# Went to LED-Final update



## jerry russell

I finnally took the plunge and went to LED lights on my boat. I was able to find a 10 pack of 27watt lights on ebay for $270.00 and will run 9 of them on a 24 volt system. I just about went blind reading/researching this changeover. I am going to fabricate a quick detach light bar for the lights that should be here in a couple days. I am looking forward to a little peace and quiet and put my current lights and generator up for sale.

I did find a neat picture during my research that helped me to understand the "spot vs flood" thing with these LED systems. I thought I would share it.

I hope it is all I expected and will post some pictures for you guys thinking about LED lights.


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## Hard Core

Jerry, be carefull. What lights are you using now? I have tried some LED's and they didn't do well.


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## bullardsls1

I ordered a 50 w led off eBay for 45 buck brand new I have yet to try it out . I wanna fill in some blanks with my lights


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## UpSouth811

1 hps or mh will cover more than all those lights...unless you just want   the white light thats what i would go with


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## FOD

I've been seriously thinking about going with a 12 or 24 volt led setup,I've been looking at the whelen lights.


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## bullardsls1

alot of people are going silent but i like going  violent 






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## jerry russell

I am using these halogen floods right now and LOVE the results. It looks like the sun is coming up when I kick them on but after years of doing this I have spent my last night next to a generator. I am selling these.  I love to video all my hunts and bowfishing and that dang generator just flat out wrecks a good video.
I did a ton of research on these LED lights and I hope it pays off. I will be running 9 of the 60 degree lights at 24 volts.
I know it is a bit risky going this way but those that I got my info from are some serious bowfishing dudes and if it all fails I am only out $27 per light.

We will see how this turns out and I promise to post results regardless of the outcome even if they bomb. They should be here Tuesday and I will be fishing them this weekend.

If any of you see me out there, give me a shout. I will now be able to hear you, lol.


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## bullardsls1

Good luck I hope the work out well for ya


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## Brianf

Keep us informed. Gotta admit it would be nice not to listen to a generator all night.


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## Flaustin1

Just get an EU honda and you wont have to worry about it.


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## Brianf

Flaustin1 said:


> Just get an EU honda and you wont have to worry about it.



They are quiet but not az quiet as a battery


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## Flaustin1

This is true.  In an 18ft boat, we dont have to talk over the generator.  we can use our regular tone.


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## carpkiller

We have looking at doing this also, we have a eu3000 genny its super quiet but its still a hassle to lug around. We bought some new batterys that are BAD TO THE BONE. I can run a 24 VDC trolling motor for 9 hrs with no problems, I think they would be great for running led on.


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## carpkiller

I have six of them and I might be looking to sell 2 of them I'm only using 4 of them.


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## ihuntcatahoula

here is a comparison I did a couple months ago.

I was able to take the boat out this weekend and test the lights. I was comparing 3-27 watt Customfitz cool white Led’s, 1-50 watt Customfitz warm white led, along with 1-500 watt econolight halogen. I used a piece of pvc pipe and marked every foot with reflective tape to see what kind of visibility each light produced. First I tried the 27 watt led’s I was able to see 2+ feet in the stained water with them. I then tried the 50 watt led and was able to see 3+ almost 4 feet into the water. Lastly I used the 500 watt halogen it may have penetrated slightly more than the 50 watt led but I was unable to see the 4 foot mark clearly with either. I believe that the 50 watt and the 500 watt preformed way better than the 3- 27 watt led’s. It could have been the color of the 27’s that caused them not to perform as well in the stained water. Both the 50 watt led and the 500 watt halo produce an amber color light while the 27’s produce a white light. I then cruised around the shoreline where the water appeared to be a little clearer, giving each light its turn to shine so to speak. First I used the 27’s again and was able to see the rocky bottom fairly well observing rocks in the 3-4 foot range. Then I turned to the 50 watt led and it worked a good bit better as I suspected from the earlier test. I was able to see rocks 5-6 feet deep. It was then time to see how the 500 watt halogens compared. There was maybe a slight bit more penetration with the halogen than the 50 watt led but not enough to make a difference. I then proceeded to take the lights to some clear water. I didn’t run the halogen in this test I just compared the 27 and 50 watt led’s. In this test I just ran the 4-27 watt led’s on the front of my boat along with a 50 watt led off each side of the boat. In this test I like the white color of the 27 watt lights a little better. In clear water it just appears like you are floating in the air you can’t see anything that makes you think there is water under the boat. I was able to see the bottom clearly in 8 foot of water. The 50 watt (warm white) gave an amber tint to the water but I was able to see everything just as well as the cool white color of the 27’s. The 27’s just brightened up everything.

