which LED light type?

[PFUNK]

I know this has been discussed before but I haven't really found the exact answer I was looking for when reading other threads, though I know I haven't read them all. I have heard a lot of good things about the firebrite LED lights sold on here but am wondering if there is a cheaper/brighter alternative. If the firebrites are the best bang for your buck I'll just go that route, but at $30+ a pop it'd add up pretty quick if you want to put a couple strips in your portable. I'm looking to light up an older otter 2-3 man portable. I would like to put a strip on the overhead pole and the front pole to help light the holes better, but maybe I am underestimating the amount of light the firebrites put out? I have been looking into buying the waterproof LED strip lighting. You can buy it by the foot and I was wondering if it would be best to buy a roll of those (5 meters of strip going for under $20). I wonder though if you then need to buy connectors to attach to the solder points because it seems like it'd be pretty weak if you wired directly to those thin LED light strips. The strips are cuttable so I was thinking I could put a couple feet on each of the poles and wire them to switches to adjust the amount of light as needed. The strip lights have adhesive backing to hold them to the poles but I would probably zip tie them on as well. I'd like to run the wiring in the poles if possible. If anyone has some good step by step advice on how to do this it would be appreciated. Thanks!

[fishwater]

String LED lights like the Firebrights are OK if you take care of them and have some luck, but they will eventually fail over time if they get twisted or bent.

I've moved to using LED spot lights and bar lights. Samsung makes some really nice waterproof bar lights with 12V male and female barrel plugs - the model I have is the SM5630. They are brighter and use more juice than the string lights folks have been using, but you can use an inline dimmer and that'll drop the intensity and current draw. They also only cost $20 each.

You can also find some good deals on LED spot lamps - they might call them work lights or even tractor lights on some sites. Way more durable than a floppy string, and they can be clamped and moved around for where you need the light.

[Northlander]

I love my Firebrites and havent had any issues with them in the 3 years I have had them and my Otters dont get babied at all.

[aanderud]

I love the led strip lights like the firebrights. With any of these strip lights that aren't enclosed in a hard case at all, I like to make them a little more rugged by putting them in a 3/4 inner diameter PVC tubing (clear). Then I zip-tie the heck out of it to my pole so that it doesn't wiggle at all. I have used these type of lights for about 5 years now with no issues.

[hawgchaser]

I'm cheap! I bought two 24 LED Ozark Trail (hanging) tent lights for $4 each. Great illumination; run 30hr. on 4 AAs; take up almost zero packing space; hang up/take down in seconds; don't cause depression if one breaks; no extra 12v battery necessary.

[tsande00]

Another idea...Get a standard cheap E24 light bulb base and zip tie it to the top pole and add a 6w LED light bulb. Holy smokes. Lights up like crazy. When you're done fishing, just unscrew the bulb and tuck it away until next time. Just gotta run some cheap wire from the pole down to your battery for the 12v power. These 6w bulbs put out the equivalent of a 60w incandescent bulb with not much draw.

[Rick]

maybe I am underestimating the amount of light the firebrites put out?

I believe you are underestimaitng the amount of light a 48" Firebrite LED light strip puts out. One will work fine, as well as the gas lanterns. Of course two Firebrites will work better.

You can find cheap ones but there is a good reason they are cheap. You are talking about adding wires, connections, soldering those connections, coverings and a number of things that can cause problems later if not done correctly. And your light system is still not waterproof. Light bulbs break too easily for me. It certainly can be done.

The FireBrite LEDs available this year are improved over last year. The connection is a solid waterproof connection and the tubing is bright, rugged and clear rather than the yellowed tubing and cobbled connection.

They had them specially made for ice fishing. They are not cobbled together like it looks like you want to do or as done with the cheap light strips ones.

[aanderud]

Rick is right, if you haven't seen the 48-LED strip lights, you are likely understimating the output.

That's awesome, Rick, that the firebrites are new and improved. With the older strip style lights, the connections were always a little bit suspect. When my oldschool lights break (and I'm sure they will eventually, given my workmanship), I'll upgrade to some firebrights.

[Chaws]

Can those Firebright lights be put on a dimmer?

[fishwater]

Yes, I've been using the itouch dc led dimmer with success on all kinds of LED lights.

