Led strips for nav lights?

[santeerangerman]

Let me start by saying this is a heck of a website!!!

I own a couple different boats, one being a 1998 War Eagle 542FLD, with a 1992 25 Johnson rope start. Absolutely great boat. Probably the last thing I'd ever sell if I had to thin the herd. After hitting something with my Ranger and destroying the LU, and the War Eagle not ready to fish with mainly from sitting idle for several years, Ive decided to completely gut the War Eagle and customize it over the winter.
I'm putting my list together of everything I want to do, and re-wiring and new lights are near the top of the list.

So one of the things that really like are the LED strip lights I see some guys using for their nav lights. I like the idea that there's one less thing I have to store, take in and out when running at night/predawn hours.

What I can't seem to get a straight answer about as far as the led strips is, do they meet the legal requirements for nav lights?
From what I've read, the Coast Guard does not recommend them, or the "shark eye" flush mount style for that matter, but fall short of saying they don't meet the legal requirements? the main complaint I see on their site is the fact the lights are mostly mounted below the rubrails on glass boats.
Anyone have any experience with using the flush mounts or LED strips for the nav lights?

 

[huntinfool]

Seen it done. My biggest complaint is that LED's are most visible straight on. Meaning from the side they aren't as bright.
Now the strips seem to not have as bad of a problem with this as there isn't as much housing to block any light.
Biggest downfall I can see is damage from hitting something. Bump a dock or hit a stump while fishing, they could get damaged. Otherwise I really don't see a problem with it.

 

[BigTerp]

I used these LEDS modules from Oznium.com.

https://www.oznium.com/super-bright-12v-led-module

They work great!! My nav lights are much brighter than 90% of the boats I see on my local river. Makes me feel more comfortable not worrying about being seen. They seem pretty durable also. I'm pretty hard on my boat, especially during waterfowl season. These have held up for almost a year now without any issues. About halfway down the page in the link below is how I installed/mounted them.

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=26774&start=255

 

[Zum]

Just guessing here but maybe they don't like them because they can break and there not " replacable" like a bulb.
"Sidelights" means a green light on the starboard side and a red light on the port side each showing from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on its respective side. If the vessel is less than 20 metres (66 ft) long, the sidelights may be combined in one fixture carried on the centreline of the vessel.
Boats less than 39', the "sidelights" have to be visible for at least 1 mile...
I got this of this page https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=navigation%20light%20regulations&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CAsQFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FInternational_Regulations_for_Preventing_Collisions_at_Sea&ei=R7_PU8PEMsilyASHpYH4BQ&usg=AFQjCNG1Rkcj3cEAcEZjeqqgqbjoU_eAOw
I don't know how someone could argue with this but you never know.

 

[santeerangerman]

BigTerp » 23 Jul 2014, 08:20[/url]"]I used these LEDS modules from Oznium.com.

https://www.oznium.com/super-bright-12v-led-module

They work great!! My nav lights are much brighter than 90% of the boats I see on my local river. Makes me feel more comfortable not worrying about being seen. They seem pretty durable also. I'm pretty hard on my boat, especially during waterfowl season. These have held up for almost a year now without any issues. About halfway down the page in the link below is how I installed/mounted them.

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=26774&start=255

THOSE LOOK GREAT!!!
And, they're $14.00 less than the ones I was looking at. I'm placing my order tonight.
Thanks!

 

[DrNip]

Here is what I did for navigation lights. As suggested I also used Ozinum lights.

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=32289&p=358572#p358572

 

[santeerangerman]

DRNip, thanks! I read thru your whole post last night, getting ideas for my rebuild of the War Eagle.
I'm especially interested in the green box you're holding in your hand in your first "electrical" pic.
Can you tell me where you found that, and is it waterproof? I would like to copy that same set up in my rig.

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[DrNip]

It is waterproof. I drilled holes in it to allow for wires and just siliconed each one at the drilled holed. I can't remember where I got it at but this is it:

https://www.ekmmetering.com/ekm-metering-products/enclosures-and-mounts/watertight-enclosure-kit-ekm-eenc.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjwur2eBRDtvMS0gIuS-dYBEiQANBPMR4QeYLrFK-YVD0fA1f7iu0B8OBOlVM3kGYTQriQVQukaAqGM8P8HAQ

I thought I only paid like $30 for it shipped. MAybe the company raied the price. Tomorrow I will go through my credit card statements and try to locate where I got it at. I painted it the same color as my boat.

 

[BigTerp]

santeerangerman » Yesterday, 7:28 pm[/url]"]THOSE LOOK GREAT!!!
And, they're $14.00 less than the ones I was looking at. I'm placing my order tonight.
Thanks!

No problem. I also used these for my interior lights. Got them in red. Really happy with these as well.

https://www.oznium.com/rectangle-led-module

 

[2sac]

Just installed these a couple weeks ago
https://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll203/slonezp/leds004_zpsd9b6004d.jpg
https://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll203/slonezp/leds003_zpsbeafefd7.jpg
https://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll203/slonezp/leds005_zps229091ee.jpg

As far as I know I still need to have the bow nav light installed to be legal

 

[BigTerp]

DrNip » Yesterday, 11:15 pm[/url]"]Here is what I did for navigation lights. As suggested I also used Ozinum lights.

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=32289&p=358572#p358572

I like these!! Been looking for something to serve as underwater lights on both sides of the boat about center. Could switch them on when someone hooks a fish while night fishing so we can see what we are dealing with when it gets close to the boat. You think 2 of these on each side would be bright enough for that? Thinking blue also.

 

[acabtp]

santeerangerman » 22 Jul 2014, 22:46[/url]"]What I can't seem to get a straight answer about as far as the led strips is, do they meet the legal requirements for nav lights?

good question. answer is no, LED strip lights are not legal to use as navigation lights. there are very specific requirements for where the nav lights are visible from, as pasted above. see https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=navRulesContent#rule22
you can't make this happen with strip LEDs. easy ticket for USCG patrol or your local state agency.

2sac » 24 Jul 2014, 08:50[/url]"]Just installed these a couple weeks ago
https://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll203/slonezp/leds004_zpsd9b6004d.jpg
https://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll203/slonezp/leds003_zpsbeafefd7.jpg
https://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll203/slonezp/leds005_zps229091ee.jpg

As far as I know I still need to have the bow nav light installed to be legal

no, wrong. it looks neat, but it is not legal... you cannot have multiple nav lights. just one red and one green meeting the visibility requirements (which those don't).

the regs are easy to look up

 

[DrNip]

BigTerp » 24 Jul 2014, 07:54[/url]"]

DrNip » Yesterday, 11:15 pm[/url]"]Here is what I did for navigation lights. As suggested I also used Ozinum lights.

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=32289&p=358572#p358572

I like these!! Been looking for something to serve as underwater lights on both sides of the boat about center. Could switch them on when someone hooks a fish while night fishing so we can see what we are dealing with when it gets close to the boat. You think 2 of these on each side would be bright enough for that? Thinking blue also.

Probably would work. They are pretty bright. They have some one size bigger. I got the middle size.