In the tests I ran the 50 watt led’s and the 500 watt halogen were as close to each other as any two lights can be. With that being said I was using Econolight housings which are built better than the shop light housings bought at Lowes or Home depot. They are a bit larger and have literally no bleed back on the back side of the fixture so all the light is being sent towards the water. I mention this because I feel that the 50 watt led and the 500 watt halo are very close in penetration and usable light but I feel that if you are going to use the work lights then the 50 watt led will win hands down. I compared the 50 watt to 3-27 watts and realized that the 50 watt in stained water is by far the better light. Not only did it penetrate better but it would be cheaper and it would cut down on the wiring considerably. In clear water it would be a matter of preference because they both penetrate equally it would be a matter of coverage and it would take 3-4 , 27 watt led’s to cover the same area as 1- 50 watter.
I feel like I can give an honest opinion on lights because I have fished over Hologens, led’s, and metal hylides. Until this past summer I had been fishing over halogens exclusively for a while an apart from having to run the generator I like how well they work. I have a MH light on my other boat for night fishing so I have experience with them also. I prefer led lights because of the lack of a generator and the fact that when you turn them on they are on and you don’t have to wait for them to warm up.

In conclusion I believe the new 50 watt warm white led’s from customfitz are well worth your money for fishing in stained water. Anyone that uses halogens will not notice a difference when switching to them other than the quiet operation and lack of gas bill both of which are a big plus in my book.

If the price of led's are what is keeping you from getting led's then lets look at it from a monetary view point. Yes you will need a battery or two depending on how many you want to run. I ran 2-50 watt led’s and 4-27 watt leds on the same battery as my trolling motor for nearly 4 hours before they started getting dim. I have ran all 10 of my 27 watt lights on one battery for 5+ hours before and never had them dim. But lets say you buy 2 batteries for $100 apiece and they last 2 years ( I have had one for 4 years and it still works)that would be an operating cost of $8.33 a month. For halogens (not counting bulbs which need replacing several times a year) running a generator that uses 2 gallons of gas each outing at $3.50 a gallon that would be $7 every time you go out which for me is 1-2 times a week. So lets say 1.5 times a week at that would be $10.50 in gas a week or $42.00 a month (just going with a 4 week month for the sake of argument). This of coarse doesn't account for the cost of the actual genny.

Lets go with 6 lights ( using 6 because that is the most halo's you should run on a 3500 watt genny) and everything you need to run them for a year...

50 watt led
lights $90 x 6 = $ 540 (to your door)
batteries 2 x$100= $200
and thats it $740 for the leds

500 watt Halo
lights $9.40 x 6 = $56.40 +tax $2.26 + shipping $10 = $68.66
Generator $350 (champion this is the cheapest best choice)
500 watt bulbs $4 each ( need 3 sets per fixture as a minimum) 3 x 6 x$4= $72
Gas 2 gallons per outing $3.50 a gallon 1.5 outings a week = 2 x 3.5= 7 x 1.5 = $10.5 a week X 52 weeks= $546
That makes $1036.66 for the halos you could spend a lot more if you wanted to go with a honda or yamaha genny.

So in 1 year you would save $1036- $740= $296 by going with the leds'.

I have a video to follow I am editing it and it should be up late tonight or tomorrow.


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## Hard Core

Very well put. I have told folks this untill I'm blue in the keyboard..lol. Now you see all I say is "be carefull and you will probably not like them". I first tried the same lights that is readily available in 30 watts and told everyone they are ok , but no replacement for 500 watt halogens. Then when the 50 watters came around they were alot better. We are sponsored by Ridgid Industries and it killed me to tell them their light bars ($1400 each) were not as good for bowfishing as four twelve dollar lights from home depot. The problem with most leds is the reflecter. That little bitty reflecter just doesn't flood the area like a big one. Be prepared though. There are some new led lights being tested that will blow us away. The only thing that concerns me is the price..lol


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## ihuntcatahoula

Yeah I love my 50 watters and I agree that the reflecter panel on the smaller ones is there downfall..


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## castandblast

chuck, any big reason to switch from hps, mh, or halos with a fan? I.E, Already have lights, generator, everything hooked up, etc, etc... The fan is making just as much noise as the genny. By the time I or anyone else in this same deal,  invest in new lights, batts, inverter, I could pay for years in gas in the generator. My generator and fan sips gas. I can fish the 12hr Muzzy tournament on 6 gals of gas in both the fan and the generator. 

any reason to switch when they work "almost as good" as what I was already currently using?


