# Help????  Suggestions?????



## Gaducker (Nov 29, 2009)

What ever you want to call it,  I have the boat, I have the genny, I dont have a platform built or lights purchased. 

I do know that I will either have to pushpole or use the trolling motor up front, Or mount one on the rear.

I have a onan 6500 watt genny, its uper quiet and it was free, I know it weighs more than some but heres my thinking on that.  I was going to build a frame for the platform and let it run midways back on the boat. I was going to mount the genny to the frame and build a deck over the top of the motor open to the reaqr so it could get air. I was going to put pick points on this thing and just set the whole thing in and out with the forklift.  I think the weight in the floor may make it a hair more stable???  YES? NO???

You withme so far???   All this is going on the boat in the avatar,  G-3 18-60 with a 45 mudbuddy.  The floor will be just high enough to put lights under the edge of it and hide the light completley from the shooter.   OK??? NOT OK????

I started lookin last year after turkey season and did not have time to get it together before it got to hot, so this year I am gon get started a little sooner.  If you got any pics that have not already been put up I would like to see em so I may know what I am shooting for.   Thanks Chris


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## FERAL ONE (Nov 30, 2009)

my .02 ,  get HPS lights.  i run 6  150's and they will light the world up !  i like my troller up front and i want a hand control.  no foot pedals for me, i need both feet on the deck !!!   i don't have a platform and do fine.  i have had one in the past and liked it so i am either way on them.  to me if i shot more in the day i would want to have one , night it is not as important.   lights hidden from the shooter would not matter other than to keep bad shooters from shooting the lights !     that is a monster genny , i run a small coleman 3000 and it does fine. if i had that much genny i would run an inverter to charge my trolling batteries while under way.  sounds like you have a plan , looking forward to seeing what you come up with !


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## Gaducker (Nov 30, 2009)

FERAL ONE said:


> my .02 ,  get HPS lights.  i run 6  150's and they will light the world up !  i like my troller up front and i want a hand control.  no foot pedals for me, i need both feet on the deck !!!   i don't have a platform and do fine.  i have had one in the past and liked it so i am either way on them.  to me if i shot more in the day i would want to have one , night it is not as important.   lights hidden from the shooter would not matter other than to keep bad shooters from shooting the lights !     that is a monster genny , i run a small coleman 3000 and it does fine. if i had that much genny i would run an inverter to charge my trolling batteries while under way.  sounds like you have a plan , looking forward to seeing what you come up with !





The generator will charge the batts just by hooking up to them. 

yall got any websites to buy hps lights?  I looked on ebay and found some but they were just bulbs or just houses.  Or is that the way you buy them.


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## BREAK'N WINGS (Nov 30, 2009)

The lights I use are standard work lights you can get from Northern tool. They come with 500  watt bulbs and they interchange really quick, I have six of them  two with 500 watt and the rest with 300. They work really good. The lights only cost right at 10.00 a peice. Just have to do a tad bit of fab work on'm cause they have handles mounted to them.


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## Gaducker (Nov 30, 2009)

BREAK'N WINGS said:


> The lights I use are standard work lights you can get from Northern tool. They come with 500  watt bulbs and they interchange really quick, I have six of them  two with 500 watt and the rest with 300. They work really good. The lights only cost right at 10.00 a peice. Just have to do a tad bit of fab work on'm cause they have handles mounted to them.



A fella told me those bulbs would break easy compared to hps. What have you seen, You say they are easy to change so I guess you are breakin alot of them???


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## FERAL ONE (Nov 30, 2009)

i buy mine from econolight. the hps bulbs last WAAAAAAYYYY longer than halogen.


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## BREAK'N WINGS (Nov 30, 2009)

Gaducker said:


> A fella told me those bulbs would break easy compared to hps. What have you seen, You say they are easy to change so I guess you are breakin alot of them???



They last a pretty good while, I think sense I've had them (been about 10 -15 times) I've changed probably four bulbs.  I didnt have the money to buy those other lights they add up real quick.....these turned out just fine for me.


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## RIVER_CAT (Dec 1, 2009)

http://www.e-conolight.com/Product/EProductDetail.asp?ProductFamilyID=3&FGNumber=E-HC2H151Z

I prefer the 400w HPS lights but if you looking for 150s this a good place too start.

