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Thread: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

  1. #76

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    Charle

    I used Cat 5 Solid core network cable. There are 8 cables in there which you can control 4 sets of independent lights through switches.

    i soldered the connections and smude some silcone inside then heatstrink.
    I'm too tight to buy heatshrink with glue inside and tinned cable.

    My setup is like charleville but have an extra white one attached to the frame of the bimini ( cable tie). My lights are left on mostly all nite.


    Shouldn't we be support the local fellas guys. i would scrap those $7 dollar led lights and pay $47 for them.

  2. #77

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    I hope it wasn't glazier's silicon??

    Any of the neutral cure silicons will do the job timddo has described and sikaflex works real well.
    Glaziers silicon is acid based and will destroy wires fairly quickly.

    Timddo...if you want some small stranded tinned wire (old PABX hook up wire) I have oooodles of the stuff that I'll donate to worthy causes such as yourself...all different colours too
    I intend on living for-ever....so far so good


  3. #78

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    Quote Originally Posted by charleville View Post
    Such is my caution though, I have added a dedicated 5 amp fuse in the circuit just to be sure. It might have been 3 amp - I would have to check - but a 5 amp fuse will do the job.
    ahh as an engineer I approve of your sensibilities

    wiring should always be suitably fused, the wiring in our boat is a bit dodgy there is no fuse on the fishfinder at the moment just the 20 amp main fuse from the battery. I need to rip it all out and start from scratch!!


    Quote Originally Posted by timddo View Post
    Charle
    I used Cat 5 Solid core network cable. There are 8 cables in there which you can control 4 sets of independent lights through switches.
    pet peeve of mine using cat 5 to run power for things!! although with LED lights you will get away with it if you're under 1 amp. careful with solid core cable, it doesn't like repeated flexing.

  4. #79

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    Quote Originally Posted by Geoff- View Post
    ahh as an engineer I approve of your sensibilities

    Thanks. Of course it helps that I also am a professional communications and electronics engineer - was an MIE (Aust) and registered as an RPEQ once but let that lapse - plus prior to that I was an electronics technician and tech instructor. All certified and degreed.

    Nonetheless, I value any confirmation of technique as I am a long way out of touch as I discovered recently when a mate sought help on the maths of a class A basic transistor amplifier circuit to help his grandson with his grade twelve homework. I could not remember any damn thing about them and I used to design them 35 years ago! 'Tis marvellous how one can lose basic engineering knowledge after moving into the commercial parts of a business for twenty years or so.


    Quote Originally Posted by Geoff- View Post
    a
    pet peeve of mine using cat 5 to run power for things!! although with LED lights you will get away with it if you're under 1 amp. careful with solid core cable, it doesn't like repeated flexing.

    There is not a lot to be lost in using cat 5 cable in this application especially if you are getting it for free which is possibly the case. If it fails after a couple of years and you need to rewire it, it is no biggie.

    My concerns would be whether its insulation is up to an outdoors, marine environment. It may be but I just would not know. That is why I bought my wire from Whitworths because I assume that what they sell is true marine grade stuff if there is such a thing.

    BTW, whilst I fondly remember being an electronics engineer etc, it was such a long time ago and I am getting lazier in the head every day so in establishing my fuse size, I did not do any sums. I just stuck in a one amp fuse which blew and then went up a size.

    That is, six strings of 70 cm long LED strips will obviously draw over 1 amp.


    (Note to Finga - Yes, Finga, in case you are wondering, I do own a multimeter but am generally too lazy to get it out to measure something like current flow in the LEDs. )



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  5. #80

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    Quote Originally Posted by timddo View Post

    Shouldn't we be support the local fellas guys. i would scrap those $7 dollar led lights and pay $47 for them.


    Yes - of course you would.



    What do you think that they paid for them?


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  6. #81

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    Quote Originally Posted by finga View Post
    I hope it wasn't glazier's silicon??

