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Light upgrades


Beezer

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IF there is one half of a connector on the factory harness, its not needed. No need to drill a large enough hole to pass the other side through the hull, nor is it worth the time to assemble the other half of the connector after the light's leads are passed through the hull. A couple of quality gel filled heat shrink butt splices is all that needed to make a permanent connection. In this application, connectors are teats on a bore.  

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ahopkins22LSV
3 hours ago, gregtay said:

Lights arrived:).  (fast shipping!!)  Looks like I need a connector, just bare wires.  Does anyone know what I need to connect into the factory harness (My boat is still in the shop so I can't go and look to see what is there.)  Thanks!

Capture.JPG.44f909d3fc2b80ebd3e7b1fff62f49fa.JPG

 

You could buy the connectors and special tool to crimp the wires from the lights to the new connectors or you could just use some water proof butt connectors and maybe some heat shrink. Should be more than enough to keep a good connection. Just cut the connector off the factory wiring. Should be back there labeled and near the transom. 
 

Just realized the same suggestion was made above this... thought I was at the end of the thread. 

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pretty excited, I just returned my LF9's for the TecNiq M50 Underwater dragon 12's.  Less than 24 hours, Covertlights.com packaged them up and already slapped them in the mail.  Arriving Friday.  Saved a little money and went from 2,700 lumens X 2 (LF9's) to 5,500 Lumens X2.  Crazy

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1 minute ago, hawaiianstyln said:

pretty excited, I just returned my LF9's for the TecNiq M50 Underwater dragon 12's.  Less than 24 hours, Covertlights.com packaged them up and already slapped them in the mail.  Arriving Friday.  Saved a little money and went from 2,700 lumens X 2 (LF9's) to 5,500 Lumens X2.  Crazy

Here at TMC we are always happy to help you spend your money.  :)  (is there an echo in here?  LOL)

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1 minute ago, Eagleboy99 said:

Here at TMC we are always happy to help you spend your money.  :)  (is there an echo in here?  LOL)

sitting at home, quarantined, double quarantined by our crap MI governor isn't helping me..  Mail delivery people hate me right now anyways, I have amazon prime addictions and ++ bored-ism = disastrous online shopping issues but smiles when santa shows up every day. 

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2 minutes ago, hawaiianstyln said:

sitting at home, quarantined, double quarantined by our crap MI governor isn't helping me..  Mail delivery people hate me right now anyways, I have amazon prime addictions and ++ bored-ism = disastrous online shopping issues but smiles when santa shows up every day. 

You know, I think the brick and mortar places are really going to suffer after all of this.  I needed (ok - WANTED) some micro SD cards for an SDR project  I am working on, and I ordered off Amazon Prime at 3 in the afternoon, the next morning there were at the door.  For less than the local office supply place (Staples).  In the future I wouldn't waste my time to make a trip to the physical store.

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13 minutes ago, hawaiianstyln said:

pretty excited, I just returned my LF9's for the TecNiq M50 Underwater dragon 12's.  Less than 24 hours, Covertlights.com packaged them up and already slapped them in the mail.  Arriving Friday.  Saved a little money and went from 2,700 lumens X 2 (LF9's) to 5,500 Lumens X2.  Crazy

Did you go with white or blue?  I went with blue... so if you went white it will be interesting to compare the different in light output.

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3 minutes ago, gregtay said:

Did you go with white or blue?  I went with blue... so if you went white it will be interesting to compare the different in light output.

Blue output will be reduced compared to white.

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6 minutes ago, gregtay said:

Did you go with white or blue?  I went with blue... so if you went white it will be interesting to compare the different in light output.

white ones.  I will post before/after install and then on the water.....When I'm "allowed" to go motorboating that is....

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3 hours ago, hawaiianstyln said:

and went from 2,700 lumens X 2 (LF9's) to 5,500 Lumens X2.  Crazy

Just note, you cannot compare one manufactures lumen spec to another's, as there is no standard for what equipment to use and how to perform the test. its pretty much a worthless spec. 

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17 hours ago, MLA said:

Just note, you cannot compare one manufactures lumen spec to another's, as there is no standard for what equipment to use and how to perform the test. its pretty much a worthless spec.

makes sense, sort of..  You can measure lumens and the brightness per sqft and watts by amp draw to learn true lumens or near exact measurements?

Edited by hawaiianstyln
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2 hours ago, hawaiianstyln said:

makes sense, sort of..  You can measure lumens and the brightness per sqft and watts by amp draw to learn true lumens or near exact measurements?

You as a consumer can source a lumen tester, which lights you are interested in and make your own lumen comparison. This would be a valid comparison. Though not 100% accurate, 12V DC amps is the best way for consumers to gauge a lights output compared to another brand. 

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20 minutes ago, MLA said:

You as a consumer can source a lumen tester, which lights you are interested in and make your own lumen comparison. This would be a valid comparison. Though not 100% accurate, 12V DC amps is the best way for consumers to gauge a lights output compared to another brand. 

I agree when comparing the same color lights.

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Finished my install last night on the TecNiq M50's.  I pondered over moving  these lights to a lower area, but after realizing if I remove the old OEM lights that were already installed, it was easy to just drill a slightly larger hole halfway through the transom so the back of the light can seat properly.  I have not tested these in the water yet, but they do fit nicely here.

