Onboard lighting now controlled through touchscreen
June 19, 2023
For drivers of modern cars, the ability to fine-tune a wide range of vehicle systems through a touchscreen is nothing new. With NMEA 2000® and the new Light Commander PLUS, Shadow-Caster has brought this same convenient fingertip control over interior, exterior and navigation lighting to boat owners.
Until now, powerboat dashes and consoles would have an array of space-consuming on/off buttons for lighting. On a sailboat, the switch panel was inconveniently just inside the companionway. With the Light Commander PLUS, all the boat’s lights can be controlled from the same NMEA 2000-networked multifunction screen used for navigation, monitoring fuel levels and playing music.
The Light Commander PLUS will control up to six lighting zones and can be expanded to accommodate up to 18. Boat owners can customize and save a library of lighting scenes such as soft overnight ambient illumination or everything-on party mode. Depending on the lamp itself, individual lights can be adjusted for brightness, fade, color and music sync. A video is at www.bit.ly/LightCommanderPLUS.
As owners increasingly see the value in centralized lighting control, manufacturers are adding this premium amenity to more of their boats. One such builder is SeaHunter Boats. It’s now integrating the innovative Light Commander PLUS into its full line of monohull and catamaran offshore center consoles. It’s this kind of standard feature that sets builders like SeaHunter apart from its competition.
Extremely compact, the Light Commander PLUS is sized to fit into even the smallest dash or console. The IP67-rated enclosure is a mere 8.9″ L x 4.75″ W x 1.8″ H. With a 10V to 30V input range, it supports 15A per RGB(W) zone with a maximum of 60A. Deutsch connectors allow for fast and easy wiring.
www.shadow-caster.com.
