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Night riding lights

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DukHntr239

Well-known member
You guys that don’t have light bars on your boats and ride at night, what do you use to ride at night? Headlamps? What is the best one to get?
 
Gatorpro.com. Jeff makes a super lightweight head light with a 50w or 100w halogen. Good guy, family business
 
This is a recurring theme/topic. I’m with the kid on the light bar. I can see the use for all the lights for bow hunting or gigging fish at night, but all the light bar is gonna do is blind the guy you pass and maybe make him turn into you. With a headlamp you can turn your head away and be courteous.

I carry two headlamps. A 55 watt halogen on a dimmer for frogging and a bright LED for cruising. They do get used interchangeably, always good to have a backup light for sure.

More info on this recent thread.

https://southernairboat.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=72937&p=701566&hilit=Light#p701566
 
I'm right there with you. Light bars and led lights are inconsiderate to other boat operators and passengers. if you need it that bright, ride in daylight.
 
Marshn said:
Gatorpro.com. Jeff makes a super lightweight head light with a 50w or 100w halogen. Good guy, family business
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Another vote for Gatorpro. You'll definitely get what you need.
 
I must say I’ve been disappointed with the hat light options out there for us airboaters. I have not tried this Gatorpro, I think I’ll give them a shot…but on first glance they appear to be similarly built to the old halogen lights I had in the past that quit working at a very inconvenient time. I bought an LED hat light set-up from a gentleman on here a year or so ago that I’m just not happy with at all. I supplement that light with a handheld light that I got from West Marine. Quite frankly, I think the handheld west marine light is the only thing that gets me home sometimes. I don’t understand why somebody can’t make a hat light for us with a really bright and durable LED source.
 
On another note, I’ve really been fighting the urge to put a big LED light bar on my boat. I dislike them, for all the reasons that have been previously mentioned. But these hat lights that I use just don’t provide enough light. If it was not for that handheld West Marine light that I referenced earlier, I would have serious trouble finding the trail sometimes where I ride. And I ride alone by myself with no other boats on random weeknights out in area three where the trails can fade away… So I need good light.
 
I said it once and I'll say it again. Gatorlights LED headlights. You can search them on Facebook. I tried making my own and I have a background in led manufacturing, can't come close to his product. It's well polished and worth the money. I hated the landing gear light style, and all other led options fall short.
 
Polbear said:
I said it once and I'll say it again. Gatorlights LED headlights. You can search them on Facebook. I tried making my own and I have a background in led manufacturing, can't come close to his product. It's well polished and worth the money. I hated the landing gear light style, and all other led options fall short.
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Just ordered one from Hamant. Hopefully it’s worth the $140 to me to keep a light bar off my rake.
 
On my new hull I have a 12" LED built into my brush guard, not for continuous running at night, just for situations when it may come in handy. And you know airboaters always have those situations.
 
Seven3 said:
Polbear said:
I said it once and I'll say it again. Gatorlights LED headlights. You can search them on Facebook. I tried making my own and I have a background in led manufacturing, can't come close to his product. It's well polished and worth the money. I hated the landing gear light style, and all other led options fall short.
Click to expand...

Just ordered one from Hamant. Hopefully it’s worth the $140 to me to keep a light bar off my rake.
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All too often you hear about bad companies and products but almost never do you hear how good something is. I have no skin in that game but it's a great lamp! Not hot, doesn't draw a ton of power, brighter than sin and great finishing. When I switched over from incandescent bulbs for frog gigging it felt like I left the stone ages. Just don't shine it at anything reflective! I'm curious to hear your thoughts after using it
 
kwanjangnihm said:
Seven3 which model did you purchase? I have 2 old units that may need to be retired as well.
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The big boy for $140. I’m willing to spend good money on safety. With my old lights there have been several times where I completely lost the trail on a night ride when I was 25 miles from the ramp, by myself. The trails lose their definition when you get way out west in Area 3…and I have experienced the feeling of losing it by myself. It’s a bad feeling. A couple years back my halogen light went out on me when I was about 10 miles from the ramp…once again I was by myself. Had there not been a decent amount of moonlight that night, I would’ve had to camp it out. I have a good feeling about these lights, thanks Polbear.
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Took the gatorlight headlight for a nice test ride last night out to the microwave tower. It is definitely the best hat light I have used to date. It’s not as bright as my handheld, but I was able to ride all night without having to use the handheld. I would recommend it.
 
Anyone ever try a spotlight like the police use on their vehicles. Or those remote control spotlights like the power company's use?
 
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