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## ihuntcatahoula

If you are running a fan then the only benefit you would have is you could run more lights off your genny. But that is about it.


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## castandblast

10 halos is plenty of light!


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## BigSwole

]More food for thought.

Hps and mh lights put out way more lumens than led.

The benefits i see from running leds are no generator and no noise. But if your running a fan boat. You already have the noise so is the led setup still as beneficial? 

Also for the people who fish all.night or 6+ hours. Running time on the 50w leds diminishes after you have many of them setup. So now your running a genny with a converter to keep the batteries charged. So your back to noise.

Or if your troller boat needs a converter your back to a generator.

If your running the generator why not run mh or hps? 

Compare 1 customfitz led at 90$ or 1 150w hps w cap at 65$

The 150hps puts out 3x the light of an 50w led.


I honestly could care less who runs what light. Everyone has their own reasons. I dont understand why people order the ac led which requires the genny when for less money you can get a 150w hps that weighs the same. And puts out 3x the lumens.

If i were to run leds i would want to be completely silent. But my tm needs a charger on the batteries for.the amount of time i fish.

So my ? Is why run leds on a fan boat or airboat. OR why runs 120v leds when hps are less $ and more lumens?


I am not knocking leds in any way. I have fished over them and believe they do the same as a halo. I will actually be ordering some to go on my duck boat which i take to the shoals and ponds so i can stay quiet while running just a smaller tm


Posted this on the other led thread. Since this got on topic here i quoted it over here


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## ihuntcatahoula

I will be running 10- 50 watt Led's on the boat I am building now ( that is 500 watts). I will be able to run for 4-5 hours on the batteries. This is enough for me on most nights. If I decided to run all night I throw the genny and invertors on and can run all night but I have the option to run silent if I choose. The led's pull less so dont require a big genny to push them. Another advantage I have found is Led's are on or off, no warm up time at all. If the power gets cut off to your hps lights it takes time to start back up( less time with digital ballasts). It all boils down to how you fish if you are already running a genny or fan then you should prob use the hps. if you are just starting out and need to purchase everything led's are cheaper. just decide how you are going to fish and buy the lights that fit your style of fishing.


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## BigSwole

Catahoula, 

Are you running at 24v?


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## ihuntcatahoula

Nah I was running 12 volt. Thinking about 24 on the next build just to cut down on wire size.


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## bullardsls1

big swole i have read were airboats run the leds because   the alternator off the motor keeps the lights going no genny needed  .


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## ihuntcatahoula

the 50 watt lights pull about 5.6 amps so a 100 amp alternator could theoretically run 17 lights.


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## BigSwole

bullardsls1 said:


> big swole i have read were airboats run the leds because   the alternator off the motor keeps the lights going no genny needed  .



That makes sense


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## Buckaholic2000

From what I have read Fan boars are the only ones that get no real benefit from LEDs. As stated airboats run alternators, so they have no genny. Troller boats are silent but weight is about the same for 2 batteries and small genny.  

If your already set up usually not worth changing over till something goes out. Then thats when you should change over.


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## Buckaholic2000

From what I have read Fan boars are the only ones that get no real benefit from LEDs. As stated airboats run alternators, so they have no genny. Troller boats are silent but weight is about the same for 2 batteries and small genny.  

If your already set up usually not worth changing over till something goes out. Then thats when you should change over.


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## bullardsls1

Jerry how u like the new lights u got them mounted post a few pics


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## jerry russell

Thanks to the WONDERFUL US postal system, my lights are lost somewhere between here and California. Priority mail is evidently only a priority for the shipper and the reciever, not the post office. The company that I ordered from was sure stand up about it. The moment I notified them of a problem they sent another ten lights out that day. I hope to get them tomorrow. If the others arrive I will be having an LED light sale!
I will post up results and the VERY cool mounting system that I have designed. You boys are gonna dig this one.


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## jerry russell

Well I finally got my lights in and got the bar back from the fabrication shop. I am very pleased. It is welded aluminum and I had it powder coated. I wired everything internally and left wiring for future lights if needed.  It is built like a tank but is light as a feather at less than 45 pounds. Only two bolts hold it on the boat via the versa-trac system. I can add/remove it from the boat in under 60 seconds. 

