LED cabin lighting

Ron20324 · Aug 23, 2015

Uno Mast said:
...Or is that unnecessary and I can just replace the light fixtures?Thanks

Just change the bulbs.

Philip_Oceanis 361 · Aug 24, 2015

Ron20324 said:
Just change the bulbs.

Agree

Ralph Johnstone · Aug 24, 2015

Uno Mast said:
Also, is that a good upgrade? Does it light the cabin better? I want it to be brighter but worry that LEDs might be more of a concentrated pin light rather than light to really spread throughout the cabin.

Thanks

I've found Marinbeam to be the best replacement that I've tried to date. They have a wide angle of dispersion and are extremely bright (use caution as they can be too bright in some cases). Contact them with any questions as they reply quickly

https://store.marinebeam.com/find-your-led-bulb/

Check out their REPLACEMENT bulbs for your existing fixtures.

joyof10 · Aug 24, 2015

Uno Mast said:
Seems like I read somewhere that it's a good idea to change something besides the fixture when upgrading the cabin lights to LED. Could it be something from the switch panel that turns the lights on or maybe the from somewhere else? Or is that unnecessary and I can just replace the light fixtures?

Also, is that a good upgrade? Does it light the cabin better? I want it to be brighter but worry that LEDs might be more of a concentrated pin light rather than light to really spread throughout the cabin.

Thanks

I just changed all of the bulbs in my B343 to LED replacement bulbs and I am very happy with the outcome. The bulbs were about $18 a piece so it was a bit costly, but nothing near the cost of replacing all of the fixtures. The cabin is much brighter overall, and I no longer worry about power draw when anchored or moored. A big bonus was a combination red/white LED which was placed in the fixture over the chart table. Turn the switch on, and you get red; turn it off and on again and you get white; turn it off and wait a few seconds and turn it on, and you get red again; very nice.

Cambo · Aug 24, 2015

I have been very happy with my LEDs as well. We even converted our fluorescent tube lights to led strips and they are great.

If you are replacing fixtures, I found it cheaper in some cases to buy the halogen fixture and put an led bulb in it rather than buying the same led fixture that already comes with the led bulb.

Southpaw · Aug 24, 2015

joyof10 which ones did you get and where

joyof10 · Aug 25, 2015

Southpaw said:
joyof10 which ones did you get and where

I went to Marine Lighting Solutions in San Diego. They have a website too. The link is below. I used the G4 replacement bulbs, side-pin for the overhead fixtures and back pin for the reading spots.

http://yachtled.com/

NiceBeny · Aug 25, 2015

Uno Mast said:
Seems like I read somewhere that it's a good idea to change something besides the fixture when upgrading the cabin lights to LED. Could it be something from the switch panel that turns the lights on or maybe the from somewhere else? Or is that unnecessary and I can just replace the light fixtures? Also, is that a good upgrade? Does it light the cabin better? I want it to be brighter but worry that LEDs might be more of a concentrated pin light rather than light to really spread throughout the cabin. Thanks

Changed all my bulbs, easy and the looks the same, shop around for good prices. I went online instead of west marine

KZW · Aug 26, 2015

I changed all of mine two months ago. My boat uses center rather than side pins. Look around because you can get similar (same) LEDs for less at non-marine stores. I got mine from Amazon, 5 for $26.
Check the specs when you select an LED:
Pin orientation
Size of the LED disk - will they fit your fixture
Warm or white light
How narrow the beam is. Mine were 120 degrees.
Current draw (very small compared to incandescent

I ended up with the same beam width as the incandescent bulbs and what seems to be (subjective) slightly brighter light. The current draw is very, very low.

Last week I swapped the running lights to LED. I have an anchor light but need a volunteer that I can winch up to the top of the mast in the chair. The running and anchor lights were from Marine Beam.

CATBOAT WILLY · Aug 26, 2015

I am anticipating a full swing over to LED bulbs in our Cat. 36. We also operate a High Frequency Single Side Band radio on board. Has anyone heard of of radio interference caused by LED Lighting ??

joyof10 · Aug 26, 2015

There is so little current draw, that I can't imagine there being an issue. I am unaware of LEDs giving off any significant electromagnetic radiation. Check the link below.

http://healthybuildingscience.com/2013/03/25/emf-magnetic-fields-recessed-led-lights/

CATBOAT WILLY said:
I am anticipating a full swing over to LED bulbs in our Cat. 36. We also operate a High Frequency Single Side Band radio on board. Has anyone heard of of radio interference caused by LED Lighting ??

arf145 · Aug 30, 2015

joyof10 said:
There is so little current draw, that I can't imagine there being an issue. I am unaware of LEDs giving off any significant electromagnetic radiation. Check the link below.

http://healthybuildingscience.com/2013/03/25/emf-magnetic-fields-recessed-led-lights/

I have absolutely experienced interference from the electronics in LED bulbs--one completely wiped out my VHF when the light was on. The culprit I believe is in the power regulation. This is a good reason to buy quality LEDs, such as those at Marinebeam.com, which I have had no trouble with.

JamesG161 · Aug 30, 2015

I have been replacing mine, little by little, and have good results with even the cheaper ones.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J7HBRL8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

I have absolutely experienced interference from the electronics in LED bulbs--one completely wiped out my VHF when the light was on.

BTW I am a ham radio operator and all visible light is electromagnetic radiation.

If your FM had interference, it was not properly grounded or very very old. Not the LED's fault.

The LED's gives a bluer light and not brighter, but the blue light seems easier to see by.

For long years of corrosion free service on any marine bulb use...

http://www.sanchem.com/electrical-contact-lubricant.html

Or equivalent anti-oxidation electric conductive grease. A little dab will do ya! and the bulb will not stick from dissimilar metals corrosion between bulb and base socket.

So far so good with LED lights....

Jim...

Veit · Sep 2, 2015

LED light

Hi, I changed all the conventional lights of a Sigma 38 to LED, and its a great result. I bought a LED-chain, thats in fact very cool because you can cut the length you want. I made some simple wooden bases for this LED-inlays and a simple on/off switch! It looks very authentic and give a great illumination to the boat! There is a link to a picture on my OneDrive: https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...uthkey=!AI2YpQfszPRH-xc&v=3&ithint=photo,jpeg

LED cabin lighting

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SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

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