Bad ass led light install

Finally got the lights set up with the dimmer switch.Total with dimmer 150.00 way better than what i have seen out their-for alot more money.https://youtu.be/_oDqOfVCKyE

LED installs are pretty easy once you know where you are running the wires and where the controller(s) are placed. I did my own a few years back. Went with rgbw LEDs and put in a ton. Six different circuits with six different Bluetooth controllers I can run off of my phone or have them tapped into my boat stereo.  When that thing is fully lit and those rgbw lights are synced with music it looks like a montage from “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.“

I will say this though about the picture in this thread…blue might look badass but it is very hard on your eyes. It’s why interior boat lights are typically an amber or warm white as opposed to a cool white or blue.  Blue also washes out more stuff than you realize so if you run with blue its best to make sure that everything breakable is put away and the deck is clean. 

It looks amazing! I love the colorful type of lighting. It's so interesting and atmospheric. Every time I see it, I imagine it's a party or an intimate space. I've seen many types of light strips for it, but I'm not sure I could handle installing them. I thought about hiring a professional, but it's too expensive. So I'm just looking for the easiest light strips or ways to install them. I have found light strips that I like.
What's more, they are probably quality because they have an LED flashlight of that brand. This one works well. I need more advice on how to do all of this. Thank you very much for considering my request.

I don't think it is a problem to have blue on the inside of the boat.  Blue on the outside is illegal as you state though.  

Good info Ulbian-i just wanted light on the floor i was tripping over stuff all the time.Install super simple 1 16 ft length on left side-2 seperate 6 ft pieces on right side.So much easier to only have 2 wires pwr and ground to run to dimmer at the helm.I didnt like the ones offered that were 3 or 4 pieces per side to many wires everywhere.These are ip68 so they are submersible.When i dial down the dimmer the lights actually look like uv light which i see on alot of boats out at night trolling.No screws anywhere 3 m adhesive backing and they stick great- better have them were you want them when you take the tape off.I have been night fishing for over 20 yrs and this is the best upgrade i have done to the boat for 150.00 bucks.The dimmer switch is a key component and would not be happy without it way to bright.

I put LED strips on my boat a few years back and it was a fun project where I found myself going down a path of absolute ridiculousness in regards to how far can you go with this type of installation. 17 foot Lund went from the two basic amber interior lights to over 200 feet of rgbw color changing LED strips tied into 6 different Bluetooth enabled controllers with the ability to sync those 6 controllers independently are as one into my stereo output. It was a blast putting it together and working through all of the trial and error stuff.

Things I learned along the way:

1) The equipment to do this sort of thing is inexpensive. Nearly all of the LED strips, connectors, and controllers commonly available originate from one of three factories. They get pricy because they are packaged with a different name. My entire set up, including controllers, was less than $200.

2) If you are not comfortable with basic 12v wiring and/or don’t have patience then this isn’t something you want to do on your own.

3) Infrared controllers suck. RF controllers are pretty good but the Bluetooth controllers that use a smartphone app are much more flexible and handy.

4) This is basic science but the light waves of “cool” colors (blue, light purple) are harder on your eyes and cause more eyestrain than light waves from “warm” colors (Red, yellow). If you run interior lights set them to an amber color and you won’t get the headaches you could get if they were blue.

5) For exterior lights (I have a strip on the top of the outer hull) adjusting them to be as close to UV as possible and dimming them is as Ideal of a setting that you can find. I do a fair amount of muskie fishing at night and it gives you just enough so that you are not spooking anything in the water. When I’m loading or launching at night I crank those exterior lights up on basic white. It lets you see everything around each side of your boat.

6) For a boat application an LED strip rating of IP65, IP66, or IP67 works well enough. IP67 is incredibly common and has a ton of different options.  All they need to be is water/weather resistant. IP68 stuff has been pushed for boat installs but unless you are submersing them they are only going to raise the final cost considerably. 

7) I’ve been asked why I would turn my boat into something that when lit up looks like the Las Vegas strip and there’s a simple answer: “Because I could.“

Thanks.  I didn't see it the first time in the "show more".  

Parts i used are in the video on u tube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oDqOfVCKyE 

Ive read blue is harder on the eyes (for us old guys) and green is easy on the eyes.  Yellow will keep bugs away.  Nice work

Checked with dnr they said no problem if the light is not displayed above deck.This is floor lighting and really not going to be used underway.Even though i wear a headlamp its so much easier to see your whole floor now.So the question is how are the bugs going to like it well see.Might have to electrify it and make the whole boat a bug zapper.

Looks like you put a lot of effort into it.  And if you are into that kind of thing, it looks like you did a great job.

Not for me, though.  

I like the lighting, but you fish Wisconsin, and it's illegal. No boat, other than a law enforcement boat may display a blue light in Wisconsin. In fact it's illegal in every state while under power, but Wisconsin takes it a step further making it illegal at all times. I absolutely hate the law, and I don't know if it's being enforced. Overreaching, unnecessary, and should be repealed! Here is a cut and paste of the law:

NR 5.17 Lighting requirements.

(1) In addition to the lighting requirements specified in s. 30.61, Stats., operators of boats in the state of Wisconsin shall also comply with all federal lighting requirements.

(2) No vessel may be equipped with or display any blue colored light or lamp unless the vessel is a patrol boat defined in s. 30.50 (9b), Stats.

Here is a link to the administrative code: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/nr/001/5/17/2

Looks pretty slick!