    Any of the neutral cure silicons will do the job timddo has described and sikaflex works real well.
    Glaziers silicon is acid based and will destroy wires fairly quickly.

    Timddo...if you want some small stranded tinned wire (old PABX hook up wire) I have oooodles of the stuff that I'll donate to worthy causes such as yourself...all different colours too
    Yes the Cat 5 cable was free. Silicon was aquarium silicon so it's neutral( that was free too). Soldering line ( free), soldering gas ( free). I basically had to pay for the beer and $3 for heat shrink.

  7. #82

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    Thanks for the info guys I will be placing my order tonight. I get home from work on Tuesday so with easter being apon us hopefully late next week or early the one after they will arrive.

    timmdo I agree yes we should be supporting the local guys but I tend to agree with charleville when he says "What do you think that they paid for them?"
    Cheers Axl

  8. #83

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    Think i'll hook up a cpl of 2m runs, one blue, one white with a similar wattage...see if the blue is better on the night vision esp at rest. Red might be the go for the eyes but i just cant see myself out there in red . Hopefully blue works well at rest...whichever is the go i'll get more.

  9. #84

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    here is some good info on red lights effect http://www.flashlightreviews.com/qa/nightvision.htm

    Q: I've heard that a red LED light will preserve my night vision. Is this true?
    A: Short answer: Yes. A dim red light will preserve your night vision.

    The LONG answer:

    The back of our eye, called the "retina" detects light and allows us to "see". The retina is made of of 2 types of structures, cones and rods.

    The cones are responsible for our normal daytime vision. Cones detect both the wavelength (color) and intensity (brightness) of light that goes into our eyes and passes that information to our brain.

    The rods are responsible for our "night adapted vision". Rods do not detect wavelength (no color), but are very sensitive to intensity (brightness) of light. They pass on only shades of gray to our brain. They only work at very low light intensities (dim light), are most sensitive to light at about 500nm (turquoise/cyan), and are blind to red light (around 620nm).


    here is some more info that touches on the blue light http://www.aoa.org/x5352.xml

    PURKINJE SHIFT

    Rods and cones are not equally sensitive to visible wavelengths of light. Unlike the cones, rods are more sensitive to blue light and are not sensitive to wavelengths greater than about 640nm, the red portion of the visible spectrum.

    The Purkinje shift is the relatively greater brightness of blue or green light, compared with yellow or red light, upon shifting from photopic to scotopic adaptation.

    For example, in a darkened room, if one looks at two dim lights of equal illumination (one red and one green) that are positioned closely together, the red light will look brighter than the green light when the eyes are fixating centrally. If one looks to the side of the dim lights about 15-20 degrees, the green light will appear brighter than the red.

    Central fixation involves the cones and photopic vision while fixating eccentrically involves rods and scotopic vision. The cones are more sensitive to yellow and red, but the rods are more sensitive to light of the blue and green wavelengths.

    The most sensitive wavelength for cones is 555nm (yellow-green). That is why the "optic yellow" tennis and golf balls are, in fact, easier to see under photopic conditions.

    The most sensitive wavelength for rods is 505nm (blue-green). Thus, blue-green lights will generally look brighter at night than red lights. The sensitivity of the eye changes from the red end of the visible spectrum toward the blue end when shifting from the photopic to scotopic vision.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    from what i make of it the blue may seem a little duller to see in compared to the red which may give greater brightness.

    but nothing that the average person would be able to tell the difference with i don't think.

    but as above the actual brightness or wattage of the red or blue light will be a factor in the results that you get.

    russ

  10. #85

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    I am still confused. If these things are up under the gunwhale then the light is just projected downwards and across the floor? If so, then another light is needed for re-rigging etc ..with that light at a higher level. If that is the case then no need for lights shining on the floor in my case..prefer to be in the dark anyway.

  11. #86

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    Quote Originally Posted by PinHead View Post
    prefer to be in the dark anyway.

