Marine LED's - I'm doing a test...

[ian ashton]

On Sunday I placed an order with www.oznium.com - Being that my boat isn't in the water yet I'm going a little stir crazy and needed a project to keep me from going mental - So I'm going to mess around with a few different set-ups to see if I can concoct a 'budget' transom LED set-up. I figured even if what I ordered doesn't work for underwater I'll have some LEDs to tinker with inside the boat.

So I ordered 1 of these:
http://www.oznium.com/images/highpowerspot25.jpg
High Intensity Spot Light ($17)

1 of these:
http://www.oznium.com/images/highpower_flood120d1.jpg
High Intensity Flood Light ($17)

and 5 of these:
http://www.oznium.com/product_photos/large/2860.jpg
SuperFlux 4-Chip LED ($3 ea)

I have a feeling I'm going to be ordered a bunch more of the SuperFlux, as a lot of people have used them to illuminate cup holders/beverages, and I think that looks cool.


So, I'm going to see how bring each of the High Intensity lights really are - I think it might be cool to run 4 seperate lights under the transom; 2 flood, and 2 spot to get a really good mix of coverage.

I ordered on Sunday and my shipment arrived today, so far I'm very impressed with the product, packaging and prompt shipping. I'll post some actual pics tonight of what I've got, and how they look - perhaps even some 'bathtub' tests! haha.

[aintskeered]

Ian Let me know how these turn out... I have been looking at a couple light projects but I get lost in all the lumines BS?? Cant tell which is for what and how bright!!! and the regular underwater lights are crazy expensive. I think sled was going to check into something on a group buy though.

[ian ashton]

I'm sure these aren't as bright as the Abyss or Bullet Lines LEDs, I'm basically just looking for something to tinker with - I'll probably end up buying Abyss any and using these for something else, unless they completely blow me away with their performance, in which case - SCORE!

[Birdman_08_LSV]

I'm having two Abyss lights placed under my swim deck right now. I'll post pictures when it's all done to give you an idea how they look without any photo shop done to the pictures. Now, the cost is another story! But ... It's not really something I want to get wrong and jack up my boat.

[ian ashton]

As I expected, I don't think the smaller LEDs will be bright enough to mount underwater, but they are definately perfect for the cupholder installation.

Here are some pics of the underwater lights - they are incredibly bright, I think I'll be ordering 4 more to install across the transom.

Flood light in the tub;
https://forum.moomba.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2315&stc=1&d=1238085834

Spot light in the tub;
https://forum.moomba.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2316&stc=1&d=1238085834

https://forum.moomba.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2317&stc=1&d=1238085834

https://forum.moomba.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2318&stc=1&d=1238085834


Yes, I have goldfish stickers in my bathtub - they were left over from the previous owner, and I never peeled 'em up, lol.

[ian ashton]

Both lights out of the water;
https://forum.moomba.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2319&stc=1&d=1238085834


I'm going to try to get to the lake this weekend around dusk to see what they look like in the open water.

[ian ashton]

It is really hard to photograph LEDs to show how bright they are.

The spot light is exactly that - I aimed it at a wall ~30 feet away it lit up the entire wall, these things are a lot brighter than I expected.

The flood light has a huge range, basically lights up an entire room.

I'm definately thinking a combination of 3 and 3 of each of these across the back of the boat will look awesome.

[aintskeered]

Thanks Ian.. Let us know how the open water test goes... I already orderd some for the bottem of my boat though!! I am figuring for the cost even if they help some it will be worth it. I think I am going to try and attach them to the swim Platform though and just add a water proof connection to remove it. I am going to glass in part of thr rear lip on my platform and wanted to mount these when I do it.

[Razzman]

Here's a water shot of the spots, can't say how many are on the boats though but i'd guess 6. Floods would def be better imo.

[SEARK]

that pic looks cool, but if we stayed out that late on our lake the skeeters would drain every bit of the blood out of us.

[ian ashton]

Here's a water shot of the spots, can't say how many are on the boats though but i'd guess 6. Floods would def be better imo.

https://forum.moomba.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2320&d=1238100791



I think the spots will be better in this application because they project. The beam is so wide on the floods I'm not sure that it would illuminate the water past the platform, but I will soon find out. I really like the look of several beams across the back, and they are so cheap its worth a shot.