The rig is in the garage right now being tested for battery life and I hope to have it on the water this weekend. It runs at 12 or 24 volts. A word about the lights... Extreme high quality and waterproof. I have been running them for 3.5 hours right now and they are little more than room temp. 

Here are some photos. Some were taken before the powder coat was applied. I fired it up last night and it looked pretty good but it sounded even better!

I will update the light performance on the water asap.


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## ThunderRoad

Thats awesome Jerry!


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## ihuntcatahoula

did i miss something or is there only 9 on the rail. I had 10 -27 watters on my 1442 and liked it but have upgraded to 10-50's and 4-27's on my new 1648 build it should be awesome..


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## jerry russell

Yep, 9 lights. I wanted to see what the battery life is before I added anymore. Right now they have been on 8 hours and still going strong.


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## jerry russell

With two twelve volt batteries wired together, the lights went 8.5 hours before I noticed a voltage drop. I hope to have them on the lake soon.


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## thompsonsz71

Jerry why not 50 watters?


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## jerry russell

thompsonsz71 said:


> Jerry why not 50 watters?



A couple of reasons for the 27 watt choice.

I know that 50's are superior (per fixture) for obvious reasons but I wanted to ensure 6.5 hours on 2 12 volt bateries. I also wanted to have lots of fixtures to prevent any chance of dark areas. Now that I know 9 27s will go 8.5 hours, I can move to 12 fixtures (if needed) and still get my targeted 6.5 hours out of 2- 29 grade deep cycle batteries. My testing says that I would need to carry 3 batteries to even have a shot at 4-5 hours with only 10- 50 watt lights.

This LED thing is new stuff to me but I had conversations with several folks that are happy with this setup on their boat. To a certain degree, I am winging it but I am NEVER going to listen to a generator all night again. Still crossing my fingers for a successful test on Wednesday.

For those that have asked for finished pictures and info on the rail system, here are a couple finished and installed pictures. The rail is 2" welded aluminum and weighs 40-45 pounds including lights and wire. It is powder coated flat black and as stated before, it is held in place with only 2 bolts via the boats versatrac system..
Here is a breakdown on cost of the system.

Lights: $270 to my door for 10 lights- LED Store- Ebay

Custom Rail fabrication: $300.00- Southern Welding in Jonesboro, Georgia.  These guys do awesome work and will predrill all light locations to your specs and provides all hole plugs and end caps.

Powder coat: $75.00 Performance Coatings in Jonesboro, Georgia. Another great place to do business.

I installed 12 gauge wire internally for less than $10.00.


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## Johnny Reb

Looks great! How did it work?


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## jerry russell

Between everything else I have going on, I have still not had time to hit the water. I have looked them over on dry land and they certainly look good. The only issue that I think I have with them is two very small dark slivers on the front corners so I am going to mount one more dead center front and slightly turn out the current two front lights.  If I can quit striper fishing for a day I will get out and try the things on the water.


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## ihuntcatahoula

here is the coverage I have with my led's. The only light in this clip is from my led's.


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## jerry russell

Final report on the new L.E.D. lights...

I ended up adding one more 27 watt to the front of the boat so I now have 10- 27watt lights. I finally broke away from turkey hunting long enought to shoot over the lights and I flat out LOVE them. I fully agree with ihuntcatahoula with his review of L.E.D. lights vs. halogens in post number 15 of this thread. In clear water my old halogens and my new L.E.D. lights are equal. In stained water, the halogens have a slight edge but no where near enough to ever, and I mean Ever fire up a generator again. 

It was beyond wonderful to bowfish and hear the sounds of the night and have quality conversation with my son for the first time while bowfishing.

I am running 270 total watts and I can get about 5 hours out of one single 29mh deep cycle. 

Anyhow, if you are considering L.E.D. lights, take the plunge. I will never go back.

Here is the first fishy to fall to the new L.E.D. lights. My son had the pleasure of breaking in the new lights.

Thank you to everyone that offered information to me and others in the change over.


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## ihuntcatahoula

Glad you are happy with the 27 watt lights. Just for your info it takes about 3 of those to cover the same area and penetration as 1- 50 watt. so if you ever feel the need to upgrade to the 50's you would prob only need 3 of them to get the same coverage. One front and one on each side and have less amp draw that translates to more run time not to mention way less wiring. I have way more led's on my boat than I need and if you look at the video I posted in the review I was only using 1- 50 on each side and could have fished like that if I wanted to. I was happy with the 27's I had but am much happier with the 50's. I am glad you got a setup that works for you.


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