Underwater lights

Has anyone here got first hand experience of xenon under water lights (not halogen) compared with LED?

Are the LED ones as bright as xenon yet?

Obviously LEDs draw less amps, but if current draw is not a problem but brightness is required which ones?
 
aquatom said:
Has anyone here got first hand experience of xenon under water lights (not halogen) compared with LED?

Are the LED ones as bright as xenon yet?

Obviously LEDs draw less amps, but if current draw is not a problem but brightness is required which ones?
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I have a vested interest, but the answer is yes, they now significantly outperform xenon in lumens/watt. By way of example we use white LEDS rated at 130 lumens/watt.

In real terms a good LED underwater light ( and they are not all the same) will outperform a xenon underwater light by approximately a factor of 3 in terms of actual output ie 'Fixture' lumens/watt.
 
aquatom said:
Are the LED ones as bright as xenon yet?
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Good LEDs are way brighter. Xenon is a bit of an improvement over halogen and that's all. Lumishore 120s are something like 6000 fixture lumens (I've forgotten the exact number). That's like stage lighting, and a xenon doesn't come close unless it's a commercial thing a foot wide drawing 50 amps or something.

Also, xenons have a big spike of current at start up to get the arc started. And the light is white, so to get a nice cyan you have to use a filter which of course removes light and makes it (even) dimmer

I wonder if folks realise just how bright lumishores are. If you turn them on when the boat is on the hard or power them up on a bench you can't even look at them. They're nothing like xenons and halogens at all
 
Balearick said:
Heh! But really it's the same reason swimming pools have lights. Not necessarily for night swimming but because a lit pool looks so gorgeous and so is a pleasure to sit by sipping a beer in the evening. If you're spending the evening sitting on the back of your boat having dinner or a beer, unless you're in a marina you're sitting in a black hole - much nicer to be surrounded by an underwater spectacle with the light dancing off your hull... at least I think so.

(I do appreciate the valid point about making holes in your hull)
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Sorry Baldrick, but somehow when in my cockpit of an evening I prefer to look at the sunset, stars or distant lights (including illuminated world heritage bridges & castles) rather than up my own ass. But I suppose if you are drunk & hanging over the stern it could be satisfying to see the carrots disperse gently in the tide after you honk. Oh, and I don't do marinas, why would I want to spend my nights in a built up, sodium lit boat park?

Hey, each to their own, it's your money, you waste it however you like, but just don't expect me to always admire what you spend it on. I mean, some people even spend their money on lager FFS. :eek:
 
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aviator said:
Any ideas where to buy affordable underwater lights for mobo?

I know I know - what is affordable !!

It's only a few high intensity LEDs in a robust housing after all ;-)

TIA
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Well if I can come in here if I can give any advice is don't do the same as me and cut costs. I was at London boat show 3 yrs ago and walked past E C Smith stand and amongst other bits there was a water tank with underwater light in. Was bright and looked good a price tag attached said £275. I thought wow all these forum guys have paid 3 times that and handed over a wad of notes for my 2 lights. 2 x 40 mm holes in transom and away I went bit of 12v power fuse and a switch and I was the envy of everyone these lights glowed nicely. 12 months later one stopped working so I arranged through them smiths, for a replacement which I paid for and was told a refund would be given when I sent old one back. Lifted boat £200 and saw my lights had been eaten the metal was gone on one side only, new light put in place and an earth strap on the back in side engine bay. Didn't send old one back knew what they would say.

Last summer went to Torquay and was few yards from a big boat with proper underwater lights, they didn't glow they light up the area, you could see fish. It was a crocodile Dundee moment that's not underwater lights,,, that's underwater lights. Then another one of my lights or glows went so I looked into a replacement and Mr lumshaw was the recommendation so with his help a set was purchased and put on in Oct last year. I'm on a river and it is dirty but you still see a massive difference, last weekend we went to Brighton and clear water wow that's great. I didn't have camera but took pic on phone, I have old pics and new pics will put on tomorrow to show difference.

So if I've learnt anything it's take advice by those who know and whilst not everything is the same with underwater lights you get what you pay for.

Funny enough today I started taking out the old ones and making arrangements to block the hole.

I have to add it was no fault of EC Smiths or the product it was just not very good
 
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Agreed 100%.
I said in other occasions that I'm in the brigade of those who don't think it's worth to make holes in the hull for u/w lights, and I find that a scuba torch is good enough for swimming at night when anchored in warm Med waters.
But if I had to fit some u/w lights, I'd definitely go for the best stuff around.
Cutting costs doesn't make sense for anything below the waterline actually, not just for u/w lights.
 
Can the lumishore lights be turned down? I've been anchored in a bay when jfm has arrived with his lights blazing and it certainly does let people know you've arrived! That's fine earlier in the evening or when you've got a party in full swing, but i'd want something a lot more subtle for the 2 am skinny dip.
 
Jimmy/Jacques -- they were SM100s

NickH -- LOL :D .. The Lumishore C-Change T-Hull lights have a Colour Mix capability which allows you to mix the intensity for each colour in 1% increments for that late night skinny dip. :D
 
Nick_H said:
Can the lumishore lights be turned down? I've been anchored in a bay when jfm has arrived with his lights blazing and it certainly does let people know you've arrived! That's fine earlier in the evening or when you've got a party in full swing, but i'd want something a lot more subtle for the 2 am skinny dip.
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Yep, good point, I imagine we'd all want to not see your 2am skinny dip as well ... :D

Cheers
Jimmy
 
EME said:
Jimmy/Jacques -- they were SM100s

NickH -- LOL :D .. The Lumishore C-Change T-Hull lights have a Colour Mix capability which allows you to mix the intensity for each colour in 1% increments for that late night skinny dip. :D
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EME - Is this also true for the colour-change SM series?

Cheers
Jimmy
 
Slightly different

Slightly different comms protocols and software -- each 'colour' has 3 brightness settings so the answer is still "Yes". You can also 'freeze' c-cycle mode to the colour you want --- I must get the website updated for the Lumishore Surface-Mount colour-change ... :o
 
Crikey, SR are you working for Lumishore's R&D team? Black lights? Black lights? Everybody on the Cote d'Azure's gonna want them this year. We'll be rich, me boy. :D

PS I hear jfm has already booked his ship into the yard in a desperate race to get the new black lights fitted before everyone else.
 
Searush said:
when in my cockpit of an evening I prefer to look at the sunset, stars or distant lights (including illuminated world heritage bridges & castles) rather than up my own ass. But I suppose if you are drunk & hanging over the stern it could be satisfying to see the carrots disperse gently in the tide after you honk.
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I love the rich irony of your posts Searush. I know what you mean about lovely anchorages from which you look at the sunset and stars. But wait a minute. You don't have a black tank do you? And you pontificate about others squirting mere light into the water?
 
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