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Ocean LED underwater light installation: total disappointment
MDboater
Member Posts: 298 ✭✭✭
I installed a pair of the Ocean LED A8 Amphibian Pro Xtreme underwater lights (midnight blue) and I couldn't be more disappointed. My expectation for light penetration in the silty waters of the rivers feeding the northern Chesapeake was not high. However, given Ocean LED's light penetration ratings of 72 feet in perfect water quality and 26 feet in average water quality, I at least expected to see light past the end of my swim platform. Sadly this is not the case. Here is a picture that I took last night where at best you can see a little light on the side of the swim platform. The lights were mounted 5 inches below water.
The installation was pretty straight forward however the instructions call for a 1/2 to 5/8 inch hole in the transom for the cable. A 1/2 inch hole was not big enough as the factory epoxy bead on the back of the light assembly hit the transom. Rather than drill a larger hole all the way through the transom I used a cone shaped abrasive bit to relieve the area. The lights include in line fuses that claim to work with 14 AWG cable however the rubber boot on the fuse housing would not accommodate this gauge.
The only unexpected surprise was the ACC switch at the helm that made wiring a breeze. Someone (Rinker?) was thoughtful enough to leave open 12V and ground leads wire tied to the switch. I purchased a replacement actuator with an underwater light logo on eBay that matches the other actuators.
The installation was pretty straight forward however the instructions call for a 1/2 to 5/8 inch hole in the transom for the cable. A 1/2 inch hole was not big enough as the factory epoxy bead on the back of the light assembly hit the transom. Rather than drill a larger hole all the way through the transom I used a cone shaped abrasive bit to relieve the area. The lights include in line fuses that claim to work with 14 AWG cable however the rubber boot on the fuse housing would not accommodate this gauge.
The only unexpected surprise was the ACC switch at the helm that made wiring a breeze. Someone (Rinker?) was thoughtful enough to leave open 12V and ground leads wire tied to the switch. I purchased a replacement actuator with an underwater light logo on eBay that matches the other actuators.
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Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
Boat Name: King Kong
"Boat + Water = Fun"
2007 280 Rinker Express 6.2L B3
2007 280 Rinker Express 6.2L B3
I just finished installing a pair of Ocean LED A8 Amphibian Pro Xtreme Midnight Blue LEDs and I could not be more DISSAPOINTED! The attached photo shows the performance of these lights. As you can see the light penetration fails to reach even the back of my swim platform, a mere 3 feet. I find this to be completely unacceptable when your marketing literature advertises "approximate light penetration of 26 feet in average water conditions (i.e. Northeast, Mid Atlantic, Great Lakes and Intracoastal US)". My boat is located in the Mid Atlantic, in a river feeding the northern Chesapeake Bay, yet these lights do not achieve a level of light penetration performance that is even close to your specifications. The lights were installed approximately 5 inches below the water surface with the text facing upward as instructed in the manual.
While the lighting performance of your product is my primary complaint, I would also like to identify other aspects of your product that failed to meet my expectations. The lights are advertised as having a stainless steel bezel yet mine shipped with a white plastic bezel and a card that I need to send in to receive a stainless steel bezel. Reports of similar complaints go back nearly a year. It seems that after all of this time there should be a proactive solution that does not involve burdening your customers with this extra step of mailing in the card and either waiting to receive the replacement bezel before installing the lights or taking off the old bezel after the boat is removed from the water. The fuse holder that comes with the lights is listed as working with AWG 14, yet AWG 14 Ancor marine grade wire does not fit in the fuse holder boot. Finally, your installation instructions call for a 1/2 inch hole to be drilled in the transom. However, a 1/2 inch hole is not large enough to accommodate the cable assembly and the lights do not sit flush on the transom. A larger hole is needed for successful installation.
Ultimately, I feel that I have been misled by fraudulent advertising in Ocean LED's sales literature. Furthermore, I am entirely dissatisfied with your product. I have attached a copy of my sales receipt. Please contact me at your earliest convenience to discuss how this matter may be resolved.
06 Rinker 270
06 Rinker 270
@Wildboating: Your lights look tremendous!! I really like the look of the different colors and the performance seems great regardless of your water quality.
