I sold my old Stratos 285 Pro XL over the summer and bought a 2016 Ranger RT188. I night fish a lot and I'm wanting to add deck lights, compartment lights, and possibly some black lights to my Ranger. I've been looking at the Bluewater LEDs and the cheaper ones from Bass Pro. I'm just looking for suggestions and maybe some Ideas on running the wire to the rod box and other compartments without drilling many if any holes. I've got the routing for the deck lights figured out but that's about it.

Not familiar with aluminum Ranger to help much.

1. Check the console fuse terminal block for spare circuits.

2. The running light bow wire can be pulled with a 12 gage wire with the 16 gage wire.

The fuse may need to be increase from 3 to 5 amps?

Use the original wire to pull in the new wire. Leave the stern light wire alone.

3. Now you have a wire to carry the lighting current and original running lights, plus it’s switched.

Do have single or dual console boat? Single should have longer rod locker with the bow end open to pull in wires for that compartment, no drill need.

Tackle storage locker mat also be open ended or a wood bulk head? 

4. If you have a 12V DC accessory receptacle  on the console to plug in spot light etc, use that to power clamp black light etc.

The LED deck lighting may need a professional to install cleanly.

Tom

15 hours ago, WRB said:

Not familiar with aluminum Ranger to help much.

1. Check the console fuse terminal block for spare circuits.

2. The running light bow wire can be pulled with a 12 gage wire with the 16 gage wire.

The fuse may need to be increase from 3 to 5 amps?

Use the original wire to pull in the new wire. Leave the stern light wire alone.

3. Now you have a wire to carry the lighting current and original running lights, plus it’s switched.

Do have single or dual console boat? Single should have longer rod locker with the bow end open to pull in wires for that compartment, no drill need.

Tackle storage locker mat also be open ended or a wood bulk head? 

4. If you have a 12V DC accessory receptacle  on the console to plug in spot light etc, use that to power clamp black light etc.

The LED deck lighting may need a professional to install cleanly.

Tom

Thanks for the advice, but I'm looking more for advice on what brand of lights to get and some boat specific install tips. My boat doesn't have any wood in it that's why I'm a little leary of drilling a lot of holes. I'm thinking if I run the wire for my deck lights under the gunwale I can tuck them up in there the way mine is made. I didn't think of tieing into my existing running light circuit but now that you mention it I'm going to. I was going to pull a heavier gauge wire to the bow anyway because I'm thinking about getting a Gobe light to use up front. I don't think it will be a big deal I've been a journeyman electrician for 20 years I just hate the thought of drilling holes in my new boat.

5 minutes ago, Rockytop said:

I just hate the thought of drilling holes in my new boat.

I hear ya on that.  I've got a 2015 Ranger RT178 so my boat probably has a similar layout.  When you finish this I'd like to see some photos if you don't mind sharing.

6 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I hear ya on that.  I've got a 2015 Ranger RT178 so my boat probably has a similar layout.  When you finish this I'd like to see some photos if you don't mind sharing.

I will. It may be a few months I'm just in the planning stages now. I've got to make sure Santa takes care of the kids first.

I wouldn't worry about brands.  Just about any brand of LED you buy will be made in a handful of factories in Asia.  And the technology behind them isn't new or anything special.  They were invented over 100 years ago and have been in mass production since the 60's.  So I can't see a compelling reason to choose one brand over another, since the brand on the box in all likelihood won't be the name of the company who made the light, but rather just the name of the company who made the box.  

 

I'd just focus on the technicals, like power draw, voltage, lumens, light color, and what kind of lights you want to run and how you intend to mount them (dome lights, strip lights, screw mount, taped, etc.).  To me, I'd want red IP67 strip lights for night fishing to help preserve your night vision so you can see out on the water better.  They're easy to mount and replace, and cheap to buy.  Other people may prefer brighter, white dome lights so they can see inside the boat better and will look a little more classy in the daytime.  And other people may prefer yellow lights of some kind, as a compromise between seeing well inside the boat, and not attracting too many bugs.

I have a 2018 RT188.  I installed all of the electronics in the boat which includes running power to 9 things, network cables to 4 things and transducer cables to 3 things.  I wish I had some good advice for you.  It was a pain running wires and there’s a lot of things I would like to redo.  Being an electrician I’m sure you’re a lot better at pulling wires than I am.  I’ve done many wiring projects on my boats over the years and pulling wires has always been something I hate.  Good luck with your project!

2 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I have a 2018 RT188.  I installed all of the electronics in the boat which includes running power to 9 things, network cables to 4 things and transducer cables to 3 things.  I wish I had some good advice for you.  It was a pain running wires and there’s a lot of things I would like to redo.  Being an electrician I’m sure you’re a lot better at pulling wires than I am.  I’ve done many wiring projects on my boats over the years and pulling wires has always been something I hate.  Good luck with your project!

It's a lot easier to pull wire in conduit than boats and vehicles. I pulled some NMEA 2000 cables in it a few months ago and it was a pain.

26 minutes ago, Rockytop said:

It's a lot easier to pull wire in conduit than boats and vehicles. I pulled some NMEA 2000 cables in it a few months ago and it was a pain.

I’d believe that! I’ve had friends with shorts somewhere in their trucks, nobody was ever able to find them in a couple of them haha. The others it took darn near taking the whole thing apart 

 

my buddy that’s a master Honda tech saw one where something a lady had hanging from her rear view mirror was shorting out 

2 hours ago, Rockytop said:

It's a lot easier to pull wire in conduit than boats and vehicles. I pulled some NMEA 2000 cables in it a few months ago and it was a pain.

