I like doing preventative maintainance on my '87 272, but dislike going up the stick for ANY reason. Since my Windex is in need of repair, it's probably a good time to replace the original masthead light bulb, while I'm up there and before it finally dies. I plan to use an LED bulb but have no idea what bulb style/number/base design is used up there and want to go up just one time. Anyone have a bulb number or other info, so I can purchase before I make the climb? Many thanks in advance!
Masthead bulb type
- Thread starter Rich18864
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Mine is suppose to be a combination anchor/steaming light, but has never worked well since the boat was purchased from the factory. I've paid people I trust to go up and try to figure it out and also changed the deck fitting, all to no avail. Any ideas? Patrick
The answer depends on what fixture you have up there. Best way to find out is to take zoom photos and then compare them with what you find in catalogs, then search around for the right lamp (bulb); find the regular lamp first, then search on LED websites for replacements in kind.
I should call Rudy at D & R Marine. That said, I believe it is an aqua signal...If there is a spreader light, why would it be mounted on the top of the mast...or is it just a different lens. I'm nearly certain it is an aqua signal (from the manual)...the anchor light comes on only once in awhile...and last summer I could never get it to come on..I think the deck fitting may be the issue because sometimes it will come on for a moment
wiggling the fitting....pat
wiggling the fitting....pat
I know it's a pain in the butt to take a 272 mast down, but you may be better off doing that if you haven't done it in years. You could go through your standing rigging and check your T-Bar fittings if you have them.
Sometimes it's easier to clean the electrical contacts including the metal on the bulb itself with a Dremel tool wire brush attachment wheel. A lot of times, the problem is just a bad contact due to a little corrosion or dull metal contacts. Being able to do this on the ground is a lot easier especially if you need to check the cable inside the mast or even replace the mast head light.
The bulb in my mast head light has lasted many years. I really don't use it that much but I had a problem with it that turned out to be just bad contacts. The Dremel Tool solved that problem. Personally, I can get along pretty well without the anchor light and I did just that for over three years until I finally fixed it. For me though, a screwed up Windex is well worth the effort of taking my mast down but then, my mast is lighter in weight and easier to lower that a 272 mast.
Sometimes it's easier to clean the electrical contacts including the metal on the bulb itself with a Dremel tool wire brush attachment wheel. A lot of times, the problem is just a bad contact due to a little corrosion or dull metal contacts. Being able to do this on the ground is a lot easier especially if you need to check the cable inside the mast or even replace the mast head light.
The bulb in my mast head light has lasted many years. I really don't use it that much but I had a problem with it that turned out to be just bad contacts. The Dremel Tool solved that problem. Personally, I can get along pretty well without the anchor light and I did just that for over three years until I finally fixed it. For me though, a screwed up Windex is well worth the effort of taking my mast down but then, my mast is lighter in weight and easier to lower that a 272 mast.
Thanks, we did have the mast down maybe 3 years ago and forgot to check it as you
suggest. When we put it back up that spring, it worked fine for several months then quit
working entirely...except once in a while, we could jiggle the deck connection and get to come on...but not at all last summer...I will consider this if we get it down this spring to check everything out...I guess it could be a circuit breaker but I'm doubtful if that could be possible. pat
suggest. When we put it back up that spring, it worked fine for several months then quit
working entirely...except once in a while, we could jiggle the deck connection and get to come on...but not at all last summer...I will consider this if we get it down this spring to check everything out...I guess it could be a circuit breaker but I'm doubtful if that could be possible. pat
Thanks for the responses. Yeah, that's part of the problem----knowing what sort of light fixture is up there. I can see it from down on the marina walkway and it appears to be just an everyday clear lenses 180 degree light, mounted on the top of the mast. But, the bulb? Is it like a single contact 1156 auto bulb? Is it a vertically aligned festoon bulb? There's no telling what's under the clear lens. I don't want to change the entire light, just the bulb. As much as I detest going up that high, it seems that climbing X2 is going to happen. My current bulb works fine now, but it's a filament bulb from years ago and it's not a matter of if, but when, it will burn out. All the more reason to put an LED up there and forget it. Plus, we sail year round here and night sailing, without a lot of other traffic, is mighty nice.
Rich,
Check Rudy's site. http://www.drmarine.com/categories.asp?cat=76 Maybe you can recognize the fixture.
My mast head light has a bulb with a contact at each end and it's a 5 watt 12 volt bulb. You may be better off changing the fixture to a LED fixture.
When I fixed my mast head light, I removed my steaming light along with the wires going to it. I have Z-Spar with internal halyards and one of the wires got torn loose.
I had to cut the coax connector off to remove the wiring from the top of my mast.
This presented a big problem because even though I had enough wire to install a new connector, the semi conductor was so corroded that I had to wind up replacing the whole length of coax in the mast. Of course, "Worst Marine" was the only place I could get a long length of coax in a hurry and they charged me $1.99 a foot for it.
Try not to cut your coax cable if you can help it. I probably could have bought it on line a lot cheaper but I was in a bind. Such is life.
Good luck!
Joe
Check Rudy's site. http://www.drmarine.com/categories.asp?cat=76 Maybe you can recognize the fixture.
My mast head light has a bulb with a contact at each end and it's a 5 watt 12 volt bulb. You may be better off changing the fixture to a LED fixture.
When I fixed my mast head light, I removed my steaming light along with the wires going to it. I have Z-Spar with internal halyards and one of the wires got torn loose.
I had to cut the coax connector off to remove the wiring from the top of my mast.
This presented a big problem because even though I had enough wire to install a new connector, the semi conductor was so corroded that I had to wind up replacing the whole length of coax in the mast. Of course, "Worst Marine" was the only place I could get a long length of coax in a hurry and they charged me $1.99 a foot for it.
Try not to cut your coax cable if you can help it. I probably could have bought it on line a lot cheaper but I was in a bind. Such is life. Good luck!
Joe
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