Light absorption by water is logarithic and not linear. Therefore you would need much more than twice the luminous intensity to penetrated twice the distance.
Under a water condition where 9000 lumen lights have a visible penetration of 15 feet, 4200 lumen lights of the same color would have a visible penetration of about 13.5 feet. So if the lumen ratings of our lights are accurate then the performance difference should be much smaller. However, your lights appear to be producing significantly more output than mine and/or your water is much cleaner.
I wish I knew of the Seablaze Spectrums before I bought my OceanLEDs. They look really nice!
"MDboater. I was very upset to see your pictures as I recommended Ocean LED on this forum.
You have installed them "right side up" which is good as I have seen them installed "upside down" and that greatly reduces their effectiveness.
You have proper gauge wiring? Each wiring line has it's own fuse? The grounds are HD and well attached? The switch is not restricting the amperage - this can be real bad. Is the switch warm/hot to the touch? Is the wiring warm/hot to the touch? The fuses are the correct amperage or a couple of amps more? No one has wiped a solvent on the lenses to clean them after installation to remove caulking? Their light spread is not restricted by the engines or trim tab plates?
Have you looked at your 12 volt voltage gauge in your electrical panel while someone turns the lights on? Did the voltage: no drop at all, initially drop and recover, drop and stay lower?
If there is a fair bit of debris in the water, have you wiped the lenses off to see if that improves matters or did you try them right after installation? If there is substantial debris in the water the heat from the leds will cook on a scum that greatly decreases the light distance - and in some cases after a few uses.
I boated for 300 miles up and down the St. Lawrence and Rideau Rivers. I had 4 ocean led lights.
Two Pro 350 lumen blues right from the Rinker factory and they were far brighter than the posted pictures of your lights.
My two Extreme Pro 8 color changing lights (2400 lumens each) shone with blazing clarity for 10 feet from my transom plus another 15 feet out, and were quite a lot brighter than the pictures posted by @wildboating - although the pictures posted might not do the lights proper justice.
One time, just for fun I put both of my 5,000 lumen dive lights (white or red color) on my trim tabs at night and they didn't outshine some of the colors of the Extreme Pro 8s by much....and that's 10,000 lumens.
I say some of the colors because, as has been said above, some of the colors really outshine the others and that can vary quite a bit in different water types. That's why I chose color changing as you can freeze the color that's best for any water area.
The only time my lights did not work well was at a marina in Picton where the water for the last quarter mile of the approach was about 6 feet deep and sandy. Even then they shone for at least 10 feet.
I did not order the SS bezels as I did not want them on my lights as I viewed them as a source of corrosion with the nearby aluminum drives etc. I was actually happy that they came with a composite housing as SS tends to corrode fast and brass will too in salt water.
I have to believe something is wrong as I have never seen an Ocean led shine so poorly, yet alone the model you have!
I hope you find a solution. I still wonder if they are getting a proper power supply
I find Al's recommendation intriguing!
If I could not find a solution for your present location I would either shim them so the shone out somewhat sideways from their present location.
Or, better yet (IMO), I would seal the present holes with 3M 5200 and caps and re-install them on the rear sides of the hull just before the transom to have them shine out from the back sides. I have seen this on a number of boats and IMO it looks great - very custom. In the end that may be a good (only) solution for you.
Then if you wanted to you could install a Pro Extreme 16 in the rear centre of your transom for an all round look.
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
2007 280 Rinker Express 6.2L B3
@jme097 love your boat. Lights, speakers, sea deck. Very slick my man.
06 Rinker 270
That being said, I used AWG 14 marine wire in running from the wiring that came as part of the light to the helm. At the helm, I connected to existing 12V and ground wires that were likely factory installed at the ACC switch. They appeared to be AWG18 and measured 12.95 volts. I did install the inline fuses that came with each light and also kept the ACC breaker in the circuit which is 6 or 10 Amps.
No solvents, cleaners, or abrasives were used on the light lenses. I have a single engine and the lights were placed well between the trim tab actuators and outdrive to avoid obstruction. I tested the lights after 3 days in the water so I doubt that growth is a problem.
I don't see adding an additional more powerful light as the solution. If the lights that I have are defective then replacing the lights should solve the problem. If the lights that I have are not defective then a small incremental improvement is not the answer (especially not one costing $6-700). It's not that I have something that I'm almost happy with and want to make it a little better.
