R-25 Lighting Power Draw and LED replacement

L

Levitation

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 12, 2009
Messages
1,294
Fluid Motion Model
C-248 C
Hull Identification Number
fmlt2510f809
Vessel Name
Charlotte Ann
Just installed most of the MARINEBEAM LED replacement bulbs...

Anchor/running light and side markers (3) - Festoon 10w..
Incandescent is 0.90 amps -
LED replacement is 0.27 amps...
(Marinebeam# FS-44-30B)

Wall sconce (3) and Domes(2) for the head and cave (5 total) - # 1076/1142 respectively
Incandescent 1.75 amp
LED 0.19 amp and 0.16 amp respectively
(Marinebeam# BA-15-18-SMD and BA15-9-SMD respectively)

Cabin and chart dome lights (13) - G4 halogen 10w
Incandescent 0.84 a
LED 0.10 a
(Marinebeam# G4-6-SMD)

Current draws were measured by me while powered from the battery set...

As I write this, I now notice I totally forgot about the cockpit lighting (aaargh, sigh - a man's work is never done)... Gotta pull one apart and see what the bulb is so I can order them... Anyway, up to this point...

Total draw with incandescent lamps = 21.37 amps
Total draw with LED lamps = 2.90 amps


denny-o
 
Thanks Denny-O for the info!
Were you able to get the interior lights that have the more yellow tint instead of the real white light? If so, how does the over all lighting compare to what you replaced?

You may want to double check the cockpit lights. I know on my 29 they are already led's stock from the factory.

Stuart
 
Stuart, I am one of those strange types who prefer a color temperature of 6000 - 6500 (white) over the yellow cast of a 3500 degree bulb... The LED lights in the Vee berth really improve reading of books, etc. over the incandescent (my opinion)..

Well, I hope the cockpit and side markers are LED... Would save me time and money.... I'll try to research it first... Though it seems that Andrew is about the only person there that knows details like that...
 
Denny-o, The reason I asked on the color of the LED's is I know that Pete who had the boat sporty-2 had replaced all of his lighting with LED's. He did get the yellow cast ones. I never got a chance to see how the lighting looked before he passed away. He really loved it and was quite proud of the switch.

We use LED's on our 29 also. The lights Ranger installed in both the master stateroom and aft stateroom on our 29 have both as a option. There is also one in the galley. They are neat because if you first turn the light on it is just the standard light. But if you turn it one more time it switches to LED.
I have also found some nice looking battery stick up LED lights. I put two above the galley table and two over the galley counter and sink. Then I have one in the head. I do not use the stick tape option to install them. In the galley I just removed one screw that is holding the teak wood strips on the overhead liner and used the same screw to install the light without creating a new hole in the boat. The one in the head I do just use the stick up option.
When we are at anchor or cruising then we are on LED only. But if we are at the dock then we will use the non LED lighting.
The thing that is a struggle for me is Ranger puts in very nice lighting but it is a major power draw if you are on the hook. I have not wanted to change all my lights over until I can see how the lighting will look. So what I have described above has been my attempt on sneaking up on the issue.
What we have created on our boat is working great for now but I just wish there was a way to get a first hand look at a boat that has made the change over with the white LED light, and then look at one like Pete's old boat with all the softer LED lighting. I guess If I am ever back in the Seattle area I could go look at Pete's old boat . It was bought by a couple in San Fransisco that have turned it into a charter boat in the Seattle area. I would just have to hunt it down.

The other thing we like to use for softer mood lighting is those battery LED candles. Our very good friends on the Circle T in San Pedro ca (ranger 29) gifted us with one last month when we were cruising in their area. Now we have several of them. They are not for reading by but they really set a nice mood. The nice thing about these battery LED's is the batteries last a long time.
So a BIG THANK YOU to Tym & June for the gift of the LED candle. You guys are the greatest!

Thank you Denny-o so much for posting your results on the switch you made. It helps us greatly out here for those who have been thinking on this issue.

