Masthead Anchor Light

[Kings Gambit]

My rigger installed an LED masthead anchor light in 2018. He’s not available to chat with. The light worked OK for a few years then it would not illuminate until several minutes to hr after switched on, and then remain on all night. Now, it does not illuminate at all. An intermittent short or wire corrosion up-top seems the best guess. But how would that symptomize the delay in coming on (illuminating) and then staying on? Putting off a trip up the mast until the last option.
KG

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

What are we missing here? Does The on/off breaker switch not work? (Implied by your description it doesn’t shut off).
May be bad breaker, intermittent breaker connection, intermittent connection at the light, the mast base, bad LED, etc…

 

[Kings Gambit]

What are we missing here? Does The on/off breaker switch not work? (Implied by your description it doesn’t shut off).
May be bad breaker, intermittent breaker connection, intermittent connection at the light, the mast base, bad LED, etc…

What I meant is that it stays on (instead of winking out) as long as the switch is on after a long delay in the light coming on after it is switched on.

 

[jssailem]

Here is a link to a smorgasbord of possible causes for LED lights to be fickle to start or fail to light.

Why Do LED Lights Delay Turning On? Causes & Solutions Explained | ledlightplanet

Discover why your LED lights take a moment to turn on. Learn about power fluctuations, temperature effects, capacitor charging, and smart fixes to minimize LED startup delays.

ledlightplanet.com

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

What I meant is that it stays on (instead of winking out) as long as the switch is on after a long delay in the light coming on after it is switched on.

So it seems there is a delay in going on? Have to checked voltage and verified any connections are good?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Is there a daylight/night time feature built into the light?

 

[Kings Gambit]

Is there a daylight/night time feature built into the light?

Interesting question; I don’t think so but do not know. The mast was down when I asked my rigger to replace the 10 watt halogen with an LED. Never this problem b/f that. After a time I would switch (at the panel) on the light but it did illuminate right away. I discovered that if I left the switch on it might illuminate minutes to hours later, or sometime during the night it would come on. The worsening problem now suggests advancing corrosion or bad connection, I suppose. It’s hard to schedule rigging service here. My guy who installed the LED passed away three yr ago @ 62 . I’m checking out the panel switch and breaker today b/c I’m going to need it working soon.

 

[JBP-PA]

It could be corrosion at the masthead, but check all accessible connections first, especially if you have a connector at the base of the mast. Check with a volt meter and ideally a test load.

 

[LloydB]

I'd be tempted to take a 12 Volt battery to the base of the mast connector and temporarily power the lamp from there to see if the results are the same. That could save a trip to the top to then find out the socket connections are just fine. Half measures and alligator clips can sometimes be a reasonable source of problem solving to those who may scoff at VOMs.

 

[dLj]

I'd be tempted to take a 12 Volt battery to the base of the mast connector and temporarily power the lamp from there to see if the results are the same. That could save a trip to the top to then find out the socket connections are just fine. Half measures and alligator clips can sometimes be a reasonable source of problem solving to those who may scoff at VOMs.

+1 - that's actually one of the uses that I use my portable 12V starter pack for instead of schlepping around a random 12V battery. The jumpers for the starter pack are already there...

dj

 

[Kings Gambit]

It could be corrosion at the masthead, but check all accessible connections first, especially if you have a connector at the base of the mast. Check with a volt meter and ideally a test load.

I love this forum! So, yeah. I do have inside access to the base of the deck-stepped mast where the wires come in. Opened that up, jiggled a few wires and one came out of the crimped terminal. Got a new terminal, crimped it to the wire, screwed that one back on to the terminal block, flipped switch and we have a working masthead anchor light! Thanks for the replies.