LED lighting questions

I've read all the threads here, I've worn out google, yahoo, and WB.com, but still have more specific questions.

I have a few projects I'm wanting to do with LED lighting.

1. Swim platform: Wanting to add some lights to the bottom of the swim platform. I've looked at superbrightleds.com and customdynamics.com. Which lights are the best to use? In a previous thread, I think these were used?

http://www.superbrightleds.com/store/html/images/lbm-x4.jpg

LBM4 series LED Module
LED Module with 4 high flux 60 degree LEDs
measure 1.38 x 1.15 inches and have 3 inch wires between modules
The quantity you order will be wired together in a string, 50pcs maximum per string, price is per 4-LED module
$ 3.95

Is that correct? I don't see where those are waterproof, much less submergible.

They came from this page: http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=ACCENTS

If those are not the correct lights, which ones are correct?

2. Transom lighting: I've seen the Malibu lights and wanna do something like that. It's basically a 4-led housing with screw holes that mounts to the transom. Unlike the abyss lite, these just surface mount and aren't flush mounted. The only holes to drill are for the wiring.

3. Wiring for #1 and #2: I thought about drilling a 1/2" hole, putting a bolt through along with silicone to seal it up, then with the head through the inside use a wingnut to disconnect the wiring so the platform is still detachable. So basically on the outside you'd see the bolt sticking through, then a flat washer, lock washer, nut, washer, ring terminal for wire, then finally a wingnut.

4. LED speaker rings. Is everyone using these for that mod?

http://www.superbrightleds.com/store/html/images/fls.jpg

That should be the 19" advesive backed led strip.

Thanks for any help in advance....

The Abyss are surface mount too and couldn't be easier to install and wire. If you want your transom lights bright get them over the Malibu's. Ken Land and Bullet lines also offer a surface mount set up as well.

The swim platform lights you posted are the ones that people on here have used.

I tried using the same strips as you posted for speaker rings but it didn't work well for me so I'm gonna just buy some pre built ones.

Thanks Hate. The Abyss lights are too rich for my blood. My stereo's gonna be gutted again this spring so my budget won't have much for the led mods. Thanks for the reply!!

Yeah they're a bit pricey relative to the Malibus but this lady laurenashley sells them pretty cheap especially if you ask to purchase outside of ebay. My lasst quote from her was $200 per pair shipped.

Those pucks look just like the ones under Grants platform (I sourced them directly from China). The ribbon looks just like the stuff I use in my speakers and cupholder rings (also sourced directly from China). The China sourcing thing is more trouble than it's worth.

Be careful with ribbon LEDs, the solder joints shold be side by side, not end to end. I had a very frustrating experience trying to use the end to end ones when I was trying to change my tower rings to million color RGB leds, the solder joints kept breaking so I gave up and went to straight white.

The bars are easier to do under the platform, check these pix.

Here are some speaker ring pix.

How long are the bars on teh platform?

On the 485 in teh last pic, is the grill just spaced out with a plexi ring? Did you fab the ring or buy them?

I need some basic help for the swimplatform LEDs too.

1. How do you wire through your transom? Do you drill? Or can you have some type of quick connect for the LEDs on your platform and bring a wire over your transom for the few times you night surf?

2. Will these be bright enough?

WFLB Waterproof Flexible Light Bar
9 1/4" Waterproof Flexible Light Bar with 24 Wide Viewing Angle LEDs
12 VDC Operation, Completely rubber encapsulated and will conform to most shapes
Each Bar includes 3 mounting brackets
$ 6.95
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=ACCENTS

John: Yea thoes look like the same Puck's I got from Mike for my platform.

THEY are super bright. I have had them on my platform for some time and the have worked great.
I agree. If you wanna light your swim platform. I would look to do the. Rear facing transom mounted LED lights.

ATL, look at G's first picture there in lies the clue for powering your platform.

Hmmm....Can I have a second clue???

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/405184.html

Yea wire all your positive LED wires to one swim platform bracket. Then run all you neg LED wires to the other bracket. Then run a Pos to one Side and a Neg to the other side of your brackets. The platform gets the power threw the brackets. NO drilling at all.

What Hat is talking about is you can see the Power supply. (the black box) has a red wire to on side of the swim platform and a black wire to the other.

G those pucks look a little different..... This one? If I read it correctly, you specify the amount of pucks you want, they assemble and ship, correct? I counted 18 on yours. Did you just use some silicone to hold them in? My platform is fiberglass, so I can't put a screw through it as it's only about a 1/4" thick.

SWEET!!! This will be easier than I thought powering them up.

Where did you get the plexiglass rings? I want to add some to my wetsounds as well.

Reaves,

Mikeski's were custom one off's he had made before we were offering ours. We have billet grilles and LED rings available now. Just not up on the site yet. You can e mail justin@wetsounds.com and he can get you some info on them.

Tim
Wet Sounds

G, the only problem with the newer boats is that the swim platform does not have bolts that go all the way through the transom. Mine, for instance, the plates that hold the swim platform are screwed into the rear transom, but do not go all the way through for connecting wire. I have checked several places inside the storage compartments and no visible through bolts.