Stuart
 
My LED lights are marked "warm white" by Marinebeam... They are whiter than the halogen bulbs, but not by a lot - to my eye they appear to be around 6000 K... They are not those blue white lights like you see on some car headlights (7500 K) They are for doing tasks and reading.. For mood lighting I suspect the LED candles are the answer...

For me, most important item is preserving the house batteries... With all LEDs installed I can have the same amp-hour load over 7 nights that the incandescent lamps use for just 1 night... Means you can swing on the hook without running the generator until the deck crew begins to mumble (arrghhh Cap'n Bligh, me an the the crew be wantin a word with yee. )

My best advice for those unsure is to order a single bulb from Jeff and see how you like it...
 
OK the fly in the ointment (ain't there always?)
The cockpit lights are automotive type Wedge base bulbs (168, etc.)... Marinebeam has an LED replacement for the Wedge Base style of bulb consisting of a base connected to the LED card on short wires, but the problemis that the LED card is 1.5 inches square and there is not room inside the reflector for a card that large...

Being an obsessive compulsive (once I decide to do something - otherwise I am about as ambitious as an old coon dog sleeping in the shade) I am determined to change those bulbs to LED lights.. So here is what I am doing
(the non compulsive may want to click the browser 'back' button right now to avoid mental abuse and the screaming meemies)

A look at the G4 LED replacements which showed that card will fit into the reflector housing but the pins do not match the wedge socket - which is very roughly 0.100" thick...
I took a short chink of #10 gauge bare wire (0.100" diameter) and cut it into shorter pieces 1.25" long... Each piece was bent in the middle to 45 degrees (a lazy L shape)...
The lazy L's were then coated with solder to control corrosion...
(Butane solder pencil - greatest thing since sliced bread - mine is a Snap On, BLUE POINT model# YAK10... Spend the money because cheap ones are pure misery)

Next disassemble one cockpit lamp (the front lens is glued on with 4100 - use a small, flat blade screw driver to pry the clear lens loose from the reflector...
Remove the bulb and duct tape the reflector housing to the open top of a small peanut can so that the reflector is pointing upright...
Push two #10 bent wires into the socket (tight fit) and make them parallel and spaced just to fit the pins of the G4 lamp between them... Now put a blob of GOOP into the socket between the wires and allow it to set up (8-12 hours)

Now take a G4 LED lamp and place it between the #10 wires and carefully solder the lamp pins to the #10 wires...
Hold the LED pin with needle nose pliers just above the solder point to keep the heat from unsoldering the pin from the LED card... Make it a quick tack job with a good hot iron...

Oh yeah, wipe the solder coated wires with acetone before putting them into the reflector socket to remove the flux so that the GOOP will stick good...
A blob of GOOP or RTV (non acidic type) on the edge of the LED card to stick it to the reflector after soldering is also a good idea...
A fresh coat of 4100 on the rim of the lens and reassemble...

Soldering the LED pins is not a job for the first timer - unless you are really adventurous...
 
I ordered 13 G4 LED lamps... It turned out the the 5 Red Chart lights are already LED, so I had 5 lamps left over - the old word "assume" got me again...

Anyway, I was going to send back the 5 extras but then I got into the thrash with the 3 cockpit lamps which used 3 of them... So 6 G4 LED lamps is all that is needed for the interior white lights... Plus 3 if you decide to "engineer" the cockpit lamps...
 
Well, the custom engineering of the cockpit/deck lights went well on two fixtures... The third is giving me fits... I will overcome! "Damn the torpedos, Captain Drayton four bells, Jouett full speed!"

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_said_%27D ... z1A4jxs3L6
Amazing what I learn when I look things up...

Anyway, the correct Festoon 'dimpled' style of LED bulb for the red/green nav lights did come from Marinebeam yesterday... All installed and buttoned up (2 minute job each )- I did coat the connections with silicone grease with the stern intent that it will be decades before those lamps are opened up again... They have been powered up since yesterday at noon as a burn in period to be sure I don't put the boat in the water in Florida in a few weeks and have the nav lights go poof the first night... In fact ALL the LED lamps are being burned in at this time for the same reason... She looks like a Christmas tree in the darkened workshop...
 