[jclay5]

Yeah let me know I will order which ever works out the best.. the price is very attractive.

[montanamoomba]

I ordered 4 of the spots to use on my tower since the boat did not come with docking lights. Great winter project and will have to wait to see how they work out in a month or two. All the water around here is still frozen......

Ordered some of the smaller single LED's for in the boat. They fit awesome in the hole in the bottom of the cup holders.

[montanamoomba]

Here are a couple of pic's of the install as it sits today.

[ian ashton]

I'd like to preface this with a warning - my boat is very dirty, I need to give it some love! I have it in my garage, which is apparantly pretty dusty/dirty.

I spent some time in the garage and installed these (http://www.oznium.com/marine-led-floodlight) into my cup holders. It was super easy, and they look awesome. I wired them to turn on with the courtesy lights, which is how I have the rest of my LED's wired as well.

This is what they look like in place, not turned on.
https://forum.moomba.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2331&stc=1&d=1238366682

https://forum.moomba.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2332&stc=1&d=1238366682

https://forum.moomba.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2333&stc=1&d=1238366682

https://forum.moomba.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2334&stc=1&d=1238366682

[moombadaze]

Ian, looks great-keep it up

[newty]

Are those the lights you had a picture of you holding on the first page? Those fit really nice in there. Nice job! I'm going to have to order some of those if thats the case.

Staight Pimpin!!

[ian ashton]

Are those the lights you had a picture of you holding on the first page? Those fit really nice in there. Nice job! I'm going to have to order some of those if thats the case.

Staight Pimpin!!

NOPE! These are the 'super flux 4 chip LED's' in the link that I posted. The ones on the first page are much much larger; about 1.5-2" of so diameter, these are more like 1/8-1/4"

Link to these LEDs:
http://www.oznium.com/marine-led-floodlight

[newty]

http://www.oznium.com/product_photos/large/2860.jpg

Is this what you have in your cup holders?

[ian ashton]

http://www.oznium.com/product_photos/large/2860.jpg

Is this what you have in your cup holders?


Yes, exactly those. They are incredibly bright inspite of their small size.

[newty]

Cool I have 11 cup holders to fill. I also was thinking of putting on in each of my docking light housings for a glow effect when the courtesy lights are on. I think that would look sweet on the water. I'm sure I can think of a few hundred other places to put them as well.

[ian ashton]

Cool I have 11 cup holders to fill. I also was thinking of putting on in each of my docking light housings for a glow effect when the courtesy lights are on. I think that would look sweet on the water. I'm sure I can think of a few hundred other places to put them as well.

I'd be careful with blue lights on the exterior of the boat, I know in Michigan blue is reserved for Police.

[jester]

The Blue LED's do look cool but i know in Oregon Blue is for the Patrol boats. I was thinking of also adding blue to my tower speakers but i am thinking with how nice our Marine Board is i will get a ticket for that.

[newty]

I'm thinking more along the lines of the cool white. Besides when I'm underway at night the docking lights will be on anyway, and will drown out the led's. Besides I don't think the blue will go well with my brown interior.
Jester, I second the Marine Board there in Oregon, they aren't the easiest to get along with.

[jmvotto]

I think I have 10 cup holders 07 OBv. this may solve the additional interior lighting i was thinking of adding.

Ian did you have to drill a larger Hole?
Did you mount from the bottom with adhesive or pull from the top?

Will the cup holder stiller drain or do you need an additional drain holder form those foamy beverages?:)

great job

[ian ashton]

I think I have 10 cup holders 07 OBv. this may solve the additional interior lighting i was thinking of adding.

Ian did you have to drill a larger Hole?
Did you mount from the bottom with adhesive or pull from the top?

Will the cup holder stiller drain or do you need an additional drain holder form those foamy beverages?:)

great job

I dropped the lights through the top, I didn't have to drill out the hole to make it larger. I put a piece of heat shrink tubing around the wires and zip tied it on the bottom of the cup holder, I did this for 2 reasons: 1-to protect the wires from chaffing on the bare metal of cupholder, 2-to secure the LEDs inplace. I did't glue them, so they have a bit of movement; the thought is that this will allow them to still drain properly, although I didn't 'test' it.

