Live Well Light Installation - February, 2020
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- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- Another project on the Key West 1720 CC - installation of a live well light.
Another project I was tackling required removal of the rod holder at the live well. While I had access thru the open hole, I decided to install a live well light. I had purchased a round style LED light that used a gasket for sealing against the inside wall and required tightening a nut on the backside of the live well. I decided not to use this light for two reasons - I did not want to risk a gasket leaking that would not be noticed and could be dumping water into the hull and, it would be quite difficult to tighten the locking nut onto the fixture down thru the rod holder hole. Instead, I bought a roll of "waterproof" LEDs, cut a strip off the roll and wired it up, and affixed it to inside wall of the live well.
I found out the next day that the LED strip was not waterproof. I removed the defective strip and fashioned another light, a LED tube. To make this LED tube, I used a 12" strip off the same LED roll, soldered wire leads to it, pulled it inside a section of clear heat shrink tubing, filled both ends of the tubing with 4200 and shrunk the tubing with a heat gun. After letting the 4200 cure for several days, I installed this LED tube light where the first strip had been mounted.
This is a temporary setup to determine how well the light works while night fishing, and much light will be needed. I am already concerned that the amount of light being produced will ruin our night vision. The light tube and wiring are temporarily tacked into place so that changes can easily be made if required.
Thanks for watching!
~Jim
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Good light set up in the livewell. Looking directly at an LED light can make you see spots for awhile.
Wayn, thanks. The more I think about it, I believe it is too much light. I may make a 3 LED tube for the live well and use this one for lighting up the forward storage hatch.
That was some work you put in. The lights look great and it's true, you'd have to test run it to see if effects eye sight at night. I would have pointed the L.E.D. lights straight down to the water just under the lip of the bait well but then again the refraction of the light from the well and water itself may have been an issue. I guess you just gotta play with the angles as well as colors. Red is best for night vision, yellow for no bugs and so on. We got all the time in the world right now, don't make anything set in stone until you got it perfect for you.
It sure looks well lit here at the house. Need to get it on the water and full of finger mullet to see how much light is needed.
If its to bright you can paint a thin layer of white paint on the led. Thats what I did made a big difference. If you do, just do it in steps so you get it perfect. Thanks for the video.
JC, just noted that you had left a response. If this light proves too bright, I will probably remove it and use it in the forward hatch if I ever get around to running a wire thru the foam in the gunnel. I'll just make a smaller LED unit for the live well. The paint over is a great idea, however!
Easy enough to install. Would have never though to use some clear heat shrink for the LED’s. how are you going to permanently tack the wires?
Yes, an easy install when you have access between the live well and the outer hull. The side towards the centerline of the boat is fully foamed. I haven't decided how I will permanently tack the wires, once I decide on the brightness.
Jim, how pleased are you with the lights and the brightness? I was about to do the same thing in my live well but with white strip lights and was already concerned about whether they were waterproof or not. What diameter heat shrink did you use - 3/8”? Do you think it’s better installing the strips below the waterline or at the top of the live well where you can’t see them (and not blind you). After seeing your results, I’m now thinking about using instead the single live well LED lights that require drilling a 3/4” hole in the live well. Thoughts?
JT, thanks for watching and commenting. I've had the live well full of water keeping barely in-slot fish alive while I continue to fish for a larger fish. The light still works so I know the "fixture" is waterproof. I have not had the light in use at night as I have not enjoyed any of that style fishing - its all been flats fishing this year.
I opted against the 3/4" hole LED light only because I realized I would not be aware of a leak should one develop. With this strip light mounted inside and the very small hole for the wire sealed with 4200 at the very top of the well, there is much less chance of water escaping into the hull should there be a leak. The down side is that it certainly is not as clean looking as the normal 3/4" hole units. There is also the wire on the inside of the well that could become a issue, but thus far it has not.
I think that having the light under water is better than above. Above it can reflect off the surface into your eyes, especially when the water in the well is sloshing around. Underwater it cannot. I also mounted mine so that you won't be looking at the light from the inside of the boat, again to keep from destroying night vision. White would be the least preferred color, red the best with blue and green inbetween. You might google night vision light colors to get a better perspective.
Hope this gives you some more to think about.
~Jim
Jim M Thanks Jim! Great info.
Thank you for all your knowledge on the 1720. If I wanted to add any accessories to the front of the boat how would you feed the wires from the console? I am wanting to run a harness for night fishing lights to help see while navigating.
Red Dogg, there should be a 1 inch black poly tube chase that runs from above the fuel tank under the center console to the starboard gunnel inspection plate. There may be another tube that runs from that plate forward. Some have it, some don’t or their owners cannot find it with all the foam and the gunnel wall. If you cannot find a forward running chase there, you’ll have to carefully push something through the foam or dig the foam out until you get to the void in front of the front storage locker. I would strongly suggest not using power tools so that you don’t scrape / weaken the fiberglass hull or accidentally punch through it.
Please report back on your findings, successes or failures, so that others can benefit. You could also post the question on the key west boat forum for additional information.
@@JimMFishing thank you again
Great job. Did you have a video of how you fished your twine to the rod holder?
Red, I’m not understanding your question??
@@JimMFishing the string you used to pull the wires for the light. How did you get it to the rod holder ? I recently started working on a 93 1720 and I want to add some accessories along the side of the boat. With it being sealed and foam filled I am looking for ideas on how to get wires ran inside the sides.
@@cumstang The wires for this live well light run thru the bilge, into the starboard aft battery compartment. Ground ties into a bus bar in that compartment, the power goes thru the wire chase to the CC and the ACCY switch controls it.
Routing wires around the live well can be an issue as there is a lot of foam surrounding it, part of the design from the factory for level upright flotation. You also have to be aware that the rod holders have boots with drain lines that empty to the bilge. Those drain lines are usually embedded in the foam in the gunnel. If you remove the mid-ship rod holders, I can almost guarantee the boot will separate, requiring you to install a new drain line. The rear rod holders may not be, and new drains routed without much of an issue. Look for the video I have on that process.