Highly Efficient LED Accent Lighting

[rvaid]

My company makes accent lighting for architectural use, and our manufacturing process inherently creates a water proof product. I’m posting in order to gauge interest in using these lights for boating use. The light they produce is similar in temperature as mid day sunlight, and they run on 12VDC. Bulb life is in the 100,000 hour range, and they've been tested to a water depth of 20 feet. The fixtures produce the equivalent of 10 watts of incandescent light with less than 0.75 watts of electricity. Visit our website for more details....

http://www.siraoptics.com

[Tim B]

I have been considering the same type of system for NAV-Lights, with a few differences... Firstly as LEDs last pretty-much indefinately (100,000 hrs is 11 years 5 months (roughly) constant on-time) essentially, longer than the boat. Consequently, my thoughts on the subject were to mould the NAV-Light cases internal to the structure then use a number of LEDs (8 or 10 x 5mm) The LED's are then wired in parralell and the wires led out to a switch on the electronics panel. this should give a sufficiently visible light output. Estimated cost to builder (housing incorporated into hull) £2.90 + cable. With a seperate housing the price would be considerably higher. However, care should be taken not to exceed the price of the current incandesant products.

Cheers,

Tim B.

Just remember to make every running light to be bright enough to pass INSPECTION, in the boats area.

[DGreenwood]

rvaid
Keep in mind the variable source voltage on boats. During engine startups voltage can drop to 10 volts momentarily and during charging, voltages are often as high as 14.4 v or more. If a user is careless he may expose them to as high as 16 v during battery conditioning cycles. This is all very punishing to LEDS , a problem you don't suffer in stabalized source housing products.

Although LEDS do have a very long span of light output, their actual usable lifespan is much shorter than specified. Their intensity is radically reduced and their color has shifted considerably in half that span.

That is not to say that they are not the greastest thing for boating applications, they are just caveats to the buyer and seller.
I would suggest that you get together with a builder and comp them some lighting for real time use and product testing in the brutal environment that is the typical yacht.

Tim B
Much of my work week is spent trying to figure out how to make things accessible for maintainence purposes. I would not be very likely to install a light source that I could not get to easily, no matter what the advertised life span.Those sorts of claims draw the same smile from a boatbuilder as claims of water proofness.

Rvaid,I hope you have installed some kind of low cost voltage regulator or snubber across the string of LED's. Disconnecting a battery while under a heavy load makes very large arcs and high voltage spikes which will burn out the device.

[PAR]

Good points DGreenwood, we are seeing LED use in the marine industry and have for some years now, including nav lights that meet USCG requirements. Personally I think they are the way to go for new and retro fit installations.Perko, Davis and Innovative are building marine application lighting currently and you'll see the industry make a big swing this way in a few years, after the short term jury comes in.

Personal Flotation Hi Intensity strobe lights also suffer from rapid light intensity degradation. I have one. I only test 10 seconds twice each year. It is starting to blacken inside the tube. 3 X 20 seconds and blackening fast. New D batt. each year. Strobe lights are used on fork trucks. Last a year or more. Mine is less important, if I go over the side at night! USCG Approved.

[PAR]

I would think, any DC device asked to work as a strobe has to, in order to be effective, would experience a rapid loss of ability.