Anyone have suggestions for LED lighting (12VDC) in the cabin area, berths, head? Not sure what lumens to consider, cool white vs. warm white vs. bright white.
New LED cabin lighting project
- Thread starter mjmercer19248
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http://store.marinebeam.com/replacement-led-fluorescent-fixture.html
Cool white is the blue yuck color. Warm white is like an incandescent light. Bright white's for really dark places...
Cool white is the blue yuck color. Warm white is like an incandescent light. Bright white's for really dark places...
Can echo Stu's observation. Cool white is a very cold color. Not pleasant to my eyes anyway inside a cozy boat cabin.
Actually I just returned from Costco where for the first time 110v warm white LED's "bulbs" finally hit the price point to prompt a purchase. At home, the color looks quite good.
Back to the 12v variety. As to lumen's, even the higher rated LED's while very bright to look directly at don't seem to put out as much overall illumination as incandescents. So I would suggest that for the main whole cabin light(s) go very bright. (Or if your main fixture like mine is designed for two festoon "bulbs" then even better.) For the smaller side accent or spot fixtures you can back off on intensity.
Don't know which way you are going .... whole new fixtures or just LED replacement bulbs for the existing fixtures? On my 1980 Hunter 36, I reused the original factory fixtures. First removed them from the boat. Then cleaned the plastic lenses and housings in a strong kitchen product. Used a tooth brush to break out the dirt and grime from the lenses' refraction bevels. The result was excellent. The lenses are bright again with virtually no indication of yellowing. And no cracks or fogging. The brass switch contacts where sanded lightly with 600 sandpaper to remove the surface oxidation.
Cost for for my LED conversion was most attractive!
Actually I just returned from Costco where for the first time 110v warm white LED's "bulbs" finally hit the price point to prompt a purchase. At home, the color looks quite good.
Back to the 12v variety. As to lumen's, even the higher rated LED's while very bright to look directly at don't seem to put out as much overall illumination as incandescents. So I would suggest that for the main whole cabin light(s) go very bright. (Or if your main fixture like mine is designed for two festoon "bulbs" then even better.) For the smaller side accent or spot fixtures you can back off on intensity.
Don't know which way you are going .... whole new fixtures or just LED replacement bulbs for the existing fixtures? On my 1980 Hunter 36, I reused the original factory fixtures. First removed them from the boat. Then cleaned the plastic lenses and housings in a strong kitchen product. Used a tooth brush to break out the dirt and grime from the lenses' refraction bevels. The result was excellent. The lenses are bright again with virtually no indication of yellowing. And no cracks or fogging. The brass switch contacts where sanded lightly with 600 sandpaper to remove the surface oxidation.
Cost for for my LED conversion was most attractive!
I had some G-4 aftermarket fixtures in the main cabin.. I replaced the bulbs with these.. in warm white.. When ya first turn 'em on, they are red.. then switch off then back on within 4-5 seconds and they are white..
http://store.marinebeam.com/g4-led-replacement-bulb-red-warm-white.html
Replaced the reading light bulbs with these base adapters:
http://store.marinebeam.com/adapters.html
and these LED bulbs: http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=812
I like the warm white much better than the cool white.
somewhere around 90-95 "rated lumens" is about the same amount of light as the incandescents that they replaced..
Feels good to turn on a couple of lights and still be using less power than one incandescent used to..
http://store.marinebeam.com/g4-led-replacement-bulb-red-warm-white.html
Replaced the reading light bulbs with these base adapters:
http://store.marinebeam.com/adapters.html
and these LED bulbs: http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=812
I like the warm white much better than the cool white.
somewhere around 90-95 "rated lumens" is about the same amount of light as the incandescents that they replaced..
Feels good to turn on a couple of lights and still be using less power than one incandescent used to..
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You may want to check out AlpenGlow lighting. They have several options with different types of lighting.
They will also give you some sound advise.
http://www.alpenglowlights.com/
They will also give you some sound advise.
http://www.alpenglowlights.com/
There is also a good selection of LED lighting available right here at the SBO chandlery: http://shop.hunterowners.com/cat.php?51584/LED Light Bulbs Always be loyal to the home team!
LED cabin lights
I have replaced most of the cabin bulbs with LED but not pleased with the amount of light. So I use the regular bulbs all the time and just pop them out and install the LED when I will be on the hook. I am refering to the reading light fixtures as they are open and the bulb is easily accessible.
