12V Rope lights?

[luciarose]

Has anyone installed 12V rope lights? I'm thinking this would be an inexpensive way to add lighting to my engine room and I could get a nice, all-round light if I ran the rope all around the top of the room.

I see the rope lights come with an adaptor but would I not be able to wire the rope light directly into my 12V system?

Any thoughts or guidance would be mucho appreciated!

[a64pilot]

Go to Amazon or Ebay and search for 12V Led, you will get all kinds of options, the 12V ones, yes you can hook straight up to your DC system, or run a dimmer.

My preference is for "warm white" I don't like the bluish tint many LED's have, but they are so cheap you can order a few different ones and go with the ones you like.
I put them in the Salon with a dimmer, wife didn't think she would like them but does now, Daughter calls them Limo lights
I didn't go with the rope ones in plastic, I used ones that are ribbon like and have a self adhesive backing like scotch tape. Don't like them? peel them off and throw them away, nothing permanent.
There are also wireless dimmers that are real cheap and connect into the power wires

[Sea Dreaming]

Im probably going to prove I know nothing, but Harbor Freight has cheap led solar rope lights. Any chance you could by pass the solar and hard wire the lights in? I cant imagine they will have much draw.

[Badsanta]

Just check the voltage.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[mikereed100]

I use LED rope lights in my engine rooms and it is wonderful. By wrapping the 16' length around the engine you get 360 degree, bright lighting. I use the same lights in my shop and warm lights in the cockpit. In fact, we seem to be replacing all the lights on board with these as they are very bright. We get ours on Amazon for about $12 a pop with another $4 for the dimmer. They can be had in waterproof/non-waterproof and just about any 'tone' from warm to blue. The bluer lights put out more lumens per watt but the warm are nicer for cabin lighting.

[Bill Seal]

Check on EBAY, lots of options. Less than 10 bucks for 15ft, trim to length. The cabin on our boat has both white and red, hidden for indirect lighting.

[a64pilot]

Oh, these cheap LED's may play hell with your radio, if reception goes to pot, try turning them off

[luciarose]

Here's an example of a set at Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/LEDJump-Water...rope+light#Ask

How would you suggest we wire these into the existing 12V wiring for the old fixture? Would just stripping the wire ends on the LED rope and doing a shrink connector be sufficient?

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by luciarose

Here's an example of a set at Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/LEDJump-Water...rope+light#Ask

How would you suggest we wire these into the existing 12V wiring for the old fixture? Would just stripping the wire ends on the LED rope and doing a shrink connector be sufficient?

That's all I do. Works great. If you have good soldering skills you can trim these to fit your use and use the cut off ends somewhere else.