What sort of deck lighting have you? - Page 2

Biggles · 24 October 2007, 18:56

But surely they couldn't be seen from any sort of distance.

Nos4r2 · 24 October 2007, 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggles

But surely they couldn't be seen from any sort of distance.

How visible were those xmas light LEDs I had on my A-frame last year?

Bigmuz7 · 24 October 2007, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

How visible were those xmas light LEDs I had on my A-frame last year?

That must have been confusing

... port.. starboard.. anchor down.. steam ship underway but not under control

Hightower · 24 October 2007, 22:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

How visible were those xmas light LEDs I had on my A-frame last year?

What like these

Nos4r2 · 24 October 2007, 23:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

What like these

Cool-I didn't realise you had pics of them

Kinda proves the point though-they aren't even ultrabright LEDS, just a £4.99 set of battery operated LED fairy lights and its not even properly dark in those pics.

I'd personally just put an LED 'floodlight' on the A-frame pointing at the floor and wear a 'headlamp'.

Rogue Wave · 25 October 2007, 08:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

That must have been confusing

steam ship underway but not under control

you've seen him come alongside then! We just bought some IP56 round Garden LED's from Maplins and built them into the consul, they work fab but I'll let you know in a year's time if they still do. 6 kwid a pop

Nos4r2 · 25 October 2007, 09:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

you've seen him come alongside then!

Git! (the one time I balls it up completely and there's someone watching...)

Biggles · 25 October 2007, 10:37

Matt,

I didn't think those red lights of yours were all that bright. Certainly nothing to cause any problems at a few hundred meters plus. Close up maybe but then you would see the boat anyway.
Red light is one of the hardest colours to see in the dark. Obviously if you make your lights more powerful then your going to see red easier but little LEDs on their own should not create much of a problem. Hightowers 44 multipack all wired up together would be quite bright.
The LEDs they put in torches nowadays are groups of more powerful LEDs than the ones we are talking about here for deck lighting. And if its decklighting it should be set low so shouldn't cause a problem.
Some of those blue lights kids fit on their cars would be cool if you could get them under the hull and shining out into the water.

Cookee · 25 October 2007, 11:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by havener

As The Grocer rightly pointed out, using red lights in any other format than as navigation lights would greatly cause confusion. You may think deck lights would not be visible to another rib, but from a high ship's bridge they would indeed be seen.

Use of red in any other way would definately contravene SOLAS.

In that case wheelhouse or bridge lights would as well.

We fit red LEDs to the cockpit of the 770, but they are fitted pointing at the floor and impossible to see directly from outside the boat - when on they provide enough light to see what you are treading on and all you can see from outside the boat at relatively close range is a red glow - the LED nav lights we fit are more than powerful enough to stand out - even the port one!

Nos4r2 · 25 October 2007, 16:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggles

Matt,

I didn't think those red lights of yours were all that bright. Certainly nothing to cause any problems at a few hundred meters plus. Close up maybe but then you would see the boat anyway.

Fair enough. That's why I asked-it's hard to tell when you're sat in the boat with them.

wavelength · 25 October 2007, 20:59

Quote:

Use of red in any other way would definately contravene SOLAS

oh yeah? the fairly new, halmatic, coded, MCA coastguard rib not a million miles away from here by sea has red led deck lights. Much more dangerous is the use of intense white spotlights whilst underway esp when they are mounted near the red/green nav lights. I had one approaching me last winter whilst exiting a dutch port. Ruined everyones nightvision, all we could see was this white light in the snow flurries. It was not until he drew level that I saw his red as I got past the beam of the white spot above it. The worrying thing was we needed to turn across the track he was on and it was suggested by some that we were looking at the sternlight of a vessel. However being of a nervous disposition we slowed down and held our course to let things develop a bit longer.

9D280 · 26 October 2007, 14:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggles

Some of those blue lights kids fit on their cars would be cool if you could get them under the hull and shining out into the water.

I did see a ~8m rib (it came out the side of a silly size "yacht" in the med) with under hull floodlights - was well handy for the helm as he entered a relatively rock strewn cove to bring the owners ashore to the restaurant.

At first I thought it was a brilliant idea for coming ashore in the dark on a strrange beach, but he didn't switch them off as he motored back - it was the weirdest lights show as the floods popped in & out the top of the waves and the light danced through the spray, air and straight down into the sea. Not SOLAS approved lighting, but you sure knew where he was!

So, anyone fancy cutting a couple of holes for Maplin IP56 floods under their hull?

wavelength · 26 October 2007, 17:20

get a nice night with phosphorescence and nature will provide the blue lights dancing along the hull for you. Magical when it happens.

Hightower · 27 October 2007, 23:21

Whilst in Maplins today buying radio connectors, I thought I'd purchase some LEDs.

I bought 4 LEDs of different types 2 in red and two in blue. Whilst having a play with these tonight I have discovered how hot these little diodes get. Is this a factor to take into consideration when mounting them?

Nos4r2 · 27 October 2007, 23:54

What voltage were you running them at? They shouldn't get hot.

Hightower · 28 October 2007, 02:01

9V the guy in the shop said that they ran at this voltage and that I would need some resistors in line to lower the boat voltage from 12v to 9v, so he sold me some of these too.

Hugh Jardon · 28 October 2007, 03:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

I wasn't going overboard with lights, just that I do fish and sometimes at night too in the summer. What I need is to back light areas that people are likely to be whilst at Anchor or Pontoon at night. The bow area and stern area's are the most remote area's and need good but unintrusive lighting. I need something I can use whilst fishing too. To help me whilst hooking the bait and fiddling around, again without being in ya face.

I hadn't even looked at Spotlights yet, but will probably go for a movable one that plugs in somewhere.

i went for two halogen small driving lights from halfords, they are around 3 inchs across i think they were around 15-20 quid at most, the main idea was to have them above the engine on the aframe but underneath so they could be swung downward to light up the engine in the event of an engine/prop prob at night, they are also great for lighting up the boat at night but also when travelling at night they light up buoys etc.

have proved to be great and well worth the effort of fitting

if i was doing another build i would definately go for the led deck lights to light up the floor area on other occassions as that would be really helpful at times, i suspect that could be a job for the winter

Nos4r2 · 28 October 2007, 09:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

9V the guy in the shop said that they ran at this voltage and that I would need some resistors in line to lower the boat voltage from 12v to 9v, so he sold me some of these too.

Are you sure he's given you the right resistors?

A suggestion:- go to RS online and have a look at these:-

IP67 rated 12v LEDs

A bit pricey but all you need to do is put them in and wire them up.

Hightower · 28 October 2007, 10:52

This one is a more focused/spotlight beam.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...&doy=28m10#PDF

and this one is a more of a flood light type beam

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...doy=28m10#spec

If yu can make more sense of the specs than me then you should be able to understand what voltage they are.

The reverse voltage maximum is 5v.

I've wired up two of these in series over a 9v battery and there's no visible change to the intesity of the light, that at least shows that they'll run at 4.5v's a piece. They are much cooler than they were too.

Biggles · 28 October 2007, 10:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

Whilst in Maplins today buying radio connectors, I thought I'd purchase some LEDs.

I bought 4 LEDs of different types 2 in red and two in blue. Whilst having a play with these tonight I have discovered how hot these little diodes get. Is this a factor to take into consideration when mounting them?

Shouldn't get hot at all. Not sure of the current requirements off the top of my head but its very little. Thats the beauty of LEDs and why they are used for such things as indicators on car alarms. They shouldn't flatten your car battery.