However, I was very pleased with LED tape. I used this product on a Garden Gazebo for soft lighting, so I decided to adapt it to my boat cabin.
I ripped some 3/4 x 3/4 teak strip and made a rabbet on the back side for the tape to reside. Kind of a cornice. The galley was my main area of need. There were wires already from a previous neon fixture there. I Purchased a roll of LED tape, 30ft long in warm white for about $25.00 bucks. I cut the necessary length and after installing the teak batten, I installed the tape on the rabbett using the stick tape it had on it. Soldering new wire tails was no problem. Wire can be fairly thin as it does not draw much wattage. I installed a small round lighted switch and added some drops of silicone caulk on the tape to make sure it does not come loose. Voila. It gives great light along a 6 ft length. I liked it so much, I installed 4ft under the companion way, 4ft on the starboard bookcase and 3ft in the port bookcase and finally 2ft over the head sink. The best part is that It gives great light over a large area and my amp meter needle does not even move when I turn them on.
See the galley picture. The LED lights up all the counter top without any dark areas.
I have replaced most of the cabin bulbs with LED but not pleased with the amount of light. So I use the regular bulbs all the time and just pop them out and install the LED when I will be on the hook. I am refering to the reading light fixtures as they are open and the bulb is easily accessible.
However, I was very pleased with LED tape. I used this product on a Garden Gazebo for soft lighting, so I decided to adapt it to my boat cabin.
I ripped some 3/4 x 3/4 teak strip and made a rabbet on the back side for the tape to reside. Kind of a cornice. The galley was my main area of need. There were wires already from a previous neon fixture there. I Purchased a roll of LED tape, 30ft long in warm white for about $25.00 bucks. I cut the necessary length and after installing the teak batten, I installed the tape on the rabbett using the stick tape it had on it. Soldering new wire tails was no problem. Wire can be fairly thin as it does not draw much wattage. I installed a small round lighted switch and added some drops of silicone caulk on the tape to make sure it does not come loose. Voila. It gives great light along a 6 ft length. I liked it so much, I installed 4ft under the companion way, 4ft on the starboard bookcase and 3ft in the port bookcase and finally 2ft over the head sink. The best part is that It gives great light over a large area and my amp meter needle does not even move when I turn them on.
See the galley picture. The LED lights up all the counter top without any dark areas.
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I replaced all my lights on my 1977 h33 with LED lights from Bebi. I tried a few at first, and i liked them so much that i replaced everthing, including running lights (i haven't installed my new anchor light yet due to fear of heights).
They also had some really interesting strip lights, that i used to replace fluoroescetns in the galley and over the chart table.
I installed the lights inside the original fixtures, generally following the approach on their website (remove fixture, clean up, rip out old socket, solder Bebi light to switch and ground, then hot-melt glue the 'led bud' to the inside of the fixture). took about 15 minutes each.
They have cool and soft white. i put in mostly soft white which i like for active areas (galley / main cabin) and soft for vberth. (as a not, i had tried several other LED bulbs before settlign on Bebi, and i hated the spectrum - they were too green, and made people look pale and frankenstein-like). The spectrum of the bebi's is really decent, very natural.
btw, i measured the power on a few, and they were right around 0.1A. i have 11 lights inside, plus fore and aft running lights installed, for a total of 13. So i'm drawing less than 1.5A with everything on, only slightly more than the incandescent anchor light. (gotta get up there soon!)
So i'm thrilled with it, no longer worrying about power, and having better light.
They also had some really interesting strip lights, that i used to replace fluoroescetns in the galley and over the chart table.
I installed the lights inside the original fixtures, generally following the approach on their website (remove fixture, clean up, rip out old socket, solder Bebi light to switch and ground, then hot-melt glue the 'led bud' to the inside of the fixture). took about 15 minutes each.
They have cool and soft white. i put in mostly soft white which i like for active areas (galley / main cabin) and soft for vberth. (as a not, i had tried several other LED bulbs before settlign on Bebi, and i hated the spectrum - they were too green, and made people look pale and frankenstein-like). The spectrum of the bebi's is really decent, very natural.
btw, i measured the power on a few, and they were right around 0.1A. i have 11 lights inside, plus fore and aft running lights installed, for a total of 13. So i'm drawing less than 1.5A with everything on, only slightly more than the incandescent anchor light. (gotta get up there soon!)
So i'm thrilled with it, no longer worrying about power, and having better light.
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