[PFUNK]

I believe you are underestimaitng the amount of light a 48" Firebrite LED light strip puts out. One will work fine, as well as the gas lanterns. Of course two Firebrites will work better.

You can find cheap ones but there is a good reason they are cheap. You are talking about adding wires, connections, soldering those connections, coverings and a number of things that can cause problems later if not done correctly. And your light system is still not waterproof. Light bulbs break too easily for me. It certainly can be done.

The FireBrite LEDs available this year are improved over last year. The connection is a solid waterproof connection and the tubing is bright, rugged and clear rather than the yellowed tubing and cobbled connection.

They had them specially made for ice fishing. They are not cobbled together like it looks like you want to do or as done with the cheap light strips ones.

Thanks for the input. I do realize that some cheaper products can be a pain in the rear in the long run, but I have also ran into some great buys from time to time. My backpacking stove bought off of amazon for $11 has been a great purchase and saved me a bunch of money over buying the more expensive name brand alternative, as an example. I was hopeful that if done correctly, I could save myself some money and have a good lighting system. I was able to find some connectors that are pretty darn cheap and I could probably put the whole system together for less than it would cost for a single firebrite strip. The sustem may not be submergible type waterproof, but I would think it would handle the amount of moisture it would be exposed to in the fish house. Then again I am no expert! I know the firebrites are a solid product, but I am always interested in hearing about people's experiences with the alternatives.

[Pooh]

I have a clam tube light, and love it. Lasts 3 hours on a full charge plus can be hooked to my flasher battery if need be. Lights up my 6by6 hub house with no problems.

[tsande00]

As far as LED light strips, you're not going to find much better quality for the money than the Firebright

That being said I believe there are other options that are cheaper. They may not be AS good, but still functional and bright.

I just put a 6W LED standard light bulb in my shack. Total cost was under $10 and it puts out plenty of light. The bulb is made out of a thick plastic so it's not likely to shatter, and even if it did the light would still function.

[PFUNK]

As far as LED light strips, you're not going to find much better quality for the money than the Firebright

That being said I believe there are other options that are cheaper. They may not be AS good, but still functional and bright.

I just put a 6W LED standard light bulb in my shack. Total cost was under $10 and it puts out plenty of light. The bulb is made out of a thick plastic so it's not likely to shatter, and even if it did the light would still function.

[PFUNK]

So after doing a bunch of research and gathering opinions, I decided what route I will be going with the LED lighting. I am going to go with the LED bulb idea as opposed to the LED strip lights. It should be a simple yet functional setup. I haven't picked the bulb yet but have it narrowed down to two. One is comparable to the brightness of a 40-50W incandescent bulb (240 lumens) for $8. It is a 3W bulb and draws 280mA so it "should" last 25 hours on a standard 7Ah battery. The other is $20, 8 watt, puts out 500 lumens, and draws 670mA which would still last 10+ hours. I will get a standard socket and am planning on attaching a clamp to it so that I can clamp it to the overhead pole. What I had in mind was one of those clamps that you can use to mount a broom to the wall. Something like this...

or this...

My only concern is that the canvas will be pulled so tight to the center pole that it will want to force the clamp down and off the pole. Not sure how tightly these clamps will fit, but I suppose it depends if I am able to find the right size. Then it's as simple as wiring it up with push on terminals for the 12v battery. Put it up when you need light, pop it off when you're done, roll up the wire and store it and the bulb in something that will protect the bulb. Anyone else ever go this route?

[PerchJerker]

I used a similar mounting system for a string of lignts and fans that I have in my Otter Lodge. The LED lights I used (3 of them) are round housings with several LEDs in each --- the reason I used those particular lights is because each of the 3 has its own on/off switch right on the housing. I also put 2 PC fans in the string.

The lights switch on/off at the housing and the 2 fans are on 1 master switch. It works great.

I mounted the lights and fans by making brackets and attaching them to clips like you have .... pretty sure the clips I used are boat mounts to hold stern lights and bow lights when they're not in use. It works great because it is easy to adjust the angle of each light and fan.

But .... when folding down or setting up the house ..... or when the wind blows ..... the clips pop off the cross pole. Very annoying. It finally got to the point where I zip-tied the clamps to the cross pole to keep them from coming off.

In my other house, I have a string of LEDs. Much simpler, much easier. I prefer the LED string over the one I made myself.