    As I do when I am fishing also. However, if I land a fish at night-time I want to know all about him. In particular whether he is a baby snapper and not a "Happy Moments". Likewise, I want to know that that bit coral on the end of my line is just that and not a stonefish.

    So being able to flood the floor with light at the flick of a switch is a major advantage for me.

    Secondly, even though the light from under the gunwales floods the floor, there is enough coming up to tie knots and bit hooks etc.

    Nonetheless, you are correct, Greg, in that a light above your task would be much better and that has been my experience with the indirect lights that I have installed under the gunwales.

    For that reason, I have just ordered a couple of short blue strips that I will rig above a couple of little bait cutting boards that I will place on top of the gunwales on both sides of my boat. (I hardly use my elevated rear bait board anymore as I am getting too lazy to stand up to use it). Even though those lights should be easier on the eyes, I will still install a switch with them as I prefer to fish totally in the dark with just the white nav light on above my canopy. These little removable, blue lit baitboards will be connected to power via cigarette lighter sockets that I have on both sides of the boat.



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  12. #87
    Ausfish Platinum Member scuttlebutt's Avatar
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    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    I'm well impressed with the 72cm strips, but have just ordered a 5metre 300 led strip which I intend to run around the gunnels ($44 delivered). A mate of a mate got one and was very happy with it. That combined with 8 x 72cm strips fixed to the canopy (4 white and 4 red which can be run together or seperately) will give a total of 860 leds. Hopefully that will be enough? I mean it is a 5.4m boat after-all!!!

  13. #88

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    This is a bit of a rough and ready job but good enough for me to give a try on my next night trip. I thought that I might share it to invite other people's ideas or examples of what they have done.


    As described above, I have wired 420 white LEDS under the gunwales in my boat with switches fore and aft and when switched on these lights give me tonnes of light within the boat without shining any on to the water.

    The problem though, also as stated above, is that the lights are not quite as useful for tying hooks or baiting with because the lighted floor is effectively backlight rather than top-light to the task. So a light above the task area is needed to make life really easy.

    Whilst I have an unused, nice, shiny, good quality, deck light available, I really wanted to see what I could do with LEDs and have made up this contraption which clips on to the rails on the side of the boat and which will give me light above the task but below my eyes and not shining into the water.

    As you can see, I have wired it with a waterproof switch so it is just for use when doing a task like tying a hook. The other end of the wiring has a cigarette lighter plug to connect to the cigarette lighter sockets that I have hardwired into both sides of my boat.



    Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch


    Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch


    Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch


    Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch


    I have used blue LEDS for this contraption but I might get some red ones and try them in a similar gadget.



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  14. #89

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    Gees matey. If you think that's rough you see a lot of boats on the water..They make you wonder how anything works at all.

    You mentioned something along the lines of "yes, I know that I should trim off the excess" etc etc but trimming to make the wires just long enough is one of my pet hates.
    I always have a neat little roll of wire at each termination just in case it's needed.
    Nothing worse then putting a new female spade crimp terminal to push onto a switch and there's no extra to get some nice clean wire.
    A lot better off, in my books anyway, to have too much then not enough.

    Why don't you have a blue and a red string side by side and use a double throw switch??
    Then you can do a scientific type study on which is best.

    Also you can get some really good double sided tapes now to stick the strings on with. You can get it from the panel beater supply places.

    Another trick of the trade is to use a sharp knife to trim your cable ties instead of sidecutters. That trims very close to the clampy bit of the cable tie and does not leave any sharp edges to catch yourself on. Those sharp little edges have cut me...the buggers..and it hurts.

    What's next for the boat??
    Blue lights on the transom under the waterline to get the fish closer??
    I intend on living for-ever....so far so good


  15. #90

    Re: 12v LEDs for under gunnel lighting

    I have decided against using those strip lighting thingies..I don't need nor want that much light. I have bought just a couple of LED lights..one each side of the boat. Those plus cateyes and a torch will do fine.

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