I'll try to snap some 'bottom' side pics of how I did it to give you a better idea.

[Birdman_08_LSV]

I'll post some on the water pictures as soon as I take some.

2345

[Loonytik]

Ok....I gotta have some of these but I have a question. How do I wire them up? I realize you hook up them up to the battery but how do I then wire them to a switch?

Very novice when it comes to wiring. Thanks in advance.

[tazz3069]

I still need to wire mine up. You will need to have an accessory witch available on your panel. If you do not, you will need to add a switch. I need to draw it up so you can understand what I am talking about the wiring. It really is not hard at all. It all depends on how many lights and the total wattage of lights you are using. If the wattage exceeds the switch allowable, then it is wise to use a relay. Again, i will draw this up so that you can understand it better. Trust me I am an electrician.

[Loonytik]

I still need to wire mine up. You will need to have an accessory witch available on your panel. If you do not, you will need to add a switch. I need to draw it up so you can understand what I am talking about the wiring. It really is not hard at all. It all depends on how many lights and the total wattage of lights you are using. If the wattage exceeds the switch allowable, then it is wise to use a relay. Again, i will draw this up so that you can understand it better. Trust me I am an electrician.

Yep...draw it up and post it. My boat is at the shop getting some work done right now. When I get it back I want to do this before I drop it in the water.

[Birdman_08_LSV]

These are my Abyss Lites I had put in. The water is really dirty on this lake so they can't be seen really well.

[newty]

Bird man what did you pay for those?

[truetexan84]

Cant wait to see those in person

[Birdman_08_LSV]

Newty, these Abyss lites are $220 each. I put two back there. They have other ones that cost a bit more. If you want to see them all just go to Abysslite.com and the prices are on the site. Now the cost of having someone else put them in for you is another thing. Labor cost is where you will have to pay the most. I didn't want to have to use my off time working on my boat. I want to play in it so I had the guys at Earmark Marine in Lewisville, Texas put them in. They did all my LED work ... other then the dash lights. I did those myself.

[newty]

Those look sweet but Im too cheap.
I mean... my wife would kill me.:)

[Birdman_08_LSV]

That's why I don't have one of those. A wife that is. I can buy whatever I want with my money. I can have as many girlfriends as I want. I get to go where I want, when I want, and do what I want when I get there. Why would anybody ever want to be married?! TrueTx back me up here!

[newty]

I could think of lots of good reasons to be married, but they are hard to explain to people who aren't.
I can also think of lots of good reasons not to be married. Pros and cons to both! Trust me!! ;)

Nice work on your boat, looks great.
As you may know I'm more of a do-it-yourself guy so if I can do it on the cheap then thats the route I'm going.
I will have transom lights one of these days when the prices go down a bit.

[Birdman_08_LSV]

Nothing wrong with that. The things that I can do myself I do, but if it's going to take three or more days to do it and I'll need another set of hands ... then I just pay to have it done. I work most of the month and when I'm home I don't want to spend 3 days of my week off working on my boat. Plus, these other guys make a living off of people like me bringing work to them. So if I can help them out by having them do it then I try and help when and how I can. I started a new thread for LED Upgrades. I put the prices for the items and link to find them. Check it out.

https://forum.moomba.com/showthread.php?t=7621

[Loonytik]

Lets say I have 10 LED's that I drop into my cup holders. Each of the LED's have a positive and negative wire so thats 20 wires to run to my battery. The ones on the website are 1 ft long so I will have to add wire to reach my battery.

I guess I am wondering how to bring 20 wires to my battery....then to the switch to turn them on?

[Birdman_08_LSV]

I'm not sure about that. I'll have a look at mine and see what they did with the ones they added.

[Appleknocker]

I also have a LED project on the back burner right now, so I will be interested in how to hook up as well. Why would you bring the wires to the battery first and not the switch. There is already power at the switch, I was just planning on making pig tales and hooking to the switch. Maybe I am wrong.

