jonathan 4 Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 I am sure its been covered but I could not easily find via search. I have 5 lights I want to replace, I really like the Hella Euro 115 but at about $145 a pop I find myself looking at alternatives. I want a lot of light as the interior is darker teak. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winter 42 Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 http://misystems.co.nz/low-voltage-lighting/interior-led-lighting/ Saw these guys at a boat show once. they have some good stuff. they do the exterior lights on all the st johns ambulances. No idea on costs tho I like the look of that hella euro but would love one that does red as well as white Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonathan 4 Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 Should have qualified This is internal lighting..... I am not ballsy enough to go led on Navs yet. Even at trade that hella 115 is a lot of beer tokens , have seen them installed tho and wow Quote Link to post Share on other sites
waikiore 399 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Yes I did the research, and ended up going all Hella for the nav and mainly Hella for the interior, finished a day before Christmas -what a difference in consumption -very pleased with the result, if you saw the testing done by Hella here you would find it easier to swallow the price, gulp Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John B 106 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 I've just been changing the bulbs over, Took a couple to get the colour/ type right but they're all fine now. Guy in Greenpark road has good prices. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,235 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 That would be optolamp Km. I have their range. Great, high quality LEDs, internal, masthead nav etc. Happy to discuss. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrWatson 375 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 I have a beautiful Optolamp from IT, unused in it's box in my store room; 12V model with strobe/anchor etc. As it's a new build, and the mast wiring is the longest run, I'm probably going to change tack go 24V so I can cut down on the gauge of the wire and also losses (except for the SSB and stove damnit), So, if someone wants to swap it for the same model in 24v... I have a nice 24v inverter and a couple of other things in 24v already (serendipitously), so it's kind of picking the voltage system to match... Speaking of lights and masts, who's got the simplest but most comprehensive wiring setup for their mast? It can quickly get out of control by the time you put deck spreader lights, steaming light, and a couple of others up there (windex illum.), not to mention power for instruments, + a couple of aerials etc. (AIS + VHF)... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Doc, are you referring to the gauge of wiring to other pieces of equipment? or just the mast light? Because the Opti uses such a small amount of current, you could still cut down the gauge dramatically. Or you could also use a 24-12V converter just for the Mast light.Re controlling lights. There is now a system that is digital, that has one 2 core wire that goes to everything, but each unit can be separately controlled as if each was individually wired. The system is being installed on most new builds now. As IT about it. He may now what it is called and if he can get it.Re the Hella range, one of the several reasons it is so darn expensive is due to the ability to produce a wide bandwith of White light. Many will know that a simple white LED light may look really bright, but for some weird reason, it is hard to see things by the light. This is due to a very narrow bandwidth of light. Or on other words, not enough colours are going into making the white. We see things by reflection. A colour is due to that colour reflecting more of that band of light. Remove some of the light spectrum and we start missing detail. Add to that, some LED's tend to produce a lot of Blue and Blue end of the spectrum is hard fro our eyes to see. So the combinations of above make things hard to see, even though the LED seems bright. Hella have a wide bandwidth which makes the interior seem brighter and warmer and that is expensive to do and reflects the price. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winter 42 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 I have put the opti up my mast recently and swapped out the fat dc cable with some which was maybe 1/4 the Gauge. Its absolutely tiny. Ill go look what awg it is. This is at 12v with no issues. Those optis will produce the same light output down to 9v or so Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,235 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 The 2 wire control system is canbus. It's kind of expensive to retrofit a boat with it. My brother used it in his boat about 10 years ago, one of the first in NZ to do so. I helped him program the system. It's certainly versatile, and can save considerable cable weight. Oh, and please note optolamp and opti light are different companies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tuffyluffy 76 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Re the Hella range, one of the several reasons it is so darn expensive is due to the ability to produce a wide bandwith of White light. Many will know that a simple white LED light may look really bright, but for some weird reason, it is hard to see things by the light. This is due to a very narrow bandwidth of light. Or on other words, not enough colours are going into making the white. We see things by reflection. A colour is due to that colour reflecting more of that band of light. Remove some of the light spectrum and we start missing detail. Add to that, some LED's tend to produce a lot of Blue and Blue end of the spectrum is hard fro our eyes to see. So the combinations of above make things hard to see, even though the LED seems bright. Hella have a wide bandwidth which makes the interior seem brighter and warmer and that is expensive to do and reflects the price. Not sure I buy that explanation Wheels. I can buy retrofit, 12V, broad spectrum LED's for my house from Mitre 10 for $4 and there's no noticeable difference with the old filament bulbs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonathan 4 Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 tuffy - tell me more , haven't thought about domestic but why not..... if they done work on boat I could move to my mancave..... wheels - i have seen retrofited euro 115's dam its a nice light...