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LED lights, power outlets, USB, volt meter http://www.hobie.com/au/en/forums/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=57558	Page 1 of 1

Author:	kleake [ Thu May 05, 2016 10:58 pm ]
Post subject:	LED lights, power outlets, USB, volt meter
I did a bit of electrical work over the last few days. First I added an LED anchor light, then added red/green navigation lights. Both have individual switches so I can decide when I want each one on. Then I added a 12v outlet for a spotlight, or anything else I want. The setup came with dual USB ports and a volt meter so I can keep an eye on my battery level as well. I don't plan to use them in excess, just here and there if needed. They are not 100% waterproof, but do have splash covers and are labeled as marine so they should last. They were cheap anyway. Mounting was a bit tricky as it requires LONG arms!

Author:	chadbach [ Fri May 06, 2016 6:27 am ]
Post subject:	Re: LED lights, power outlets, USB, volt meter
Very nice setup! I was thinking about doing something like that. What battery are you using with this?

Author:	kleake [ Fri May 06, 2016 7:53 am ]
Post subject:	Re: LED lights, power outlets, USB, volt meter
I am using a 7Ah battery and keep it on a trickle charger/maintainer while at home. So far I haven't ran it down, but i've only been out for 4-5hrs at a time so far. I am planning a weekend trip soon though so we'll see how it holds up. Most guys get a full weekend just running their fishfinder off of one of these.

Author:	Chuckw44 [ Fri May 06, 2016 9:17 am ]
Post subject:	Re: LED lights, power outlets, USB, volt meter
This is very cool, good job. Where did you get the anchor light? I have been working on a custom battery box which has 2 accessory plugs and a twin usb plug. It also has the exact same voltmeter you used. I also plan to add some led lights inside the kayak which in testing looks awesome as the whole thing glows red at night. The only issue is the light strips pull way too much power and kill even a 12Ah battery in a few hours. I will need to shorten the strips significantly to get a reasonable amount of run time.

Author:	kleake [ Fri May 06, 2016 9:48 am ]
Post subject:	Re: LED lights, power outlets, USB, volt meter
This is the anchor light I used. It works pretty well and includes base and everything. Plenty bright. http://www.ebay.com/itm/281892101332?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT On amazon there are several options for the volt meter and different outlets with that backing plate. I opted for red volt meter so it doesn't mess with my night vision. A little hard to see in daylight, but doable. You don't have to use that backing plate either, but I did for aesthetics. In theory you could cut a large opening, run wires then just mount the plate, but I wanted to to be solider and so I used the plate as a template, cut 3 holes and tightened each outlet individually so they won't pull out or flex at all. The downside to that is reaching them from the front compartment since I mounted these for the rear seat. I thought about running LED's inside the kayak as well, because that would be super cool! But yes, that many LED's will draw quite a bit of power. Another idea I have thought about for that is to use a few bright bulbs that will light up a larger area instead of a strip of many. I have a couple of these, and when you take the lens off and just leave the surface mounted single LED lit,,,,, it is SUPER bright in a full circle. Mounting 2 or 3 of them in the right locations would likely light up the entire inside of the kayak. They do draw more per bulb, but overall it is MUCH less than a long strip. http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLACK-CREE-U5-LED-MOTORCYCLE-SPOT-DRIVING-FOG-LIGHT-FOR-BMW-Spotlight-125W-12V-/400957147372?hash=item5d5ae888ec

Author:	Chuckw44 [ Mon May 09, 2016 8:59 am ]
Post subject:	Re: LED lights, power outlets, USB, volt meter
Cool, thanks for the info. I cut the strips down to 2 4 foot sections which is enough to light up the center of the Kayak but not nearly as impressive. The idea of using several brighter LED lights instead of strips is intriguing. I didn't mount the voltmeter on the kayak as I use a Lowrance fishfinder which displays the voltage. I added it to my battery box though as it is nice to see when it needs to be charged when using for other things like charging phones.

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