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Festoon LED

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Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/19/2006 : 21:36:53

I just ordered a few Festoon LED bulbs to try in the cabin dome lights. I ordered 4 whites and 2 reds enough to do 2 domes. Each one of the bulbs have 6 LEDs in them. The 6 bulbs cost me $23 including shipping. I'm hoping they will be bright enough. I'll report back how they work. If anyone is interested I got them from www.superbrightleds.com/1157.htm

1997 250 TR WK (sold)
1984 O'Day 28 (sold)
1979 SISU 22
Bath, NC.

Edited by - Tom Potter on 01/19/2006 21:51:03

Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 01/19/2006 : 22:05:34

Tom
I just received my order of amber, blue, and red 9 LED festoons. They are very bright! I've only hooked up 1 at a time to my battery in the basement and put out more light than I thought. I think the two will be sufficient for my lighting needs, I got the amber because most white leds are too "cool" and give a blue cast. The amber is a light yellow and much warmer. Why didn't you get the 9 led bulbs? You can spread the copper contacts further apart to make them fit.

By the way, I love the blue instead of the red as the second color.

Edited by - Turk on 01/19/2006 22:07:00

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 01/19/2006 : 22:10:43

I was not sure if I could get the larger ones to fit. I was afraid the copper tangs would not spread enough. Have you install yours yet? If you tell me they fit, I'll order some of the 9's and use the 6's in the least used areas like the aft berth and head.

Edited by - on

AADIVER
Admiral

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USA
966 Posts

Response Posted - 01/20/2006 : 00:34:55

Why the need for led bulbs? Why are they better than the existing bulbs? If so, can they be bought at Home Depot or Lowes?

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Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 01/20/2006 : 07:14:11

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by FARMHAND
 Why the need for led bulbs? Why are they better than the existing bulbs? If so, can they be bought at Home Depot or Lowes?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The LED bulbs use much less power. The original festoons are located in the white "dome" lights in your cabin. There are two "clear" incandesent lamps and one red incandesent lamp. I hooked one of the bulbs up to my battery and tested for current and each draw .6 amps. 2 clear bulbs lit times 2 = 1.2 amps of draw.

The LEDS test out at .05 amp draw each. Times that by two and you get .1 amp of draw for both - a significant savings of power.

How about brightness? Well that is the trade off. Two festoons with 9 LEDs in each deliver about as much light as one of the incandesent festoons. That still is a six time savings over a single festoon.

I am on a mooring and use a 65 watt solar panel to charge my batteries. I have just purchased a Simrad auto tiller, have satellite radio and a wash down pump. When staying on the boat, I'm looking for anything to cut back on power consumption at night. Running 3 regular dome lights at night is the same as running my washdown pump! With LEDs I've reduced it from 3.6 amps to .3 amps.

Edited by - on

Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 01/20/2006 : 07:17:25

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tompotter
 I was not sure if I could get the larger ones to fit. I was afraid the copper tangs would not spread enough. Have you install yours yet? If you tell me they fit, I'll order some of the 9's and use the 6's in the least used areas like the aft berth and head.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I spread the copper tangs and measured and they should work. I just got them yesterday and have not yet taken them out to the boat. If for some reason they don't fit, I had planned on soldering them in. Remember, they have a 100,000 hour life to them!

Also note: they have polarity to them. They only work hooked up one way. I don't believe reversing the polarity will damage them, but I wouldn't install them and then just turn the power on. I would touch the ends of the copper tangs with the light turned on to find out the correct polarity.

Edited by - Turk on 01/20/2006 07:21:32

Capt. Kurt
Navigator

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185 Posts

Response Posted - 01/20/2006 : 10:38:02

One of the projects I've been toying with is running a string of LED's behind the liner all around the cockpit to create "mood lighting". Would not be too expensive and easy to remove if it doesnt work out.

Kurt
#818 C250WK 'Tortuga'

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Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2006 : 11:19:07

The Festoons I ordered arrived yesterday. (very quick shipping) I snapped them in this weekend and they seem to work pretty good (during the day). I need to go down to the boat one night this week to see just how bright they are. The fit was just right, but as Turk said there are 9 led bulbs available but they are a little longer. So until I check them out at night I wont know how well my 6 led's will light the cabin.

Turk, did you install your 9's yet?

Edited by - on

Turk
Admiral

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736 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2006 : 19:29:04

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tompotter
 The Festoons I ordered arrived yesterday. (very quick shipping) I snapped them in this weekend and they seem to work pretty good (during the day). I need to go down to the boat one night this week to see just how bright they are. The fit was just right, but as Turk said there are 9 led bulbs available but they are a little longer. So until I check them out at night I wont know how well my 6 led's will light the cabin.

Turk, did you install your 9's yet?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

No, not yet. I will be at the boat tomorrow to see if they fit. I have the batteries out of the boat so I won't be able to see how well they work until closer to spring. I injured my back and really don't want to lug a battery up a ladder into the boat right now!

I will let you know how they fit though.

Edited by - Turk on 01/22/2006 19:31:14

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2006 : 20:08:48

Take care of that back, its the only one you have!

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Turk
Admiral

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736 Posts

Response Posted - 01/22/2006 : 20:39:56

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tompotter
 Take care of that back, its the only one you have!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Ya, I know. Just woke up with an injury - 3 months ago!

Believe me, it's not been fun. Fortunately I'm able to get a rest from the pain while laying down. At least I can sleep!

Edited by - on

Turk
Admiral

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736 Posts

Response Posted - 01/24/2006 : 05:59:55

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tompotter
 The Festoons I ordered arrived yesterday. (very quick shipping) I snapped them in this weekend and they seem to work pretty good (during the day). I need to go down to the boat one night this week to see just how bright they are. The fit was just right, but as Turk said there are 9 led bulbs available but they are a little longer. So until I check them out at night I wont know how well my 6 led's will light the cabin.

Turk, did you install your 9's yet?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I just tried the 9 LED's festoons for the dome lights and they work just fine. I had to open the copper contacts up a bit, but that was easy. Both bulbs total 18 LED's for light.

I ordered the amber lights to get away from the "bluish" colder look of white LED's.

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 01/24/2006 : 20:02:43

Thanks Tom, I'll get some of the 9's for the other lights. Might try the amber ones as well.

Edited by - on

ceryes
Deckhand

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USA
22 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2006 : 16:23:52

Do you know of anyone using LED lights on their mast for anchor light and steaming light. Since they are almost indestructable, I would think that would be the perfect place for them. If so, what part numbers did they use for that?

Thanks,
Paul

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Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2006 : 19:45:45

Paul, we have two threads going on the LED's. I saw in one of the links that someone was selling anchor and running lights. Don't remember which one.

http://www.catalina25-250.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11358

Edited by - Tom Potter on 01/26/2006 19:49:01

mday
Navigator

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197 Posts

Response Posted - 01/27/2006 : 00:43:22

Paul,

Practical Sailor reviewed LED running lights in Sept. 2005 They found these to be rather expensive, running from $52 to $580. They liked those from Hella Marine (www.hellausa.com). Others reviewed were from Orca Green Marine, Lopolight, Perko, Innovative Lighting, and Unified Marine.

Despite the cost, they sound like a great idea to me. Especially for the lamps up on the mast that are a struggle to replace.

Max

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