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Drain plug LED light


barefootboy

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jgates, yeah its usually clean and clear, but this past year was the best i have seen it in 30+ years i can remember there. i was actually hoping the lights would show up more, but they ended up making a good swim light for the kids.

if you wind up back that way, give a shout.

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Anyone know how the red light output is? Thinking about putting this on my wishlist for Christmas.

Red light is less light output... but I saw one at the lake this summer, kinda evil/eerie and super awesome looking.

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Anyone know how the red light output is? Thinking about putting this on my wishlist for Christmas.

Depends on the water your in. I saw one one the Brazos in Texas a few yrs ago, which is kinda kinda murky brown. Go figure, the light was brown too.

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  • 4 months later...

I just ordered a drain plug light off eBay. I went with blue because I think that will look the best in the water where we primarily boat (Norris Lake in TN - very clear water). I'll plug it into a 12V source tonight and try and snap some pictures of how it lights up my driveway, etc. It's supposed to be a 10W chipset that produces 800 lumens. They make some 50W+ fixtures that crank out 4000 lumens, but i thought I would try a lower cost, lower power draw light and see how that does first.

For sub $30 bucks, it appears fairly well made - has a long lead, LED driver, quick disconnect in a water-tight fitting, etc.

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A few pics attached of the drain plug LED. Lit up my garage very well for such a small fixture, and did not have a focused beam pattern, so it should provide nice coverage behind the whole boat. Can't wait to see how it looks under water!

-- Mike

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I just ordered a drain plug light off eBay. I went with blue because I think that will look the best in the water where we primarily boat (Norris Lake in TN - very clear water). I'll plug it into a 12V source tonight and try and snap some pictures of how it lights up my driveway, etc. It's supposed to be a 10W chipset that produces 800 lumens. They make some 50W+ fixtures that crank out 4000 lumens, but i thought I would try a lower cost, lower power draw light and see how that does first.

For sub $30 bucks, it appears fairly well made - has a long lead, LED driver, quick disconnect in a water-tight fitting, etc.

Can you post up the link to the ebay item please

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I bought the larger one from Diablo for the fishing boat and didnt use it. I may put it on the Malibu, but thought that the PW2 would cover the light. I will look on the new 24 MXZ when I get it.

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Edited by Shodan01
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I don't have a picture with the wedge up, but here it is just after i installed it. The brace where the actuators attach is in the top of the picture, and when the wedge is in the stowed position, that bracket clears the yknot by about 1/4"

Because the fixture is flat, in order to spin it in, the wedge needs to be down. Once installed though, you can remove 1 light to use as a drain plug. One word of caution, the waterproof connector ends on these things are really short, and there is a splice sealed in epoxy a few inches from the connector, so when installed, those splices are not in a good space in my boat. I'll probably order another set of waterproof connectors and get rid of the splice they come with.

Does the wedge cover the light when up? at night driving under way?

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Does the wedge cover the light when up? at night driving under way?

Yes.

The other issue is if you live in a state where you have to have hull inspections for mussels or whatever..... you will need to remove the drain plug each time. So be sure to leave enough slack in the wire for that.

While I know that isn't the drain at the lowest point in the hull, the state authorities around here have no clue that there is more than one drain in these boats. So the one in the transom is the only one that actually gets inspected.

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Thanks - That would likely change my thoughts then. If it isn't bright enough with Wedge down, then Id probably just use the white ones that come on the back. Ill check it out when the new boat comes in.

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  • 4 months later...
On ‎10‎/‎15‎/‎2015 at 8:05 AM, asnowman said:

I don't have a picture with the wedge up, but here it is just after i installed it. The brace where the actuators attach is in the top of the picture, and when the wedge is in the stowed position, that bracket clears the yknot by about 1/4"

Because the fixture is flat, in order to spin it in, the wedge needs to be down. Once installed though, you can remove 1 light to use as a drain plug. One word of caution, the waterproof connector ends on these things are really short, and there is a splice sealed in epoxy a few inches from the connector, so when installed, those splices are not in a good space in my boat. I'll probably order another set of waterproof connectors and get rid of the splice they come with.

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ive instslled the same setup as you on my 2011 wakesetter. I am interested to know if you tied the lights into the Malibu dash system or did you install an auxillary switch?

