I have aux lighting questions

[bumperm]

This link is for the weatherproof switch "boot" . . . don't forget you'll need to buy the switch as well (listed on the page)

Amazon.com : Blue Sea Systems WeatherDeck Toggle Switch Boot, Black : Boating Toggle Switches : Sports & Outdoors

 

[jenkinsph]

This link is for the weatherproof switch "boot" . . . don't forget you'll need to buy the switch as well (listed on the page)

Amazon.com : Blue Sea Systems WeatherDeck Toggle Switch Boot, Black : Boating Toggle Switches : Sports & Outdoors

Blue Sea is a good brand I have used their stuff on my Whaler boat.

 

[BarnieTrk]

Thanks fellas for the weatherproof boot link & info! :thumbsup:

BarnieTrk

 

[Threepoint]

You mentioned you don't like the light output of LEDs, but didn't say why?

If it's the blue white color (temperature) that you don't care for, that's easy enough to fix, simply select a LED light fixture with the color temperature you prefer: Color Temperature (Kelvin)

By taking LED's out of consideration, you are eliminating a vastly superior and more efficient (lower power or current draw per lumen) light source. Using LED's just makes sense nowadays, brighter more even lighting and up to 50,000 hour life, makes LEDs a better option in most cases as compared to incandescent lights.[snip]

Barnie, you've evidently thought this out pretty carefully, so I hesitated to comment on this point, but I agree with Bumperm. I recently swapped out the four stock 35w oval halogen work lights on my 2014 Kioti NX4510HST cab for 45w rectangular CREE-chip LED floods. The stock halogens are o.k. for night work, especially with younger eyes than mine, but I wanted whiter and brighter light for close-in work with the loader and implements. Huge difference. I would also say that, since you mentioned possibly changing to LED in the future by changing the bulbs, I don't think that will work. Even if you could find an LED bulb for retrofit, I can't imagine it producing as much usable light over as broad an area as a rectangular work light with a 15-LED diode array.

 

[BarnieTrk]

Threepoint / Bumperm;

I do appreciate you guys urging me to go LED, however, this morning I purchased two GROTE #64931 Rubber Tractor & utility lamps, with its PAR 36, sealed beam incandescent bulb #4411, 35 Watt, 2,500 C.P., 12 V - 2.7 AMP., from a local shop on closeout for $9 each.

Regarding the point of possibly switching to a LED in the future, I called Grote and according to their service tech guy, there are LED replacements (#63821-5) for these lamp fixtures: 63821-5 - Trilliant® 36 LED WhiteLight? Work Light .

Now 'BoylermanCT' indicated that I would likely prefer a "warmer" 2700K LED, however, I have not been able to determine what the "Color Temperature" of the #63821 LEDs are. Then after a quick web scan, it looks like the retrofit LEDs sell for just over $100 each! At that price, they had BETTER produce some super-duper light!

At this point, once my current incandescent sealed beams give out, I don't know if I would switch over to the LEDs or not.
I do know they would need to be less expensive than they are now.

For discussion purposes, as far as amount of light, the retrofit LEDs have 6 diodes per fixture, so the pair would provide me with 12 LED diodes producing 2200 lumens. I'm sure not as much light as your 15 diode LEDs, but I'm not in a 'light producing competition' with you..... I just want some usable light at the rear of my tractor, since I only have the glow of one red tail light there now.
Thanks, guys, for all your opinions & guidance! :drink:

BarnieTrk

 

[bumperm]

Threepoint / Bumperm;

I'm sure not as much light as your 15 diode LEDs, but I'm not in a 'light producing competition' with you..... I just want some usable light at the rear of my tractor, since I only have the glow of one red tail light there now.
Thanks, guys, for all your opinions & guidance! :drink:

BarnieTrk

Have you considered candles with wind guards . . . or the "more modern" kerosene lamps?? (grin).

36 watt LED fixtures are available on eBay for 20 to 30 bucks. They put our many times more light than the PAR 36 sealed beams (4509 or Q4509 bulbs for aircraft landing lights which is what *used* to be in wings of my Husky).

This first picture compares the Par36 landing light with Q4509 (quartz) with a 55 watt High Intensity Discharge light. The following picture compares the Q4509 to a 36 watt LED - - the LEDs on my tractor are even brighter and broader beam than those on my aircraft (which cost over $300 each 'cause they go on a plane).

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv107/bumperm/Husky A1-B/006.jpg

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv107/bumperm/Husky A1-B/004.jpg

As they say, you don't always get what you pay for.

 

[Threepoint]

BarnieTrk, sounds like the Par 36s will do what you want, and at $9 each, you're out practically nothing if you decide to go to LED in the future. You'll already have the wiring in place. If you do eventually make the switch, though, rather than replace the Par 36 in the same fixture with the Grote LED bulb for $100 each, it would be way cheaper to replace the whole fixture, as Bumperm notes.

 

[BarnieTrk]

Threepoint,

Your points are absolutely spot on correct.

Thanks again! :thumbsup: - BarnieTrk

 

[BoylermanCT]

Ditto on getting LED's on EBay. I bought my 3 27 watt LED bulbs on Ebay for less than $20 each. I love them. The 2 forward facing LED's light up a football field - especially in the winter. If you like the warm white of a halogen bulb, a 2700K LED will match that. 5000K LED's are very white / blueish. 3000K are a bright white. I have the 3000K bulbs and like them a lot.

 

[bumperm]

A few things I should expand upon in my post above. Firstly the Q4509 quart halogen sealed beam in my comparison test is a 100 watt light. It is also a clear lens with no flutes. If had in the "flood" version for use as a taxi light, it will have vertical ribs in the glass to give a broader, but less intense light.

Even though the PAR36 incandescent lamp in this case is 100 watts*, it is bested by a 55 watt HID, which puts out about the same amount of light as the 36 watt LED. For a number of reasons, the LED light output is much preferred in use, not the least of which is the area is illuminated more evenly.

*In a typical tractor application the incandescent bulb might be more like 35 watts, and pulling almost 3 amps of current. The 100 watt Q4509 is drawing three times as much current, and practically speaking one would expect a bulb life of about 25 hours as the light is being driven rather hard. The 35 watt "tractor" PAR 36 would be expected to last longer, but nowhere near the life of the LED.

When I used incandescent landing lights, they got shut down after leaving the airport environs - to expensive to replace to leave on all the time. With LEDs, they stay on in wig-wag mode for the whole flight to aid in collision avoidance and reduce the risk of bird strikes - - neither of which are significant risks while driving a tractor I guess.