cockpit lighting ideas....

Bosts1 · #1 03-14-2008, 10:36 PM

I am wanting to put lights in the cockpit so that we can see to fish at night, and rig early in the morning. What do you guys do for cockpit lighting, where do you put lights??? I have some really good LED lights i want to put it, just dont know where i should put them. Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated.

randlemanboater · #2 03-15-2008, 08:22 AM

I haven't done that yet, but plan to.

I was thinking if you put them up in the gunnals, in the rod box area, that you would get a nice indirect light.

But someone will be along soon to clue us in.

tsubaki · #3 03-15-2008, 09:17 AM

Forgot about wanting to do that.
Making a mental note didn't work so I'll have to add to the word document for things to do to the V.
At first glance I was considering these, but that is as far as I got.
http://www.platinumlightinginc.com/R.../12vclear.html
Lots of choices and possibilities.

shicks007 · #4 03-15-2008, 08:06 PM

I installed two rope lights under the gunwhales on my 76'. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bling bling kind of thing. You can't see the lights. They light up the deck great. They don't light up the area enough for tying and rigging but they light up the deck itself so you can see where your walking. $14.00 each from Cabelas.

macojoe · #5 03-15-2008, 08:28 PM

I was going to say the same rope lights!! they come in different leanths and colors, run two down each side, one whit and one red or green, colored for night vision, white for clean up, and running

kamikaze · #6 03-15-2008, 08:58 PM

Tubsaki is on the right track, but the problem is with the rope lights. Rope lights typically use LEDs that have a very low lumens rating (measure of light intensity). For the application you are looking to fill you'll need high lumens rating in order to fill the entire area with light vice just accent the deck. However, most very bright LEDs are designed to be VERY directional (think flash light) and must be mounted overhead in order to light a cockpit. If you have a t-top or hard top that is not hard to due, but a bimini might be a little more of a challenge.

I had two TACO 12V fluorescent overhead lights on the t-top I bought for my other CC that hadn't worked since I bought the top. Trying to find replacement parts was impossible. So I replaced the bulb with a length of clear sheet rock edge guard (90 degree) from Lowes and used hot glue to mount two 10" strip high intensity LED strips to the outside edges. The edge guard was placed in the tube so the edge or corner point faces the deck so that when mounted form above each light strip is really 45 degrees to the deck. I thought this would allow the light to spread out over a larger area than if the LEDS were pointing straight down to the deck. I bought the LED strips off ebay for $16.00 and two light strip are more than sufficient to light the entire cockpit and they require very little power so there is no problem running them all night.

Kamikaze

Bosts1 · #7 03-16-2008, 08:44 AM

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...TODAY.m238.lVI

I got these and they are bright, so i have to find somewhere to put them thats indirect, cause they will blind you. I too was thinking the rod boxes, two of these in each box facing in. they come in different colors and i was thinking of also getting some in red so they could be on and you could still see to run the boat ok. probably won't, but its a good idea. Also these lights dont use hardly any battery so they are perfect, small, bright, and energy effecient.

reelapeelin · #8 03-16-2008, 10:16 AM

I only put one (at lower left) and it's really been all I've needed for general use, but when I go at night, I take a regular clip-on 110 w/a 12 volt bulb in it...you only wanna turn it on when you need it, cause every bug around will come to the party if you leave it on...