My anchor/steaming light isn't working. Replaced bulbs, no change. Battery is fine. Suspect the problem is in the screw connection at the mast. Anyone else had this problem and found the solution?
Anchor light
- Thread starter Bill Jones
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I have this problem seasonally, ususally the connector from mast to hull connecter for me. Once wire rubbed thru at top of mast and shorted. A lot of rubber tape cured that for the last 20 yrs.
Be sure contacts are clean, corrosion free and fit tight in connector.
Hey Bill
since you are having problems on both circuits I'd be checking the sharied ground wire first. Probably comes down the mast as two seperate grounds then combines. If both went out at the same time then somewhere between where they combine and where they ground to the batts is in question. Where would corrosion be the worst in that part of the circuit?
since you are having problems on both circuits I'd be checking the sharied ground wire first. Probably comes down the mast as two seperate grounds then combines. If both went out at the same time then somewhere between where they combine and where they ground to the batts is in question. Where would corrosion be the worst in that part of the circuit?
I had the same issue, however my solution was perhaps different. First I tested the lights by disconnecting at the base of the mast. I removed the watertight male and female plugs to bare wire. I then tested the lights with the use of my 12V cordless drill battery. Both steamer and anchor worked. Then I went to the spaghetti bowl of wires behind the breaker panel and figured out that the wires had been mixed up, so only when I had certain switches live, did the anchor light work. The steamer never worked. The wires and switches were sorted out. I made fresh cut/stripped ends and tinned all wires. With a new connector male/female set up, I sealed the connections with shrink tubing. After testing, I closed the breaker panel and labeled with the P-Touch machine.
I am not sure which anchor light you have but most were the two bulb type with a divider used as a steaming light and/or anchor light..
In most cases, it was the connection at the deck plug. That is where to look or concentrate at. In most cases, it was taking the wires out and cleaning. If you have to, take the base out and clean and rebed with silicone.
I woulld take a meter or light checker to make sure you have power to the deck plug portion to make sure I have power there.
crazy
In most cases, it was the connection at the deck plug. That is where to look or concentrate at. In most cases, it was taking the wires out and cleaning. If you have to, take the base out and clean and rebed with silicone.
I woulld take a meter or light checker to make sure you have power to the deck plug portion to make sure I have power there.
crazy
Most times it's been a poor contact at the mast connection on my boat. A quick scuff of the male pins with some sandpaper and a spray of contact cleaner on both connectors fixes it. I have had a wire break off the mast side of the connector inside the connector before. The connector can be disassembled, and the loose wire stripped back and reconnected. You can do a quick check with a multimeter to find this. The larger diameter male pin is the common ground. There should be continuity between each of the smaller pins and the larger pin. This checks each bulb circuit up the mast and through the bulb.
I'd like to replace the steaming/anchor light on my 23.5, but haven;t been able to identify what make/model it is, or where to find a replacement? The one I have is as crazy dave describes above - 2 bulbs with a divider. The base plate is about 2" diameter.
Also, does anyone know if LED bulbs are available to fit
Also, does anyone know if LED bulbs are available to fit
If those are festoon bulbs, note the bulb's length and the shape of the bulb's terminal ends. Then check out superbrightlights.com and yachtlights.com as potential sources for your LED replacement.polaris211 said:
Kind regards
Hugh
- Dec 25, 2009
- 269
Just for your FYI, I had no working anchor/mast light on my boat when I bought it and ended up re wiring my mast completely using LEDs. Since all most all the Sailboat Mast lights were obscenely expensive, I really searched and found a Manufacturer of LED sailboat lighting in Fiji of all places. I got a light from him and he claimed that I would always be able to tell my boat in an anchorage because it would have the brightest mast light.
He was right, it was very bright and very inexpensive. Here is what I got. The guy makes a great product.
http://www.bebi-electronics.com/masina.html
Tom...
He was right, it was very bright and very inexpensive. Here is what I got. The guy makes a great product.
http://www.bebi-electronics.com/masina.html
Tom...
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