Any advise would be helpfull. Thanks.

[Loonytik]

I also have a LED project on the back burner right now, so I will be interested in how to hook up as well. Why would you bring the wires to the battery first and not the switch. There is already power at the switch, I was just planning on making pig tales and hooking to the switch. Maybe I am wrong.

Any advise would be helpfull. Thanks.

Like I said, I'm not sure how these are supposed to be wired up. I will have to add a switch to my panel to run the LED's unless I can run them off of my nighttime running light switch. I wouldn't think you could bring 20 wires to one switch on your panel though.

[truetexan84]

Bird, the only reason i can think of to be married is....well, i will tell you that when i see you. no need to get everyone in an uproar. I do like the LEDs though. They look good.

[ABC]

Just run 1 wire off the switch all the way around the boat and use one of these for each light. Also do the same for the ground.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104093

[Loonytik]

Just run 1 wire off the switch all the way around the boat and use one of these for each light. Also do the same for the ground.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104093

Ok...the way that connector looks the two wires from the LED go in one side and the wire from the switch goes in the other. Where does the wire go to "jump" to the next LED?

[ABC]

one wire goes all the way through, and one wire goes to the led.. in the pic, the black wire would be coming from the switch and pass through 10 of these connectors (one for each led).. the red wire would run to the LED. you would have 1 set of these for the + and one for the -.

wiring diagram would look something like this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Parallel_circuit.svg

[Loonytik]

Ah...so 20 of the connectors for 10 LED's. Run the + from the switch through 10 connectors to the battery and the + from the LED to the connector. The same for the - wire.

I just need a long positive wire and long negative wire to run through all of the LED's. I think I have it now....

[ian ashton]

Just run 1 wire off the switch all the way around the boat and use one of these for each light. Also do the same for the ground.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104093

I would not use those for marine installation. I cut the wires, re-spliced, and heat shrank all of my connections for fear of moisture entering the wire and oxodizing/corroding the copper in the wire. I'm sure using those won't cause any trouble short-term, but I'd hate to do something now that I (or a future owner) will regret in 10 years.

[kaneboats]

I'd hate to do something now that I (or a future owner) will regret in 10 years.

I wish the guy that built my house thought like that.

[jmvotto]

Ian,

Got my 10 leds in the mail 10 from Ozium, placed the order saturday, great customer service. i can't wait to install this weekend. I will post some pics of the led cup holders. thanks for the link.

Ps i usually solder and tape, never used heat shrink, what do you use to shrink, (hair dryer, heat gun??)

[Loonytik]

I ordered the LED's from Oznium.com and installed them last weekend. I used a free switch and waterproof connectors to loop them around my 10 cupholders. I will take some pictures in the next few days once my boat comes back from the tint shop.

First impressions were great....hooked up one cupholder at a time and tested the light to make sure it worked. Then I made my around the boat using the same method. I took my time and hid the wires, tied them up and waterproofed the wires as much as possible. The light they put out is good, not great. 10 lights isn't going to make your boat look like the Vegas strip but, I am very glad I did it. It's going to make the mood much cooler when the sun goes down.

Here are some pics of the lights that I took when I received them.

10 in a package:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3561/3508568393_6e8e783882.jpg?v=0

Single LED:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3589/3508569885_cc38b2e082.jpg?v=0

Built in resistor:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3627/3509379848_31223cd04b.jpg?v=0

Size comparison to the business card. (Wire length) Bonus: See if you can find where my EX-GF marked my table with a damn sharpie pen!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3546/3509381408_1815aca012.jpg?v=0

[jmvotto]

same package minus the sharpie mark. i have interior lights as well, just wanted to add more lights inside. i did white to match the interior lights.
can't wait to see the pics,

[Razzman]

Save some time & effort and get a superior connectoin buy using heat activated sealing connectors. Once sealed they are completely waterproof. Motorcycle mfgrs have been using them for years, I use them on anything that might get wet. krimpa-seal/ (http://cableorganizer.com/krimpa-seal/) is just one maker, 3M is another and supplies Harley-Davidson. Genuinedealz (http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Genuinedealz__W0QQ_armrsZ1) on eBay is another good supplier for these.

