Have decided to go ahead and get a light rail built and have a few questions for you guys with experience so I can get this right the first time.

Have done some searching and here is what I am planning...opinions wanted

Planning on running the 27Watt Led's, on a light rail without a platform. Want to keep it light for easy removal and install. Planning on the lights being about 12" off of the deck of the boat and using 10 lights.

How many 27's can I run off of 1 battery for short trips?

I have a honda1000 that I could use as a backup for longer trips if needed, I assume there is a converter of some sort to make the 12v lights take power from a battery or generator? Do any of yall run like this? Bad idea?

Do all the lights get wired in a loop and back to a single block then to batt or should I break them up in a few different loops then to the block?

Thanks for any input.

I would get 50w not 27w and keep them close to the edge of the boat. No need to have them up 10 inches they have a very wide flood beam and having them up high would get in the way. I got a buddy that runs 6 50w on two good size batteries they may be group 31 batterys I think? he gets anywhere from 6 to 8 hours before he notices them going dim. Run them at 24v also. Higher V less I draw.

And for your last question. Fuse every light you can pick up a fuse block pretty cheap. Run one wire large enough to handle your amps to your fuse block and separate from there. Just my opinion.

Thanks for the info.

Do you know of any converters that once my battery's were dead/dying I could fire up the generator and keep them running on that? For the short trips would never need it, but would be nice to have as an option...especially being I already got the genny.

Look at powermax or iota. Figure out what your amp draw will be with what you go with and get a convertor that is a little bigger so it will charge the battery and run the lights at the same time.

OK thanks I am going to check them out, appreciate the info.

Y'all have any specific brand led you have had good luck with? Found some good prices on eBay but a little worried about the quality??

I have used a few differant brands and seelites seem to be be the best quality I have had. One thing I have seen from buying them off ebay straight from China is getting one with a busted lense and cant return it. Seelites are built for quality and have good drivers in them.
I have a full set up I will be putting up for sale raised alum deck, three 400w hps. In custom fixtures, three digital ballasts in box, and a champion 3500/4000 generator like new. Deck was built for a 17/54 Gator trax can be removed in 5 Mins or less.

missile, which model and watt seelites are you running?

sent from my twin thumbs & today's cellular technology

2" hole saw and weld in pockets, 6-8 50 watt SEELITE 1 3/4" stainless exhaust pipe bent to height of choice with whatever style of light bracket you like. Run the wiring in the pipe. Pops right on and off in just a couple min. Not very expensive to do.

Do these come in 12 volt or 24 volt

Yes they will set the drivers how ever you want. These are some good Arkansas guys to deal with and have all kinds of lights for mud boats. They are big duck hunters so they know how to put together good driving lights.

Not sure on current price but seems like 100-110 each. Sounds high compared to what you see on ebay but trust me you want be disappointed and their lights are the k temp they say I have seen others that were not.

When y'all wire your LED's in parallel how are you making the connection to the main run? Just soldering it in and covering with heat shrink? Or using some sort of small 3 way junction for each light?

Missile do you run a troller rig or are you using the engines?

I run a troller and use two powermax 55 convertors to keep my trolling batteries hot when running the generators.

I run each lights wire under the deck to a junction box and make my connections. You can use a terminal board or split bolts or any other means of connection. I do not recommend using wire twist nuts not saying you cant but I don't recommend it. I am very picky about my wiring on my boat nothing like being out in the middle of the night and everything going dark.

gotcha thanks

Does led lights work good in murky water?

They don't seem to have as much penetration in the murky water for us. The yellow tape that DDM uses on his lights is supposed to help quite a bit.

Okay thanks iv beenthinking bout switching to leds cause of people gripping bout the generator noise.. iv heard that people been shooting buck shot at bowfisherman..

hell I have been doing better during the day than at night!

Dang! I havent bowfished during the day except when its flooded