| deboatmon |
04-05-2002 12:33 PM |
Rope Light
Actually what most people are using today is technically, primarily called "Light Rope". Rope light was introduced to the American market in the late 70's and was popular in discos. Rope Light is hollow flexible plastic tubing with wires and lamps pulled through it. The new stuff "Light Rope" is much newer and is an extruded poly type material although there is some cross naming in the industry. It is available in several voltages and numerous colors and circuit availabilities. The downside to 12 volt for your boat is dimming. DC dimmers are much more costly than simple AC dimmers and are really variable DC voltage regulators. The upside is you can always have light from your batteries. Typical wattage for most lightrope is 5.5 watts per foot. There are "systems" available from WalMart and others but most are not condusive to cutting and custom wiring. Many do not have "cut" marks. You must cut lightrope at specific points as it is wired in series parallell and cutting incorrectly will cause you to lose the use of many lamps. The Walmart system is designed to be used as it is sold without cutting to length or modifying. There are several companies selling lightrope in the $.75 to $.90 range per foot if bought in any reasonable quantity ( 150 ft ). For really nice, custom installations any of the big wholesalers have special couplings, mounting devices, repair items, and technical help for use. Maximum length of a single run is limited in specific voltages. Most 120 volt is good for 150 ft. Most 12 volt is usually good for 25 ft or so. Check with the manufacturer for exact details.
Look in Google Search for "Lightrope".
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