[jmvotto]

Ian,

did you pigtail each group of wires from a group of cup holders together and then bring them into the main power feed loop:confused:

[Loonytik]

These are grainy/poor cell phone photos(forgot my camera) but should give you some idea of the oznium lights in my cupholders. I think having some water bottles with no labels on them will spread the light out even more.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/3519042909_ff9bafb0f9.jpg?v=0

Another...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3385/3519856616_25e0385ffa.jpg?v=0

[mmandley]

Very nice very nice. Im sold im going to have to order these this weekend when i get paid lol

[CDAMoomba]

It is really hard to photograph LEDs to show how bright they are.

The spot light is exactly that - I aimed it at a wall ~30 feet away it lit up the entire wall, these things are a lot brighter than I expected.

The flood light has a huge range, basically lights up an entire room.

I'm definately thinking a combination of 3 and 3 of each of these across the back of the boat will look awesome.
Hey how did those High-Intensity LED flood lights work from oznium.com work under your swim platform? We just started to mess around with LED's on our 07' outback v. If they are that cheap, why not. Im not putting my boat in a show just want to have some accent and maybe a little light for swimming. Let me know.

[ian ashton]

Hey how did those High-Intensity LED flood lights work from oznium.com work under your swim platform? We just started to mess around with LED's on our 07' outback v. If they are that cheap, why not. Im not putting my boat in a show just want to have some accent and maybe a little light for swimming. Let me know.

I never installed them under the swim platform, but I did test them out one evening. The spots project about 5' into pretty merky water, I was pretty impressed by them. They are certainly not as bring as the Abyss or similar transom lights, but they did work fairly well.

[Loonytik]

I never installed them under the swim platform, but I did test them out one evening. The spots project about 5' into pretty merky water, I was pretty impressed by them. They are certainly not as bring as the Abyss or similar transom lights, but they did work fairly well.

Where did you place them to see them project 5 feet into the water? Just over the side of the boat?

Just curious because I am thinking of adding either the spots or the silicone strips to install under my swim platform.

[CDAMoomba]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[ian ashton]

Where did you place them to see them project 5 feet into the water? Just over the side of the boat?

Just curious because I am thinking of adding either the spots or the silicone strips to install under my swim platform.

Yea, I just held them over the side, about 6-8" below the surface. I think they might work best if you made a bracket or something to mount them towards the end of the platform, rather than on the transom itself.

[Appleknocker]

I was listening to the radio while hooking up the new lights that I purchased from oznium. I noticed when I put power to the lights the radio reception cut out. I wonder if its a result of running the power wire to close to the antenna or if while the flood lights are powered they cause interference.

Just wondering if any one else has the same trouble.

The lights look great by the way.

[Loonytik]

I was listening to the radio while hooking up the new lights that I purchased from oznium. I noticed when I put power to the lights the radio reception cut out. I wonder if its a result of running the power wire to close to the antenna or if while the flood lights are powered they cause interference.

Just wondering if any one else has the same trouble.

The lights look great by the way.

Do you have a dedicated switch for the lights or are you running them through something else? It could just be power interference and a simple re-routing of your wires should fix it. If its wired to a switch that also has power from the radio this could cause interference.

[Appleknocker]

The light are on a dedicated switch. If you look at all the switches in the back it looks like they are all daizy chained together. At first I thought it was were I ran the wires but I remembered that I hook the first light up behind the drives seat furtherst away from were the anttena is and still got the interference.

Not a big deal, only I have a portable sirius unit in the boat and it cuts out the frequency for it, guess I will have to fall back on cd's or MP3 player. Not a big deal I guess.

[Loonytik]

It would be a huge deal for me.....especially if you're paying for Sirius and not able to enjoy it. If you are getting interference the wires either have to be touching at some point in the line or linked together with the switches. If they are daisy chained I would trace the wires back to their source.

Pick up some post-it note flags from your local office supply and tag the wires as you go so you can keep track of them.

[gcombe74]

debating the abysslite S600-B lites.. but as I stare at my transom cannot determine where is the best spot fo them... they seem to have a mounting bracket that will allow you to get away from the 1/8 half in bore in the gel coat, thus just allowing you to mount with the 3 screw holes and a small through hole in the transom.

