LED Lights

[warrenm81]

So these are in the mail and should be here tmrw and was seeing if anyone has heard of them (brand)? Will be installing them on sunday so i hope to have pictures up with them installed. (fingers crossed it all goes as planned).

If anyone has any tips or pointers im open for suggestions

They are XK Glow

[Weber]

How and where are you installing them?

[BoatCop]

How and where are you installing them?

Ditto.

If you're putting them on the outside of the boat, make sure you're docked or anchored out of the channel or in a designated anchorage.

Any lights that interfere with navigation lights, or can be mistaken for any other navigation lights are prohibited.

For example:

Flashing (or any other) Blue lights - Law Enforcement only
Flashing amber (yellow) lights - Public Safety (non-law enforcement) boats or submarine operating on the surface
Flashing white (strobe) - Distress signal (even when anchored)
Flashing red or green - Distress signal

Lights on boats project a lot of information. Which direction they're going. Type of vessel. Size of vessel. What the vessel's doing (fishing, trawling, dredging, etc) Whether they're towing and length of tow, etc.

Throwing a bunch of nondescript lights up can confuse other boaters and actually cause collisions.

Not to mention, they attract a lot of attention from people in my profession.

[warrenm81]

They will be going on the interior of the boat. Will not have them on while driving at night. Only when we are tied up or at the local beach where everyone gathers at. So if I have white on while the boat is moving this is illegal? Figure with them being dim it would give just enough light inside the boat.

[steveiam]

Warren I have off white on the inside of mine----
I don't like them on while underway, it inhibits me seeing in front of me.
They are great when night fishing, anchored up.
I find that the blue ones I have on the outside put out enough light to see my rod tips though.

[BobG]

Flashing (or any other) Blue lights - Law Enforcement only

What? In Colorado, we were taught from the time we were young, that "Blue Light Means Snow Plow".
They even used to have road signs saying that.

More than one drunk driver has tried this to get out of a ticket in Florida - I guess they only have blue lights? Or maybe they used to.

[HandymanHerb]

They all went to blue and red as the blue blinds you at night, our state troupers use to be the only only ones using just blue, but had to go red as the LED blue kills the night vision.

Even on our church sign, we have to keep the blue turn down at night

[warrenm81]

Spoke with the lake patrol officer that patrols the lake i am on. He told me that I cannot have them on while driving ( due to other boats cannot see my red and green lights). But it’s ok to have them on with any color while not moving. Also said flashing is ok as long as it doesn’t make a sitting boat look as if it’s moving. he said if I am pulling into the canal or to the boat ramp it’s ok there... just not open water

Not sure if this is state wide ( Texas ) or just how he feels about it on that lake he patrols.

[schmir]

Here is a picture of mine. I bought 2 16 foot kits and mounted one on each side of my toon. They have about 6 different color options. They can also rotate or flash. I can also set one side to solid green and the other to solid red. I assume this would be legal at night. Have not asked any law enforcement yet though.

[redbeard]

I would say that its not can't tell if you're coming or going.

[Mosnowman]

Hey Boatcop....thanks for your post!

I am in Missouri...do you know ...or does anyone else know if anchored in a cove for the night if my under deck blue leds are legal? I have them under the deck by the toons for the water reflection. Last thing I want to do is draw attention after a few beers even though we are planning on sleeping on the boat in the cove. I guess I just thought of another question...if I am anchored for the evening...not driving...is .08 still relevant in this situation?

[tuned]

Hey warrenm81.
I run 5050 lights as well. They are inside my sleeper shack, so I don't have as many potential legal issues. I love the color options, although the flashing stuff gets old pretty quick. They will get the girlies in a dancing mood from time to time
I mostly use them for house lighting when docking-bright white for people to locate gear, sandels, purses, bras, and small dogs. I sometimes use a very dim red when night running, just enough to be able to find things but not enough to destroy night vision or confuse other boats.
Blue or purple for party places-usually with a SMALL amount of movement, but not enough to be annoying.
This is the second set that I've owned. The strings I got were really cheap and flimsy, the controller doesn't have enough choices, but they still look great!
I really miss my old ColorStorm that I had on my long lost cuddy. Way better control and choices, with LEDs in bulletproof tubes. They don't make them any more.
I am looking into better control systems, possibly DMX (smart digital used in the bands). I speak DMX fluently, but 12 volt DMX is a bit rare and expensive. Control is everything.

A word of advice for mounting. It is very important to mount them where you cannot directly see the LEDs if possible. They are very bright and will harsh your mellow. Indirect lighting is the only way to go. Here are a couple crappy phone shots of mine. I will be getting better shots after I launch and posting them in my build thread.

2012-02-06_06-14-45_605-400.jpg (8.83 KiB) Viewed 4642 times

2012-02-06_06-14-09_576-400.jpg (5.54 KiB) Viewed 4641 times

As you can see, I had to build baffles to get the indirect lighting effect. I had to do the same with my old system. A final word on where to shine them, try to find a light colored (white, light gray etc...) surface to aim them at so they will show nicely. The new boat aims at shiny silver here which works well.
Good luck Captain, you will love your new lights.

[BoatCop]

Hey Boatcop....thanks for your post!

I am in Missouri...do you know ...or does anyone else know if anchored in a cove for the night if my under deck blue leds are legal? I have them under the deck by the toons for the water reflection. Last thing I want to do is draw attention after a few beers even though we are planning on sleeping on the boat in the cove. I guess I just thought of another question...if I am anchored for the evening...not driving...is .08 still relevant in this situation?

As I said, as long as you're not underway, the lights should be OK. If MO is like most other states, the OUI (BUI) laws apply only when the boat is underway. Anchored, beached or moored you can be as drunk as your liver will put up with.

Remember that "underway" means "not anchored, moored or aground". A boat drifting with the engine off or not in gear is still underway. Even if it's not "moving".

As far as the light requirements and restrictions I posted above, those apply to vessels. Motor vehicles on the highway are different and may vary from state to state. Vessel lights are pretty much consistent between states, since they are based on Federal Navigation Rules.

[HoosierTOON]

Obviously I have never asked a cop, a DNR officer or anyone in that category about the legalities of colored lighting on boats, but when I first was sourcing LED underdeck kits and other lighting options for our site, all the mfg's claim that blue is the only color that is 50 state legal, so long as it is not flashing. That is why all of the OEM builders will only use blue. All of their underdeck kits are blue, their cupholder LED's are blue, so on and so forth. Don't know what truth there is to that, but thats what I've been told.

[Bryden24shp]

Dave, I've been looking at these for above the toons around the stern on my 25' Premier. Going to need about 62 feet of the rope lighting. What do you suggest and can ya give me a price?
Thanx in advance!
Bryan