Concerning the deck/cockpit lights... I just got off the phone with Jeff at Marinebeam... He can assemble an LED light on a wedge base that will plug right into the socket so you can avoid the shiverin fits of custom engineering a piece as I did... He doesn't have a part number for it yet, so you need to call him directly... 1-888-368-5215

Oh, and I haven't thought to mention that all the small lights on the exterior hull are LED from the factory...

Cheers
 
I'm planning on replacing the 3 nav lamps (at minimum) on our 2008 R-21. Current draw is always a concern not only if you're on the hook overnight or for any extended amount of time but also if you're in a slip with no shore power available. As usage of LED lamps is clearly an advantage is there any reason that the factory has not yet switched over to installing LED lamps as standard on all new boats? (or have they?) This hasn't been mentioned here. Would anyone know?
Ed
 
You might want to reconsider replacing 2 of the 3 navigation lights. You should only have the side lights (red and green) on when MOVING, not while at anchor. Therefore the engine in running all the time they are legally allowed on, and saving power is not important. When you anchor, having an LED in the masthead anchor light makes great sense. Just in case you missed it -- the nav light switch is a rocker 2-way -- one way has both running and mast head light on (travelling) and the other way just has the mast head light on (anchor).

Dave
"Lobo"
 
Good point. Yes I am aware of the rocker switch that can only illuminate the mast head light for anchoring. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
Steamboat, some of the factory lights on the 25 are LED and many are not... I am not aware of their reasons...
Doing them all on a 25 will add perhaps $200 to their cost of production meaning their price will go up...
As a buyer I would have gladly paid the additional as an option (though I bought used)
 
INMO, there are three lights on the boat that MUST work - they are the NAV lights. I had lots of bad experiences with NAV lights burning out on my previous boats. I wanted to remedy that when I ordered my tug by having LED's installed on the NAV lights. I wasn't concerned with saving AMPs. I was concerned with the inherent reliability of the LEDs. My dealer told me the factory would not install the LED lights. So, I had my dealer install them. I have since learned the factory has installed LED lights in some boats at the owners request. I am sure there are those that would gladly pay the $200 upgrade price for LEDs throughout their boat. I know I would have. It should be on the price sheet.
 
Fellow TugNuts,

After reading this discussion topic, I have decided to replace the bulb in our boats anchor light with one of the Marinebeam LEDs. I am also interested in replacing some of the interior bulbs with LEDs. I was not able to identify the different bulbs on our boat before I left on my deployment, so I asked Linda to try and do it for me. She took some pictures and was able to identify some of the information I needed but not all of it. Maybe someone from TugNuts can help me with the missing details and offer some suggestions.

Our R29 has 3 bulkhead reading lamps in the forward stateroom, 2 in the mid ship berth, and 1 in the galley. They use a wedge base 912 T15 bulb, and I think they are 10 watt, but I am not sure. I plan on replacing these bulbs with the Marinebeam 15-LED Wedge Mini-Tower (Item # WG-T10-15) which matches up to a 10 watt incandescent bulb. Another choice would be the Marinebeam Wedge Base 18-LED Tower Bulb (Item # WG-T10-18) which matches up to a 20 watt incandescent bulb. My concern with the later is that they would be too bright, and I would need to wear sunglasses while lying back and reading a book.

The light fixture over the dinette is controlled by a digital dimmer and uses 3 of the 18 watt wedge base bulbs. I think they are a 921 T5 bulb, but I am not sure. I plan on replacing these bulbs with the Marinebeam Wedge Base 18-LED Tower Bulb (Item # WG-T10-18) which matches up to a 20 watt incandescent bulb.

Our boat also has 10 recessed dome lights in the main cabin and 5 in the head. Each of these lights uses a 10 watt G4 Bi-pin halogen bulb. I plan on replacing these bulbs with the Marinebeam 6-LED SMD Power Cluster Novi (Item # SP-G4-06) which matches up to a 5-10 watt halogen bulb. Another choice would be the Marinebeam 10-LED SMD Power Cluster X-Beam (Item # SP-G4-10) which matches up to a 15-20 watt halogen bulb. Again, my concern with the later is that they would be too bright.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Wayne

– I tried to add photos of the fixtures but could not figure out how to insert them.
 