I see a few issues. the bracket mount for the swim platform...
thus shading or blocking light toward the inside. and just how high or low to mount... anyone have any images of how theirs are mounted. as far as I know i have only seen one post of of a pair being done?

Any suggestions would be great.

[99speedster]

I'd be careful with blue lights on the exterior of the boat, I know in Michigan blue is reserved for Police.

Here is how Michigan law reads....note it says "flashing red or blue"...it does not say anything about solid lights.





Note: Blue or red flashing lights are restricted to use by law enforcement vessels only.

Hope this helps

[jmvotto]

Ian, thanks for the idea. my 3 interior cabin light cost 200 installed. these 10 led in the cup holder cost me a total of 40 bucks plus an hr of my time. just hooked into the existing switch and loop.

[viking]

Save some time & effort and get a superior connectoin buy using heat activated sealing connectors. Once sealed they are completely waterproof. Motorcycle mfgrs have been using them for years, I use them on anything that might get wet. krimpa-seal/ (http://cableorganizer.com/krimpa-seal/) is just one maker, 3M is another and supplies Harley-Davidson. Genuinedealz (http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Genuinedealz__W0QQ_armrsZ1) on eBay is another good supplier for these.

try parts-express.com as well for these shrink connectors

[skiyaker]

Ed man if you're not going out at night you're missing out on a big part of the moomba experience- then again we don't have gators in Indiana. There's nothing better than going out after work for some evening wakeboard and ski runs, watching the sun set, then cranking the tunes and doing some night swimming all while enjoying a tasty beer at an honest price.

[jmvotto]

amen brother....:D

[ian ashton]

We usually ski till dark and have a 5 or so minute ride back to the marina. Sometimes just hang out and watch the sunset and listen to tunes.

[New Guy]

Ed man if you're not going out at night you're missing out on a big part of the moomba experience- then again we don't have gators in Indiana. There's nothing better than going out after work for some evening wakeboard and ski runs, watching the sun set, then cranking the toons and doing some night swimming all while enjoying a tasty beer at an honest price.

This is the end of most perfect days on the water for me!

[kaneboats]

I get the heck out before dark. There's no sight quite like that yellow/orange double glow.

[saskyrider]

well...my order should be here any day now... ordered 3 of the transom lights (flood) and 8 of the little led's for the cupholders.... going to wire them in on the same switch as my tower lights.

Geoff

[saskyrider]

Lights came in today.... everything looks good but i won't be doing the flood lights on the transom... the wires come out the side instead of the back and i don't want wires showing... so i'll mount them somewhere else in the boat or use them in another application somewhere...

geoff

[sailing217]

Mostly Chillax at night with a cold brew while the boat ramps are in a panic to get out before dark. Once, maybe twice a summer we'll night surf before any beverages come out. We put glow sticks on the rider and I gotta remember to tape some to my black surfboard. I'd probably not get in the water at night if gators lived around me.

Funny store off topic: my wife who's never been on a boat until I bought one, goes into our dealer to buy me something and says next boat she'd like the one with the "bump hump". But didn't say bump, (Fxxk). Gotta love direct drives, LOL

I'm getting some lumitecs for Christmas so no review until April.

[jmvotto]

Funny store off topic: my wife who's never been on a boat until I bought one, goes into our dealer to buy me something and says next boat she'd like the one with the "bump hump". But didn't say bump, (Fxxk). Gotta love direct drives, LOL



I got to get a DD to keep up with Kaneboats, maybe that's why he got a v drive:p

[kaneboats]

Well, indirectly-- it's why we ended up needing the v-drive.

[danomite81]

may be a silly question, but I'm curious...

what do you guys do on your boats at night?

I mean besides the obvious with a significant other, but whattya just cruise around at night?

Any of you Florida guys want to get into the water at night?

Not me, man. That's when I actually get concerend about the gators swimming around.

I was wodering that myself ed . I just bought some leds for my boat just so I can post pics on the forum and look like one of the cool kids. you gotta love the peer presure!