Bulb Replacement

[tgrass462]

In researching for a proposed solar panel this spring on my H-260 - I did an energy audit. I never realized how much energy was being used by my cabin, running and mast lights!

Question - can I replace the standard incandescent bulbs that came with the boat with LED bulbs of the same physical size? Is it a direct swap - or - will I have to replace light fixtures along they way?

Tom Grass
Grasshopper III
Lake Carlyle (St. Louis)

 

[Bill Roosa]

Yes, since nav and anchor lights are safety items you will want to make sure the ones you purchase are USCG approved. A lot of "led nav" lights are not correctly configured to give the right illumination angles required or are not bright enough to be used as navigation lights.

 

[egodsey]

Tracy,

I suggest you "search" on this website for the term LED. There have been several posts with useful information on which LED products have been successfully installed in incandescent fixtures.

Here's my experience: I bought a 1985 Hunter 25.5 last year about this time ... and spent much of the spring and summer refitting her. Thus I have been through at least one '85 vintage 25.5 from stem to stern ... including converting essentially all of lighting over to LEDs.

There are four incandescent cabin lights and two florescent fixtures. I opted to replace all of the incandescent cabin lights with LEDs. I found suitable replacements for both the bayonet blubs and the festoon bulbs at http://www.superbrightleds.com. Thus I was able to switch over to LEDs without replacing the fixtures. (I left the fluorescent lights in the galley and the head intact. And I also reused the Aqua Signal chart light.)

For the running/navigation lights I went to http://www.DoctorLED.com. They have festoon blubs compatible with the Aqua Signal series 25 running lights ... and festoon bulbs compatible with the Perko steaming light and anchor light. (FYI. I also replaced the lens on all of these lights. It might have been less expensive to purchase new LED fixtures all around ... but I was trying to keep the boat as "original" as possible.) One key issue for me was that the DoctorLED "LED bulbs" are rated for use in marine navigation lights.

Regards,

Ernest Godsey, P.E. - inactive

Godsey Technical Associates, LLC
Phone 512-351-8023
Fax 512-351-8627
Mobile 512-413-9552
E-mail egodsey@GodseyTech.com
Web www.GodseyTech.com

 

[kloudie1]

I have used these guys http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=72
Typically, ya gonna need 80 or more lumens .. and the LED's need to emit toward where ya want the light. The warm white is nice..

I used this one in a reading lamp and really like it: http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=757