I once spent around 4 hours trying to get a wire from my console to the bow.  I finally got it but wanted to scream several times in the process.   With a car you can take the whole thing apart if necessary.   I don’t know if it’s even possible to take a boat apart.   

When I pull wires in my boat I wipe the wire I am pulling with Dawn Dishing Washing Soap. It makes it easier pulling thru a wiring harness.

12 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

   I don’t know if it’s even possible to take a boat apart.   

Somebody hold my beer………….

I prefer any lights I install on a separate switch from the NAV/ANChor light switch.  I don't like running at night with lights in the boat on, makes it hard to see.  If on the anchor side of the switch, the Nav lights don't have to be on but then you still have no way of turning the LED lights off without turning the anchor light off, and I don't think you want to do that on the lake.  Now I am assuming you know the Anchor side of the NAV/Anchor light switch is the tall white light in at the stern of the boat is the anchor light, and when you select the anchor side of the switch, it tuns off the RED/GREEN bow NAV lights and leaves the white light in the back on.  I don't know how many people I've run into that doesn't realize that.  The white light has to be on at night when sitting on the water, but not the running lights.

For lights in the compartments and a little light inside the boat, I like those small led lights that are about 3/4" x 3" or so and mount with two small screws, self-drilling works great in aluminum, and they can be glued in it tight places.  Green gives off a little more light if used inside the boat, but red is better at helping save the night vision.  They draw so little current; you can easily use 18ga or 20ga wire to connect them.

For casting and lighting up the bank some, I use UV lights with a color temp between 375 and 400. 

For still fishing or bow fishing where I want some serious light on the water, I use 24V high powered LED lights and run those off the TM batteries, don't have to worry about a dead cranking battery then.  If you are running a 36v TM, you just connect them across two of the batteries.  Beats the crap out of the old HID lights we used to use.

Another thing you can do is get one of the small inverter generators, that are super quite and plug your onboard changer (provided it's at least a 10amp or so), into it to help keep the batteries lasting all night if you fish that long.

 

 

2 hours ago, Way2slow said:

I prefer any lights I install on a separate switch from the NAV/ANChor light switch.  I don't like running at night with lights in the boat on, makes it hard to see.  If on the anchor side of the switch, the Nav lights don't have to be on but then you still have no way of turning the LED lights off without turning the anchor light off, and I don't think you want to do that on the lake.  Now I am assuming you know the Anchor side of the NAV/Anchor light switch is the tall white light in at the stern of the boat is the anchor light, and when you select the anchor side of the switch, it tuns off the RED/GREEN bow NAV lights and leaves the white light in the back on.  I don't know how many people I've run into that doesn't realize that.  The white light has to be on at night when sitting on the water, but not the running lights.

For lights in the compartments and a little light inside the boat, I like those small led lights that are about 3/4" x 3" or so and mount with two small screws, self-drilling works great in aluminum, and they can be glued in it tight places.  Green gives off a little more light if used inside the boat, but red is better at helping save the night vision.  They draw so little current; you can easily use 18ga or 20ga wire to connect them.

For casting and lighting up the bank some, I use UV lights with a color temp between 375 and 400. 

For still fishing or bow fishing where I want some serious light on the water, I use 24V high powered LED lights and run those off the TM batteries, don't have to worry about a dead cranking battery then.  If you are running a 36v TM, you just connect them across two of the batteries.  Beats the crap out of the old HID lights we used to use.

Another thing you can do is get one of the small inverter generators, that are super quite and plug your onboard changer (provided it's at least a 10amp or so), into it to help keep the batteries lasting all night if you fish that long.

 

 

You have to be anchored to legally turn off your red/green, not just sitting there 

17 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I once spent around 4 hours trying to get a wire from my console to the bow.  I finally got it but wanted to scream several times in the process.   With a car you can take the whole thing apart if necessary.   I don’t know if it’s even possible to take a boat apart.   

The OP is a electrician and knows how to “fish” wires.

Tom

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

You have to be anchored to legally turn off your red/green, not just sitting there

Not sure about you, but simply turning off the lights at night whether your just "sitting there", anchored, or moving is a recipe for disaster, regardless of whether its legal or not.  No chance in hell I'd turn my lights off for any reason on a public body of water.  Good way to get t-boned.

1 minute ago, gimruis said:

Not sure about you, but simply turning off the lights at night whether your just "sitting there", anchored, or moving is a recipe for disaster, regardless of whether its legal or not.  No chance in hell I'd turn my lights off for any reason on a public body of water.  Good way to get t-boned.

I never turn mine off, just citing the rules. You can turn only the red/green off when anchored. White has to stay on all the time. Some people live on their boat while it’s anchored, I’m guessing that’s kind of who that’s for 

There are a lot of times you anchor in one spot night fishing.  Crappie fishermen do it all the time.  That's why there are laws on the height and intensity of the white light, so they are visible from a long distance and must be visible for 360 degrees.  The RED/Green Nav lights are only visible for 180 - 270 degrees and most of those you can usually only see them for a few hundred yards at most, so basically, if another boat is not coming at an angle from the front, they are never going to see them anyway.  I've never had a problem with turning my NAV lights off at night, a lot of times they will have other light's on that are annoying and not needed when anchored.  With my pontoon boat, I can turn on enough light they would think they are driving into the sun if they don't act like they see me.   However, as they say, "different strokes for different folks".