LED Anchor Light
- Thread starter KZW
- Start date
I have had bad luck with replacement bulbs and eventually just replaced the whole fixture with one designed for LED.
I bought a LED replacement for the incandescent bulb two years ago. There was a lot of corrosion on the wires. The incandescent bulb was dim, indicating resistance in the wires. I cleaned them up as much as I could and installed a new fixture. My hope was the much lower current draw of the LEDs would allow it to function. LED never worked. I measured 13.5 volts at the top of the mast on Thursday when I removed the non- functioning LED. I took the LED home and connected it to a 12VDC car battery. No light
It would be nice to replace the wires, but doing it properly would require removal of the mast and I’m not prepared (and lack a facility) to do so. The wire conduit in the roller furling mast is not large in cross section and trying to run wires with the mast in place seems to be beyond my ability. I use a bosun’s chair and foot stirrups, each with ascenders to climb the spinnaker halyard to the top of the mast. I also wear a climbing harness attached to the topping lift as an independent safety. That being said, my comfort level at the top of the mast is rather limited
Attachments
Has anyone used this one?
www.catalinadirect.com
LED Upgrade Navigation Hella Anchor Light
Catalina Direct, publishers of the Catalina 22 and Catalina 25 Owner's Handbooks and the largest supplier of parts and Lewmar winches for Catalina Yachts in the country
www.catalinadirect.com
My rigger replaced the anchor bulb with LED when he was up replacing the wind sensor and the steaming/deck light. Don’t remember what he used, sorry. It’s worth it to me to let him deal with those things up the mast.
Some LED bulbs are polarity sensitive, especially the less expensive ones, so swapping the wires may get it to work.
Some LED bulbs are polarity sensitive, especially the less expensive ones, so swapping the wires may get it to work.
Success. New bulb worked. Climbed the mast this morning before the heat built up and I was down by 0730. I used a Dr. LED H2492 from Defender. This is a sealed unit, unlike the LED tower I tried previously. It plugs into the OEM Hella fixture at the top of the mast. Catalina Direct sells what appears to be the same bulb under the Hella brand, Part #: Z3481. Both are rather pricey for what they are. This ends a two year saga. I went about it the wrong way.
- The first thing to do when checking any bulb or LED that doesn't work when you hit the switch is to check the bulb. I didn't do that. Turns out the LED tower bulb I installed two-years ago didn't function. When I went up the mast last week to check, I took down the LED tower, and wired it directly to a car battery. No light. The new H2492 illuminated just fine when I took it out of the package yesterday and connected it to the same battery.
- When the issue surfaced, I noted corrosion on the wires at the top of the mast and at the joiner (trailer connector) in the bilge at the bottom of the mast. I used a small bottle of acid and another of base. At each end I peeled the wires back, put them into the acid to clean them, then into the base solution to neutralize the acid. That is a neat trick at the top of the mast. One runs out of hands real quick. In the bilge, I cut out the car trailer connector and installed a junction box in a water proof container. I also coated the exposed wires and connectors with water repelling insulation. I was frustrated that the LED tower didn't work after doing this (I should have checked it first!!!).
- The H2492 was a drop in to the existing fixture and works. Tip: don't look directly at the LED anchor light when you ask the person below to turn on the anchor light switch. Your eyeball will be less than a foot away. By spec, the light must be seen 2 nm away. It took some minutes for my vision to clear. Not fun at the top of the mast.
- The first thing to do when checking any bulb or LED that doesn't work when you hit the switch is to check the bulb. I didn't do that. Turns out the LED tower bulb I installed two-years ago didn't function. When I went up the mast last week to check, I took down the LED tower, and wired it directly to a car battery. No light. The new H2492 illuminated just fine when I took it out of the package yesterday and connected it to the same battery.
- When the issue surfaced, I noted corrosion on the wires at the top of the mast and at the joiner (trailer connector) in the bilge at the bottom of the mast. I used a small bottle of acid and another of base. At each end I peeled the wires back, put them into the acid to clean them, then into the base solution to neutralize the acid. That is a neat trick at the top of the mast. One runs out of hands real quick. In the bilge, I cut out the car trailer connector and installed a junction box in a water proof container. I also coated the exposed wires and connectors with water repelling insulation. I was frustrated that the LED tower didn't work after doing this (I should have checked it first!!!).
- The H2492 was a drop in to the existing fixture and works. Tip: don't look directly at the LED anchor light when you ask the person below to turn on the anchor light switch. Your eyeball will be less than a foot away. By spec, the light must be seen 2 nm away. It took some minutes for my vision to clear. Not fun at the top of the mast.
Mast Climbing. This is probably overkill but I'm including it for completeness. The classic way to get to the top of the mast is to sit in a Bosun's chair and be winched up on a halyard. Unfortunately, given the chair, my weight, tools, etc, that is a 240 lb dead lift for the person on the winch. The Admiral cannot do it and getting a buddy to line up their schedule with mine is an issue. It is a lot of work.
I have a climbing rope that is tied off to the spinnaker halyard, This is raised to the top of the mast. The halyard is routed to one of the main winches, wrapped, cleated, and tied off.
I use the topping lift as a safety line. It is moved forward of the shrouds and tied off at the base of the mast. It helps if both the climbing line and topping lift have little slack. The topping lift runs through a winch next to the companion way, is cleated and tied off. I wear a climbing harness. A locking gate carabiner is attached to the harness. It has a loop of rope that is tied to the topping lift with a prusik knot. You can slide this knot up and down the line, but put weight on it and it will lock up. This is a completely independent safety.
