Gimbled LED lighting?

[scoobert]

i want some very bright, and dimmable, Led lighting on gimbals.
i am planning a redo of my 1980's lighting.
the lights need to be 5 watts each. also they need to be priced well.
a 5 watt light should be under $30 a puck. recommendations?

[Lake-Effect]

why gimballed? LEDs don't care about their orientation.

[OnTour]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

why gimballed? LEDs don't care about their orientation.

...so they don't get seasick .

[scoobert]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

why gimballed? LEDs don't care about their orientation.

So i can aim the light, not so they stay level.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by scoobert

i want some very bright, and dimmable, Led lighting on gimbals.
i am planning a redo of my 1980's lighting.
the lights need to be 5 watts each. also they need to be priced well.
a 5 watt light should be under $30 a puck. recommendations?

You mean 5 watt equivalent? Why only 5?

FWIW, all our overhead pucks use 10 watt equivalent G4 bi-pin bulbs, and we replaced the original bulbs with "warm white" LEDs (9 diodes on a disk).

I have read -- but don't know first-hand -- that all LED bulbs on a circuit will be dimmable using the original dimmer mechanism as long as one incandescent bulb remains on the same circuit.

If you haven't found them yet, a couple decent websites for LED lighting are superbrightLEDs and marinebeam

-Chris

[Gabrieln]

I've bought all my LED lights thru those free shipping chinese websites. More than 2 years and no problem at all so far.
You just need to choose a bit.
I even have them at home and they're perfect.
I can't see myself paying 10X more in a "marine" grade.

[noelex 77]

It is difficult to dim most good quality LEDs "bulbs" because they have a driver that will keep the brightness level constant over a wide voltage range say 10-30v.

There are some fittings with an adjustable driver, that can therefore dim. It sounds like you want complete fittings (not led "bulbs") so there should be a few options that are suitable.

Alpenglow are often recommended (although I have not used them myself). They have some models that fit your requirments.
Alpenglow Lights


If you cannot find something you like making your own is an option. You can get significantly better colour temperature (whiteness), brightness and power draw than the commercial alternatives.
This option is, however, more suitable if you have existing boat fittings that you are happy with.

[scoobert]

when i said 5 watt, i am talking about LED power. conventional would be around 35watts if i remember that correctly.

[scoobert]

here is what i found that in not gimbled.
Shop DALS Lighting Plug-in Cabinet LED Puck Light Kit at Lowes.com
Shop DALS Lighting Hardwired/Plug-In Cabinet Led Puck Light at Lowes.com
dimmable, 12 volts i think.

[Lake-Effect]

IKEA has quite a few LED fixtures that lend themselves to modification for boat use. I have some from a few years back that are aim-able.

The problem is that the IKEA fixtures usually require some electronic customization to run from 12v DC.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by scoobert

dimmable, 12 volts i think.

These sort of fittings are designed to run constant 12v without a good driver to stabilise the voltage (the brick does that job, but this will be removed for marine use). Boat voltage is nominally 12v, but varies considerably. Sometimes as much as from 11.8-14.6v.

LEDs are very voltage (actually current) sensitive. The domestic units don't have a good driver and with marine use they often have a short life, or are much duller than they should be. There is also a very small risk of fire. Recessed fittings are a particular worry because the cooling is also poor in boat ceiling.

Units advertising a large voltage range (say 10-30v) indicate the presence of a good driver circuit.