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 Bow Fishing Lights (again) 
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Post Bow Fishing Lights (again)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B017GZD0 ... d+50w+ip66

Thinking about getting 8 of these. I will run them from two deep cycle marine batteries.

I have never bow fished before.

Not looking to break the bank but want something that will work

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Uncle J 18x54

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Tue Feb 06, 2018 10:45 pm
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
Those don't look like 12v....

12v 50watt LED are not an everyday thing. The 50watt are typically 110 from what Ive seen.

Most 12v setups I see run the little 27watt square lights, or the 48watt round lights.

What kind of water are you shooting?
Deep? Clear? Muddy?

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Wed Feb 07, 2018 7:54 am
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
Looks like the same thing I bought from amazon to try out and I'm very impressed with the brightness and water penetration.

Here are the ones I bought
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5 ... UTF8&psc=1

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Wed Feb 07, 2018 7:57 am
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
I run a mix of the 27 watt and 48 watt smaller lights with yellow tint on them. Run on two batteries and can go at least 6 hours.

Decent performance out of the lights.


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Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:51 am
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)


I've seen more guys use those bigger square floods, but why that over the smaller light bars? I'll be rigging mine up in a few weeks and am also scratching my head at this.


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Wed Feb 07, 2018 2:05 pm
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
I have both the 48watt LED rounds and the 50watt LED squares on my boat.

The 48watt lights are made up of a lot of little LED chips, while the 50watt is single large LED chip. (forgive me if I have the terminology wrong)

I believe the single larger 50watt chips emit a better light / penetrate the water better.
If pricing is the same I would prefer the 50watt single chip lights.

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Wed Feb 07, 2018 2:49 pm
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
I want something I can rig up to a couple of trolling motor batteries. I don't want to run a generator.

I will start out bow fishing the White River in NW Arkansas. The water is usually stained but not muddy.

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Wed Feb 07, 2018 3:57 pm
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
I’ll see if I can find a photo of my rig. Removable light rail with the smaller lights. I have a plug on my front deck and battery box platform in the back. Clean, easy in, easy out. I can fish for over 6 hours with 2 year old batteries.


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Wed Feb 07, 2018 4:01 pm
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
8 50w LEDs on a 12v system will get you about 1.5hrs of GOOD brightness on 2 group 27 batteries. once you hit the 1.5hr mark, you will start to see the LEDs dimming. After 3.5hrs you will no longer have enough battery juice to keep them running.

Obviously if you a meticulous about keeping your batteries maintained, you can add some light longevity. However, its not going to be much. I had mine setup like this and hated it. Do yourself a favor and get one of the invertor generators. I think harbor freight has one for $400. (only $200 more than you would spend on batteries without core deposits). Also, get the Vigurem 50w LEDs. they are 1/2 the size, weight and give an extra 1000-1500 lumen output compared to the big square LEDs. I have now ran them on 2 of my rigs and LOVE them. their bracket is a little more sturdy as well. I have not had one crack yet (had 4 break on the big square lights).


Thu Feb 08, 2018 10:01 am
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
I agree with running one of the inverter genny's. They're super quiet and not very heavy.


Thu Feb 08, 2018 10:07 am
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)

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Thu Feb 08, 2018 10:18 am
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
When bow fishing, do most of you all run your mud motor at idle, or do you use a trolling motor?


dad gum, now I am back to square one, thinking on getting an inverter.

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Fri Feb 09, 2018 12:49 am
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)

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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
Been running ledmo 50w's for a while now. Only had one failure so far, and it was because we drove down a gravel road that pretty much destroyed the trailer as well as 1 out of the 14 lights we were running. With a honda eu2000i we get about 8 hours of run time on 1 gallon of gas.

1 honda genny weighs less than 1 battery. Yes the initial purchase is alot higher, but you also have a genny for the camp, your house etc etc if you ever need it. 2 batteries and an inverter weighs close to, if not over 200 pounds.

Another option is the generac inverter genny. My buddy has one with the same lights and we get about the same if not a little more run time out of his, but at a little under 700 vs close to a grand so you save a few hundred.

Anyways, back to the lights.

We currently run 14 of the ledmo 50w's, and i have 6 more that we are getting ready to add. Ive never compared them side by side to anything else but they are doing there job. We have it wired to where half the lights, alternating every other light, can be turned off, and even with half of them off we can still see pretty good.

My suggestion is to mount them 2 facing forward, one on each corner, then space out 3 (or however many you want) down each side of the boat with about 8 inches between each light.

Ive fished under light bars as pictured above and the ledmo 50w are way better. night and day difference.

jmo


Fri Feb 09, 2018 9:09 am
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
How big of an invertor generator would one need to run ten to twelve 50w LEDs?

Would a 2000 do the job?

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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)

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Fri Feb 09, 2018 2:15 pm
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
Another generator option is the harbor freight predator inverter. Bought the 3500 in September and have been extremely pleased with it and it is a fraction of the cost of the others. They also offer a smaller one as well.

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Sat Feb 10, 2018 7:23 pm
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
I've got a regular predator 400, but the only 12v outlet on it is the cigarette lighter type deal. Anyone know of a way to invert the regular 120 to 12 easier than buying another generator?


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Sat Feb 10, 2018 8:28 pm
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
I've got a regular predator 400, but the only 12v outlet on it is the cigarette lighter type deal. Anyone know of a way to invert the regular 120 to 12 easier than buying another generator?


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Sat Feb 10, 2018 8:29 pm
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
http://www.powermaxconverters.com


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Sun Feb 11, 2018 10:47 am
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
So I assume you clamp the invertor onto the cranking battery and then plug the light cord into the invertor?

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Sun Feb 11, 2018 4:04 pm
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
If you are not going to run a trolling motor, just get 110v lights and run em straight.

If running a 12v troller, run 12 volt lights, inverter genny, with a converter in between genny and batteries.

If running 24v troller, run 24v lights, inverter genny (one larger or two small), 2 converters in between genny(s) and batteries (you can run a 24v converter too, but they were considerably more expensive for less amperage last time i looked into pricing). You could also make 12v lights work with this setup..

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Mon Feb 12, 2018 6:36 pm
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
I got five out of twelve of my LEDs mounted today. Where do you get the yellow film to put over the lights?

Still thinking on the best way to hook all of these three way plug wires to one main line.

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Wed Feb 14, 2018 11:02 pm
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
I am mounting them upside down. I will use some clear calk around area where the electric wire enters the light. Being they are IP66, they should be fairly waterproof to begin with.

I don't want it to look like a redneck wired shit-house.

what is a good way to cut those 110 black cables, and wire into a main wire and keep it all waterproof?


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Wed Feb 14, 2018 11:17 pm
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
Buy the waterproof heat shrink butt connectors. I also wrapped the bar with pipe insulation after all the wiring and have the wires underneath the insulation for more protection. Makes it look clean. You don't see any wires.


Thu Feb 15, 2018 8:05 am
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
Heat-shrink tubing is my recommendation


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Thu Feb 15, 2018 8:05 am
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)







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Thu Feb 15, 2018 8:08 am
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
Mine are the 30 watt and I plan to run off batteries. I wired the both side to individual switches which then run to the batteries. I figure I'll try this out and see how much use I get out of it and if I need to I'll upgrade later.


Thu Feb 15, 2018 8:10 am
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Post Re: Bow Fishing Lights (again)
I think I am going to run mine through conduit.

Got them all mounted


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Uncle J 18x54

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Thu Feb 15, 2018 7:44 pm
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