DBot5 Lights

[ragboy]

I have the E Series tower on the 24Ve, and there isn't very many vertical or horizontal tubes to install accessories on. I found some GREAT adjustable dual surfracks from DBot5, and they work great. The clamp is completely adjustable for any angle.

Well, with my infinity tower speakers, lights have been a bit of a problem. A bar won't work. I have looked AT EVERY light bar and light system out there, and settled on the DBot5 one, with 2 3 light mounts in a boomerang setup. They looked pretty sexy, but I don't have much room on either side of my speakers with the anchor light in the middle. They seemed like the best bet, so I ordered from wakeside.



Well they just came in and wow. These things are REALLY sexy. And they are smaller than they seem online, so they will be PERFECT. I am going to try to install them tomorrow, and will post pictures. I can't wait. We go 2-3 times a week in the afternoons, and don't come off the lake til after 9pm, and the lights are needed.

[da.bell]

I like the racks and they look like they can fit kneeboards or a thick wakesurf board in them. Am I see things or what?

How is the mirror arm working out? I know you only installed it yesterday but thought I would ask.

[ragboy]

I like the racks and they look like they can fit kneeboards or a thick wakesurf board in them. Am I see things or what?

How is the mirror arm working out? I know you only installed it yesterday but thought I would ask.

So far so good on the mirror arm, but it is much less stable than windshield. It moves a lot. Its not the arm, just the tower movement. But I see much better, so I do like it better.

Yes, those racks are the AXL PL II from DBot5.



They are designed for surfboards/kneeboards, and I use them for surfboards. One of the coolest things about them, is most surf racks only hold one, this holds 2, and there is an addon you can get to make it hold 3!

Check it out.

[five o'clock]

Wow nice looking stuff. Post some pics when you get the lights insatlled. I'm really interested to see how they fit.

[da.bell]

Better yet. Do a DIY write up...

[ragboy]

Better yet. Do a DIY write up...

I am probably going to have the lights installed by the guy who did my stereo. I don't have that much time. 6 kids, homeschooled, my own company, no mo time.

But I will post when done.

I am going to point 2 lights at arrowhead forward, and the others back. Hook up front lights to my tower front switch, and aft lights to my tower aft switch. I am going to see if I can also have the front lights on the dock lights switch. So I can have front and rear on if I want, or separate. I have moved the transom light already to the dock light switch, since I have my stereo system on the ACC switch.

[da.bell]

I am probably going to have the lights installed by the guy who did my stereo. I don't have that much time. 6 kids, homeschooled, my own company, no mo time.

Damn and I thought I was busy. 5 boys, two dogs, two cats, and almost a 1/3 of an acre in yard work going on.

[ragboy]

Damn and I thought I was busy. 5 boys, two dogs, two cats, and almost a 1/3 of an acre in yard work going on.

You know how it is, if I do it, thats time I gotta make up elsewhere. 3x a week to lake is agressive for us, and I don't want to take away from that. So paid installer it is. Plus, this kid did a REAL nice job on my stereo, and I am sure will do a better job then me.

[Kimmer322]

I've got the dbot5 lights - here is the link.
http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4238

I haven't been out in the real darkness so I cannot say how well they light up the area. I would be curious what wattage lights you get. Mine of 35watt and I thought I read 55watt. When I tried to change to 50watt I blew the fuse. I'm no electrician so I put the 35's back in.

[wetsounds1]

To those with the DBOT5 lights and racks. I realize you are happy with you purchase right now. I don't mean to bring you bad news but figure I should warn you of the problems I had with them.

The lights rusted after 3 months on the boat and one caught on fire. We were sitting at the dock with them on giving some light while we wiped down because it was late and one started smoking and then caught fire on the wire right out of the light and started burning down the wire. Luckily we were on land in the boat and had a wet towel in my hand. They sent a new light pod and they have been fine since. But could have been much worse.

I put my boat up over the winter in storage. 3 months later I come back and all the lights had rusted and pitted sitting over the winter. They are all like that now.

