Anchor light question...

J

JamesTXSD

Active member
I copied the following from another thread so not to hijack that discussion...

BTW, a total aside - I have coming a number of LED lights from MarineBeam

http://store.marinebeam.com/

to replace the anchor light, side marker lights, and all internal lighting (numerous lights)... This should radically decrease my current draw at night... I am going to make an amperage measurement before and after... Probably will post it over on Tugnuts.... I already have the anchor light replaced and it is a radical improvement in both visibility and lowered current draw... Don't fall for the cheap stuff, Jeff at Marinebeam is an expert and a good guy...
Click to expand...


I have never been happy with the anchor light on our 25. It is the type mounted on the radar arch and is a forward/rearward type fixture. I understand the purpose of that on a sailboat (when you aren't "steaming"), but having two bulbs to deal with never made sense to me. The bulbs are also the pointed festoon type, which are hard to find, at least locally for me. Seems that when I do have a bulb go out, it is generally that it vibrated to the point where it doesn't make a connection, so I have to open the fixture up and turn the bulb until it lights up... or not.

I would like to replace that fixture with a decent LED. The boat is a mere 1348 miles away from me right now (but who's counting), so I don't have access to it. I don't know what the make/model of that light fixture might be. Has anyone replaced that, and were you able to find a direct replacement that fit the mount? Is it wired with two separate wire runs to the fixture, or is that front/rear bulb set up wired within the fixture (since there is no switch to run just the front or rear)? Is there any "spare" wiring that would allow an easy splice? When snow melts, where does the "white" go? (Sorry, I just got back to the desert from the frozen northland. :roll: )

TIA,
Jim B.
 
I switched our unreliable original out for one of these purchased at our local Cabelas store.

http://www.attwoodmarine.com/store/cate ... /all-round

I had to modify the base a little because the old light was corroded in place and needed "special" treatment to be removed. Our original was on the arch as well but not a two bulb unit. We have used the new one for about 15 nights so far and it draws little power and is much more visible than the original. We dinghy'd out in the dark to check it out from a distance once.
 
Jim, I'm not sure what you're talking about. Looking at picture 222 in your album, I see the black connector at the front of the cabin top, where a Perko anchor light connects. Is this the one you're trying to connect?

That Perko anchor light has a bayonet bulb, with 2 pins at the bottom, which is why I'm confused. The running lights have those the pointed festoon type. Have you installed another anchor light?

Boris
 
Boris, there is also a socket for the anchor light on the radar arch, which is where we usually put ours. I think that is what Jim is talking about. I also think our bulb in there has the two pointy ends between springy clips, but I would have to go look to say for sure (not at home right now).

journey on":3o0ywdsb said:
Jim, I'm not sure what you're talking about. Looking at picture 222 in your album, I see the black connector at the front of the cabin top, where a Perko anchor light connects. Is this the one you're trying to connect?

That Perko anchor light has a bayonet bulb, with 2 pins at the bottom, which is why I'm confused. The running lights have those the pointed festoon type. Have you installed another anchor light?

Boris
Click to expand...
 
FYI: make sure the bulbs are USCG approved for visibility/distance requirements or your insurance agent may reject a claim when you are plowed into unexpectedly.
 
Bulb's per say are not Coast Guard approved. The regulation is for visability distance. The anchor light must be visiable 360 degrees and for two miles. Side lights are one mile and from dead forward to 112.5 degrees on each side. The forward white steaming light has to be at least one meter above the side lights and visiable for 2 miles--most of our boats use a 360 degree light--which often serves as the anchor light. A few boats have separate stern lights.

The fixtures and original lights are CG approved for visability, color and sector.
However, if voltage is low, wires or switches corroded, etc, the visability may be less than required.

The boat owners responsibility is to be sure that the distance, and sector are proper. Many boats come with improper navigation lights.

One of the problems with the replacement LED lights, is that LED's have a very limited beam width--so that for a 360 degree anchor light, the LED's have to be in a spiral pattern, to assure that all sectors are adequately illuminated.
 
I will bet my $20 Cabalas all-around lantern light is visible at least 2 miles on a pitch black night. The only time we ever put it out is on those rare occasions in the spring an fall when it actually gets dark at night. But even that’s way overkill because we’re usually backed up into some little bite in some remote cove off some bay 40 to 50 miles from nowhere.

Been working on a more permanent solution using a real CG approved anchor light but still haven’t figures out were, my dink on the roof covers up the socket.
 
Hi Boris,

We have the plug in anchor light at the front of the cabin, but don't use that. Our anchor light is permanently attached to a post that goes above the radar. I assume that was factory standard if one ordered the arch and radar, since that is the way it came. The forward mount would not be visible from the rear with the arch and radar blocking it. Having changed out those bulbs a time or four, I know for a fact that they are definitely the pointy festoon bulbs.

I never understood the reasoning for forward/rearward facing bulbs on that fixture. Since I intend to replace it with an LED equivalence, I will do more than just change out bulbs and eliminate two when one will do the job.

