Underwater LED lights

fatbrys

New Member
May 11, 2015
10
East Patchogue
Boat Info
2000 Sundancer 310
Engines
350 mpi
Has anyone installed underwater LED lights on their boat? Is a 9w drain plug light enough? Or 27w? Should I put them on the trim tabs also to fan out the light? Any brand recommendations? Flush mount? Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Though I have not made the investment yet at this point, it seems the consensus in most of the other threads on this topic is that the Seablaze X is the way to go for affordability and function


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To say i research things prior to make a purchase is an understatement,

that being said..
2-3 months of researching all the LED lighting systems out there..
i purchased Seablaze X.. at this point i havnt installed them yet, but have tested them to make sure they work and no issues
( I have bad luck with stuff getting shipped that doesnt work or work as advertised)
"
i say the only issue i have with the X.. is the multi color (white/blue) on the very first setting they dont "sync" and fade at different times
(( that has more to do with basic electronics and not with build quality), (no 2 electrical circuits are ever the exactly the same))
 
i say the only issue i have with the X.. is the multi color (white/blue) on the very first setting they dont "sync" and fade at different times
(( that has more to do with basic electronics and not with build quality), (no 2 electrical circuits are ever the exactly the same))

I emailed customer service about that and they told me that's just the way it is. I was told it is because the fade is random, not a set pattern. It absolutely CAN be done, my pool/spa lights fade and sync just fine. Seems like high dollar boat lights that are frequently installed with multiple lights setups would sync with each other. It makes the fade setting worthless on multi-light installations.
 
I have the Seablaze X and the random fade is a nice feature. Those of you that have OCD, look elsewhere but once you install them it is a really cool effect especially in super clean water, dark water all UW lights suck. On larger boats that have multiple lights around the perimeter there is a main CPU that controls the lights, they are not controlled internally like the Seablaze. They really do look great and you can't beat the price or customer service
 
We have Seablaze X too and love the way they fade and change color, especially in clear water.


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Looked at the seablaze spectrum but very pricey? Who has the best prices in the seablaze x?
 
Looked at the seablaze spectrum but very pricey? Who has the best prices in the seablaze x?

found them for under $300 shipped each, on that big biddem up site..

ordered them on Wednesday.. they arrived friday afternoon..
 
I emailed customer service about that and they told me that's just the way it is. I was told it is because the fade is random, not a set pattern. It absolutely CAN be done, my pool/spa lights fade and sync just fine. Seems like high dollar boat lights that are frequently installed with multiple lights setups would sync with each other. It makes the fade setting worthless on multi-light installations.

those are externally controlled lighting systems, at that point yes they can be controlled to turn on and off synced 100% to any color/ timing..

when you get into integrated circuits that are controlled by logic/timing..
simple OHM's law applies, and that is that no matter what you try no 2 circuits are EVER identical, each light in the Seablaze X is essentially its own circuit even wired in parallel
what that means is ELECTRONICS, in a nuts shell is NOT an exact science..
example.. you have 2 circuits both made at the same factory at the same time with the exact same materials..

with a battery, and copper wire going to a light bulb and a 10% 2 ohm resister

now here is where it gets interesting.. the 2 ohm resisters have a 10% tolerance (for instance). that means it can have a resistance of 1.8-2.2 ohms..
although they are both considered 2 ohm resisters, your current across each circuit will be different..

thus the timing on the Seablaze X in this case will be different on each individual light..

if you want them all to change colors at the same time, you would need an external controller which would mean there is no "logic" in the light its self but the controller dictates the "logic" (colors).
 
Has anyone used or know of anyone who has used any products from the website/company BoatPlugLight.com? Their stuff seems legit but I have no idea how large/bright of a light to buy? Do they work well? Easy install?

thanks!
 
those are externally controlled lighting systems, at that point yes they can be controlled to turn on and off synced 100% to any color/ timing..

when you get into integrated circuits that are controlled by logic/timing..
simple OHM's law applies, and that is that no matter what you try no 2 circuits are EVER identical, each light in the Seablaze X is essentially its own circuit even wired in parallel
what that means is ELECTRONICS, in a nuts shell is NOT an exact science..
example.. you have 2 circuits both made at the same factory at the same time with the exact same materials..

with a battery, and copper wire going to a light bulb and a 10% 2 ohm resister

now here is where it gets interesting.. the 2 ohm resisters have a 10% tolerance (for instance). that means it can have a resistance of 1.8-2.2 ohms..
although they are both considered 2 ohm resisters, your current across each circuit will be different..

thus the timing on the Seablaze X in this case will be different on each individual light..

if you want them all to change colors at the same time, you would need an external controller which would mean there is no "logic" in the light its self but the controller dictates the "logic" (colors).

My pool/spa lights are absolutely not externally controlled and I can tell you they synch with each other for 6-8 hours at a time with no problem. Maybe they are off by a few milliseconds, but not to the human eye. Or maybe they're just magic?


