Lights for interior? LED vs incadescent?

[IRGuy]

I am approaching the time when I need to think about what I will do for overhead lights in the main cabin, head, bunk cabin and forepeak. I am trying to install only LED fixtures everywhere so the current draw will be minimal, plus I like the fact that they last much longer than incadescent, but I don't have any experience with them.. Who has installed what? I would appreciate any comments you all might want to offer! Thanks

[buzzk]

Frank, I haven't used any LED interior lights. But I have recessed fluorescent lights on my boat and really like them. Buzz

[schultz]

Hi Frank, I have installed quite a few LED lights in the cabin, cockpit and bridge the last year or so. I can't say enough good things about them. I have various types. White Courtesy mounted on bulkheads, eyeball mounted on flat surface to highlight areas, led rope (blue and warm white in the interior, red on the cockpit, blue again on the bridge). White courtesey also along cockpit bulkheads. The one place I used a halogen with dimmer is on the overhead above the dinette and galley counter top. They have a warmer glow for the overall lighting of the cabin/galley area. You can create a great effect with these various lights by locating them for the most part below eye level along bulkhead areas and the rope light under counter/cabinet and overhang as well as making a channel of teak, cherry or favorite hardwood with the light inside the channel. As you pointed out they are expensive but I feel they are worth the extra money for what you can do with them. You can find most of what you may need at Imtra Marine Products or from Cantalupi direct. For switches look at the Euro Style. If you look close at the interior refurb slide show photo's that David recently posted for me you can see some of the lights and switches. The cherry trim above the sliding mirror in head and the sliding glass in the galley have the blue rope led inside them that cast a warm blue light throught the area. Let me know if I can help with any other questions that come to mind.

[Rick]

I'd try to use the CREE LED's. Made in N.C., they are the best LED's available. CREE (who's stock went from 20 to 60 last year) makes LED's with a Saffire process. Saffire has much less resistance than silicon and therefore runs much cooler. Australia has converted, Europe is converting....US is next. I'm thinking CREE is still a good buy although very expensive to the casual investor. But you're right, once you replace those lights with LED's, that'll be the end of changing bulbs. Rick Ticket 85 SF Merc 454 MPI's Falmouth, MA

[lwrenn]

I purchased Hella Marine led lighting for the Merritt and am not at an interior stage yet. The lower amperage draw was my reason for doing so. I went to the IBEX show last year and led lighting was in every booth. The only thing leds are not supposed to like is a large voltage spike from what I have read? Can't be any worse than the incandescent bulbs and if nothing else no more bay bases to fail.

[No Yacht Yet]

Frank Take a look at Aperion LED's. They have some that I am putting in the cockpit and on the bridge. They are tri colored with a variation you can choose. They can be linked together and you can toggle the switch to change the colors. I am going with the warm white/red/blue combo.You can use a dimmer with them too. Imtra makes a high quality lights for interior applications also. Brian 1986 Bertram 33 FB Cummins 6BTA'S Seahorse Ellisville Harbor, Ma

[dominique]

Dear
I start to prepare a 1980 bertram 33 sf i need some plastic parts of the original cabin light .Do you know if it is possible to find
best regards

[Rick]

You're probably better off just replacing the entire assembly rather than finding those parts. I would thin k someone like Defender, Hamilton marine or Jamestown Distributors would have something that works

[retman]

On Retriever I removed the fluorescent fixtures as best I could, duplicated the translucent lenses in veneered plywood (1/8" Luan) finished them bright and installed in the middle of each a "DR LED' Saturn ring LED downlight. I believed I used the spot model 8001641. Hooked up utilizing the existing wiring to a BLUE SEAS 'deckhand' dimmer and momentary codura rocker switch in place of the original cabin switch by the door. Great light color, dimmable, no buzzing, they all work and very little power consumption. Looks better than the cheesy plastic lenses too.