Converting Cabin Light Bulbs to LEDs

[Bobcat]

I have some burned out interior lights. Some of the bulbs are weird shapes: like old torpedo fuses. I may be able to find replacement bulbs, but I wonder if I should just convert to LEDs. This would be for all the usual reasons: brighter, last longer, use less juice.

Assume I know nothing about this subject and let me know what's involved, the difficulty and whether I should replace the old bulbs and put off conversion for a winter project.

The boat is a Monk-designed Roughwater 35 built in '72

Thanks

[CapnJ2ds]

A lot of LED bulbs are now available that will go into existing sockets - might be worth your while going to a place that sells LED fittings, bulbs etc with the existing burnt out ones to see if you can get a match.

NB: Round here we've found that good LED bulbs are expensive (But worth it for the reasons you mention), while the cheap ones aren't good. The cheap ones give just as good light but tend to fall apart rather quickly.

[the_gr8t_waldo]

i can't speak to the quality issue but, i've had very good luck ordering from "super-brite led's". i've found they are reasonbly priced, but then i've limited myself to buying for a motorcycle. like others i have looked ar homedepo and their ilk.the pices there are really steep-imho

[Breakaway]

If the bulbs look like this, you can get them from Ancor, Perko ( manufacturers) at most marine supply places .



As for converting, I'd buy new fixtures and just wire em up. Your existing wiring is going to be heavy enough. In fact, you ma have to double or triple fold the light gauge wires coming off the LED fixture in order to butt splice them into your ( likely size) 14-16 wire.

I would go with new fixtures, not just LED lamps designed to fit into incandescent fixtures. These save some juice but you don't net the corrosion and shock resistance of led fixture and lamps.

Kevin

[wizbang 13]

Not LED's , but my favorite12v dc boat light is Alpenglow, mini fluro. I have 3 of em.

[Mad Scientist]

Super Brighr LED's: http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...Fled_prods.htm

Happy shopping!

Tom

[Bobcat]

I did more research, prompted in part by what people posted here, and found that there are likely LED replacements for the bulbs I already use. The torpedo shapes are actually "festoon" bulbs, although I have little idea why. There are LEDs that will fit the fixture as a direct replacement.

[Bob Adams]

Replaced mine with LEDs years ago, never regretted it. Remember to check polarity, doesn't matter to a filiment, it does to an LED.

[willmarsh3]

I'm with Bob on that. Also there's huge savings in not having to beef up the electrical power plant. I used to have the halogen bulbs. They were nice but they consumed enough current that I had to restrict how long they were turned on. I use mostly G4 bi-pin bulbs for the interior lighting. For the running lights and anchor light I use Aqua Signal brand.

http://www.ledlight.com/g4-ultra-bri...olt-ac-dc.aspx

http://www.pyacht.com/aquasignal-ser...led-lights.htm

[ron ll]

I have this fear that LEDs are too bright. For my small cabins I like a softer warmer glow and currently have dimmers on them. Problem is, I can't find fixtures anymore with dimmers and not sure they even work with LEDs. Aren't LED's awfully bright and garish blue for cozy wooden boats?

[Bobcat]

I have this fear that LEDs are too bright. For my small cabins I like a softer warmer glow and currently have dimmers on them. Problem is, I can't find fixtures anymore with dimmers and not sure they even work with LEDs. Aren't LED's awfully bright and garish blue for cozy wooden boats?

I guess I will find out. I am fortunate that have a fixture with burned out bulbs that I can easilty replace with LEDs. If the light from the LEDs is not to my liking, I will just stop the project.

[Bob Adams]

I have this fear that LEDs are too bright. For my small cabins I like a softer warmer glow and currently have dimmers on them. Problem is, I can't find fixtures anymore with dimmers and not sure they even work with LEDs. Aren't LED's awfully bright and garish blue for cozy wooden boats?

Not so much the brightness as the light temperature, a little "harsher" for want of a better word. My fixtures have 2 bulbs, I use one or both as needed. Gives some control over the ambienance. I just love the low current draw though.

[willmarsh3]

Mine are warm white. There's no garish blue about these. The aft running light is a neutral white as it should be with no hint of blue or yellow. The reading lights are the little 9 squares shown in the link. The overhead cabin lights are the 1/2 watt G4 bi-pin. These are adequate brightness but I'm going to replace one of the overhead lights with a brigher but still warm white light. I frankly can't tell the difference between these and incandescent lights when just looking at the light.

[zertgold]

You can find LED's in just about any color you need. They do make warm whites, and you can set them up to look really nice. An LED with a 2700 Kelvin is just about as warm as a candle, anything above 3100 starts getting too cool in my opinion.

I have been able to find modern LED's for just about every sort of fixture too. It seems that retro fitting works well.

When it comes to dimming an LED it does not work the same as an old bulb; it will work to a certain extent with an old dimmer, but a dimmer designed to work with LED's actually pulse the electricity/light. The lower the light setting the more the frequency of the light is actually turned off as opposed to being on. This of course is all done at such a fast rate you could never notice the flicker. The nice thing about it is that it cuts the power proportional to the dimming. You could leave a whole boat full of LED's on at a low dimmer setting and it would draw barely anything from the battery.

[snow(Alan H)]

Super bright LEDs is the place to buy them from, get the 'warm' versions. I have imported there stuff into NZ for the last 3 years & they are the best.

[Bob Adams]

I imagine there are many more choices in LEDs than there were when I converted. There are some disadvantages to being an early adopter of technology! I am still happy with them though.

[the_gr8t_waldo]

something overlooked in marine electrics, is the practical use of dielectric grease on bulb contacts.- no need to go "overboard" just a lite coating on both the bulb contacts and the fixture contacts will protect so that you get max life out of the fixture. i use it thruout the electrical system and it protects your hard work , installing the electrical system

[CapnJ2ds]

Super bright LEDs is the place to buy them from, get the 'warm' versions. I have imported there stuff into NZ for the last 3 years & they are the best.

Wish I'd known that, Alan. Where do we see 'em?

[snow(Alan H)]

Wish I'd known that, Alan. Where do we see 'em?

John - slight confusion, I have been importing them for myself & friends only. Just order them off superbright direct, cheap as chips, freight is cheap & it only takes approx 5 working days to get here. You can have a look at my fitted units at Riverhead if u like.
Alan

[Bobcat]

Update for the good of the order: I found an LED festoon bulb (made for a car dome light) on Amazon and put it in last night. It fit right in place of old bulb. The sucker is BRIGHT! Amazing that it uses so little juice.

The only thing I don't like is it's a bright white light. I will see if I can get a more yellow color. If not, I will use them. Cheap, bright, apparently long-lasting, and uses little electricity

[snow(Alan H)]

In the early days of LED's (<4 years ago) b4 the 'warm' versions came on the market, to get around the 'frig' effect, I used to buy a pack of those cheap plastic A4 size folders (use the yellow ones) & cut out a circle the size of the light & put it inside the light fitting - instant warm, ambient lighting. The LED's emit almost zero heat so no issue with the plastic melting.
Or you could go all pouncey & cut up a photography filter sheet.

[Bobcat]

Are you talking about a manila office folder?

[Wayne Jeffers]

Are you talking about a manila office folder?

I believe he means the plastic folders with translucent covers (in yellow.) Yellow transparency film (for overhead projectors) should serve as well, but probably come in bigger packages and therefore cost more in total, since you probably only need a very little bit.

Wayne