LED lighting - Maxum Boat Owners Club

kmason · 08-09-2010, 10:31 PM

Has anyone wired up LED lights to their boat before? I really want to put a couple underneath my swim platform. A buddy of mine just did it on his boat and it's really sweet. Just wondering how hard a project it is. He paid quite a heavy price to have it done. I'd rather just do it myself if it's not too difficult.

seapuppy · 08-09-2010, 10:59 PM

it's not hard...just remember that they are polarized ..meaning you must wire them pos to pos...neg. to neg....
second...when you drill thru the transom..make sure you seal it with 5200 so that water won't get into the wood and rot it out.....other than that..it's cut to fit..paint to match!...ok..forget the paint part..but definitely cut and seal really really good...don't want rot..

SP

kmason · 08-09-2010, 11:51 PM

I have an all fiberglass hull. Does that make a difference? Also, the wiring part is what I'm wondering about. Do you wire it right to your battery? If you do, it would stay on at all times. Is there a switch that you could relay it through before it gets to the battery to be able to turn them off and on? I've never wired anything on my boat and I'm a little nervous. I can't seem to find any info on how to wire them.

seapuppy · 08-10-2010, 01:16 AM

well..you don't really have an all fiberglass hull ..you do however have wood core transom and stringers....so..if your going to put them in the transom under the waterline...the transom will need to be sealed to maintain proper water tightness and seal against rot.....second...you can use an acc. switch and use crimp style blade connectors...the acc switch is used for extra things you want to add, such as lights or maybe a fishfinder unit......it already has pwr going to the sw...the other thing is to find one of your lights inside the cockpit and tap into that line...there are line splices that can slice into the wire without cutting it into 2 pieces...

SP

ed & inge · 08-10-2010, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmason

I've never wired anything on my boat and I'm a little nervous.

WOW.......if you already say this while you did'nt start drilling holes in your boat yet, it's time to think it over again.....let somebody do the job who knows what he is doing, befor you do something you will regret.........

greatz, ed

shrew · 08-10-2010, 07:55 PM

I think first you would need to decide what type of lights you're considering. They make LED's that will work above the water line only, below the water line only, and some that will work both above and below. I assume you're talking bout underwater lighting. Second is whether you want a through hull light, or surface mounted light. Some surface mounted lights have only a small (relatively) wire coming out the back and require a small hole and some screw holes below the waterline. Some surface mounts can run the wire up the transom and the hole for the wire is above the water line. The through hulls are underwater only and require a hole saw and install more like a through hull fitting (similar to a seacock).

If you dont' feel comfortable with electrical or with drilling holes in your hull and performing a water-tight installation, then I would defer to a professional. nobody cares that they saved a few hundred bucks when their boat is sinking.

ed & inge · 08-10-2010, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shrew

If you dont' feel comfortable with electrical or with drilling holes in your hull and performing a water-tight installation, then I would defer to a professional. nobody cares that they saved a few hundred bucks when their boat is sinking.

your so f.....g damned right......i saw boats going down because of unprofessional do it them self work.....(cry cry)

seapuppy · 08-10-2010, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ed & inge

your so f.....g damned right......i saw boats going down because of unprofessional do it them self work.....(cry cry)

HEY!!...I resemble that remark!!

just kidding...

SP

shrew · 08-11-2010, 12:58 PM

SP, I 've seen both your past pojects and even some of your self admitted mistakes. If there is any DIY boater that I would trust to do something like this, it's you. You're about the only guy I know crazy enough to try installing a portlight in a hull where there wasn't one before. AND have it come out looking good.

seapuppy · 08-11-2010, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shrew

SP, I 've seen both your past pojects and even some of your self admitted mistakes. If there is any DIY boater that I would trust to do something like this, it's you. You're about the only guy I know crazy enough to try installing a portlight in a hull where there wasn't one before. AND have it come out looking good.

hahaha.....yep...I'm pretty crazy alright...thanks for the kudo's....but you shoulda seen my hands shaking when I made the first cut!!...uffdah!!!..haha

SP

kmason · 08-11-2010, 03:27 PM

I've found a surface mount that I really like. It's a combo above water and below water. I feel confident now with watching their install video. It's just drilling a small hole for the wire to feed through and applying alot of adhesive to the back. That I was not worried about at all. It was the wiring part that I was concerned with. But Seapup made that sound simple enough. So I'm going to give it a try.

seapuppy · 08-11-2010, 04:23 PM

make sure you use plenty of sealant on the water side of the hole...on the back side it may allow water to intrude into the wood of the transom.....which as I stated will cause rot....

good luck..take lotsa pics for us...

SP

ed & inge · 08-11-2010, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shrew

SP, I 've seen both your past pojects and even some of your self admitted mistakes. If there is any DIY boater that I would trust to do something like this, it's you. You're about the only guy I know crazy enough to try installing a portlight in a hull where there wasn't one before. AND have it come out looking good.

wasn't it PUP who drilled a hole or two in the bottom of his boat....????????? (AUTCH AUTCH)(wisthle wisthle) or something like that??????

greatz, ed

kmason · 08-11-2010, 06:14 PM

I will do that. Thanks for the advice.

seapuppy · 08-11-2010, 06:38 PM

HEY ED!!!.....it wasn't one hole...it was TWO!!!....if your gonna go..go big or go home!!...

SP

ed & inge · 08-11-2010, 09:29 PM

read my message again PUP......thats what i said.........(hahaha........still cant find icons)

greatz, ed

shrew · 08-12-2010, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seapuppy

...it wasn't one hole...it was TWO!!!....if your gonna go..go big or go home!!...

SP

ed & inge · 08-12-2010, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmason

i will do that. Thanks for the advice.

no......... Don't drill holes in the bottom like super pup did........(fun fun)

greatz, ed

Tommyfmu · 08-13-2010, 02:16 PM

If I remember though, wasn't it drydocked? Imagine a shaky hand when I moved my aft bilge pump to the lowest possible point in the engine bay, while in the water at my dock, and drilling straight down with a tape guide on my bit set for 1/2" , and praying that the hull was thicker than that...

seapuppy · 08-13-2010, 04:12 PM

Tommy
yep..sitting on blocks letting the sunshine in wasn't the best feeling in the world....but it's all fixed now...new bottom paint on it and you can't even tell where I holed the hull....

yep..I know the feeling now about drilling and in the water would be worser.!!

SP