5/8 hole halfway through (pic taken before chamfering).  Smashed a bunch of 3M 4200 sealant in there before the install

IMG_4866.thumb.jpg.a35c239f03f495a3c32bae6467c86a75.jpg

IMG_4870.thumb.jpg.59ecc6743de47ab5461fb2477c50405e.jpg

 

Location of where the wire comes through the transom/hull

IMG_4878.thumb.jpg.179f95e41ae7889af50cf810fdf48285.jpg

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Looks good, hawaiian! I'm thinking about swapping out the factory lights on my 2011 which are in the same spot as yours and probably the same lights you had on your boat. Other than adding the 5/8" hole, were you able to just remove the old and place the new using the same screw holes and all? If so, that seems like a pretty easy upgrade. I've never drilled into my hull but I'm not necessarily afraid to do so. Thanks!

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On ‎5‎/‎1‎/‎2020 at 6:00 PM, statefan said:

Looks good, hawaiian! I'm thinking about swapping out the factory lights on my 2011 which are in the same spot as yours and probably the same lights you had on your boat. Other than adding the 5/8" hole, were you able to just remove the old and place the new using the same screw holes and all? If so, that seems like a pretty easy upgrade. I've never drilled into my hull but I'm not necessarily afraid to do so. Thanks!

So, they did require new screw holes since the upgraded lights are wider.  Which wasn't bad, I just had to level the light and mark my holes to drill for the screw mounts.  If you have never drilled thru your hull remember to drill backwards first then fwd once you hit the fiberglass.  Not hard at all.  Remember to chamfer the hole so you don't risk spider cracking later down the road.

 

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2 hours ago, hawaiianstyln said:

So, they did require new screw holes since the upgraded lights are wider.  Which wasn't bad, I just had to level the light and mark my holes to drill for the screw mounts.  If you have never drilled thru your hull remember to drill backwards first then fwd once you hit the fiberglass.  Not hard at all.  Remember to chamfer the hole so you don't risk spider cracking later down the road.

 

Perfect...thanks for the info. A couple more things....Once you ran the new wires through the transom, how far did you carry it before splicing into the factory wiring? I plan on using some waterproof/heat shrink butt splices but figure you wouldn't want those laying in the bilge if possible.  Also, did you just use a standard bit for the 5/8" hole? I think you can get a hole saw that small but since you aren't going all the way through the hull then that wouldn't really work. 

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21 minutes ago, statefan said:

Perfect...thanks for the info. A couple more things....Once you ran the new wires through the transom, how far did you carry it before splicing into the factory wiring? I plan on using some waterproof/heat shrink butt splices but figure you wouldn't want those laying in the bilge if possible.  Also, did you just use a standard bit for the 5/8" hole? I think you can get a hole saw that small but since you aren't going all the way through the hull then that wouldn't really work. 

So, I used a regular 5/8 drill bit because I didn't want to go all the way through the hull with a 5/8" hole as it was not needed.  Plus a hole saw would only work if you go all the way through.  I only needed a 1/4" hole to fish the wire through the hull.  My thinking was that more could go wrong or leak with a bigger hole versus a smaller.  That is why I went half way with the 5/8 bit so that the back of the light could seat against the transom properly.  If this makes sense.  If you need to measure what truly is "half way" through the hull, remove your OEM lights and wiring and stick a paperclip through the hole of previous wiring.  then mark with a piece of tape to figure out your true depth.  Once I found the thickness of the transom I put a piece of tape on my 5/8' drill bit and went at it.

I'm not going to use the factory wiring because factory had hooked these lights up to my MUX controller setting for "interior lights"  So any time I was running the boat at night with interior lights on, I'm susceptible to getting pulled over running the boat with underwater lights on (I've been pulled over twice now, not ticket fortunately).  So I bought a DPDT carling rocker switch to separate them.  As far as the waterproofing: I bought those new waterproof heatshrink connectors where you heat them up and also has solder at the connecting points that melts when you heat it all up to shrink it.  Don't feel shy to ask more questions.

https://www.ebay.com/p/1480151669?iid=184275470709&chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=184275470709&targetid=883069117886&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9016879&poi=&campaignid=9426387489&mkgroupid=95112702865&rlsatarget=aud-622524041238:pla-883069117886&abcId=1140476&merchantid=6296724&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI99Cg4dqa6QIVUb7ACh3X_wAREAQYAyABEgL41PD_BwE

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2 hours ago, LS1boarder said:

Just thought I would share where I put my Seablaze X lights. 

BEDCB89D-09CB-499E-A30A-34FC1AB62012.jpeg

That looks like a much more effective placement than the factory location behind the wedge.

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35 minutes ago, asnowman said:

That looks like a much more effective placement than the factory location behind the wedge.

I would say so!

295CD2E8-1218-46FC-88D8-427A67EB148F.png

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44 minutes ago, asnowman said:

That looks like a much more effective placement than the factory location behind the wedge.

I hate that I folded over and just removed my OEM lights, upgraded, and placed them back behind the wedge location but it was much easier for my situation since I had holes already there..  I think if I didn't have any preexisting lights or holes there, I would have definitely installed them lower where @LS1boarder put theirs.  I didn't feel like doing gel coat repair in that hard to access area with a buffer, etc...  oh well, they should still rock i'm hoping

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I’m sure you’ll still love them. You have much cleaner water to shine through in Michigan than I do here in the Pittsburgh 3 rivers. So you have that going for you for sure!

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7 minutes ago, LS1boarder said:

I’m sure you’ll still love them. You have much cleaner water to shine through in Michigan than I do here in the Pittsburgh 3 rivers. So you have that going for you for sure!

haaaaa man I wish!  I'm in the Maumee River (Toledo, OH) which as @oldjeep said it well a few weeks back on another post, "suddenly i'm craving to drink some chocolate milk" :lol::lol:

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