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Has anyone tried the New Aquastar lights they are supposed to have 12v 100w halogen clear or green and then a 12v 192 LED Green for only $69.00 seems kind of cheap who knows any input.?
| "Evening Secrets" Don't be fooled by websites that claim to have the best kept "Secret" since the 1940's. As fisherman, we all know we can't keep a secret more than a day or two let alone 50 years. Beware of websites that claim to have the biggest and best kept secret, but never tell you what it is or show you what it is until you pay them. It is no "Secret" that lights attract fish...and you sure don't have to spend $200 to find out that their "Secret" is nothing more than a 4' green light! |
| Lights by Comparison |
| Compare Fluorescent, Halogen, LED and Mercury Vapor Lights |
"Fluorescent Lights" have become very popular in recent years because of their low voltage draw
on your battery.
The biggest advantage fluorescent lights have over other lights is the low amperage draw from your
battery. Most 4' models only draw 3 to 4 amps which will let you run all night on one battery. Another
advantage is they can be used in the water or out of the water if so desired. While there is an array of
fluorescent lights on the market, we believe the only fluorescent lights bright enough to attract good
numbers of fish are the 4' models which run anywhere from $150 to $250 each.
The biggest disadvantage to Fluorescent Lights is they utilize a ballast which in most cases can not be
replaced by the consumer. The ballast (electronic inverter) takes 12VDC from your battery and
converts it to AC voltage to run the fluorescent lamp. The ballasts are made up of electronic
components which must maintain a constant voltage range in order to work properly. For instance, a
nominally rated 12VDC ballast will operate over a range of 10.5 to 14-volts which is typical of a 12-volt
storage battery during charge and discharge cycles. Operation of the ballasts on higher than rated
voltages (which many times happens using a generator or charger) will result in ballast overheating
and shortened lamp life. Low-Voltage Operation will cause poor lamp starting and excessive
blackening at the ends of the lamp. As you fish with the lights the battery voltage drops and once it
falls below 10.5 volts, damage to the ballast and bulb start to occur. Like any fluorescent lamp, it's not
a matter of if the ballast will burn out, it's a matter of when. So, in order to prolong the ballast, be sure
to operate the light within the required voltage range. Other disadvantages is their large size makes
them hard to store in most boats, most have to have additional weight added to them to fully submerse
them, they only come in one color and they can cost upwards of $300 for a good model.
"Halogen Lights" are probably the most popular lights on the market because of their Small Size,
Lack of Electronics, Brilliant Light Output and Modest Price. Unlike fluorescent lights, halogen lights do
not utilize electronic inverter ballasts, and they are not affected by low voltage or cold water
temperatures. Not all Halogen lights are created equal though. Some halogen lights expose the
halogen bulb directly to the water, which will result in the bulb turning black and burning out. Halogen
bulbs have to burn hot in order to keep the bulb burning bright. For that reason, we would advise
staying away from lights that do not utilize an inner globe. For more information on this see "Halogen
Cycle". Our halogen lights utilize replaceable bulbs which are easily replaced by the consumer and
available at most hardware stores. Their small size makes them easy to store in your tackle box or
glove box, and you can easily change from one color to another with some models. The 300 watt,
120VAC models generate over 4800 lumens and omit more than 1.5 Million Candle Power of light.
The disadvantages of 12VDC halogen lights is their hunger for electricity. Halogen bulbs burn
extremely hot and bright and therefore they require more amperage to run. While you can still get up
to 14.5 hrs. of runtime per battery charge using a 100-watt light, they do require more amperage than
a fluorescent light unless you are using the 120VAC models. Unlike fluorescent lights, Halogen lights
must also be submerged in water to use and can not be used as a utility light. However, since they are
completely submerged under the waters surface, the wind and waves have no affect on them, and
there is no light lost to reflection off the waters surface. Therefore, since Halogen lights cost less than
fluorescent lights, utilize replaceable bulbs, allows color to be changed and are compact and easy to
store, most fisherman feel halogen lights still offer the best value for their money.
"LED Lights" consist of multiple LED's in various colors. The biggest advantage LED lights have is
their low amperage draw. You can run an LED light for days on a single battery charge. The
drawback to most LED lights is that they aren't as bright as halogen lights. LED's project a pinpoint
light which only illuminates straight forward. So, the only way you can use LED's effectively in fishing
lights, is to use a large number of LED's to make up a 360 radius.
LED technology has come a long way in the last year, and Fishing Lights Etc is in the process of
building a new 192 LED AquaStar light and a new 384 LED Magnum light. The 12VDC lights will use
either Green or Cool White (9500K) High Power LED's. We expect to have the AquaStar for sale in
time for the holiday shopping season.
"Mercury Vapor Lights" These high powered lights consist of a 120VAC Mercury Vapor Bulb, a
transformer and some type of weight to keep the light on the bottom. The lights are designed to sit on
the bottom and light up the surrounding water. The good thing about Mercury lights is that they are
very bright! The downside to them is their price ($275 to $400). Mercury Vapor lights also utilize a
transformer that often go bad and are quite expensive to replace. The bulbs on most models are
exposed to the water and easily broken. Replacing the bulbs isn't easy or cheap since the bulbs are
epoxied into the socket to waterproof them. There has also been concern these lights may be
contaminating the waters and killing fish due to Mercury poisoning caused by the release of mercury
when the bulbs get broken by a passing by boat or water skier. However, if you are wanting to light up
your water ways and don't mind spending the money, these lights are very bright.
on your battery.
