Anyone use LED Light Bars? Post pics!

[Tj0hn]

Anyone running an LED light bar on the front/back/sides of their boat?

I am interested in getting one on the front of my boat for early morning runs into the duck hole.

Post up pictures of the light and how you have it wired! I'm curious!

 

[BigTerp]

I do not have LED driving lights, but HID. Love them!! I use them for heading to our hunting spots early in the morning and when out late catfishing. I took halogen off road lights and converted them to HID. I ended up converting 4 into 35 watt HID. EXTREMELY bright and fully adjustable. 2 are Euro beam which is a combination of flood and spot, and 2 are flood beams. I get about 13,000 lumens at 14 amps. I have about $150 wrapped up in all 4 lights including wires, relays, etc.

Mine are wired to a DPDT switch. With the switch in the up position all 4 are on. In the down position just the 2 flood lights are on, which work well for setting decoys. I used relays to accomplish this.

The advantage to LED over what I have would we lower amp draw for sure. The LED light bars have also significantly come down in price since I did my HID conversion. You could probably get the same lumen output as my HID's at half the cost or so with an LED light bar. Not sure how good those cheap ones are though, never seen them in action. But some 20" bars are upwards of $250. LED's are nice, I use them for every other light on my boat. But for my driving lights these HID's work GREAT.

 

[viking]

LED's are the way to go. Many other brands out there but I run all Rigid industries. I have the M10 dual spot/floods on my big boat. Going to put a dually diffused on the top of the cab to light up both port and starboard sides for docking or night fishing. I'm currently modifying a alumacraft 1648 and have dually diffused on the outsides spot and a flood in the middle.

 

[BassAddict]

I just added a 24" led strip to my planted 36g bowfront, since then my plants have really started to take off!

 

[ThatBoyFletch]

I buy all my light bars off amazon. (I have 10 total on my truck. Coming on the boat soon) you can find 20" light bars on Amazon for $40-$50.

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

LED's are the way to go. Many other brands out there but I run all Rigid industries. I have the M10 dual spot/floods on my big boat. Going to put a dually diffused on the top of the cab to light up both port and starboard sides for docking or night fishing. I'm currently modifying a alumacraft 1648 and have dually diffused on the outsides spot and a flood in the middle.

Viking...that tubing you have looks pretty sweet. Got anymore pics of that setup?

 

[H20hawgs]

I put one rigid industries SRQ 2 on the front of my Boat to get home after fishing in the evening. It's LED and puts out 3030 luma. It is super bright. I got the driving series so it would spread out and cover from bank to bank. It still cast ahead 1,200 feet also. If you need more than this you need to be at idle speed because it's either too rocky to run or too foggy to see. Best light on the market hands down for the size. This one is the size of a deck of cards...
Here is a couple pics. The picture does not do the light justice though but you can see how well it lights up the neighbors yard and fence

 

[turbotodd]

Rigid is the way to go, if you wallet can handle it. I bought a 20" SeeLite for my truck-and it works well. Friend of mine has the same truck, 20" Rigid and it blows the SeeLite away. We parked our trucks side by side, I turned mine on and then he turned his on. His actually drowned mine out.

LED's are the only way to go. Lots of light. Small packaging. Low amp draw for the amount of light you get. I would like to put a small LED on mine but I'm not out often enough to justify the cost. So holding up the Q-beam works just fine. That and the moonlight.

 

[H20hawgs]

Rigid is the way to go, if you wallet can handle it. I bought a 20" SeeLite for my truck-and it works well. Friend of mine has the same truck, 20" Rigid and it blows the SeeLite away. We parked our trucks side by side, I turned mine on and then he turned his on. His actually drowned mine out.

LED's are the only way to go. Lots of light. Small packaging. Low amp draw for the amount of light you get. I would like to put a small LED on mine but I'm not out often enough to justify the cost. So holding up the Q-beam works just fine. That and the moonlight.

They are not cheap for sure. I paid 200.00 for this one. It has a hi low function switch high is great to fish with all night. As far as holdin a Q-beam and driving and using moonlight it works well in smooth waters. Get on the etowah River it's all hands on the wheel and throttle and the moon won't show you the path through the rock gardens. Lol

 

[Leemay]

LED's are the way to go. Many other brands out there but I run all Rigid industries. I have the M10 dual spot/floods on my big boat. Going to put a dually diffused on the top of the cab to light up both port and starboard sides for docking or night fishing. I'm currently modifying a alumacraft 1648 and have dually diffused on the outsides spot and a flood in the middle.

Hey Viking, you're boat is bad ass!
The front looks like a old Dodge Charger muscle car!
I love the tubing you added, did you weld it?

I stopped lurking and registered just to say that!

Any more pictures of your boat?

Thanks

 

[viking]

I have taken photos of the whole process and will post everything once its done. Waiting on a few more things to show up. I'll add one photo for you guys now.

 

[Insanity]

That is one cool boat Viking!
I had wondered how I could use black night lights down the sides of mine with out knocking them off/around. You have the solution.
How much was the material cost of the tubing if you don't mind me asking.

I've seen a few big light bars on trucks around town here and wondered what they cost and how well they'd work on a boat. Looked like the way to go.

 

[viking]

I think all the tube was a couple hundred bucks. I'll have to find the receipt, I had plate and sheet on the same ticket.

 

[Leemay]

I have taken photos of the whole process and will post everything once its done. Waiting on a few more things to show up. I'll add one photo for you guys now.

Awesome can't wait =D>

 

[btalling]

I've ordered two small pods lights for the bow of my tinner, I'll post something in this thread once I complete them. I boat through these tunnels late at night/ early morning and it would help with navigating a bit

 

[kfa4303]

You all seem to be inland guys, but for the record, boats should not have "driving lights"....ever. In fact, they're illegal in most places primarily because they're a hazard to others. Ship captains and pilots all know that you NEVER use white light at night either. Instead, red light is easiest on the eyes and safest for all parties. If it's too dark to see and navigate safely, you shouldn't be on the water, so don't be surprised if you get a ticket the next time the ranger sees you. He'll be the guy in the big boat, sneaking up on you without "driving lights"