Masthead LED lignts...

patrik.lindr · Aug 12, 2015

Hi, I am currently impovising with using waterproof LED strip as a masthead light, I'll let you know the results in a few weeks when I am back. The price is about $8 a metre. Patrik

tiempo2010 · Aug 12, 2015

Hardly legal and certainly not lit in the correct sector.

pelagicasd · Aug 12, 2015

Brian, the more popular lights and I'm thinking Hella and Aqua signal can take incandescent bulbs as well as LED bulbs. My clear lens take 1O watt bulbs and the colored ones take 25 watt bulbs. The masthead strobe is another kind. Are you having trouble with all of your bulbs or just the masthead. If the masthead is it the tricolor, the anchor or the strobe? There are LED replacements for the more common incandescents and if it is the strobe there might be a replacement for that also. We used to wrap a foot of reflective tape around the mast below the gooseneck. Coming back to the boat by dingy at night in a crowded anchorage was difficult. With the tape we would just shine the flashlight until our mast reflected back. Seems like LED light strips could be an alternative. WaltTo: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.comFrom: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.comDate: Wed, 12 Aug 2015 07:42:00 -0700Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Re: Masthead LED lignts...

Hardly legal and certainly not lit in the correct sector.

tim_klynn · Aug 12, 2015

I have a Orca Green Marine (OGM) tricolor masthead light that has a failed seal. I called them a while back, and they will repair it. If I can find the receipt, it will be a small fee, otherwise it was something like $150. -Tim

tiempo2010 · Aug 12, 2015

The "masthead" light is a steaming light and the anchor light is referred to as "all round" in Colregs. Changing a fixture from incandescent to Led is done often, but you end up with a non-approved light. The Tricolor Led light I like is the Lunasea. http://www.lunasealighting.com/prod...ght-fixture/led-navigation-fixtures-and-bulbs

pelagicasd · Aug 13, 2015

West Marine sells Dr. LED bulbs as replacement navigation light bulbs and says they meet coast guard requirements (at least in the USA). One of the reviewers cautions that they emit radio frequency interference which obliterates a mast head VHF antennae's ability to transmit. that confirms groundhog's observation. So probably not a good plan to have one in the tricolor and if using one in a masthead anchor light remember to turn it off when transmitting. Anchor lights are a white all around light and actually are not required to be mounted at the masthead. I personally feel that they should be multicolored in layered pattern. Picking out an anchor light on a moonless and cloudless light can be difficult with all of the stars shining in all of their glory. I miss those remote Mexican anchorages!West Marine also has articles in their catalog and on their website called the west advisor. one of the things they discuss is navigation lights and International Rules. They also show a diagram of the required lights and their visibility requirements. The "masthead" or steaming light is not typically carried at the masthead and on Lyric is a combination deck light/steaming light by Forespar. Its mounted about 10 feet below the VHF antennae. I don't know how far away it has to be to not interfere with the VHF but I'm not using a LED in it anyway. Walt To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.comFrom: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.comDate: Wed, 12 Aug 2015 20:20:33 -0700Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Re: Masthead LED lignts...

The "masthead" light is a steaming light and the anchor light is referred to as "all round" in Colregs. Changing a fixture from incandescent to Led is done often, but you end up with a non-approved light. The Tricolor Led light I like is the Lunasea. http://www.lunasealighting.com/prod...ght-fixture/led-navigation-fixtures-and-bulbs

n4lbl · Aug 13, 2015

Walt:It isn't wild-and-crazy far-fetched for an LED "power supply" (likely constant current accepting a wide range of voltages) to generate noise that gets into the 12 volt line throughout the boat. It does seem far-fetched to affect transmit only. In fact, it likely is receive only. Am I mistaken?Solving a noise problem is often easy at a lab bench. Part way up a mast even when the mast is horizontal on crutches may not be easy. I have no experience there.Alan

