1MOSES1

i tried home depot and they didnt have my exact match. they had a 12v 35w but it didnt have the 0.01 uv filter lens on the front.

FREAKY FAST

I am wanting to get an HID conversion kit for mine. The stock lights dont really show up on the water but give good light at the dock. Not that I drive with them a lot but would like to be able to see stumps if Im in an unfamiliar area.

hq_

Have you already figured out how to do this? I'd like a slightly narrower beam than stock, which may be as easy as changing the distance of the filament from the base. I already have a few leftover 2 x 100W HID kits from my car lighting projects; they're B-R-I-G-H-T compared to regular 35/50W HIDs, run much cooler than halogen bulbs and I'd love to have them in docking lights.

FREAKY FAST

Not since I posted this yesterday. First step it opening up the lights and finding out what type of bulb I have for sure. Once I know that, i can do some research for the correct conversion kit. I've changed out the halogen bulb on my Polaris and my truck to HID. Such a huge difference!!

hq_

A quick update to this topic.

The original docking lamps are 4.5" GE sealed beam fog lights, enclosed in a white, thick rubber sleeve that slips over plastic tubes in the bow. The sleeve is very tight and the lamp is glued in it with a sealant so it might be difficult to reuse the sleeve.

Fog lamps have a sharp horizontal cutout in the beam, with very little spill above it so I started experimenting...

I bought a pair of cheap auxiliary 4.5" H3 high beams, I already have a few H3 HID bulbs for them and while the beam is very narrow as it is, using a 1/16" spacer or two under the bulb brings the filament further away from the focal point and widens the beam. The lamps themselves fit the plastic tubes perfectly and a piece of 4" inner tube can hold them in place quite firmly. The problem is, they must be protected from moisture and I have yet to figure out how to do it.

The difference in brightness is massive, this combination delivers lots and lots of light, almost too much (you literally can't read the reflective number stickers on dock, the reflection blinds you!) and with one spacer the beam was nice and uniform. Wide and especially high enough to illuminate water in front of you, up to half a mile or so.

I'll post some pictures when I've come up with a solution for waterproofing the lamps. The current draw is about 9 amps per lamp, the original cables don't seem to heat up at all and the fuse didn't blow so this seems to be a plug & play conversion.

I almost feel like my boat just got driving lights. Too bad using them outside the dock isn't legal, you could easily drive in pitch black with them. And blind all oncoming traffic while doing so.

I already tried to take a side by side comparison picture but there was really no point, you couldn't tell if the original light was even on. I'd estimate the difference in lightpower is 15:1-20:1.

FREAKY FAST

As far as keeping water out, does your factory light setup not have plastic lenses over the ends that follows the contours of the boat?
hope you took pics throughout this mod and hope to see them soon!!

hq_

Mine are "tube" type, with no plastic lenses. Just an oval hole, a piece of white (PVC?) tube and the sealed lamp attached to it with a hose clamp.

I'm planning to document the whole build. I'm using starboard side light as a mule and when I come up with a solution with waterproofing the whole setup, I'll duplicate it on the port side taking pictures throughout the build.

If I only can find a way to remove the white rubber sleeve intact and reuse it, the problem is easily solved. Otherwise I'll have to get creative, HID ballasts produce (tens of) thousands of volts at startup and that's something you don't want to leak out in a wet environment. Starboard lamp is mounted right next to the windlass relay box in my boat and there's a real possibility to get shocked.

glboatdriver

Along the lines of replacing the docking lights, has anyone done so with LEDs?

Specifically, I have a new-to-me 330SS and would love to swap all the lights for LEDs

Thanks!

hq_

I've seen some 4.5" LED lamps that would be equally suitable for conversion I'm doing with HID:s, but once we talk about high power LED lighting, there's one important issue to consider: heat.

Or more precisely, where the heat is generated. Incandescent and discharge lamps generate heat at filament, inside the lamp where it dissipates easily when the lamp glass is cooled by wind. With LED:s the heat is generated at the base, which means you'll need a heat sink and enough cooling in an awkward place, the anchor box.

I've replaced most of courtesy/navigation/anchor light bulbs with low-power LEDs, but as far as sheer lightpower, current draw and heat are concerned, I prefer HIDs for now.

For more detailed information about lighting upgrades and all kinds of DIY projects, take a look at http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forum.php - it's a hangout for light fanatics. Great source for information and ideas.

FREAKY FAST

Maybe a solution to the water issue would be to add some type of clear lens like on my boat? Shouldnt be too difficult to make i would think? Where did you mount your ballast? behind the mirror/wall compartment?