I use a Bosun's chair with a back (don't get one with just a wooden seat - lean back and over you go). If your chair has a back, you can sit, take the air, and relax for a bit. A rope from a locking gate carabiner loops to an ascender. The carabiner connects to the chair and the ascender goes onto the climbing rope. I use the climbing rope as the ascenders can chew up a halyard.
A separate ascender is connected to stirrups that go around my feet. It is connected to the climbing rope below the chair ascender. To climb: stand in the stirrups, raise the safety line prusik knot, raise the bosun chair ascender, sit in the chair, raise my feet, raise the stirrup ascender to just below the bosun chair ascender. Repeat - many times. I move up just over a foot with each cycle. I'm a 68 yr old, bald, fat guy. Once I started, it took 14 minutes to climb the mast this morning. Anyone can do this; just take it easy. It isn't a race.
One can climb up and get down by oneself. I NEVER do that. To get down, the ascenders must be moved up the climbing line a few inches to get them to release. They then can be lowered. However, to get to the top of the mast and be able to look down at the top of the mast, I need to get the ascenders up against the knot connecting the climbing rope to the spinnaker halyard. Once you do this, you cannot release the ascenders to go down. To go down, the Admiral eases the spinnaker halyard around the main winch and "gently" lowers me to the deck. (Be sure you are on good terms with the Admiral before starting the climb). I need to slide the prusik knot on the topping lift down as we descend. You should keep the safety line with little slack (less than a foot). If the climbing line should part, you don't want to drop 240+ pounds two to three feet before the safety line becomes taught. Although the topping lift is rated at many hundreds of pounds, the sudden shock of the dead weight could cause it to part.
I have a climbing rope that is tied off to the spinnaker halyard, This is raised to the top of the mast. The halyard is routed to one of the main winches, wrapped, cleated, and tied off.
I use the topping lift as a safety line. It is moved forward of the shrouds and tied off at the base of the mast. It helps if both the climbing line and topping lift have little slack. The topping lift runs through a winch next to the companion way, is cleated and tied off. I wear a climbing harness. A locking gate carabiner is attached to the harness. It has a loop of rope that is tied to the topping lift with a prusik knot. You can slide this knot up and down the line, but put weight on it and it will lock up. This is a completely independent safety.
I use a Bosun's chair with a back (don't get one with just a wooden seat - lean back and over you go). If your chair has a back, you can sit, take the air, and relax for a bit. A rope from a locking gate carabiner loops to an ascender. The carabiner connects to the chair and the ascender goes onto the climbing rope. I use the climbing rope as the ascenders can chew up a halyard.
A separate ascender is connected to stirrups that go around my feet. It is connected to the climbing rope below the chair ascender. To climb: stand in the stirrups, raise the safety line prusik knot, raise the bosun chair ascender, sit in the chair, raise my feet, raise the stirrup ascender to just below the bosun chair ascender. Repeat - many times. I move up just over a foot with each cycle. I'm a 68 yr old, bald, fat guy. Once I started, it took 14 minutes to climb the mast this morning. Anyone can do this; just take it easy. It isn't a race.
One can climb up and get down by oneself. I NEVER do that. To get down, the ascenders must be moved up the climbing line a few inches to get them to release. They then can be lowered. However, to get to the top of the mast and be able to look down at the top of the mast, I need to get the ascenders up against the knot connecting the climbing rope to the spinnaker halyard. Once you do this, you cannot release the ascenders to go down. To go down, the Admiral eases the spinnaker halyard around the main winch and "gently" lowers me to the deck. (Be sure you are on good terms with the Admiral before starting the climb). I need to slide the prusik knot on the topping lift down as we descend. You should keep the safety line with little slack (less than a foot). If the climbing line should part, you don't want to drop 240+ pounds two to three feet before the safety line becomes taught. Although the topping lift is rated at many hundreds of pounds, the sudden shock of the dead weight could cause it to part.
In mast furling
I bought all the climbing stuff four years ago. These are the same or similar items that I found on line. If you search, you may find better stuff that is less expensive
Stirrups (need two): https://www.amazon.com/Singing-Rock...ocphy=9011596&hvtargid=pla-309380090311&psc=1
Ascenders: https://www.amazon.com/Paliston-Climbing-Ascender-Arborist Right/dp/B06XYY2XBH/ref=asc_df_B06XYY2XBH/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198101603449&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12483929587411320632&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011596&hvtargid=pla-348433502546&psc=1
Carabiner: Kong X-Large Carbon Steel Screw Sleeve Carabiner
Climbing rope: Amazon.com : X XBEN Outdoor Climbing Rope 10M(32ft) 20M(64ft) 30M (96ft) 50M(160ft) Rock Climbing Rope, Escape Rope Ice Climbing Equipment Fire Rescue Parachute Rope (32 Foot) - Orange : Sports & Outdoors
Climbing harnesses: Amazon.com : Weanas Thicken Climbing Harness, Protect Waist Safety Harness, Wider Half Body Harness for Mountaineering/Fire Rescuing/Rock Climbing/Rappelling/Tree Climbing : Sports & Outdoors
Chair: WEST MARINE Premium Bosun's Chair | West Marine