So be careful and watch them and make sure you wipe them down and put some wax on them. We are in fresh water only as well. I can try to get some pics up because I still have not found the time to try to polish them.

As for how well they light up. I will put it this way, they don’t. They do look cool and if all you want is decoration on your tower, they will work. But that is it. They do not do anything at night as far as help light anything up. They are just there for looks. I will probably not even do lights on my new boat.

As for the racks. I have the dual wakeboard with the surf board strap on. The first 2 strap ons I got did not line up with the racks. So they sent 2 more. Those were better but still didn't line up so I had to drill new holes to even get them to work. One I got them up. They looked fine.

Once we got on the water it was a different story. The wake racks are fine but the surf rack will not hold any of our boards. All are thinner type surf boards. This rack will not hold any of them. So we cannot even use the surf racks while running as the boards will slide out.

The strap on surf rack will only work with a thick real type surfboard or kneeboard.

So all in all. I cannot recommend any of their products. I have had first hand experience with them and have had problems with every single one.

I hope that ya'll have better luck with them.

Tim

[ragboy]

To those with the DBOT5 lights and racks. I realize you are happy with you purchase right now. I don't mean to bring you bad news but figure I should warn you of the problems I had with them.

The lights rusted after 3 months on the boat and one caught on fire. We were sitting at the dock with them on giving some light while we wiped down because it was late and one started smoking and then caught fire on the wire right out of the light and started burning down the wire. Luckily we were on land in the boat and had a wet towel in my hand. They sent a new light pod and they have been fine since. But could have been much worse.

I put my boat up over the winter in storage. 3 months later I come back and all the lights had rusted and pitted sitting over the winter. They are all like that now.

So be careful and watch them and make sure you wipe them down and put some wax on them. We are in fresh water only as well. I can try to get some pics up because I still have not found the time to try to polish them.

As for how well they light up. I will put it this way, they don’t. They do look cool and if all you want is decoration on your tower, they will work. But that is it. They do not do anything at night as far as help light anything up. They are just there for looks. I will probably not even do lights on my new boat.

As for the racks. I have the dual wakeboard with the surf board strap on. The first 2 strap ons I got did not line up with the racks. So they sent 2 more. Those were better but still didn't line up so I had to drill new holes to even get them to work. One I got them up. They looked fine.

Once we got on the water it was a different story. The wake racks are fine but the surf rack will not hold any of our boards. All are thinner type surf boards. This rack will not hold any of them. So we cannot even use the surf racks while running as the boards will slide out.

The strap on surf rack will only work with a thick real type surfboard or kneeboard.

So all in all. I cannot recommend any of their products. I have had first hand experience with them and have had problems with every single one.

I hope that ya'll have better luck with them.

Tim

I don't know about the fire, I will watch, but you are in texas, pretty darn humid there. Probably take a lot more to do that here in california. But I will watch. My main reason for liking dbot, has been the clamp style, and the surf racks were just what I was looking for.

We will see.

[wetsounds1]

yeah, one of them started smoldering and smoking right where the wire comes out of the back of the light. Then a little flame popped up and tons of smoke started coming out. I hit the switch to turn them off and put the wet towel on them. Not a fun deal. They were wired up with the DBOT5 wiring harness as well. And I had a full set of relays and fused etc...So they were wired up perfect.

Could have been a fluke deal. Who knows.

Tim

[jkeville]

Same thing happened

I had the same thing happen to DBot5 light on my 24ve last week - one began smoldering and started to catch fire the second time i used it. The first time - it blew a fuse. They look cool, but get very hot to the touch in a very short time. my tige dealer mechanic double checked the wiring and says he believes it to be a manufacturers defect.

Going to send the burnt out light back to the manufacturer, but not sure if i would trust this not to happen again. Don't need a fire on a boat with a bunch of kids...

also have the surf rack and other than getting snagged on the boat lift,we love it.

[wakeboarder247]

Yikes! Two different fire instances.. that's SCARY!

[chpthril]

Yikes! Two different fire instances.. that's SCARY!

NO CHIT