Carver Owners Forum

I have a 2001 450 Pilothouse. Has anyone found a LED bulb for the overhead salon lights?

Thanks,
Steve

If your boat has the 12v halogen bulbs, I believe g-6 leds will be the replacement. I replaced all of ours 5 or so years ago with the puck type replacements. They work great, all of the light is focused down, they use 3.5 watts and near zero heat is emitted.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinf ... G8%20Bulbs

Check to be sure you get the proper ones. I thought g6, but may be G4 or G8. Its been awhile!

you may want to experiment a bit with the color temperature and LED type.

Earlier LED's were hard white light with little spread. Looks like a factory hall rather than a cosy cabin.

COB leds are generally more powerful and can give (depends on form design) more evenly spread light. And in warmer (lower temperature numbers) versions.

2000-3000 is whiter than the classic bulbs but not yet very white. 4000 and higher is very white up to white/blueish higher up.

It's a matter of taste and purpose where you prefer to have and where

I found some small LED bars in yellow and in red. These fit simply in a cabinet or storage area above the door on the inside. Makes finding things a lot easier. The red ones I use for night-light in the cabin and on the fly as background (floor) lighting, saving toes and knees while walking around yet keeping it possible to see in the darkness

Ill throw this in also, If you'll take a close measurement of the pins spacing and the inside of the fixture it will help verify also which ones you need. I'll also add to verify the dc voltage is capable of going up to 14vdc or so. Much as a automotive bulb can because if it's specific at 12vdc you will burn them up. I had a friend buy replacement lamps and they were really a close tolerance and could not handle the voltage above 12vdc and he had to replace each again with another kind.
Ive also bought from Superbrightleds and also Amazon will have a variety.

First Google "bulb type chart" and confirm the type/s of base/s you have. This will ensure you order the correct bulb for your application. Then it's a matter of finding a supplier. This could be a bricks and mortar or an ecommerce LED specialty retailer, a marina though this option is usually the most expensive, Amazon, eBay, etc. You get what you pay for in an LED so while feedback can be misleading, it's a pretty good first read in an effort to determine how good a product really is. Take the positive contributions with a grain of salt as they generated by the seller and focus on the negative feedback.

Decide on the temperature you want. I like a warm white for ceiling and courtesy lights in living spaces but prefer bright white in the heads and closets. At today's prices, it's a good idea to purchase one of each contender and check their intensity. It's not uncommon for folks to order all their bulbs only to find they're not bright enough. If you have dimmers, they may have to be replaced with LED compatible units and the LEDs themselves must be labeled "dimmable". When installing, keep in mind that most are polarity sensitive. Unlike regular incandescent bulbs which don't care where the negative or positive sides are, LEDs typically depend on proper polarity to work. Most do however have reverse polarity protection so you don't blow them if inserted in reverse, they just won't work when in the wrong way. For the ceiling, pick a bulb that directs all of its light in a downward direction when installed. Also consider purchasing several more than you actually need as these will come in handy should one or more fail over time. This way the replacement will emit the same light as the others in the same space. Buying a replacement later will likely result in a noticeably different light from that fixture if it's part of a grouping.

Welcome to the forum..... Just to add.....
The other point to deal with will be the old light fixtures themselves. They can look fine till you try to get the old bulbs out, then the trim rings etc disintegrate/crack/break up as you work on them.Something to consider would be to replace the entire fixtures if you find yours in that shape.....I advise to check that first before ordering.

There are some very nice upgrades that fit the original holes......good luck with your up grade....

There’s an LED replacement for just about any kind of bulb made and numerous companies sell them. Marine beam.com and superbrightLEDs.com are just 2 of them. Just google marine or RV LED bulbs. I’ve also bought some from Amazon as well.

As mentioned, be careful about the color tempurature. I prefer the warm whites in the high 2000 to low 3000 degree range. As you go up towards 4000, they become cool white which is way too bluish for my tastes.

I'd be looking for something like this (although maybe not so expensive)
https://www.marineoutfitters.ca/index.cfm?category=10002|10000|11557&product=67765334&code=894638001610

like say these:
https://www.doctorled.com/store/marine-LED-Light/Dome-Light/12V-Dome-Light-SMD-LED-Kit

Changing a bulb will work however it may be better and cheaper to change the entire fixture. Not sure which lights are in the Pilothouse 450 but these were basically a drop in on my Carver except for the wire splice which is rather simple. There are 2 versions of these out there 2watt and 3w. I went for the 3 watt. https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Lighting-Recessed-Ceiling-Silver/dp/B00S4CPL5U?pd_rd_w=wwalO&pf_rd_p=8e4731a7-b756-4530-8014-2f681a6d39bb&pf_rd_r=YCNAS416JV478DME3PGM&pd_rd_r=bf8a6365-1608-4f27-b622-27f083cdae15&pd_rd_wg=Rb45z&pd_rd_i=B00S4CPL5U&ref_=pd_bap_d_rp_12_i&th=1