North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Gday people anyone ever used these on there boats? How is the light on the water and can ther handle the salt? Im thinkin about putting two floods and a spot up the front of my rig.

Hello Jdog.

What size are you putting on? What is output of the boat alternator?

a mate uses them on his boat, lights up like daylight. Its only new so not sure how the salt goes with it. Ive got 2 small spotties and they have been fine for 12 mths now

Use round LED on the boat & haven't had any problem with the salt, touch wood,
good thing about them they use next to no power, I love 'em
Have the bar on my vehicle, same thing, great

On a boat u are limited to how many amps u can afford.

A 75 2 stroke merc has 18 amps available from the alternator.

It has to charge the battery and provide amps for running lights, instruments, sounder etc.

Say that takes up 8 amps allowing a little leeway.

U have about 10 amps for driving lights. Thats 120 watts total for 3 lights. 40 watts each. If LED thats 2000 limens of light on very small reflectors.

Contrary to Mouse's view LEDS are not low current draw. HIDs are. LEDs are not bad light producers (65 lumens per watt compared to 95 lumens with HID) but suffer from short throw distances due to the reflector (they're called cups) deficiencies.

2 x 35watt HIDs will give 6600 lumes (more than twice that of 120 watts of LED). U can buy rubber coated 35watt HIDs of 120mm diam with flood or spot beams. I've got 2 on my vehicle replacing the fog lights on the bullbar.

With bigger diameter reflectors they also have longer throw distances than LEDs.

AND ..... only 6 amps total.

AND..... u can get whatever colour light your little heart desires.

I know which way I'd be going.

Rigid industries does a Marine LED

Aussie retailer is Snake Racing

I Got Rigid Industries front bar and a little spottie on tray of ute and they work a treat

My bad, your right Ronje, was thinking of HID

Ok gota 75 merc 4stroke im lookin at a pair of rigid d2s marine! I run hid on my lux but correct me if im wrong i thought leds desperse light at a wider angle which will give better flood wich is what im after. Thought they be good with red lense up creeks at night!

I'm running a set of lightforce 170 strikers on the boat with 50w hid upgrade, all plastic and have only a stainless bolt to mount it.
Rust proof and prettymuch indestructible. As for light they're awesome, have been down the daly at night with no moon full noise and can see everything no probs!!

Rigid SR-M x2 would be enough

or go the M series 4" light bar

Have a SR-M spot on the back of the ute and am surprised at the light output (wanted it to see the back of the ute and get about 150m past)

HIDs better focus the light produced because of the large reflectors.

However a tight focus means that what you see is like looking through a straw.

Gregsy has got the right idea. Shitloads of light produced (9500 lumens) at only 4 amps per light.

In a boat the limiting factor is amps so you need maximum bang per amp so go for the maximum light producer per watt. Halogen is 19 lumens per watt; LEDs currently average 65 lumens per watt and HID produce 95 lumens per watt.

There are 2 basic types of light beams. Flood or spot.

The best compromise is called a eurobeam which casts a horizontal oval shaped beam out a long way (hundreds of metres). 2 of these with the beams slightly overlapping in the centre is the way to go.

LED worklights are ok for short range flooding due to the focusing shortcomings of the small cup reflectors. They generally use 3watt Cree LEDs so worklights/lightbars with say 12 LEDs will be 3 x 12 watts = 36 watts = 2340 lumens.

Matt will be publishing a couple of articles in his fishing magazine shortly on this very subject.

Durability of the light frame comes into play once the basics have been sorted out.

If u need/want more info send a pm.

Got the rigid d2 duallys m grade and sum ebay 55w hids aussie seller with 5year warranty

The rigid d2 duallys will do the job

I've just bought 2 D2 dually's for my new formosa, heading down to the factory next wk to hopefully find a good spot to mount them. I've powered one of them up in the driveway and just 1 of them is ridiculously bright, cant wait to see both in action on the water

Haha awesome so with the hids aswell i wiil turn night to day lol! Now i gota workout where to mount them aswell!