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Do y'all not remove your drain plug when you pull out of the water to drain everything out while trailering?

Thats the first thing I do in the ramp to make sure all the water in the hull drains out.

how do these lights work when you remove them all the time? That's the main reason I haven't ordered one.

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1 hour ago, Cmb396 said:

Do y'all not remove your drain plug when you pull out of the water to drain everything out while trailering?

Thats the first thing I do in the ramp to make sure all the water in the hull drains out.

how do these lights work when you remove them all the time? That's the main reason I haven't ordered one.

Usually, yes. And I have to if we cross the state line into Idaho, where you have to go thru a brief inspection. So I unscrew the drain light & zip tie it over to the side on the Wedge bracket. But the lowest point in the boat is not the transom, it's the middle drain plug by the driver.

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1 hour ago, Cmb396 said:

Do y'all not remove your drain plug when you pull out of the water to drain everything out while trailering?

Thats the first thing I do in the ramp to make sure all the water in the hull drains out.

how do these lights work when you remove them all the time? That's the main reason I haven't ordered one.

Most people do remove their drain plugs however the lowest plug is the one in the center of the boat in between the gas tank and the middle ballast tank and is accessible though the round access cover. 

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The drain plug light I have came with watertight screw style wiring connectors. Takes an extra 30 seconds to pull slack wire and disconnect the center light, then it's just like a regular drain hole.

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4 hours ago, jgates237 said:

Most people do remove their drain plugs however the lowest plug is the one in the center of the boat in between the gas tank and the middle ballast tank and is accessible though the round access cover. 

Ya learn something every day, I did not know that. I do always park at my house at a slight incline just so everything can run back and drain.

i ended up ordering a Diablo 4K lumen with the center drain plug tho so I can just remove the plug and not the whole light housing. Not quite sure it's worth the $280 bucks tho!! In fact, I should be getting more than just a bright blue light for that kind of $$!!

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  • 1 month later...
On July 15, 2016 at 3:27 PM, Cmb396 said:

Ya learn something every day, I did not know that. I do always park at my house at a slight incline just so everything can run back and drain.

i ended up ordering a Diablo 4K lumen with the center drain plug tho so I can just remove the plug and not the whole light housing. Not quite sure it's worth the $280 bucks tho!! In fact, I should be getting more than just a bright blue light for that kind of $$!!

What would prevent one from purchasing a brass 1/2 npt "tee" fitting and installing that between the transom and light. Turn the tee fitting down and put your standard plug in the bottom of the tee, light(s) in the back? 

No removal of the light(s) to drain rear plug...

  • Like 1
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  • 2 weeks later...
On ‎7‎/‎15‎/‎2016 at 2:27 PM, Cmb396 said:

Ya learn something every day, I did not know that. I do always park at my house at a slight incline just so everything can run back and drain.

i ended up ordering a Diablo 4K lumen with the center drain plug tho so I can just remove the plug and not the whole light housing. Not quite sure it's worth the $280 bucks tho!! In fact, I should be getting more than just a bright blue light for that kind of $$!!

Any update with the new light? I was looking at this one or the VEGA 8000... Debating on going small and seeing if I like it and then upgrading or just go big (not home, because I want to be at the lake)

QUESTION. I have 2004 vlx, I have never wired anything into the fuse area or to a switch on the dash. Should I just skip that and wire it to the battery and get the remote to make it easy? Does anyone have a link to a forum topic on how to wire new stuff in?

 

 

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Just now, AJwakedevil said:

Any update with the new light? I was looking at this one or the VEGA 8000... Debating on going small and seeing if I like it and then upgrading or just go big (not home, because I want to be at the lake)

QUESTION. I have 2004 vlx, I have never wired anything into the fuse area or to a switch on the dash. Should I just skip that and wire it to the battery and get the remote to make it easy? Does anyone have a link to a forum topic on how to wire new stuff in?

 

 

Actually, yes, waste of 300 bucks imo!! I've only been out one night, but the wedge seems to block all of the light. I did not try it with the wedge down, but will tomm night when we're out. 

I wired it in with my swim lights so it would work with the dash switch for them. Perhaps, the white swim lights are much too bright and wash the blue out, I thought the blue would accentuate the swim lights, but no. Sitting at the dock, it appears all the blue light is "trapped" bt the wedge and the back of the boat.

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