wisdomracing · Aug 13, 2015

Most LED consumer products on the market today are 12 volts (3 diodes in series w/ resistor) and do not require a power supply unless being used on land (110-120 volts AC input). If you have LEDs on your boat that require power supplies then you are not making efficient use of your available stored energy since you'll be losing out on the conversion...and possibly causing interference. Some of the LED drivers I sell do create interference. Additionally, for those with old housings that are good but that are no longer lighting up, consider purchasing LED strip (the waterproof kind) and installing one section (3 diodes) inside the housing. I did this with the original bow navigation lights and the results were excellent. I also used the LED strip lighting I sell to convert the original interior dome lights to LED. Worked great, I sell (and use) 5630 diodes exclusively due to their being the brightest of the three most common size (3528, 5050, 5630). You can see a post on my website I made about the difference: http://heracolights.com/2014/03/10/3528-vs-5050-vs-5630-led-smd-diodes/Jacob

n4lbl · Aug 13, 2015

The power supplies that I was thinking of were items like "buck pucks" which are constant current supplies. My flash-lights (torches on the other side of the pond) have them too. The good side is that they keep up the light as the battery degrades. The bad side is that there is little warning when the battery is dead.

n6ric · Aug 13, 2015

I purchased the tri-Color from LunaSea. It is a great light that not only has the tri-color, but also has an anchor light and a flashing strobe. It has a spike on the top that can be removed and a wind-vane screwed in. The best part is that it is a small, good looking light, from a reputable company.Rics/v Blue Max#2692www.ric-maxfield.net

tiempo2010 · Aug 13, 2015

The Dr Led bulbs - or any other bulb - are only approved if tested complete in the fixture. If that is done it would only meet approval in that particular model of fixture. There are no bulbs approved without the fixture.One of the issues of Led bulb approval is that they lose light output over time. If approved new they could well not meet approval in a few years. Incandescent bulbs do not suffer from this problem.

dougpol1 · Aug 14, 2015

That may well be true but it is also true of Incandescent bulbs as
they draw the batteries down. I am guessing it's as broad as it is
long. Doug

On 08/13/2015 11:24 PM, Brian Stannard
brianstannard@... [AlbinVega] wrote:

tiempo2010 · Aug 14, 2015

As long as there is not an accident you're ok. But if you were anchored and were hit by another boat you can be sure his lawyer would question the legality of your nav lights. If they were not approved you would be at least partially at fault even though you were anchored. It has happened in the US and is a sign of the times I guess.

chris20636 · Aug 16, 2015

Hi all,Just put the boat in the water and there is a slow leak in the shaft between the prop and the inboard penta engine. In order to stop the leak I stuffed the seal with plumbing tape . Seems to work ok, but obviously just a temporary fix . Any theories on how to fix this without pulling the boat out of the water again ?Thanks, Rob Sent from my iPhone

pelagicasd · Aug 17, 2015

Combi or regular prop shaft and stuffing box? To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.comFrom: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.comDate: Sun, 16 Aug 2015 21:06:56 -0400Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Vega water leak

First step... rig up automatic bilge pump."Robert Koch robertaugustinekoch@... [AlbinVega]" AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com wrote:

Hi all,Just put the boat in the water and there is a slow leak in the shaft between the prop and the inboard penta engine. In order to stop the leak I stuffed the seal with plumbing tape . Seems to work ok, but obviously just a temporary fix . Any theories on how to fix this without pulling the boat out of the water again ?Thanks, Rob Sent from my iPhone

txsailcouple · Aug 21, 2015

Hi Rob, We may becoming up to Palestine soon Do you have the list of extra stuff from my garage. If so let me know what is high on your list and I'll be sure bring it with me. John

lewills30 · Oct 10, 2015

Robert, I have been waiting to heard if you located the leak?Larry Sent from Mail for Windows 10 From: Robert Koch robertaugustinekoch@... [AlbinVega]Sent: Sunday, August 16, 2015 1:53 PMTo: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.comSubject: [AlbinVega] Vega water leak Hi all, Just put the boat in the water and there is a slow leak in the shaft between the prop and the inboard penta engine. In order to stop the leak I stuffed the seal with plumbing tape . Seems to work ok, but obviously just a temporary fix . Any theories on how to fix this without pulling the boat out of the water again ? Thanks, Rob Sent from my iPhoneOn Aug 14, 2015, at 3:42 PM, Brian Stannard brianstannard@... [AlbinVega] AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com wrote: