Electricity has always been a scarce commodity for us. Lights really
are the only essential component, but I have grown accustomed to
refrigeration and the computer ( a 12VDC mini-itx unit built in with a
19" LCD monitor, also 12VDC)...and then of course there are the lights
and the various pumps.

To make the long story short I've been converting the lights over to
LEDs so I can still have cold drinks and bang on the keyboard without
worrying if I'll have enough juice to see and be seen. The Anchor/Tri-
color was the first. It was great; 12 amp hours down to about 1...it
was expensive up front but made me less of a electricity nazi.

I experimented with cheaper alternatives for the interior lighting,
but because of component cost I was having difficulty finding workable
solutions that agreed with my miserly ways...that is until I was
poking around eBay. I stumbled on:

30 Red Surface Mount LED 19 in Strip Super Bright Light

It was 12VDC. It was 24 bucks to my door. I'll give it a shot.

Four days later I make 3 little stainless clips and mount the strip
over the Nav Station, *in the packing tube it came in*; I tossed in a
sleek rocker SPST rocker switch and it is bright; it is red; it is
perfect.

Cool. What else can I do?

30 Warm White Surface Mount SMD SMT LED 19 in Strip 12V

Same thing different color. I pick the warm white over plain white
because I like the color temp...but it's the same deal. They can be
ganged sequentially so I get 4 of these buggers. Two by two, port and
starboard in the salon/galley. They are bright, warm, and use a
fraction of the electricity the fluorescent light used...why stop
now? I go crazy.

Lot of 10 x Under Cabinet G4 Light Warm White LED 12V for about 10
bucks a piece, plus a wad of cheap prewired MR16/MR11 sockets to plug
them into....

I'm sticking these things everywhere the sun don't shine...and liking
it.

In the aft cabin the fluoro fixture was crapping out. I gutted it and
screwed in 3 sockets and popped in 3 of those LEDs. On the other side
I dropped in 2- 4 Red LED Surface Mount 12 Volt Modules and re-used
the SPDT switch that was already there. The white side might be too
bright and I might take out one of the LEDs

I also tried one of the larger 120 lumen G4 LEDs. It is so bright I
went to Lowe's and picked up a 16 dollar gooseneck light fixture; took
out the halogen bulb; cut off the AC plug and wired it up for the
workbench.

The upshot is the solar panels now keep up and I don't have to fire up
the engine or start the generator just to charge batteries.

.....and most importantly my wife says to me, "Thanks for the LEDs; I
can see much better."