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tuffyluffy 76 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 tuffy - tell me more , haven't thought about domestic but why not..... if they done work on boat I could move to my mancave..... wheels - i have seen retrofited euro 115's dam its a nice light...... I've been progressively swapping the old 12v filament style bulbs with LEDS as the old ones expire. Its a straight forward bulb swap that works fine unless they're on dimmers . Mitre 10 were selling 5 packs for $20. IIRC an old 50 watt bulb is replaced with a 4 watt LED Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Not sure I buy that explanation Wheels. I can buy retrofit, 12V, broad spectrum LED's for my house from Mitre 10 for $4 and there's no noticeable difference with the old filament bulbs. I am not saying Hella can justify the extra cost. I perhaps should reword my comment. The Hella lights are better than many other cheaper 12V lights on the market and hence why you end up paying more. Should they be that expensive?? I am not sure why they are, but they are and they are still in Business after how many years? And all there products have always been expensive. But it is good product. In saying that, the world of LED is fast changing. I use cheap LED bulbs in all my lights and have done for years. They work well for my requirements. Be aware that 230V LED lights have lots of electronics in them that can make a lot of RF noise on a boat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrWatson 375 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Yes I could get a 12/24v step up box, but the masthead has 5? 4? wires? Whatever gauge you need for 12v, you can go smaller again for 24v even if it's a very low current draw. Unless of course it's so low it doesn't really matter and that you simply can't get a finer gauge or it will corrode. OK, I think I've chatted briefly with Matt before about Can-bus. Seems would be good for lights and information systems (nav etc.?), but for high load systems?, or pumps, is there any advantage? I mean you'd still have to run designated feed to those, no? For things that you switch off and on I see the point, but I guess the pumps will all be hardwired (fuse+ central switch) As I understand it, one needs special nodes for each light/device and for the switching system, (unless you centralise the switching into one multi function control box). So Can-bus LEDs for each light fitting. and then a central controller to talk to each LED, no? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,235 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Yes, central control, and node controler for each light. Generally a heavy ring main power cable around the boat. Any device connected to that rather than running back to the distribution panel. It can save a huge amount of cabling if properly designed. No fuses, virtual fuses, any physical switch can be programmed for any function. Momentary press can do one thing, double press another,hold for a third. Very versatile and easy to expand. However, retrofitting, as you may imagine is a big job. Can and should be considered if you are considering a complete rewire. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,235 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Oh, and Dr W, the optolamp 24v version just comes with a voltage converter. I can get you one if you like? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winter 42 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Yes, central control, and node controler for each light. Generally a heavy ring main power cable around the boat. Any device connected to that rather than running back to the distribution panel. It can save a huge amount of cabling if properly designed. No fuses, virtual fuses, any physical switch can be programmed for any function. Momentary press can do one thing, double press another,hold for a third. Very versatile and easy to expand. However, retrofitting, as you may imagine is a big job. Can and should be considered if you are considering a complete rewire. Sounds like you are describing 'Czone' or other NMEA2000 switching systems. NMEA-2000 after all, is actually CAN bus. The BEP Czone stuff is kiwi designed.. Looks awesome, until you see the price. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrWatson 375 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Oh, and Dr W, the optolamp 24v version just comes with a voltage converter. I can get you one if you like? SO does that go at the top of the mast? or simply installed before the switch panel? I'll need a decent one anyway for the SSB (and Wallas stove), unless I also run a dedicated 12V system for them... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dutyfree 170 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 for internal LEDs on the boat we started with just changing the bulbs, but then swapped to the whole fittings. Bought them from a USA RV place, cant remember which one and had a friend post them to us from the USA. Way cheaper and so far (18months) good quality. External I have been slowly biting the bullet on Hella. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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