Lumitec under water lights...

Siboatguy

Active Member
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Mar 28, 2016
499
Holmdel,NJ
Boat Info
1999 Sea Ray 290 Sundancer
2005 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer
2005 Sea Ray 340 Sundancer
Engines
Twins V-Drives
8.1 Mercruiser
Has anyone did underwater lights on there 320? I'm thinking of doing Lumitec Spectrum RGB.... Just don't know how many to put... I'm thinking 3 of them.. I'm in sandy hook so its salt water... And the scary part is, I gotta drill a 1/2 hole right though the boat... Is 5200 the best stuff to use...
 
No, I dont suggest 5200. Use a below waterline marine sealer thats no permanent. 4200 or one by Boatlife, which is what I use.

For I/O's, I like 2 lights for a single drive boat and 3 for a twin drive boat. Best coverage with least amount of shadows from the drives. For inboards, at least 2, but maybe 3 depending on the light, the width of the boat, etc.
 
My boats a just a bit wider but I was initially going to put in 3 lights but was convinced to go to 4 and I'm glad I did as the impact and consistency of light across the back is very good. I used the Lumitex Seablaze X W/B lights.
 
We have the seablazeX white/blue and are very happy with them. I would think 3 lights is about right for a 320, 4 if you want it super bright
 
We have Seablaze X as well. We used 7 on the transom of our 47 Sedan Bridge.
 
That's one reason why I built mine to enter above water. Too bad your looking for RGB. I could have given you a good deal on the blues ones I sell in the for sale section.
Here is a boat that bought my lights to give you an idea where there installed and how they looked underwater.
4 lights on boat.jpg
thumbnail (3).jpg
 
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If you drills holes in your transom... and I don’t recommend it... then I would drill the holes oversized and fill with thickened epoxy resin. Once the resin is dry you can drill that out and use 4200 to fill in around the wiring. This way you Alleviate the risk of water intrusion into your hull. Still don’t like having optional holes in my boat though.
 
FFEE13CE-5502-4644-8427-60A0FBD7247C.jpeg F36BCF4F-CF0E-452A-99B3-9E579E8FBFDD.jpeg I used 6 SeablazeX blue light spaced every 30” Seablaze lights are cheaper but you will need more lights to do the job. Use 4200 or equivalent sealant. You may have to remove them someday. You can remove them with 5200 but you will have a tougher time. Drill a 1/2” hole and use enough sealant to do the job on a sanded clean hull (no bottom paint).
You do not need to go the epoxy route and then redrill, you won’t get any water intrusion if you do it correctly.

The lights will draw 3.7 amps, the light comes with about 4/5 feet of wire, use good butt connectors with shrink tubing at the connection all wrapped in a split loom. All wires should be connected to a fused panel (each light should have it’s own 5amp fuse.

Install a relay at the panel operated by a switch at the helm, your Carling switch is not able to operate all of the lights, you need to use a relay. Each light is 3.7amp X 6=22.2 amps. Your switch is probably a 20amp maximum switch. NG! The relay can handle 40 amps. And remember to use the correct guage wire, use a guage & amp chart. The maximum fuse is determined by the wire guage not the load, don’t over fuse a small guage wire. I ran 18/2 tin copper.

If you want, I’ll send you some pics on my install.

Good luck,
Bow Tie
 
Thanks so much everyone.... Prob gonna go with 3... I have v-drives with tunnels so prob 2 right above that and 1 in the middle im thinking... Just curious how far down from the water line do you usually mount them?
 
Thanks so much everyone.... Prob gonna go with 3... I have v-drives with tunnels so prob 2 right above that and 1 in the middle im thinking... Just curious how far down from the water line do you usually mount them?

Lumitec, if I remember correctly recommends no more than 12” below the surface. Mine are 12” below the surface. Be very careful where you drill through the transom, there are usually hoses, stringers, tanks, wires all below the waterline. I must have measured and re measured a dozen times taking exact measurements because you’re drilling from the outside. If you can put in more than 3 you’ll probably be happier. The closer to the surface, the better. I wanted to mount them at 6” below however, there was a support in the way.

Bow Tie
 
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2D54C30B-8A7E-4044-A6BC-79F4B363115E.jpeg True, that is why I originally wanted to install them at 6”-8” below the surface. But, as I mentioned there was a support in the way. The closer to the surface the better, the maximum distance to the surface should be “no more than 12 inches” for maximum effect.

Also, being originally from NJ (Pt. Pleasant) I do not think you’ll see much of any light in the bay, too murky. At Tices Shoal maybe because it’s so close to the Inlet. The water is very shallow but clearer.

Bow Tie
 
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Thats anther consern of mine... Being up here the water is very murky.... The 2k in lights i can def find other places in the boat to put that if its not gonna look good...
 
Thats anther consern of mine... Being up here the water is very murky.... The 2k in lights i can def find other places in the boat to put that if its not gonna look good...

$2000 is a lot of money, especially for something that you can hardly see. Unless you have plans of relocating to the clear waters of the south I’d save my money. Also, SeablazeX lights sell for $250-$300 for single color. I paid $269 each and one light is already shot, and only after two years. Warranty is one year. Ebay is a good source for these lights, a lot of times discounters are willing to sell cheap to clear out inventory that’s not moving.(List is $400), If you install 3 lights you’ll spend around $900 plus another $100 for installation material. Unless of course you hire someone, then you’ll spend $2000 or more.

Bow Tie
 
$2000 is a lot of money, especially for something that you can hardly see. Unless you have plans of relocating to the clear waters of the south I’d save my money. Also, SeablazeX lights sell for $250-$300 for single color. I paid $269 each and one light is already shot, and only after two years. Warranty is one year. Ebay is a good source for these lights, a lot of times discounters are willing to sell cheap to clear out inventory that’s not moving.(List is $400), If you install 3 lights you’ll spend around $900 plus another $100 for installation material. Unless of course you hire someone, then you’ll spend $2000 or more.

Bow Tie
I'm looking at the RGB with fade... They change colors automatic fade from one to the others.... There like 650 each.. And i fig 3 of them..
 
My boats a just a bit wider but I was initially going to put in 3 lights but was convinced to go to 4 and I'm glad I did as the impact and consistency of light across the back is very good. I used the Lumitex Seablaze X W/B lights.

Hey Bart, do you have any pics of yours? I also have an 05 420 and will be adding the RGB lumis this spring. How did you wire them?
thanks
chris
 
I'll need to look.

I had the marina install them and run them to a matching toggle switch on my dash. It's clean. I have the white and blue ones. Click the switch once it comes on white. Quickly toggle it off and back on and they'll be blue. Another cycle of the switch and they'll fade back and forth between the colors. Once more and they rapidly and randomly pulse.

All in all they're really just a cool party trick but I don't regret putting them on.
 

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