[TomFL]

Am going to start building a headlight setup for use on the front of the 13' duck boat project and could use some input.

Two options I'm thinking of are either a set of Hella or similar off-road lights which can be pretty straight forward but might tend to use a lot of electricity, or rigging something up with LED's.

Would a few of these rigged together even approach the brightness I'm looking for? :http://www.oznium.com/high-intensity-led-spotlight I don't find any "lumen" rating on their site at all.

The Hella or standard option would give me a choice of putting in some 110w bulbs, etc.

Any thoughts?

 

[Brett]

http://www.oznium.com/marine-led-spotlight

http://www.oznium.com/marine-led-lighting

 

[beavis]

Tom,

The LED's are great lights. But I do not think they are good enough for using as spotlights. I use a lot of flashlights and trash a few of them. The LED's are great and bright but they do not have the throw ability (distance the beam penetrates out) that the xenon bulbs do. Even in the same light. The lumens do measure brightness but not throw. I think your Hella idea would be best for what you are trying to do.

 

[TomFL]

Beavis, thanks for the input it's exactly what I was looking for. I don't know how to compare the two light sources evenly so was looking for input from someone familiar with both.

I'll stick with the hella or similiar light idea

-T

 

[Brett]

http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off&sa=1&q=perko+spreader+lights&btnG=Search+images&aq=f&oq=

Spent many years on sailboats, spreader lights were a necessity.
I prefer a flood light at night instead of a spot light.
If I need a spot light, that's what my hand held Q-beam was for.

 

[TomFL]

Word right from Oznium on their High Intensity LED Spotlights:

"I do not have a lumen rating and while this will not be a 'Headlight bulb.' It does provide a nice amount of light for its size and using only one LED."

-T

 

[Brett]

I installed a pair of these on the bow, under the gunnel,
of my tunnel jet for running around out front Flamingo at night.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/37675/377%20710/0/halogen%20floodlight/Primary%20Search/mode%20matchallpartial/0/0?N=377%20710&Ne=0&Ntt=halogen%20floodlight&Ntk=Primary%20Search&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&Nao=0&Ns=0&keyword=halogen%20floodlight&isLTokenURL=true&storeNum=5002&subdeptNum=9&classNum=586

 

[flyfisheraa573]

Tom,

Not meaning anything bad by this...but 110w? I have a safari rack with 55w Hella's and they provide plenty. I could easily see 100 yards away, or more. One issue with Hella's is some work on a relay system...Just FYI. I'm not too sure how that would work out on a boat.

 

[paint it black]

I don't know about the LED's, but I know that some HID's would surely light up a marsh nicely.

 

[TomFL]

Tom,

Not meaning anything bad by this...but 110w?  I have a safari rack with 55w Hella's and they provide plenty.  I could easily see 100 yards away, or more.  One issue with Hella's is some work on a relay system...Just FYI.  I'm not too sure how that would work out on a boat.

I can only tell you this, I like to be able to see really well when running a boat. Have had some close calls after spending my entire younger years night fishing. Not sure if it's my contacts or just my eyes getting older, but if the lighting is iffy I don't see all that well. Rather be overkill.

Plus I don't do the spider thing. AT ALL. So to be able to see the webs before I get them in the face in the dark is a major plus. Last thing I want is a banana spider latched onto my face at 0-dark-thirty in the morning. Does not make for a good duck hunting day.

Also I should mention I was thinking I might be able to get away with one 110w on a small boat like this rather than rig 2 lights.

I also use a HID niterider head-mounted light in combo so that would be the backup in case of outage.

-T

 

[deerfly]

Not quite the same league as you guys are discussing, but since the topic is LED spot lights I thought I'd share one that I've been very pleased with. I think I picked it up on a whim at West Marine I believe. Needed something quick, light and that also was powered with AA's.

For highly reflective stuff like channel markers it works great out to a 1/4 mile, maybe a tad more in clear air. For more subtle or non reflective things I would only trust it to maybe 80-100 yards, especially traveling over 20mph. 

What I like about it is its as good or better than most 4 AA powered LED flash lights, it's very light weight (not rugged and bomb proof like the mag lite's tho, but considerably lighter) and uses the same batteries as my GPS, mini-mag's, point-n-shoot camera and VHF radio. 

I've had the same batteries in it since I bought and that was when I owned the Hi-sider.  Athough the kids really put a hurtin' on em' this weekend night fishing in Marco.  So I guess after 2 years I'm gonna have to replace them. Maybe I'll go nuts and put a set of lithium's in there.  ;D

Won't replace a Q-Beam by any stretch but works very well and fits nicely into my "do more with less" approach to most everything. 

 

[DuckNut]

I use these (oval model) mounted under the bow to avoid light refraction. I have tried white lights in the past and find I can see better in the marsh with the yellow. Not to mention on most mornings there will be a little fog on the southern duck ponds. Mounting them below something to prevent the light from refracting upwards into your line of sight will be a huge benefit. I also carry a plug in hand held spotlight if I should need it.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/OPTRONICS-...TS/GP_2003750_N_111+10201+600002817_10101.jcw

 

[Kemo]

I got one of the 1-watt LED hand held lights like the one deerfly has.  I am very impressed.  $21.30 plus $7.01 S/H.  And from an unlikely source that I had ordered from before - The Drill Spot.  Nice site, good service and good prices.   www.drillspot.com  Some guys I showed this light to couldn't believe a single 1-watt LED could throw a beam of light that far.  And runs approx 70 hours on 4 AA batteries, which is great for me as my running lights are also LED and run on AA batteries, as well as my GPS, so I always have plenty of spares with me.

Kemo   

 

[paint it black]

Seriously, have you looked into HID's?
A lot of light, with very little power.

Check these out made for the abuse of off-road use.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95058

 

[TomFL]

Seriously, have you looked into HID's?
A lot of light, with very little power.

Check these out made for the abuse of off-road use.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95058

Good find!!

Thanks

-T

 

[bullrec]

LED's are best but to use it as the spotlight is not a good idea, because the throw and penetration of LED's is not good as compare to xenon bulbs.

Todd Philips
Business Executive
Data recovery

 

[paint it black]

Seriously, have you looked into HID's?
A lot of light, with very little power.

Check these out made for the abuse of off-road use.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95058

Good find!!

Thanks

-T

Wow, they removed the item off their website now.
I wanted those for my truck and when I read this thread I remembered about it.
I can get HID's for vehicles for around $60 from my distributor.
They just don't come with a housing. It's just the bulbs and the ballasts.


Also found these on the Harbor Freight website.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95059