LED anchor bulb find

Skipper

Skipper

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Oct 9, 2008
1,742
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
LED's are not new, but I can still find specialty items to geek out on.

This is a bay15 double contact bulb. The difference is that it has a bulb-like enclosure, unlike many which have the diodes and electronics exposed. This one may be better as an anchor bulb, providing double the protection under the fixture lens.

It uses 54ma (.054a), or .68w. Which is about 1/15th the energy of the old 10w incandescent. So it uses pretty close to zero power. Yet it has slightly more lumens. I got the warm white version.
And it was $7.
I've ordered other bulbs from this company, including red wedge bulbs for the control panel, a 9s warm white for the chart light, etc. they have many specialty bulbs that Marinebeam doesn't, and they're priced better.
https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...ock-cover-12-smd-led-ba15d-retrofit-car/1978/

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Terry Cox

Terry Cox

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Dec 25, 2000
6,052
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Thanks Skipper. Checked out their site. Need a 31mm festoon style sealed LED bulb for my stern light. Marine Beam has one but not in a sealed unit. The one I purchased lasted less than a season before the exposed components became corroded and failed. No plan at the moment to produce a sealed version. I like MB's LED because it puts out 80 lumens. According to the site you posted it has a sealed version but it puts out only 19 lumens, possibly not enough to meet CG regs. Great prices, however. Thanks again.
 
Skipper

Skipper

.
Oct 9, 2008
1,742
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
Terry Cox said:
Thanks Skipper. Checked out their site. Need a 31mm festoon style sealed LED bulb for my stern light. Marine Beam has one but not in a sealed unit. The one I purchased lasted less than a season before the exposed components became corroded and failed. No plan at the moment to produce a sealed version. I like MB's LED because it puts out 80 lumens. According to the site you posted it has a sealed version but it puts out only 19 lumens, possibly not enough to meet CG regs. Great prices, however. Thanks again.
Click to expand
I think MB would warranty that failed bulb.
Is the fixture the Aqua Signal 25?
 
Skipper

Skipper

.
Oct 9, 2008
1,742
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
Just to add more geekery to the power analysis:
At that consumption rate, if you had 2x group-27 batteries, you could leave the anchor light on all winter with no charging and not kill them.
It wouldn't be good for the batts, but you could do it if you had to.
Or put in a little 10w solar panel and controller for little cost.

A more likely scenario would be tied up to a mooring in a dark field, where you may not be required to display anchor light but it sure would be safer.
You could leave the boat there for a week or 2 with the anchor light on, while you explore an island or visit friends/relatives, and have no significant effect on the SOC of even a single battery.
 
Skipper

Skipper

.
Oct 9, 2008
1,742
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
Terry Cox said:
Hi Skipper, here is our stern light. https://www.amazon.com/Perko-1332DP...sr=8-26&keywords=perko+stern+lights+for+boats Takes a 31mm festoon style bulb. Tried the warranty angle with Marine beam, but no luck. Thanks.
Click to expand
The 2 overheads in my salon aft were 31mm incandescents. I ordered 38mm warm white LED's (link and pic below), and bent the fixture contacts slightly out to fit.
It actually made better contact, as there was more spring pressure from the contacts.
They've been running over a year no problems.
They use 1w, equivalent to 10-15w incandescent. Which would be good for coastal nav lights. And all of that light fires in one 120 degree direction, not wasted on the fixture interior. Stern light spec is 135 degrees so it's pretty close, and the lens would transmit the reflection to 135.
They are noticeably brighter than the old 10w bulbs.
And they're $5. Order spares.
You could seal that fixture with Life Seal, a plastic-friendly silicone adhesive that can be pried open if the bulb fails, which it shouldn't for 30 years or so if the lens is sealed. :)
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/festoon/3710-led-bulb-6-smd-led-festoon-38mm-car/2160/5267/

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D

Deleted member 117556

Buying the bulb is easy but installing it not so much. Any pictures of the installation? Here is my installation...
0302181545001.jpg
 
Skipper

Skipper

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Oct 9, 2008
1,742
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
Cat 310 #1 in GA said:
Buying the bulb is easy but installing it not so much. Any pictures of the installation? Here is my installation...
View attachment 148291
Click to expand
Yep. I have a MastMate mast climber. Although I sent a guy up it this time who's got stronger legs than me, since it required going all the way up and I wanted him to retape my spreader boots anyway; I can't lean that far out with only my legs for support and work with both hands. You can't lay on the spreaders since there's no vertical support at the shrouds. Maybe they'll hold me but why risk bending them. :)
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Terry Cox

Terry Cox

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Dec 25, 2000
6,052
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
ggrizzard said:
Terry, Why did Marine Beam deny your replacement request?
Click to expand
Mainly because that bulb is not designed for the external marine environment, IMHO. The components of the bulb are exposed to exterior corrosion. The bulb might work fine inside, but on the stern, not. Also, it had been over a year by the time I had called, well past a warranty period.

MB makes a high quality LED. All our other internal and external bulbs are MB and I remain very pleased with their performance and reliability. This particular bulb is just not suited or designed for the application.
 
ggrizzard

ggrizzard

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May 27, 2004
2,059
Hunter 30_74-83 Ponce Inlet FL
Fair enough. Thanks.
BTW, all my bulbs are Marine Beam as well.
 
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