LED cabin lights

[Sue Clancy]

I replaced the older florescent light in our head which failed with an LED fixture that I picked up rather inexpensively at a local RV shop.  So far I am very happy with it.  Now I am considering replacing the 4 original plastic rectangular fixtures in the main salon with these.  So much less expensive than any similar marine version I am seeing.  I don't care much about warm light versus cold light, I just want something bright enough to read by.  These are similar size to the original fixtures.  Any reason for concern on these?

http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Stars-F3528001-Fixture-Natural/dp/B00CZCY5SE/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

[Clay Greene]

Why not replace the bulbs in the salon fixtures with LED bulbs? 

[Sue Clancy]

I thought about replacing the bulbs but honestly these fixtures are over 25 years old and looking rather cruddy.  I may price out some bulbs and see how the cost compares.  I probably would look at bulb replacement if I am forced to spend $70 on fixtures but for $12 a piece the cost may not be too different.

[Stu Jackson]

New Vice Commodore Rick Allen bought four of these at a recent boat show:

http://www.lunasealighting.com/products/detail/elegant-wall-mount-led-light-33ew/led-fixtures

Very nice fixtures.

Marinebeam also has nice ones.

Your boat, your choice, but I'd highly recommend warm white, since the lumen output of these fixtures is more than high enough to read by, and to avoid the dreaded blue light of the cool white fixtures.  In my mind, having done commercial building lighting for the past 35 years, cool white gags me, especially when there is a much more pleasing alternative.  15 years ago one of our former Fleet 1 members redid all his cabin lighting with cool white fluorescent lighting.  He was so proud of his reduced amp draw and turned them all on at the same time with less draw than only one OEM fixture!  But everything changed color in a not-so-pleasing way.

[Clay Greene]

I agree with Stu about the warm white light as being far superior for the boat interior.   

We added these Dr. LED lights in the galley and above the chart table in our boat:

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1%7C65136%7C2312540%7C2312543&id=1393763

We got the Red/White option for over the galley so we could see into the fridge while underway at night.   The light above the chart table was the warm white.  Very good light output, equal to or better to the other salon light fixtures (with the LED replacement bulbs). 

[chuck53]

Why not replace the bulbs in the salon fixtures with LED bulbs? 

that's just what I did.  Agree new fixtures would be nice, but for the cost of LED bulbs, I can live with the old fixtures, especially since they basically are hidden from view.  The light output is about the same and I went with warm white.  I tried the natural, but it was too blue for my tastes.  I can only imagine what the cool bulbs would look like.  Got mine from Superbrightleds.

I do think we are going to replace the fixtures in the v-berth.

[Rick Allen]

So far, I've installed one of them and I'm very pleased!

New Vice Commodore Rick Allen bought four of these at a recent boat show:

http://www.lunasealighting.com/products/detail/elegant-wall-mount-led-light-33ew/led-fixtures

Very nice fixtures.

Marinebeam also has nice ones.

Your boat, your choice, but I'd highly recommend warm white, since the lumen output of these fixtures is more than high enough to read by, and to avoid the dreaded blue light of the cool white fixtures.  In my mind, having done commercial building lighting for the past 35 years, cool white gags me, especially when there is a much more pleasing alternative.  15 years ago one of our former Fleet 1 members redid all his cabin lighting with cool white fluorescent lighting.  He was so proud of his reduced amp draw and turned them all on at the same time with less draw than only one OEM fixture!  But everything changed color in a not-so-pleasing way.

 

[patrice]

I replaced the older florescent light in our head which failed with an LED fixture that I picked up rather inexpensively at a local RV shop.  So far I am very happy with it.  Now I am considering replacing the 4 original plastic rectangular fixtures in the main salon with these.  So much less expensive than any similar marine version I am seeing.  I don't care much about warm light versus cold light, I just want something bright enough to read by.  These are similar size to the original fixtures.  Any reason for concern on these?

http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Stars-F3528001-Fixture-Natural/dp/B00CZCY5SE/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Hi Sue,

Question about the fixture you got.  Looking at the picture, the beam seam to be unidirectional, does the light come out nice ?
That is the issue usually with LED, when mounted on a board.

Thanks

[Sue Clancy]

Patrice, I did not get that exact light yet.  I got something similar which I am happy with but it's only in the small head area.

[mregan]

I replaced the V & aft berth with lights similiar to the Lunasea ones but in brass.  Got at the Defender sale for $11 each plus another $13 for the LED bulb.  I think the lights were from Seadog?  Great for reading, that's primarily why I bought them.   In the main cabin I replaced only the bulbs with LED.  Seems to give more light than the old bulbs.  Not too much more but enough that you can notice.

[Stu Jackson]

I replaced the V & aft berth with lights similiar to the Lunasea ones but in brass.  Got at the Defender sale for $11 each plus another $13 for the LED bulb.  I think the lights were from Seadog? 

Do you have the specific model #?  That sounds like a great price, I'd be very interested in them.  Thanks.

[chuck53]

I replaced the V & aft berth with lights similiar to the Lunasea ones but in brass.  Got at the Defender sale for $11 each plus another $13 for the LED bulb.  I think the lights were from Seadog?  

Do you have the specific model #?  That sounds like a great price, I'd be very interested in them.  Thanks.

me too.  A picture would be nice.  Any problems switching from the old to the new?  I was thinking of just replacing the V-berth since we rarely use the aft cabin, but for that price, I'll replace all four.

[Stu Jackson]

Any problems switching from the old to the new?  I was thinking of just replacing the V-berth since we rarely use the aft cabin, but for that price, I'll replace all four.

Chuck,

In the V berth, you'll find a white "filler" piece underneath the outboard edge of the cabin, lay on your back and look up.  That piece is held on by three for four screws that go into wooden blocks above it that are glued to the hull.  You take off the pieces by backing out the screws, very simple.  That exposes the wires behind/outboard of the vertical teak trim piece.  Becomes an easy replacement.  Don't know what's in the aft cabin, could be similar.

[patrice]

Patrice, I did not get that exact light yet.  I got something similar which I am happy with but it's only in the small head area.

Hi Sue,

Thanks for the feed back, thru that in the head, it's not really an issue.

[mregan]

Don't have the model numbers.  I had bought them at last years show.  They have some bins at the checkout line with low priced items and these were in one of the bins.

These are the lights.

http://www.go2marine.com/item/16440/sea-dog-small-brass-berth-light-12-volts-400400-1.html?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=gb1&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=productfeed&utm_campaign=googleshopping&gclid=CjgKEAjwzIucBRDzjIz9qMOB3TASJABBIwL1t3ezrpQj3SG9aHRHLl1XEUc4FJHlGUSeL5wREcmsrvD_BwE

Like Stu mentioned, you unscrew the white "filler" and access the wires from there.  Was really simple to replace.  I can't remember where the wires were in the aft berth but I remember it wasn't hard to replace those also.