Flourescent Galley lights - Need source

[Makani]

I have two identical flourescent galley lights installed over the refrigerator on the starboard side under the storage cabinet. Does anyone have a source on these lights. I want to replace the units entirely. Thanks.

[Ken Juul]

Take one off so you can get a name and model number.  Then try Google.   You can also check with a RV parts store, they generally have a good selection.

[windrunr]

I replaced mine with fluorescent lights that are roughly 2' long and 2" wide from Fisheries Supply in Seattle (www.fisheriessupply.com) for roughly $40 a few years ago. They are very bright.  I also added one to the aft cabin.

I am going to boat tomorrow, I will try to remember to take some photos.

[Analgesic]

I have 4 or 5 fluorescent lights in my basement gathering dust since I replaced them with dome lights a couple of years ago.  They are likely the original equipment from my 1988 C34.  If you would like them and are willing to cover shipping, they are yours.  You can contact me through messaging if you wish.  Any day something leaves my basement is a good day!
Brian McPhillips

[Indian Falls]

Before you go an use those old dim florescent fixtures check out these two products available from Allied Electronics: 

Allied Stk#: 387-0420  Warm white led strip

Allied Stk#: 387-0409  white 3 led module waterproof

if this link won't work for your just go to alliedelec.com and search the stk number.
https://www.alliedelec.com/search/searchresults.aspx?Ntt=led+lighting&N=4294790002+4294818135Ntk=Primary

I plan to put one of the 3 led waterproofs inside the ice box with a lid activated switch.

I'm using the led strip under the teak moulding in the salon as well as inside the original dome lights.
all in all it's an easy and inexpensive led upgrade.  They are bright, you can hardly look at them.

[Lance Jones]

Dan,
While too bright to look at, do they provide the equivalent light of a fluorescent bulb under the galley shelf?

[2ndwish]

We too needed to replace that light. After a feeble attempt to install a $10 Home Depot battery operated fluorescent, we went with 36" of rubberized LED strip lights. They are available from several vendors but we used:

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/LS-24W/WHITE-12V-24-LED-LIGHT-STRIP/1.html

The self adhesive backing was sufficient to allow staking with small dots of epoxy to secure it. We needed to install a rocker switch in the wood panel next to the cabinet. I wired it with 2 series diodes (I could have used resistors) to buy some overvoltage margin. The LEDs like these without regulators are quite unhappy above 13.6 V. The result is as bright as the fluorescent was with much less power.

T 

[Clay Greene]

Dr. LED also makes an LED fixture with a built-in switch.  They say it is the equivalent of a 40W incandescent bulb on the "high" setting.  They're available from Defender for $50 or so.  It is the "John" light. 

[Lance Jones]

I had some 'leftover" LED strips that I'd put away. Placed them in the location of the fluorecent and they look great! I had ordered 48". So, I'm looking at adding indirect lighting behind the trim rail in the cabin and in the open cabinet area in the galley. I'll try and send pics when done.

[Indian Falls]

Lance, one three led module makes more light, but the florescent spreads it out more just due to the size.  2 of the three led waterproofs could replace the florescent.  These are regulated so no worries on voltage.  Mine aren't installed yet but I used a long wire and tested different locations for the best casting of light where you'd need it.  Seems to me that the galley florescent location only lights the interior of  the ice box anyway.  I really like the long strip of leds with the adhesive back, just have to figure out the best way to attach to the underside of that lip under the port windows.  Also concerned with any water that may splash in, not sure how the uncovered led strip would handle water.  I may have to put it in a clear tube or clear shrink tubing. 

[Bobg]

I added a couple above the galley from JC Whitney for about 15 bucks apiece, that being said, I am intrigued about the led strips I just read about on this post.

[Ken Juul]

I was curious about Todd's (2nd Wish) use of diodes to drop the line voltage. So I dropped him a PM.  This is his response and the schematics he sent.

Diodes also have roughly fixed voltage drops across them when current is running (in the one direction as you point out). By putting two 0.7 V diodes in series, they drop about 1.4 V. I could have measured the current through the LEDs and and sized some low value series resistors for the same effect. If I really want to protect the device, a series resistor and shunt 12V zener diode would do the trick with a big efficiency hit. I could alternatively just add a 13V zener to what I've got now, which would guarantee the device never sees more than 13 V, but in normal operation would do nothing. Probably a good idea.


I was mostly concerned with the charge set point of the boat's regulator being set close to 14 V and wanted to drop the voltage to the LEDs closer to 12.5V (which is what I meant by buying margin). The manufacturer say a max of 13.6V is tolerable. I'll sketch a few of these and send them to you if you'd like.

Note:  in the picture it should be Zenier not Zanier. 

[Indian Falls]

This fixture upgrade is using the led strip you can get from Allied Electronics mentioned earlier in this post.

I finally found time to pull the fixture and replace the fluorescent 'stuff' with LED's.  

20 minutes and a soldering iron and.... Viola!

Even though the led strip has a sticky back I used dabs of 5 min. epoxy to lock it down to the fixture.  I'm not doing the galley fixture due to the fact it can only be 6'' from the  counter top.  I'll save it for someplace else as I'll be using these led strips the entire length of the salon above and below the teak trim under the ports, totally indirect, you won't see them unless you look under the lip or are tall enough to see into the upper lip.

A strip of 30 leds is stock number 387-0420, and is 13.49$  This is only 10 of the 30 from one strip in the fixture.
The cost to change over is 4.50$ not counting shipping,  a new fluorescent tube/bulb at the home depot is 8$.  Can anybody beat that?