# lights



## mniterambler (Jul 28, 2008)

Well I have been gigging flounder for about 40 years and I have never used the hps lights yall are talking about.. I thought that you just couldnt get any better than 4 starfire underwater lights so you can see when there is a breeze blowing and muddy water, You guys think these lights are that much better.. I really dont see anyone with them that much where I fish and you guys are making me want to try some of these.. I already have a small gen but its only a 1600 watt coleman...I guess I just wanna know from someone who has tried all the different types..we used to build a lighter knot fire on a platform at the front of the boat lol. Then went to regular coleman lanterns and then the top of the line kerosene lanterns, Someone tell me these are superior to underwater so I can work some more...lol


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

I have gigging ever since I was old enough to walk and have pretty much seen or used every setup imaginable. I have walked with the dish pan style lanterns, used the old style 1000 lumen bulbs for years and even tried the starfires you mentioned. None can even hold a candle to a good HPS setup, literally. Before I got mine I used halos and thought they were the ticket. Now I don't see how I seen the fish that I did!!! Just make sure you make the right decisions to start with to avoid any headaches!!!:banghead


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## mniterambler (Jul 28, 2008)

Thanks for the reply, I guess I will have to give it a try.. I just dont know how keen I will be on a generator and the noise out on the water I always loved the tranquility of floundering...


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## Gnwdad (Oct 14, 2007)

Agree 100% with all of Five Prongs reply


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

> I just dont know how keen I will be on a generator and the noise out on the water I always loved the tranquility of floundering...




I agree with you and put off the Genny for years after being around boats that had Genny's on them.



The ticket is most power with the least noise and they aren't cheap.



A 2000watt Honda is $800 to $1000.



I bought a Honda knockoff. [Kipor from Pep Boys.] It's Red



I woundn't buy one again. There is no place for warranty work and I don't believe Pep Boy's even sells them anymore. It was $600. 



The 1st one leaked oil. It was a nightmare to get warranty work done. After it was fixed it leaked worse, so I took it back to Pep Boys to swap it for a new one.



The new one is a little hard to start.



Murpheryslaw bought one after I did and his runs good.



I did the wading as a kid with a Colman lantern with my Dad.

Did the Starfires

Did the AquaStar's http://www.fishinglightsetc.com/FlounderLight.html

Then went to the Genny with 4- Halogen 300watt lights.

Now I'm going to 4- HPS 150's w/ 55uf Caps.







The Starfires were brighter than the Aquastars. This may have been due to the stainless 6in reflector bowl I have on the Starfires.














The 4- 300 watt halogens blew those away.



I'm expecting at least another 100% improvement of that.


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

> *mniterambler (7/29/2008)*Thanks for the reply, I guess I will have to give it a try.. I just dont know how keen I will be on a generator and the noise out on the water I always loved the tranquility of floundering...


I was the same way about the noise of the genny at the beginning. It was all about the peace and quiet, but now with the cost of everything going up you have to have as productive of a rig as possible to make going worth while. I have a knock off of a Honda but it is a 8000 watt I believe, runs fine, but it also sounds like a feed crusher. I already had experience with a Honda 2000 so I knew what to expect. Cranks first pull every time and runs like a sewing machine so for me the choice was obvious. It was money well spent. Also a proper HPS setup shouldn't pull enough from the genny to make it run much above idle speed as I discussed in an earlier post. It all depends on what lights you buy, but I have already discovered that the more money you put into it now the more you will save in headaches:doh and trouble in the long run.


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## Gnwdad (Oct 14, 2007)

As a child I floundered with a intertube, wash tub, car battery and 1 12 volt light. It was fun and we thought we killed enough till I started floundering with a buddy. He has (8) 500 watthalos and two Honda 2000's. I was jealousand wanted my own floundering rig, I bought the first boat I found (thought it would be the best rig out there, boy was I wrong). I could not talk my wife into us getting a $1000.00 Honda to flounder with so I bought the Coleman, it is 11 db louder than the Honda and $700.00 cheaper. This is my third year using it with no problems, it has never been off the boat always sat in the rain, oil has never been changed and has probably 200-300 hours on it and have no regrets buying it. If I was to do it all over again knowing what I have learned from my mistakes and from others here I would take the short cut on the generator and go with the best lights money can buy.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

> it is 11 db louder




That is not a lot. It is a TON LOUDER! unacceptable for me.



