincing all the normal average skiers on the board that a flat wake at 36mph is good, even though only 10% of the skiing population skis at such speeds!"

LOL!! What the hell does this have to do with anything?

Lets not veer off topic here - it's about installing LED's in a boat.

Liquidlite certainly deserves a chance at getting the info he has requested.


I have been thinking of installing LED's in the interior of my boat for a few weeks now. I'd like to hear about it too...from people who have actually done it - successfully.

Put a stick-n-click in each cup holder and you've got LED'S with no wiring required. Great lighting effect too.

[jclay5]

Yeah I'm sure I'd get used to the gators but I wouldn't be at ease if I saw them during the day in the water. The 9mm is a must, but I'd might have to make it a .45 to be safe =D

By the way I was in the boat after dark today and I just love my LED's especially the big blue ones shining down from the speakerbar.

[zegm]

jclay5,

I had to get a caliber that MrsZ liked to shoot also. Who knows I might be the one in the water installing the LEDs and a big green swimming lizard would come after me! I would need her to be able to get off more than a single a shot before she flew backwards!!!!