You need a converter to charge your trolling battries from the genny. I find a link and post it soon.


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## Gaducker (Dec 1, 2009)

RIVER_CAT said:


> http://www.e-conolight.com/Product/EProductDetail.asp?ProductFamilyID=3&FGNumber=E-HC2H151Z
> 
> I prefer the 400w HPS lights but if you looking for 150s this a good place too start.
> 
> You need a converter to charge your trolling battries from the genny. I find a link and post it soon.



Thanks for the info,  The genny I am using is a mac daddy. It will carge the batterys as is, just hookem up to the starter relay on the genny.   So do the hps put out more light thefore you use less of them or is it just that they are tougher than the shop lights?  Thanks Chris


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## RIVER_CAT (Dec 2, 2009)

Gaducker said:


> Thanks for the info,  The genny I am using is a mac daddy. It will carge the batterys as is, just hookem up to the starter relay on the genny.   So do the hps put out more light thefore you use less of them or is it just that they are tougher than the shop lights?  Thanks Chris



In my opinion they put out more light.......

They may not be as bright as a halogen light but too me they do not glare or reflect back off the water there for let me see more. 

They produce a low orange tint which makes it a little more harder to tell where the bottom is in muddy water.......but let me asure you...if there is a fish there you will see him. Only time with the lights will tell you if you like them or not...... If your realy set on trying some.....I would go with someone that has them on their boat first to see it that is the investment you wanna take. Depending on when and where we can take my rig if you want.

Here are a few pics just to show whats there..... A camera does not do justice to what the human eye can see....












That gator is layin on the bottom in 5ft of water....





this carp is in about 4ft of water in AL...






Can you find the grass carp?


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## RIVER_CAT (Dec 2, 2009)

Keep in mind on the light setup......Im using a mixture of 400s and 250s only because i run a eu3000 Honda. Im also running a custom setup to keep the weight of the ballast off the front deck(remote ballast box).....and save deck space

again....IMO.....

There is no comparing the 400s to any other light....If i had the genny i would run all 7 in a 400w state.......but i have to sarcfice something....  I can run my whole setup on the Honda for about 4 gallon all night....and its super quite compared to other generators. At one time i had 7 400s on the boat with a bigger genny.....but switched out the ballast and lamps to the 250s  so i could run my Honda. Yes i lost light output.....but i save gas in the genny, Weight with the genny and i made it much more quiter on the boat...( Not much to say when im fishing from an airboat....LOL But its makes a world of difference unless im running down the lake)

Only downfall on the HID (MH or HPS) lights is warmup time and cool down time....... I have mine wired on switches that are close to my seats....I start the genny  before i make my run or when ever is convinet.....Just when im ready to setdown and start fishing i flip on the switches....... Time the water settles and i get close the bank......Pick up my bow...wet the line...get a drink  or what ever the lights are warmed up enough to start shooting...

Lets say we gonna run 4 mile down the lake.......i flip them off when i leave out.......soon as i get close to where im gonna fish..i can flip them back on and they start warming back up.....time i get outta the seat or off the front deck (depending on where im running from) and grab my bow there is enough light to shoot with. 

But if the genny runs outta gas or shutsdown......you just bought yourself a 10-15min break to set down and rest.

I have some pics some where of a light from off to on....in 30sec intervals......

Depending on boat size and setup......i would go ahead in bite the money on the 400s....(3.8 amps/ 465watts each)  
















Heres the 4 400s HPS on the front of my fan boat that i had before i got the airboat.....Tons of fish have been shot from this rig.....


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## Gaducker (Dec 2, 2009)

Is that sea ark an 18 or 20 fter,   Anymore links to lights?


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## RIVER_CAT (Dec 3, 2009)

It was an 1860VPLD but i sold it back in the spring to a buddy in NC.

You want lights under or on top of deck?

I have just over $100 each in my lights but they custom and require some work to make work.


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## Gaducker (Dec 3, 2009)

I was probably going to put them under the deck, I am going to build a unit to set in the boat that will have the genny under the deck in the middle of the boat.  I will set it in and take it out with a forklift.  I will raise the deck just enough to clear the genny and thats how much room I will have above the rail of the boat to mount the lights,  Its all in my head now, There may not be enough room and I may have to put them on top.


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