David: I think you have a Centruion correct?
Im sure you could drill threw the swim platform bracket and install a bolt. Just make sure you can get to the back side of the braked before you drill.

P>S I would like to see what kind of "Bolt's" or Screw's go threw the bracket's and into the transome. Seem's kinda sketchy but what do I know?
It might have some sort of honey combe sandwich construction back there and if you installed a bolt and over tight'n it you could dammage the medium between the inside of the boat and outside. Check around and see if you can find out how or what's back there.

G - It is honeycomb back there. My transom is extremely thick back there. I want to say that I would need at least a 6 - 8 inch drill bit to go all the way through. But for now, I am going to install the transom surface mount LED's from Ken over at Bullet Lines. I talked to him over the weekend and the only thing that bugs me is that I have one transome light now and it is a through hull. Not and LED, but Hologen bulb.

G - Do you ever have a problem with corrosion on your platform brackets? I did the same with my platform as far as power goes and every few weeks I have to take it off and clean the brackets

Collin: the threw the swim platform bracket works perfict. It has for 2 years. All the Arm chair engineers that said for what ever reason it would not work LOL. I never use in salt water so I dont know if makes a differance

P>S I would like to see what kind of "Bolt's" or Screw's go threw the bracket's and into the transome. Seem's kinda sketchy but what do I know?



There was a thread earlier in the year on the Supra forum from a guy that had a swim platform break completely off of his transom. The bracket bolts pulled through the transom..... What a mess. I looked for that thread, but they have no archive.

Is it this thread?
http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/473024.html

Im not here to bash but I would like to know the reason a boat builder would screw rather than bolt the platform brakets to the transome. I have always been kind of leary about swim deck's after taking my'n apart and seeing how just 6 wood screws hold the teak to the metal brackets makes me wonder how the hell do these 6 wood screws hold this deck on to the brakets.

Andreas has a X-30 They do alot of wake surfing. The swim deck drag's in the water and it would seem alot of stress and drag is on the deck itself. Last year the swim deck broke off while we were out. It almost sank. We found that Master Craft fiberglass decks have a piece of plastic fiberglassed into the bottom side of the deck that works as a mounting surface for "You guessed it 6 small wood screws" This is whats holding this huge 150 LB swim deck hanging off the back of your boat. NICE!

that's not it.... this guy was standing on his platform and the screws pulled through. He had to re-fiberglass a big portion inside the boat.

I used the same ones shown above as John Bauer did and they work great. I installed 18 pods. I also have a fiberglass platform. I just predrilled all the holes and used short screws. If you can't connect the + & - to the platform brackets you can always run a short wire up to the 2 eye loops on the back of the boat to go through without drilling holes.

I guess I never followed up my post.

Turns out that two aluminum plates are mounted inside the transom during layup. Large self tapping screws are then used to attach the platform brackets to the plates. Normally this is plenty strong, unless the plate moves slightly and the screws miss... this happened in my case and one other that I know of.

G: I do not know how it all works, but it is very thick back there and solid. I have checked it out and the brackets are not loose in any way. I do know that it is solid and tough.

I still cant imagine why a builder woudln't through bolt the brackets in place.

Because of the limited access to get back there to hold a nut/bolt in place.

I replaced a bracket on my old 205 years ago. Same thing..... big lag screws held it in place. And when it came down to it, the bracket itself broke rather than the screws pulling out.

the bottom bolts on my brackets are under the level of the floor

I would think it wouldn’t take to much trouble to have a mounting plate with 4 stud's mounted into it and the studs coming from the inside of the hull out to the transom so you would have 4 bolts to attach the swim platform brackets.

Where are the Boat Critic's now? Everyone talks about fit and finish and build quality. I bet 90% of them would over look something like this for a Fancy wrap or extra ballast. My point is this screwing or Lag bolting a platform bracket into your transom in IMO "NOT Acceptable" way of doing things. I’m not a boat builder but like many of you know when shot cuts have been taken.

Jason's Pro Star 209 or X9 same thing had problems with leaking water into his motor box. When we tracked down the culprit guess where the water was coming from. Swim Platform brackets. The area where the brackets were bolted to was so thin with fiberglass and small backing plate that the leverage from people standing on the deck completely destroyed the fiberglass work on the inside of the boat causing water to rush in. I had to cut out all the broken fiberglass and reinforce it and re fiberglass it. It wasn’t that big of a job. I was just wondering WHY wasn’t it done like this in the first place? I bet its because the majorty of woners would never have any more than 2 people back there at any time. So it was made with that in mind. I have been threw lot's of different boat and they all see to have some sort of issues. I’m just happy that My Nautique's problem area was the hack job they did on the wiring. Ill take that over Lag bolts holding on my swim platform any day. Ill finish my rant with a quote I saw from someone’s W/W profile. It said "Long after price is forgotten Quality is remembered" Amen brother. Now let’s get back to talking about these price point boats I bet they are solid! and No corners have been cut.
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