High quality outdoor LED string lights?

[BrianSmith]

Several months ago, I bought a 15' string of RGB (so can display any color I want) LED lights and hung them on the underside of the canvas cover on the flybridge. Loved the results! Nice soft blue-green lights when just having cocktails at night, and just the right intensity of red for the rare times we're underway in the dark.

But they were cheaply made, and a few weeks ago, one of the joints between the sections lost contact, and now only about 1/4 of the string lights up. I want to replace them with some high quality ones, but looking online, it's really hard to tell how well made they are. So I'm hoping one of you has installed these, on your boat or at home, and can give me a recommendation on a brand / model / something specific so I can make sure to get well made ones this time. Requirements:
- Must be intended to be used outdoors.
- Must be RGB, not white or any other single color.
- Must be dimmable.
- Must be 12V (the ones I bought run on 12V, but came with a 110V wall plug power supply that outputs 12V DC - I simply didn't use that power supply)

Thanks!

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. B. Get in touch with Apollo Lighting in Ft. Lauderdale. High end stuff and probably $$ but I'm sure they can help you out. No connection just a satisfied customer. https://www.apollolighting.com/

 

[Gordon J]

Try cosco

Several months ago, I bought a 15' string of RGB (so can display any color I want) LED lights and hung them on the underside of the canvas cover on the flybridge. Loved the results! Nice soft blue-green lights when just having cocktails at night, and just the right intensity of red for the rare times we're underway in the dark.

But they were cheaply made, and a few weeks ago, one of the joints between the sections lost contact, and now only about 1/4 of the string lights up. I want to replace them with some high quality ones, but looking online, it's really hard to tell how well made they are. So I'm hoping one of you has installed these, on your boat or at home, and can give me a recommendation on a brand / model / something specific so I can make sure to get well made ones this time. Requirements:
- Must be intended to be used outdoors.
- Must be RGB, not white or any other single color.
- Must be dimmable.
- Must be 12V (the ones I bought run on 12V, but came with a 110V wall plug power supply that outputs 12V DC - I simply didn't use that power supply)

Thanks!

Last year I bought about a 25 foot string of LED RGB bulbs for outdoor use from Costco. I think the price was about $45. We have strung it around our son deck and it will flash different patterns or give you a white light if you would like better visibility. These are LED and are 5 V lights. I had to buy a 5 V transformer, 12 V a 5 V transformer.

Gordon

 

[BrianSmith]

Greetings,
Mr. B. Get in touch with Apollo Lighting in Ft. Lauderdale. High end stuff and probably $$ but I'm sure they can help you out. No connection just a satisfied customer. https://www.apollolighting.com/

RT, I'll be in Ft. Lauderdale in a few weeks - I'll stop in and see what they have. Thanks!

 

[stevemitchell]

I have used products from SuperBright LEDs for years both at home and on the boat. I use some of their weatherproof/waterproof/submersible strips on my current boat outside on the arch for outdoor lighting, and I used it in an exposed cockpit on my previous boat.



There are a few things I usually watch for with these strips. First, you can't bend them in crazy curves, which I tried, or the waterproofing plastic layer can be compromised.



The other weak point is the controller or power source. That has to be under cover, or covered in shrink wrap and protected.

I love these strips because they are amazingly bright, can be changed with a good remote/controller, and last a decent length of time. They stick on with 3M sticky stuff, which seems to last in the marine environment, and don't cost $1000.

The strips themselves look like they were dipped in clear plastic which is flexible, and everything is deep inside that plastic and protected.

 

[Equus]

I have this same SuperBright Led strip affixed to my golf cart and am very happy with them-they are, super Bright! you can see me coming a mile away. BUT.....on my boat I've got something more elegant. I keep them up year round, waterproof, RBG, completely encased in flexible soft clear plastic.
I got mine from a marine supplier, they're made for boats. Mine have a remote, are programmable but not dimmable.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Equus. Welcome aboard.

 

[BrianSmith]

Thanks for the input, stevemitchell and Equus!