Mr.KingSpooled Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Hey raiders, Just wondering if anyone has used LED strip lighting for inside the boat to eliminate the use of a torch for rerigging and baiting when night fishing ! I have a small runabout without a cabin so I don't have the option of installing an overhead light, so instead I was thinkin running some Marine grade LED strip lighting around the inside of the boat instead of jus using the anchor light and various torches ! I like to carry the minimal gear when I'm fishing so if this is possible n will work means I only have to bring the 1 compulsory torch to be used in emergencies and the boat it self will have enough light for anything I need to do onboard ! Any information about quality, brightness, how much power it sucks from the battery and if I should run a second battery ? Any information would be greatly appreciated as with work I have no time to go day fishing so most of my trips now will be done at night and with night we need light !! Cheers in advanced, Jez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeoB Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 G'day Yeah the strip lights are great. But try to get them up under the gunnel out of direct view to reduce glare. Or consider installing a 12volt dimmer. Cheers Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.KingSpooled Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 (edited) G'day Yeah the strip lights are great. But try to get them up under the gunnel out of direct view to reduce glare. Or consider installing a 12volt dimmer. Cheers Leo Yeah I never really considered the glare but then again I only plan to use it when I'm anchored n fishing !! Not really when I'm driving between spots at night as it makes it hard to see ! How much am I looking at per meter for some good quality stuff ? And how well does it go with battery life ! I've only got a 20hp on the back so it's not a real power house when it comes to charging but at WOT n all the current lights on I'm making 13.5-14 volts !! Well that's what the sounder tells me ! With all lights off jus sounder on at WOT I make 15-16 volts ! Edited August 6, 2012 by Mr.KingSpooled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeoB Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 I picked up some online for about $50 for a mate. It was about 4m. But it was chips with 3 lights per chip and cables connecting them. I can't remember the exact current draw but LEDs use next to no power compared to incandescent lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.KingSpooled Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 I picked up some online for about $50 for a mate. It was about 4m. But it was chips with 3 lights per chip and cables connecting them. I can't remember the exact current draw but LEDs use next to no power compared to incandescent lights. Yeah I thought the LED would be good on the battery just had to make sure ! I saw some online for about $170-$180 per 5m and you can cut it at any position to suit ! Only thing is it seems a bit pricey for a bit of strip lighting ! I can get the stuff they use in houses for kitchens n what not for cheap but it's not the same n I don't think it's waterproof ! Lol the luxuries of buying a boat......and wanting every accessories possible to fit lol gotta love it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oz_brett Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 The guys above are right about the Glare they are very bright! I put a 600mm strip each side (@ $14 each)just below the gunnel so that people could see us on new years eve while we were sleeping only they were that bright we could hardly sleep with them on. I have since moved them as far up under the gunnel as possable they are still very bright.pic is after they were moved under the gunnel. I don't believe they would work as an anchor light, although they could be more noticeable then some anchor lights they may not pass as legal. battery drain, My batteries are both 4y/o (standard car batteries) went up the hawksbury about 2 months ago lit up like a xmas tree until 2am using the strip lights,anchor light & work lights under cabin (all LEDS) & did not need to use the second battery not even for starting. if you are going to be fishing night most of the time I would defiantly recommend a second battery wired through an isolation switch! Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.KingSpooled Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 The guys above are right about the Glare they are very bright! I put a 600mm strip each side (@ $14 each)just below the gunnel so that people could see us on new years eve while we were sleeping only they were that bright we could hardly sleep with them on. I have since moved them as far up under the gunnel as possable they are still very bright.pic is after they were moved under the gunnel. I don't believe they would work as an anchor light, although they could be more noticeable then some anchor lights they may not pass as legal. battery drain, My batteries are both 4y/o (standard car batteries) went up the hawksbury about 2 months ago lit up like a xmas tree until 2am using the strip lights,anchor light & work lights under cabin (all LEDS) & did not need to use the second battery not even for starting. if you are going to be fishing night most of the time I would defiantly recommend a second battery wired through an isolation switch! Brett Wow they are bright ! I'd probably only need 2 for fishing at night !! I have a proper legal anchor light at the moment except its the only light on the boat we use for night other then hand held torches lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helliconia Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 I put two 1 metre strips under my gunwales and their brilliant, figuratively and literally. I've got them wired to a dash switch, and I only turn them on when I need to do something. Otherwise I just leave the anchor light on. They will draw very little current so if you use them sparingly you shouldn't have a problem over night. If your concerned about power use a motorcycle battery on a seperate circuit for a cheaper option and use a battery charger to top it up at home. If you do run it flat then you've still got your normal battery for everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
locodave Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Hi mate, I use a lot of leds on my boat and they are great! For the cabin i have strips running along the inside and a round courtesy led light on either side. That will be enough for rigging. Can you put a light on the side at all? I dont think the ones along the gunnel will be enough unless you want to rig up on the floor. I bought a 5m reel that can be cut every 3cm for $22. They are still running today! PM me for more info. Happy to show you my boat if u need help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimyo Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 I have a small runabout without a cabin so I don't have the option of installing an overhead light, so instead I was thinkin running some Marine grade LED strip lighting Hey champ, Do you have a canopy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.KingSpooled Posted August 7, 2012 Author Share Posted August 7, 2012 I have a small runabout without a cabin so I don't have the option of installing an overhead light, so instead I was thinkin running some Marine grade LED strip lighting Hey champ, Do you have a canopy? Hey mate, Yeah I've got one of those sun blocking canopy things but I never put it out as it becomes very hard to fish more then one rod as the canopy covers the whole boat ! So I was thinkin running the lights alone the inside of gunwales and it should be sufficient enough to light up my little boat ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimyo Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Ok... I've put my strip on a bracket that sits on the frame of my canopy. It's good to have the light above you so it lights up the whole boat so you can even see you rod tips in the dark!!! The light also shines into the water, which also brings squid and yakkas around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.KingSpooled Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 Ok... I've put my strip on a bracket that sits on the frame of my canopy. It's good to have the light above you so it lights up the whole boat so you can even see you rod tips in the dark!!! The light also shines into the water, which also brings squid and yakkas around. I might modify my canopy as jus a light holder n rod rack loving these ideas eh lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oz_brett Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Ok... I've put my strip on a bracket that sits on the frame of my canopy. It's good to have the light above you so it lights up the whole boat so you can even see you rod tips in the dark!!! The light also shines into the water, which also brings squid and yakkas around. That does sound like the best option! also look for a waterproof light dimmer so that you can turn them down a bit if the glare does get hard on the eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisherdad Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 There are cheap LED strips and the more expensive ones, the cheaper ones are not as bright as the more expensive ones. There is white and RGB when you light all three colors up in RGB you ger a warm white light but it's not as bright as a straight white strip. I brought one of the RGB controllers available on online shop for colored LED strips and it works well . To dim LED's you need to flash them quicker than the eye can see, you cant dim them like an incandescent by reducing the voltage I have both RGB and white in use on my boat and they are great consuming almost no power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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