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Has anyone used or know of anyone who has used any products from the website/company BoatPlugLight.com? Their stuff seems legit but I have no idea how large/bright of a light to buy? Do they work well? Easy install?

thanks!

I tried the Gatlin 4000 lumen light and it was "OK". Pretty bright, but not enough for me and I didn't like the whole plug thing. I was afraid the guys at the marina might damage the cord taking it out after each time we used the boat. I decided to go with the Seablaze X for a little extra money.


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Has anyone used or know of anyone who has used any products from the website/company BoatPlugLight.com? Their stuff seems legit but I have no idea how large/bright of a light to buy? Do they work well? Easy install?

thanks!

Not impressed at all. It seems like they are taking brass plumbing fittings and gluing LEDs in them. Beyond that, i dont like drain plug lights for a couple of reasons. If you have a single engine outboard or i/o, the drive creates a shadow. On other boats with wake plates, again you get a shadow. If you have a trailer boat that requires removing the drain plug for draining, this will cause the cable to fail eventually. Their answer is to buy and install a dedicated garboard for the light.
 
My pool/spa lights are absolutely not externally controlled and I can tell you they synch with each other for 6-8 hours at a time with no problem. Maybe they are off by a few milliseconds, but not to the human eye. Or maybe they're just magic?


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there is a reason all computers use a global atomic clock to sync time ( because all clocks/computers/circuits are off a few milliseconds from each other).. because of what i mentioned... ill bet, if you left your lights on long enough they will be different colors eventually (if not they have a "control" circuit).. those milliseconds add up..to full seconds.. those full seconds will eventually lead up to all the bulbs being out of sync could take hours, could take days, could take weeks or longer, when you power them down the "counter" inside the circuit will reset and start at a certain color.. and will start counting from 0 again..

you can have 100 computers all count to 1,000,000 every single one of them will arrive a few milliseconds apart from each other which is why they all need to sync..

if there was no "sync" your GPS in your car/phone/chart-plotter etc. wouldn't work AT ALL.. take a left turn now!! means you end up in a lake
trust me i've been in telecom for over 20 years..
i know a "little" bit (sarcasm) about syncing communications, electronics, fiber optics, which is LIGHT going through glass..
 
there is a reason all computers use a global atomic clock to sync time ( because all clocks/computers/circuits are off a few milliseconds from each other).. because of what i mentioned... ill bet, if you left your lights on long enough they will be different colors eventually (if not they have a "control" circuit).. those milliseconds add up..to full seconds.. those full seconds will eventually lead up to all the bulbs being out of sync could take hours, could take days, could take weeks or longer, when you power them down the "counter" inside the circuit will reset and start at a certain color.. and will start counting from 0 again..

you can have 100 computers all count to 1,000,000 every single one of them will arrive a few milliseconds apart from each other which is why they all need to sync..

if there was no "sync" your GPS in your car/phone/chart-plotter etc. wouldn't work AT ALL.. take a left turn now!! means you end up in a lake
trust me i've been in telecom for over 20 years..
i know a "little" bit (sarcasm) about syncing communications, electronics, fiber optics, which is LIGHT going through glass..

I fully understand the intricacies of electronic circuits, but I don't plan on leaving my underwater lights on for long enough for them to become out of sync. If they do become out of sync after a day or two I can just turn them off/on to reset them. Just for fun, I just turned on my pool lights and will leave them on until they are noticeably out of sync. I'll see how long it takes. FYI, this is the type of light I have. http://www.inyopools.com/Products/1...sTEdkjhXywiNYx43cVyY-uParpYzkVciZEaAh-t8P8HAQ

My original point stands. My expensive underwater lights do not sync, when my much cheaper pool lights do sync. It can be done easily, and I wish Seablaze had.
 
I fully understand the intricacies of electronic circuits, but I don't plan on leaving my underwater lights on for long enough for them to become out of sync. If they do become out of sync after a day or two I can just turn them off/on to reset them. Just for fun, I just turned on my pool lights and will leave them on until they are noticeably out of sync. I'll see how long it takes. FYI, this is the type of light I have. http://www.inyopools.com/Products/1...sTEdkjhXywiNYx43cVyY-uParpYzkVciZEaAh-t8P8HAQ

My original point stands. My expensive underwater lights do not sync, when my much cheaper pool lights do sync. It can be done easily, and I wish Seablaze had.

costs, will vary for manufacturing purposes..
different materials the lighting fixture you linked is for lack of a better term,

a $300 screw in light bulb that has no water pressures to deal with, made for clear water (less lumens go further), larger and less expensive electronic components..
vs
a watertight integrated circuit exposed to corrosive elements that is about 1/3 the size with higher lumen output..

there is your cost difference ..
 
Just put 2 seablazex on my 330 sundancer. work great,just put the boat in. We just cut the wires from the old factory underwater lts. Took about 2 hrs.
 

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