The next project you should consider is a box to deflect the noise rearward.


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## Gnwdad (Oct 14, 2007)

> *X-Shark (7/29/2008)*
> 
> 
> > it is 11 db louder
> ...


I not sure how to weight sound using tonnage, but my wife and daughter havefallen a sleep many night less than 3 feet from it.


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## Kodiak_Man (Jun 24, 2008)

Being new to HPS lighting, I don't have a clue about them. I looked them up on google and found a list of different variations. Could somone please inform me which of the lights on the link are appropriate? if any of them? If I'm on the wrong track, could someone post a link for those of us oblivious to these heavensent lights!

Thanks

:usaflag

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&rls=SUNA,SUNA:2006-14,SUNA:en&q=HPS+150+w+bulb&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

The 150 watt medium base bulbs are the ones you are looking for I believe they were second on your list. But you have to have the fixtures to. These are the ones I have. http://www.spacosupply.com/index.cfm?itid=421&id=itid&cid=16&scid=76&mc=5


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## Kodiak_Man (Jun 24, 2008)

Thank you Prongs!


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

> *Kodiak_Man (7/29/2008)*Thank you Prongs!


They are a little more expensive than some of the others but they are pretty much plug and play once you figure out how you want to mount them. No need for any extra capacitors as these already have them installed not to mention that they have a great warranty.


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## Kodiak_Man (Jun 24, 2008)

I'm sold on them already. I appreciate your advice on my "need advice" post too. :bowdown


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## Chris Couture (Sep 26, 2007)

3 db = twice the SPL so 11 is almost 4 times louder.......


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Five Prongs Of Fury see where it says NPF [Normal power factor] on those lights? That's expensive for that.

If they were the HPF [High Power Factor] I might expect that price.







> 3 db = twice the SPL so 11 is almost 4 times louder.......




Thank's Chris, I knew it was something like that,but couldn't remember exactly.


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## Gnwdad (Oct 14, 2007)

> *Chris Couture (7/30/2008)*3 db = twice the SPL so 11 is almost 4 times louder.......


WOW! Looking at it that way that is a ton louder, but I have fished maybe 50 or so times with mine and probaly 25 times with the Honda and thereis some difference in noise, but has never seemed to be that much.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Try this at the house. With the boat all set up like you would fish it and the boat not backed up to a larger flat surface like your garage door.



Stand on the boat like you would fish it and have someone slip a piece of plywood in front of the Genny. This will deflect sound toward the rear away from you.



This will give you some kind of idea of what a box would do.



It will only get better as you increase adding sides and a top to it. This is with leaving the A$$ end open for heat to escape and air to circulate.

Adding sound deadner to the inside of the box will help more.



This is one of my "To Do" projects. The plan is to use 3/8in plywood to keep it on the lighter weight side of things. I will use some light weight glass [6oz] to encapsulate the wood. 

I plan to add doors that will have a small piano hinge and velcro to hold them shut. This is so I can access the controls and starter rope.



But I plan to build a full enclosure. It will have strips of rubber around the bottom perimeter for sound deadening and cushioning.



Here is a example. This is built out of alum and is WAYYYY to expensive. It also would be like getting inside a trash can and have someone beat on it.



http://www.hayesequipment.com/hayes_products.htm



I also plan to add some sound deadening to the inside, like Dynamat.



Something else you may want to look at is the muffler.



http://www.jackssmallengines.com/strapmain.cfm


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## Gnwdad (Oct 14, 2007)

> *X-Shark (7/30/2008)*Try this at the house. With the boat all set up like you would fish it and the boat not backed up to a larger flat surface like your garage door.
> 
> Stand on the boat like you would fish it and have someone slip a piece of plywood in front of the Genny. This will deflect sound toward the rear away from you.
> 
> ...


My generator is mounted between my outboard and the back wall on the pontoon, you can talk on a cell phone with hardly any background noise.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Gotcha.


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## mniterambler (Jul 28, 2008)

Thanx for all the help prongs and others I will probably be giving these lights a try down the local bays...Maybe I will run up on some of you....sharp gigs!!! and bright lights!:bowdown:usaflag


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