Need help replacing interior lights with LED

[heath18703]

Have a 91 Hunter 27 and I'm interested in replacing the stock interior incandescent lights with possibly LED, or just something that doesn't drain the batteries so badly. Here's what I'm replacing...

It's 5 1/2 in diameter. Any advice on where I can find a good replacement? I generally don't like the type of light non-incandescent lights make so if there is an option that looks more like incandescent light I don't mind paying more for it.

Thanks for the help

 

[Delezynski]

Bradley,

Almost the exact same lamp. I did a short Youtube video of changing it over. It's at;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTLd_hlWYfs&feature=share&list=TL5l5K2PMo2dzMvUyNHLU9nrd2c3OxhcVZ

Greg

 

[Delezynski]

You might also need an adapter for the bulb. See it at;
http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/empty-bases-sockets/g4mr16mr11-to-ba15-base-adapter/173/

Greg

 

[JoyRide28]

Dr. LED makes the same exact light with warm white LED bulbs. I just changed mine out. Took about 10 minutes per light. Very nice result. http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...&subdeptNum=50573&classNum=50578#.Uld7LhbO_8s

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Buy one only first before re-doing all your lights.

I've been getting one only each time a new, improved, amazing LED bulb comes out and I now have a collection of them sitting in a box in the basement. The last one I bothered trying was the Sensibulb back in 2011. I'm still all incandescent on the boat (except for the anchor light).

I have two lights in the galley that are about three feet apart. Each time I try the latest, improved LED bulb, I place it in the light receptacle over the sink and leave the other incandescent bulb in place. Flip them back and forth and the difference is obvious. Never found one yet that matches the warmth of a tungsten bulb. Unfortunately, they just don't emit the wide band width of visible light that incandescent does.

I'm waiting to see the next generation of LED bulb ............ whatever and whenever they appear. The current generation of LED is still in its infancy and has a ways to before they match incandescent ............... and the way we're going, that should be right around the corner.

 

[Prindle]

Go cheap

I recently bought a J24 and almost immediately changed all running (nav) lights with leds . Amazing how that improved battery life! So next weekend a few interior lights will be changed by new Chinese bulbs. By the way, here in the EU there's a company that sells great led 'searchlights' with a cigarette adapter for just ,99 cents. I soldered the mainplate out in 2 seconds, made a nice adapter to fit in the old interior light and it works magically ( has 7 leds and a flood of workable light. Not a searchlight, but good enough to get things done aboard. ( still have the adapter plus cable as extra left for some other purpose) . Be sure to check what e.g. Dx.com has as replacement ( if you can wait l o n g )

Sail fast .
Roger

 

[heath18703]

Yes, thanks for all the replies.

Del, thanks so much for the link to the converter. Would you have a link to the 6 LED warm white bulb replacement circuit boards you found?

 

[dscribner]

Just replace the bulb. Replacements are pretty cheap. I got one of ebay for 2 bucks.

 

[Delezynski]

Bradley,

I got mine from Amazon.com for about US $4.00 each at;
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0086YF82M/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But you might look around and find it other places also. Good luck and by the way, once I changed over to ALL LED (inside and out) and an Engel reefer unit, I can run my full boat with 1 (ONE) 85 watt Solar panel!

Greg

 

[Bosman]

If you wish to keep the current enclosure, all you need is to replace the bulb with warm light LED bulb.
If the current bulb has two connectors at the base, and side pins are parallel, then the bulb you need is BA15D http://www.ebay.ca/itm/BA15D-1142-SMD-bulb-24-5050-SMD-Interior-light-LED-Warm-White-DC-12V-/251354613403?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a85e7069b&vxp=mtr
If the bulb has offset side pins, you need to get BAY15D (but this type is more common in the automotive applications, as opposed marine).

 

[sesmith]

I have the same interior lamps as the OP. Here's the solution I used:

http://www.iboats.com/Lunasea-Bayon...114386--session_id.361805986--view_id.1095144

The circuit's built into the bulb...no need to change the fixture if you don't want to. The warm white bulb is the one I used. They are very bright. Depending on the location, you may want to search out for one a little less bright.

 

[toddster]

Also, some LEDs are dimmable. When I have them all blazing at full throttle, the cabin lights draw 2 amps. But if I'm nursing the batteries for some reason, I can turn them down to about 0.25 amps and still see well enough to get around. I also put a couple of red ones on a parallel circuit for night running. Turning both the white and the red ones on at the same time makes a rather warm color.

 

[justsomeguy]

Lotta good sources for LEDs in this thread. Thanks!

 

[sesmith]

Another LED idea I ran across and added to our boat:

http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/lectronicday.lasso?date=2013-01-18#Story5

They throw off enough light to read by. I put a strip and dimmer on each side.

 

[Doc_holiday]

You know it's rarely mentioned but my limited experience with LED bulbs has led me to the conclusion that not only do LED bulbs use less power and last longer but for whatever reason, light sensitive bugs are not attracted to it. My neighbor installed one on his back porch and it dawned on us that we weren't bombarded by bugs like before when we hung out in the evenings. I put cheap LED lights in my boat and it does seem to help. I agree the ultra white color is hard on the eyes tho. Maybe there's a lens filter available

 

[philwsailz]

I have bright Bly LEDs as strip lighting on my dock. The bugs do go to them for sure. In the evening when we want to be bug free up on the deck I flip on the dock.

I don't robot if I have to go back to the boat. I walk onto a cloud...

 

[rpwillia]

What about exterior lights?

I have been holding off as you don't always hear the best things about LED lights. Some great ideas for interior lights as the prices finally seem to be getting reasonable. Now how about exterior nav lights?

 

[Delezynski]

rpwillia,

We have had LED nav lights since about 2001 or so. On the hull mind you. Our setup (due to our size) is a set of nav lights on the hull, AND a mast top tricolor. My switch allows only ONE set to be on at a time. We use the LED set for long off shore passages and the mast head for short trips of less than a full night.

Unfortunately I heard BeBi is shut down, I heard they made some GREAT LED lights. BUT, I think it would be easy to get a replacement LED bulb for the mast head unit when I need one.

Greg

 

[FastOlson]

Plan B, maybe

Have a 91 Hunter 27 and I'm interested in replacing the stock interior incandescent lights with possibly LED, or just something that doesn't drain the batteries so badly. Here's what I'm replacing...

It's 5 1/2 in diameter. Any advice on where I can find a good replacement? I generally don't like the type of light non-incandescent lights make so if there is an option that looks more like incandescent light I don't mind paying more for it.

Thanks for the help

Depending on how much time and $ you can budget... you might want to consider at least one or two complete light fixtures from this company. All the "engineering" has been done for you, as it were.
We have one of their 9 watt teak-framed lights over the galley area and the amount of light and warmth is perfect, and it's great to have switchable levels of both white and red.

We still have a lot of nice-quality factory fixtures that we will someday upgrade with LED bulb assemblies, but the Alpenglow product is truly everything they say it is.

http://www.alpenglowlights.com/

Best,
Loren