I am trying to work with OceanLED to come up with an answer but they seem poorly equiped to address this type of issue. I have asked if they have a way to test the lights output power while on the boat and they do not. This is shocking to me since they sell products that are designed to be used only underwater to a class of boats that are not easily removed from the water.
The idea to move them to the boat sides is intriguing. I am not sure if my lights can be used in locations other than the transom. It's something I will consider if I can't get the transom mount to work.
@MDboater you seem to have every question covered.
I was out of the country when my Oceans were installed. I was told they blew the fuse when they were installed so a higher amp was used.
I was told the wires did not heat-up under test. BUT - I was told they used a bigger gauge than was supplied for hot and grounds and ordered a helm switch that was capable of handling a greater amp draw than standard issue, in case I wanted to add a third light and have it on the same switch.
The tech said he did not like the wires or the fuses that were supplied.
I checked my battery draw while they were in use (they are connected to 3 Series 31 AGM house batteries) and my 12v gauge did not show voltage loss.
I was told they were so bright on the white setting that they lit up the shop. The tech said he looked directly at them and had spots in his eyes for 30 minutes.
If you have the correct model (sounds like it) and you are suffering no voltage loss or amperage loss due to wiring gauge, grounds, switches, fuses or batteries then there is only one thing left I can think of - other than your boat being in swamp water.
*****What is the orientation of your swim platform to the water? The swim platform of my EC 310 and 360 both sat a few inches above the surface of the water. Maybe this allowed the light to reflect along the surface. Does the trailing edge of your swim platform dip into the water blocking light?
Unless the water in your area is frightfully murky, there has to be a rational explanation.
Have you seen the picture posted on the Rinker Company website is of a (I believe) Rinker EC 290 or 310 with twin Ocean LED blue Pro 3s. They are shining way past the transom AND ...that's just 350 lumens each. Look how far it shines. I asked Rinker if that picture was "enhanced" and Randy said no. The water was certainly clear but that picture was shown as it was shot.
I asked the Admiral today if I was exaggerating/mistaken about the distance the lights shone out and she said about 25 feet - and some of the colors even further.
I wished I had taken pictures. I had planned to have a friend shoot day and night (with the Oceans on) using a drone but as you may know the boat was sold last winter.
As for your situation I can't figure it out - obviously!
To repeat (sorry), but If all else failed I'd put them on the sides of the hull and maybe add a third one at the rear center.
BTW @jme097 (picture above) is in some pretty clear water - very similar to what I boated in and my pro 8 Extremes were brighter than those.....so what gives?????
P.S. I haven't given up yet There are a few other guys I have to call, one an Ocean LED installer. This can't end like this!
FWIW - I had two Ocean LED XT4's installed this spring. They are a new model in the 'trailer' LED series.
They work perfectly. Used them last night for the 1st time. More than bright enough in both murky & clear water up here. Guests were shocked - lit the wake incredibly well while underway.
Sorry about your experience MD boater. Hopefully you can tweak the issue.
Thank you sir! @06Rinker270
2007 280 Rinker Express 6.2L B3
I went under water with goggles and verified that neither the red nor orange LEDs are lit thus further ruling out an error. But honestly the lights weren't all that bright when my eyes where inches from the lights. On a lark I bought a drain plug light with a similar lumen rating. I plan to compare it to the OceanLEDs soon. I will be travelling south in the Chesapeake in a few weeks for several days so I will observe performance in different waters.
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
@MDboater. I heard today from the marine dealership manager I know that the guy who used to install underwater lighting locally has been hired by an international yachting firm. He is no longer available for installations, trouble shooting or advice. He is in Holland working on a 200 foot yacht. Apparently he installs lighting all around the perimeter of super yachts and links the lights to multiple stations, remote controls, music AV systems and underwater cameras.
However, as a one off he did reply to the question and said it was unlikely that both lights you received were bad unless someone damaged them on install. He would look at power supply, wiring, fusing and switch problems in that order. He said those lights should shine out at least 15 feet, more like 25 feet, unless you were parked in a swamp or something else was obstructing them.
I hope you solve this.