The biggest advantage fluorescent lights have over other lights is the low amperage draw from your
battery. Most 4' models only draw 3 to 4 amps which will let you run all night on one battery. Another
advantage is they can be used in the water or out of the water if so desired. While there is an array of
fluorescent lights on the market, we believe the only fluorescent lights bright enough to attract good
numbers of fish are the 4' models which run anywhere from $150 to $250 each.
The biggest disadvantage to Fluorescent Lights is they utilize a ballast which in most cases can not be
replaced by the consumer. The ballast (electronic inverter) takes 12VDC from your battery and
converts it to AC voltage to run the fluorescent lamp. The ballasts are made up of electronic
components which must maintain a constant voltage range in order to work properly. For instance, a
nominally rated 12VDC ballast will operate over a range of 10.5 to 14-volts which is typical of a 12-volt
storage battery during charge and discharge cycles. Operation of the ballasts on higher than rated
voltages (which many times happens using a generator or charger) will result in ballast overheating
and shortened lamp life. Low-Voltage Operation will cause poor lamp starting and excessive
blackening at the ends of the lamp. As you fish with the lights the battery voltage drops and once it
falls below 10.5 volts, damage to the ballast and bulb start to occur. Like any fluorescent lamp, it's not
a matter of if the ballast will burn out, it's a matter of when. So, in order to prolong the ballast, be sure
to operate the light within the required voltage range. Other disadvantages is their large size makes
them hard to store in most boats, most have to have additional weight added to them to fully submerse
them, they only come in one color and they can cost upwards of $300 for a good model.
"Halogen Lights" are probably the most popular lights on the market because of their Small Size,
Lack of Electronics, Brilliant Light Output and Modest Price. Unlike fluorescent lights, halogen lights do
not utilize electronic inverter ballasts, and they are not affected by low voltage or cold water
temperatures. Not all Halogen lights are created equal though. Some halogen lights expose the
halogen bulb directly to the water, which will result in the bulb turning black and burning out. Halogen
bulbs have to burn hot in order to keep the bulb burning bright. For that reason, we would advise
staying away from lights that do not utilize an inner globe. For more information on this see "Halogen
Cycle". Our halogen lights utilize replaceable bulbs which are easily replaced by the consumer and
available at most hardware stores. Their small size makes them easy to store in your tackle box or
glove box, and you can easily change from one color to another with some models. The 300 watt,
120VAC models generate over 4800 lumens and omit more than 1.5 Million Candle Power of light.
The disadvantages of 12VDC halogen lights is their hunger for electricity. Halogen bulbs burn
extremely hot and bright and therefore they require more amperage to run. While you can still get up
to 14.5 hrs. of runtime per battery charge using a 100-watt light, they do require more amperage than
a fluorescent light unless you are using the 120VAC models. Unlike fluorescent lights, Halogen lights
must also be submerged in water to use and can not be used as a utility light. However, since they are
completely submerged under the waters surface, the wind and waves have no affect on them, and
there is no light lost to reflection off the waters surface. Therefore, since Halogen lights cost less than
fluorescent lights, utilize replaceable bulbs, allows color to be changed and are compact and easy to
store, most fisherman feel halogen lights still offer the best value for their money.
"LED Lights" consist of multiple LED's in various colors. The biggest advantage LED lights have is
their low amperage draw. You can run an LED light for days on a single battery charge. The
drawback to most LED lights is that they aren't as bright as halogen lights. LED's project a pinpoint
light which only illuminates straight forward. So, the only way you can use LED's effectively in fishing
lights, is to use a large number of LED's to make up a 360 radius.
LED technology has come a long way in the last year, and Fishing Lights Etc is in the process of
building a new 192 LED AquaStar light and a new 384 LED Magnum light. The 12VDC lights will use
either Green or Cool White (9500K) High Power LED's. We expect to have the AquaStar for sale in
time for the holiday shopping season.
"Mercury Vapor Lights" These high powered lights consist of a 120VAC Mercury Vapor Bulb, a
transformer and some type of weight to keep the light on the bottom. The lights are designed to sit on
the bottom and light up the surrounding water. The good thing about Mercury lights is that they are
very bright! The downside to them is their price ($275 to $400). Mercury Vapor lights also utilize a
transformer that often go bad and are quite expensive to replace. The bulbs on most models are
exposed to the water and easily broken. Replacing the bulbs isn't easy or cheap since the bulbs are
epoxied into the socket to waterproof them. There has also been concern these lights may be
contaminating the waters and killing fish due to Mercury poisoning caused by the release of mercury
when the bulbs get broken by a passing by boat or water skier. However, if you are wanting to light up
your water ways and don't mind spending the money, these lights are very bright.
