Cabin/ dome light ...LED

[geary126]

Looking to replace ugly plastic square cabin lights with nice, spiffy stainless cabin lights...with led lights.

Anyone do this, and have a great source? I don't want to spend $50 per, if I can help it. Saw a $11 5" stainless dome light at defender...debating changing the bulb to something after market?

How many leds does one fixture need, to generate adequate light?

Merci, you guys.

T

[PBzeer]

It depends on the application. I replaced my reading lamp bulbs with LED's for approx. $7 apiece. Overhead lights are more expensive. Mine ran $20 apiece (I replaced one side, left the other incandescent) and has 36 LEDs in it per each bulb. It gives adequate light, but not nearly as much as the incandescents.

I got mine through SuperBright http://www.superbrightleds.com/led_prods.htm

I believe there is also a company called Sensibulb.

[geary126]

hey, John.

Thanks for the note.

Did you use the kind of LEDS that are flat, 36 up? 19.95$?

narrow or wide angle?

Also, what kind of overhead fixture are you using? any idea on the wattage?


Also, what kind of reading fixtures? Looking for something small and efficient!

Much thanks.

[labatt]

I've been looking at doing something similar on our boat, but after talking to many people I get a fairly unanimous response - LED's still aren't bright enough to replace standard incadescent or flourescent fixtures. Sensibulb has received a lot of buzz lately, but I've been told that they are still pretty weak compared to a standard bulb. I've decided to hold off for now.

[tdw]

Lighting is what I do. We work with incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, xenon, led and oil. LED is a coming technology that has still not been perfected. It is only in recent times that warm white has been available in an LED lamp, most LEDs are white. On our boat we have played around with various types of light sources trying to get a satisfactory compromise between effectiveness, visual comfort, lamp life and energy consumption. My personal taste is reflected in what we have decided on, it is not necessarily a performance based decision, comfort also comes into it. Personally I loath fluorescent , even warm white with dimmable gear. Nonetheless we have a number of fluorescent strip lights to be used when we simply need lots of light. To supplement that we have 10w dimmable halogen lamps for general use and reading and an oil lamp for eating and general ambience. If we want light in the cockpit when anchored we hang an oil lamp off the bimini frame.
We are planning to install red LED footlights to give illumination in the cabin and cockpit that will not interfere with night vision, replace chart table light with LED spotlight and ultimately replace all navigation lights with LED. General lighting for living and reading will remain halogen, fluorescent strips may be replaced by LED strips. As regards nav lights I am still not completely happy with performance against halogen although energy saving is obvious. Will certainly be installing an all round white LED masthead.
Comfort is an aspect of lighting that is difficult if not impossible to quantify. If you can live with fluorescent lighting in your own home then you will in all probability be happy as a clam with LED especially with a warmer colour temperature. If , like me, you do not like direct fluorescent lighting you will be unhappy with LED. You should also think about how bright is your home lighting environment. Me, I admit to being a gloom freak. We like to sit around under dim lights, talking, listening to music blah blah blah. That's why I like "yellow" light in preference to "white".
Regarding performance comparison of halogen and LED you should find that an LED replacement for a 10w halogen will be brighter than the halogen but dimmer than 20w. Given the constant improvement in the technology this will probably change by this time next year but I'm far from convinced that LED is going to replace halogen at least in the short term.
Regards
TD

[sailingdog]

It really depends on the design of the LED fixture. Some are bright enough to replace incandescent fixtures, but wouldn't probably work to replace halogen or cold fluorescent tube fixtures. You can install incandescent fixtures and replace the bulbs with LED bulbs or you can install straight LED fixtures. I am partial to the LED bulbs, since that means the bulbs can be easily replaced in many areas that don't have access to the high-tech LED bulbs, which isn't the case on the LED-only fixtures.

One problem with LEDs is that they are generally far more directional in the light they give off...since an LED has a lens built in... so picking a fixture or replacement bulb that will work for the given lighting situation has to be done more carefully.

[PBzeer]

The reading lamps are original equipment, as are the overheads (your basic square plastic 2 bulb w/off,1,both switch that uses a 1041 bulb). I used the wide angle and it gives off a slightly bluish light, as do the reading lamp bulbs. I find the light pleasant.

[geary126]

Thanks you guys. Interesting debate. Right now, my pathetic OEM lights are really, really weak.

Thinking about these, which seem like the bargain of the century:

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?...0422&id=206654

New fixture, just xenon. Guessing it draws 10 watts. Or perhaps that's 10 x 2 bulbs.

[deckhanddave]

if you need lots of light in a small package you can't go wrong with CFL's (compact florescent lights). I've been using them for years in my house and they produce very pleasant light. CFL's are available in a number of temperatures rating from 6500 kelvin ("full spectrum white") to 3500k yellows. The best thing is that I get 100watts worth of light for only 22watts input and unlike halogens they run cool enough to take a bulb out while its running. I even have two 45watt full spectrum CFLs in my planted fish tank. They put out about as much light as a 450watt shop light and a lot less heat. For those that hate the look of florescent light, keep in mind that a light needs to warm up before it begins to emit the right wavelenths. I plan on wiring my T30 with a mixture of CFL's for wide area use and LED's for spot usage. CFL's also seems to be pretty vibration resitant too, I use them in fans with no problems. If you are looking for LED's there is a homebrew company that works out of fiji and is priced more than reasonably (including the shipping!). The industry also helps out their fledgling island economy. www.bebi-electronics.com

[ebs001]

Deck, the problem with CFLs is that they are only available with 120volt rating and even a 12 watt cfl draws 1 amp of 12 volt power. The great advantage of LEDs is the power draw. The reading light available from the bebi-electronics draws 0.09 amps.. If batteries are your sole source of power this is a tremendous advantage. The two drawbacks to LED lighting are price and colour and both have been improving significantly. The advantage to sailboaters are low power and long life expectancy.
I was talking to Nick at sailor's solution via email and they are coming out with a new and improved Sensibulb within the next couple of weeks. I have not seen a sensibulb in action but according to Practical Sailor they provide a much warmer light than other LEDs.