# Would like a few recommendations please.



## BennyLava

Here's what I'm going to do. I want to make some very powerful "headlights" for my pontoon boat. Something in the range of 7500-9000 lumens output. I'll need 2 of them, one for each side, and they'll be mounted on the front facing forward. Technically they'll be "docking lights" since they're on a boat. And that's when I'll be using them, to dock at night when there's no light, also to check for stumps so that I don't run over anything during my night fishing. So they'll be seeing somewhat minimal usage. Only when I'm going to and from the fishing spots, or docking. The long hours of sitting there fishing, they'll be turned off. 

I've seen the 100 watt LEDs they're selling on youtube, but they get really hot. I'd like a recommendation on the latest cree, if anyone happens to know what it is. Also, how you'd go about it, and what heatsink you'd use. I'm a pretty big noob to all this lighting design stuff, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all!


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## Rob1563

I spent some time playing with a couple of those 100 watt LEDs from eBay. Like you said there not the most efficient and optics for them aren't the best. Basically only flood unless you want to craft your own. But the biggest issue is being cheaply made and some of the little emitters inside cutting out along with a yellowish ring around the outside.


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## BennyLava

Rob1563 said:


> I spent some time playing with a couple of those 100 watt LEDs from eBay. Like you said there not the most efficient and optics for them aren't the best. Basically only flood unless you want to craft your own. But the biggest issue is being cheaply made and some of the little emitters inside cutting out along with a yellowish ring around the outside.



Now when you say optics, I'm assuming you're talking about just the lenses. I'm still a noob to all this. But on the subject of the quality of the LED itself, I was told that I shouldn't have any problems if I just stick with Cree brand. We've probably looked at a lot of the same thing, just chinese junk LEDs with the big wafers. The cree seems to be somewhat smaller for 100 watt, and puts out less heat. 

For optics I was planning to use just something out of a car headlight or something similar.


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## BennyLava

I guess nobody really does much of this.


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## Flashy808

Hmm sorry if I'm not much of a help but you could try one of these:
http://www.foursevens.com/products/XM18
It's not a flashlight since it's really quite big and is more of a search light. Try watching a video to see whether it floats your boat (pun intended). But 1 major issue would be the cost of this thing...

Otherwise you could mount/attach a couple of super throwy lumen monster lights.

But more practically I say look around on the web for search lights.


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## WeLight

Not sure if you want a finished product or a led board(like a COB chip) that you would install in a housing. If you happy to go this way, then 3 x Cree XHP50 leds on a PCB would give you around 7700 Lumens at less than 60 watts, PM if you want details


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