HID Boat Spotlights Versus Halogen Boat Spotlights
For sheer power and intensity, it is hard to beat an HID spotlight for your boat.
Usually containing xenon or metal halide bulbs, HID spotlights produce light beams of extreme intensity and brightness that no other form of lighting can match.
If you're not sure what an HID spotlight is, they're the same thing you've seen used at carnivals and fairs to paint bright moving spots in the sky that help mark the location so visitors can easily find them from far away.
The smaller versions designed for boats don't produce quite that much power, but decent units can easily create light beams that can reach over half a mile in length.
While it's true that spotlight use on boats is limited, this in no way reduces the need for installing the most powerful unit possible.
Sure you can't run a spotlight while underway except in a few circumstances like when checking on channel markers, but if a serious emergency arises or you're called upon to assist another boater in distress at night, you'll certainly be very glad you installed a powerful unit.
Spotlight use isn't confined to emergencies or navigation either.
For example, many boaters enjoy anchoring near secluded small islands and enjoy finding new locations for setting up shore parties where they and their guests can spend time away and enjoy a simple night out with friends.
Now, while finding these new locations is usually a lot of fun, if you're going to be doing so at night, a spotlight is almost invaluable.
A good spotlight will allow you to check for waterborne debris, obstacles such as fallen trees and submerged rocks, and locate the safest route for close anchoring to shore.
Choosing a spotlight depends on a lot of factors, but for the most part, an HID boat spotlight that is powerful, easily handled, and able to withstand constant exposure to the corrosive marine environment usually covers the basic necessities.
Smaller boats can usually make do with a handheld spotlight that is either rechargeable, or can simply be plugged into a cigarette light socket or directly connected to a battery via clamps.
Moderately sized cruisers and pleasure craft usually get more benefit from permanently mounted HID spotlights that are wired into the main electrical system and ready to go at the push of a button.
For the ultimate in spotlight convenience, many boaters opt for fully remote-controlled spotlights that can be operated over a 100 feet from the boat using a handheld controller, or run from inside the cockpit using a dash mounted controller.
In either of these cases, a remote-controlled spotlight is great because it allows you to stay inside the cockpit and maintain control of the boat while you also use the spotlight for scanning the surrounding area.
This is an even bigger plus when the weather is acting up and the last thing you want to do is stand outside on deck waving a spotlight around in the rain.
HID spotlights are preferable to general spotlights like the handheld halogen versions you normally find in hardware stores for several reasons.
While some halogen spotlights have decent power, the beam they produce is usually yellowish in color.
Halogen spotlights are notorious for short run times, and will eat a set of batteries or deplete a charge fairly quickly, oftentimes in less than an hour.
HID spotlights in comparison produce light that is much whiter, with none of the yellowing typical of a halogen spotlight.
HID spotlights are also much more efficient, producing a lot more light with less power.
This means an HID spotlight will run far longer on a single charge or set of batteries before needing resupply.
Halogen spotlights are also fairly fragile because the bulb itself is a simple wire filament design.
When this wire filament bulb gets hot, the filament becomes sensitive to vibrations and impacts which can cause it to break should the spotlight get jostled or dropped.
HID bulbs, however, have no filament.
With HID bulbs, electricity is used to create an arc within the lamp, which then ignites gases an salts inside the bulb.
These ignited materials create intensely glowing plasma which radiates light that is directed and focused by the spotlight lens, resulting in a brilliant white beam of light.
Since there is no filament to break, the HID can withstand a higher degree of vibration and abuse that would cause failure in a halogen unit.
Although HID spotlights offer a higher degree of performance over halogen units, they do have a few differences to keep in mind.
HID lamps operate similarly to fluorescent lights, which means they require a ballast in order to ignite the lamp and maintain a steady current flow to the bulb.
This ballast adds a little more weight as well as cost.
This is generally offset however by the HIDs longer operational life as compared to a halogen lamp.
While a halogen has no ballast, it will only run for at best around 500-800 hours before it burns out.
An HID lamp though can operate for up to 10,000 hours before requiring replacement, making it more cost-effective over the long run, not to mention more reliable.
HID spotlights can also get quite hot during operation.
Particularly with handheld versions, it is best to be careful when operating the unit and never touch the lens until it has had sufficient time to cool down or a nasty burn could result.
This isn't so much of a problem with permanently mounted spotlights since there usually won't be much direct handling of the entire unit.
Lastly, HID spotlights take about 30-60 seconds to reach full intensity.
This warm-up period usually still allows for a decent light beam until full output is reached, but you'll only get about 60-80% output until then.
Overall, HID boat spotlights simply outclass normal incandescent and halogen spotlights by almost every measure of performance.
Producing light beams over half a mile in length and energy-efficient, they provide a brilliant light source that is ideal for marine environments where emergencies, convenience and safety dictate the need for power without a lot of compromise.
Usually containing xenon or metal halide bulbs, HID spotlights produce light beams of extreme intensity and brightness that no other form of lighting can match.
If you're not sure what an HID spotlight is, they're the same thing you've seen used at carnivals and fairs to paint bright moving spots in the sky that help mark the location so visitors can easily find them from far away.
The smaller versions designed for boats don't produce quite that much power, but decent units can easily create light beams that can reach over half a mile in length.
While it's true that spotlight use on boats is limited, this in no way reduces the need for installing the most powerful unit possible.
Sure you can't run a spotlight while underway except in a few circumstances like when checking on channel markers, but if a serious emergency arises or you're called upon to assist another boater in distress at night, you'll certainly be very glad you installed a powerful unit.
Spotlight use isn't confined to emergencies or navigation either.
For example, many boaters enjoy anchoring near secluded small islands and enjoy finding new locations for setting up shore parties where they and their guests can spend time away and enjoy a simple night out with friends.
Now, while finding these new locations is usually a lot of fun, if you're going to be doing so at night, a spotlight is almost invaluable.
A good spotlight will allow you to check for waterborne debris, obstacles such as fallen trees and submerged rocks, and locate the safest route for close anchoring to shore.
Choosing a spotlight depends on a lot of factors, but for the most part, an HID boat spotlight that is powerful, easily handled, and able to withstand constant exposure to the corrosive marine environment usually covers the basic necessities.
Smaller boats can usually make do with a handheld spotlight that is either rechargeable, or can simply be plugged into a cigarette light socket or directly connected to a battery via clamps.
Moderately sized cruisers and pleasure craft usually get more benefit from permanently mounted HID spotlights that are wired into the main electrical system and ready to go at the push of a button.
For the ultimate in spotlight convenience, many boaters opt for fully remote-controlled spotlights that can be operated over a 100 feet from the boat using a handheld controller, or run from inside the cockpit using a dash mounted controller.
In either of these cases, a remote-controlled spotlight is great because it allows you to stay inside the cockpit and maintain control of the boat while you also use the spotlight for scanning the surrounding area.
This is an even bigger plus when the weather is acting up and the last thing you want to do is stand outside on deck waving a spotlight around in the rain.
HID spotlights are preferable to general spotlights like the handheld halogen versions you normally find in hardware stores for several reasons.
While some halogen spotlights have decent power, the beam they produce is usually yellowish in color.
Halogen spotlights are notorious for short run times, and will eat a set of batteries or deplete a charge fairly quickly, oftentimes in less than an hour.
HID spotlights in comparison produce light that is much whiter, with none of the yellowing typical of a halogen spotlight.
HID spotlights are also much more efficient, producing a lot more light with less power.
This means an HID spotlight will run far longer on a single charge or set of batteries before needing resupply.
Halogen spotlights are also fairly fragile because the bulb itself is a simple wire filament design.
When this wire filament bulb gets hot, the filament becomes sensitive to vibrations and impacts which can cause it to break should the spotlight get jostled or dropped.
HID bulbs, however, have no filament.
With HID bulbs, electricity is used to create an arc within the lamp, which then ignites gases an salts inside the bulb.
These ignited materials create intensely glowing plasma which radiates light that is directed and focused by the spotlight lens, resulting in a brilliant white beam of light.
Since there is no filament to break, the HID can withstand a higher degree of vibration and abuse that would cause failure in a halogen unit.
Although HID spotlights offer a higher degree of performance over halogen units, they do have a few differences to keep in mind.
HID lamps operate similarly to fluorescent lights, which means they require a ballast in order to ignite the lamp and maintain a steady current flow to the bulb.
This ballast adds a little more weight as well as cost.
This is generally offset however by the HIDs longer operational life as compared to a halogen lamp.
While a halogen has no ballast, it will only run for at best around 500-800 hours before it burns out.
An HID lamp though can operate for up to 10,000 hours before requiring replacement, making it more cost-effective over the long run, not to mention more reliable.
HID spotlights can also get quite hot during operation.
Particularly with handheld versions, it is best to be careful when operating the unit and never touch the lens until it has had sufficient time to cool down or a nasty burn could result.
This isn't so much of a problem with permanently mounted spotlights since there usually won't be much direct handling of the entire unit.
Lastly, HID spotlights take about 30-60 seconds to reach full intensity.
This warm-up period usually still allows for a decent light beam until full output is reached, but you'll only get about 60-80% output until then.
Overall, HID boat spotlights simply outclass normal incandescent and halogen spotlights by almost every measure of performance.
Producing light beams over half a mile in length and energy-efficient, they provide a brilliant light source that is ideal for marine environments where emergencies, convenience and safety dictate the need for power without a lot of compromise.
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