In preparation for our North Channel cruise I installed a Ritchie Explorer compass in the port side bulkhead. I know we won't be sailing at night in the channel but we do sail at night quite a bit at home so I hooked the light up. Yes, I know which direction I am going at home, that isn't the point. Pointless to have a compass you can't see at night so I tied it into the bow position light circuit so whenever we have the running lights on the compass light will be on. Worked great and the compass had a nice soft glow. Only problem was that when I looked at our onboard LED volt/amp gauge, love that meter, I noticed I was drawing over one amp from the battery. Being very power frugal, I decided that having one wedge bulb in a compass that pulled .8 of an amp wasn't going to cut it. Ritchie offered a led upgrade kit for 25 bucks. If I am frugal with my amps you ought to see me with my wallet. Upon further inspection the compass used a standard 194 wedge bulb. A quick Google search and I found this LED replacement wedge bulb for 2.99. https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...b-4-led-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/198/863/ The new bulb came to our PO box in 2 days and inserted right into the socket of the compass. I verified that it creates no disturbance to the compass when it is on and the best part is only pulls .02 amps. I could not tell any difference in the light each bulb produced, but I think the LED was a touch softer. I could have gotten the led in several different color options but I went with white as I with a white face compass card I was afraid a different color might have made it hard to read. My only issue, and this is a compass issue, is the that there is a slot below the compass card that is cut into the globe of the compass that allows room for the globe to pivot around the bulb. With the angle of the bulkhead I had to tilt the globe and it allows light to leak through that groove. Will have to find some white tape to seal that crack with as of course the light that comes through that crack is much brighter than the light glow inside the compass.
I am back down to right at a half amp total draw for our lights so all is right in the world and I can sleep easy again.
Sam
I am back down to right at a half amp total draw for our lights so all is right in the world and I can sleep easy again.
Sam
