Testing my anchor and mast lights while mast is down

[25yearslater]

I personally like to hammer a high current through the wires to check the insulation. I use a megohmmeter: http://www.grainger.com/product/SUP...+Powered+Megohmmeter,500VDC&suggestConfigId=8 Remove all the bulbs and check each connected wire to all other wires then each to the mast. Any reading less than zero indicates conductivity between legs and this is a short in the offing. This test insures your connectors and insulation are dry. Then go ahead and follow the other suggestions. Do not touch the leads while firing the unit. Think 9 Volt battery on the tongue X 10000. It will make you twitch.

 

[Daveinet]

I used a 9vdc battery to test the 12vdc bulb.

OK, you win for being able to slap us in the face with the obvious. Good grief we can over complicate stuff.

 

[ggrizzard]

Socks,
Wall Wort: Electrical cord plugged into a wall socket (115V AC) with a small box at the prongs that go into the wall and a length of light duty wire that connects to your portable radio or dust buster or small fan or cell phone or ... well you get the idea.

The concern about LED lights for boat navigation is real, but only from the standpoint that a lawyer will use any and every trick, ploy, gimmick and argument to mitigate the defendant's responsibility in a case brought for negligence in his operation of his boat. There are Coast Guard approved LED bulbs available but you will have to search the interweb should you decide to go that route in the future.

Good re-habbing!
G.

 

[Brian S]

Holy crap is that really true? I can get in trouble for upgrading my lights? Good think I already ordered the old style bulbs....

All I really want to do is install the new bulbs, and then hook something up so I can visually SEE that they work, then in the spring I will be good to go...

I'm not saying you could get in trouble. If you were running at night with replacement LED bulbs, and USCG decided to board you, provided there was not something wonky about your running lights to attract their attention in the first place, the would most likely be like "Properly set up running lights? Check. Using said lights? Check. Nothing out of the ordinary? Check." What I am saying is, let's take a worst case scenario... Drunk power boater runs into you. You have LED bulbs. Defense attorney finds out. Brings it up in court. Maybe the drunk power boater gets off on a technicality. That kind of thing...

With all that cautionary tale, please know that I have done my personal risk assessment, decided that where I sail at night is not a problem, considering I even use my running lights (not everyone around me does, grrrr...) and the fact that, to me, they look the same, and I decided to replace my incandescents with warm white LED bulbs, even behind the Red/Green bow light lens. Looks good to me, alerts everyone as well as I think they should, and I can run a very small house battery instead of lugging around a large one. I'm especially fond of my interior LED replacement, it now looks the same below as sitting on the sofa in my living room, the light is so bright and warm

Just be informed, as your questions, and be aware of your decisions... Just like everything we have to do. Remember how easy life was when we were kids? Sigh...

 

[Bill Roosa]

You might want to consider using a fuse. Not to be critical (safety first you know) but the your comments lead me to believe that you might be on the verge of "smoking" you mast wiring. An inline fuse will prevent that and only costs a few bucks (also afalable from the auto parts store).
The mast has (typically) three circuits (not counting the wind instriments), anchor light, steaming light, and deck lights. these are grounded by a single ground wire. So your probing with a DMM will show one wire that all the cirucits (with bulbs installed of course) have less than infinate resistance with. That would be the ground wire. Higher wattage bulbs have lower resistance BTW, so your deck light would show the lowest resistance. Brian's 9 volt battery test is safe and will not "smoke' any wiring if you get things wrong. Using a helper as you test the circuits will speed your research.
Good luck

 

[dziedzicmj]

For testing lights (wiring etc.) how about using a portable battery (jump starter) with a 12 V socket (lighter). Get an appropriate plug with a couple of pigtails and you can carry it around anywhere you want. And you probably have that jump starting battery already.

 

[DAVA390]

I had an America Flyer train controller that had a post for variable volts. I think it was 0- 14 volts. Set it to 12 volts on my meter and marked the spot on controller handle with tape. Used it to power the boat when I repaired all the lights when I first bought it and did not yet have a battery.

 

[mauruuru]

there are several ways to do this easily....a 12 vDC dry cell, available in any hardware or target/wallmart, a portabloe battery charger, a vehicle starting battery in a vehicle you can position close to the mast end where the wiring exits the mast base all will provide the necessary source voltage-12 vDC.....a length of duplex wire and 4 alligator clips and you are in business.

 

[Daveinet]

Rube Goldberg...

 

[Rick Webb]

Do you have a 12 Volt Cordless drill? Connect that battery with a couple of alligator clips. Were it mine I'd maybe even try the 14.4.

 

[Rick Webb]

How bout the battery from your lawn tractor or your neighbors. This time of year you can probably do it before he even notices it's gone.

 

[The Garbone]

When our mast was off the boat I just drove the car up to the mast, popped the hood and attached a 12 foot wire with alligator clips on both ends to the car battery. Tested all the lights. Took 15 minutes. I have a mostly approved LED except the halogen fordeck and the steaming light. My thought is if I am anchoring at night the motor will be cranked so no worries about power usage there.

 

[JerryA]

All of the above replies will help you figure out whether your wiring and bulbs are good before putting your mast back up. Lots of great ideas too. Keep in mind that if you do decide to use LED replacement bulbs, and it's a festoon bulb, you will need to know which wires coming from your boat are positive (+) and negative (-). Otherwise you could actually make the LED bulbs work on the ground, but the polarity may be reversed when you plug the mast and boat together. It's too late to flip the bulb around (Festoon bulb & some others) once the mast is up.

I replaced my anchor light bulb a few years ago with a festoon style LED replacement. The bulb was not marked +/- yet required correct polarity to work. I had to check the connector on the boat, with the light switch on, to verify the correct wires and polarity first before then applying what I learned to the mast wiring with a 12v battery and some jumpers. Naturally the direction I installed the bulb was reversed. Just glad I thought about it before the mast was up.

JerryA

 

[Tally Ho]

I use my 12-volt jump start battery pack to test. Easy to carry to where I need the 12-volt power. Jumper cable jaws to attach to whatever wires I need to connect to.

Greg