My thinking (or obsessing) on LED replacements for an R25:

Dave's (Lobo) common sense thought made sense to me, I'm replacing only the anchor light since the running lights are on only when "running" and the engine's generator powers them fine. Thanks, Dave, for reminding me about the rocker switch 2-way position. Now if I can just remember to turn the battery switch on while I stand in the dark flicking the overhead lights on and off without any effect...Duh!!

For the masthead a cool white Festoon Marinebeam #FS-44-30B at about $30 is recommended, exactly as denny-o has dictated. Marinebeam recommends the red behind the red lense and the green behind the green lense if if you want to replace these, too

With the $60 saved by keeping my regular running lights, I am starting my replacement project with the two dome lights as I want to actually see how blue/white the light is before going further, just like Stuart is trying to study on. BTW I disagree, respectfully, with denny-o on the replacements for the 2 domes. His recommendation (Marinebeam #TW-1156-1142-15 at $20) are omnidirectional lights. Those are better in wall sconces than in a directional dome light. Instead consider Marinebeam BA-1156-1142-09 warm white bulb replacements. These are like a square of LEDs attached to a wire that goes to a bayonet bulb base that fits in the dome receptacle: http://store.marinebeam.com/ba9smdpomaar.html This is what Marinebeam recommends for this application. (one doesn't often get the chance to "out-obsess" denny-o on this here forum!)

OK, the wall sconces have 2-contact #1076 automotive bulbs in them, and they do not exist as a comparator on Marinebeam's web site. Well, Jeff -to the rescue- explains via email: The 1076 and the 1142 incandescents are identical in size, shape, base, etc. The only difference is wattage, with the 1142 being ~10W and the 1076 being ~20W. Because the 1076 is a 20W bulb, I would recommend our highest output isotropic Power Tower BA15d bulb, which works very well for sconce lights that require a 360 deg. output bulb. You will save more than 1 amp of power for each one you replace! –says Jeff

I think I have this right:
#1076 20 watt = Marinebeam #BA-18-SMD 4.5 watt • Item #TW-1142-1156-SM $19
#1142 10 watt = Marinebeam #BA-15-SMD 1.3 watt • Item #TW-1156-1142-15 $19

If I like (or don't hate too much) the "warm" light of the domes, I will use either the BA-18 or BA-15 in the sconces. I'm thinking the light is a bit bright in the V-berth with the #1076 20-watt bulbs so I may go with the BA-15-SMD at least in the V-berth. All depends on how "white" the lights are in the domes. I can live with bright white light in the bath and closet, but it will get old in the cabin.

Denny-o has advised (Marinebeam# G4-6-SMD) • Item# SP-G4-06 $15 or 10/$130 for the cabin lights which I will do, after seeing the color of the above replacements. I'm now struggling with the cockpit lights as one is out. They seem integral with the housing as I can't separate them, but it seems denny-o has worked on this, and I will study his posts above for advice. I will also ask Jeff to please make up some bulbs for this application cause denny-o wins the obsession contest for making his own!

Jerry
 
Jerry, lean on Jeff to make up some wedge base lamps for the cockpit lighting... He will sell a bunch... What I did is bright and way too much like work - unless I don't like you, then my advice is "go for it!"

As far as all the other fixtures, listen to Jeff....

Nyaa, I don't mind being out obsessed.... I have the replacement table top I built that I am now removing the finish from and starting over - for the 3rd time... My momma didn't raise any stupid children but at least one is a bit 'finish challenged'...
 
denny-o,
I'm on Jeff about the bulbs. He says TugNuts are among his best customers and he seems nice enough to make an honorary TugNut! I've been reading Levitation's excellent posts and advice for a long time and this helped sell me on an R25 in the first place. All my best to "THE ADMIRAL" and to the Bosun's Mate–Pasta (see below) and thanks, again, for your enjoyable "obsessing" over the R25 details! Jerry

 
Hey guys,

Can someone tell me how to insert a photo into the text of a post?

Wayne
 
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