The thread I pulled the quote from reminded me of this project, but we are far from our boat right now. I was just wondering if anyone had made this change and could advise on a fixture that would easily replace what is now there.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Jeff at Marinebeam has the Festoon style LED bulbs in both pointed and dimpled end models...

As Bob pointed out lots of boats do not meet USCG regs - which to my knowledge has not caused a melt down of the insurance companies - and the owners would be well advised to install new light fixtures that do meet the regs (however, those folks don't inhabit chat groups like ours so they don't have a clue)...

The fixtures on our C-Dory/Ranger-Tug boats do meet the regs, and as long as the bulb installed in the fixture meets the minimum light visibility, you are good to go... The LED exterior lights I have from Jeff vastly exceed the minimum visibility requirements... Take the time to read Jeff's wrote up's on what makes for a good LED lamp...

Ok, I have beat on this enough...

cheers...
 
James:

I can’t tell from the available photos, but presume that the two-bulb light you have is a Perko combination masthead/all-around light. These are interesting units, but if it were my boat, I’d trash it, and replace with a single all-around LED, and leave the side lights as they are, or go to lower amp standard bulbs.
As to the Perko unit, it comes from the factory with three wires, meaning you can light either or both bulbs at once. They share a common ground, thus the third wire. You would think that would mean that both bulbs would be energized while underway, but only one when at anchor, where power conservation is of concern. Actually, it’s just the reverse: the unit is supposed to be wired with just the forward bulb powered while underway, but both bulbs lit while at anchor.
There are two consequences of wiring this unit as designed. First, you need a separate stern light to be Coast Guard legal, and to have a chance of not getting run over by an overtaking vessel at night. Second, the unit draws the least power when the most is available (while underway, with the boat’s generator/alternator working), and takes the most power while at anchor, where the generator/alternator is at rest.
I expect dealers are getting around this by crossing the power wires, which lights both bulbs while underway and while at anchor. If that’s the case, you’ve got a very nice underway light with 3 mile rated visibility where only 2 is required, and a very bright anchor light drawing 0.94 amps of current.
If you never anchor out, this arrangement is not a real problem. But if you do anchor out, having this kind of current draw all night can lead to real problems, given other power consumption. So, since I like to anchor out, if it were my boat, I’d go for a single all-around/anchor light with an LED bulb.
As to the side lights, these are the only two left on our boat which are not LED. My reasoning for leaving them alone is that they only draw power when the boat is underway, and the alternator is cranking. So, the only consequence of their not being LED is that it takes a bit longer to charge the batteries. That hasn’t been a problem. If my power usage and cruising habits didn’t allow the batteries to recharge, I might take a look at LED side lights.
 
That is my situation. The running lights are fine as is; I'd like to have less current draw at anchor AND eliminate the two bulb anchor light, replacing it with one all-around LED.
 
I agree 100% with James (Alma's Only). Same reasoning. Same reasons.

I replaced the whole mast light assembly - stalk, lamp, bulbs, wires and all with an LED single light system. When the original bulb(s) failed, I found the fixture to be so badly corroded and generally sort of flimsy and cheap that I couldn't see putting a brand new LED in the old housing. In addition I had a weld failure where the mast light stalk attached to the radar arch. Now I have a factory-sealed, low amp, Coast Guard compliant, virtually unlimited life, 360 degree LED unit that I'm very happy with.
 
NORO LIM":3hzaoda6 said:
I agree 100% with James (Alma's Only). Same reasoning. Same reasons.

I replaced the whole mast light assembly - stalk, lamp, bulbs, wires and all with an LED single light system. When the original bulb(s) failed, I found the fixture to be so badly corroded and generally sort of flimsy and cheap that I couldn't see putting a brand new LED in the old housing. In addition I had a weld failure where the mast light stalk attached to the radar arch. Now I have a factory-sealed, low amp, Coast Guard compliant, virtually unlimited life, 360 degree LED unit that I'm very happy with.
Click to expand...

Would you share what make/model/mfg you went with on the 360º LED unit?

TIA,
Jim
 
If replacing a fastoon bulb with the one which has 8 LED's (each covering 90 degrees x 2), I would want to be certain that there is full and equal luminous intensity all around. Each "normal" LED is built with a molded lense, to concentrate its light, and the usual viewing angle is 20 degrees. Some LED's are made up to 50 degrees. It would be difficult to make a full and equal luminous intensity LED which covers 90 degrees. The LED anchor light I have on the Caracal has 18 LED's in a circle--each covering 20 degrees, to give the full 360 degree coverage. Some replacement bulbs will use a fresnel type of lense to increase the view angle.
 
JamesTXSD":4lyeaoeg said:
NORO LIM":4lyeaoeg said:
I agree 100% with James (Alma's Only). Same reasoning. Same reasons.

I replaced the whole mast light assembly - stalk, lamp, bulbs, wires and all with an LED single light system. When the original bulb(s) failed, I found the fixture to be so badly corroded and generally sort of flimsy and cheap that I couldn't see putting a brand new LED in the old housing. In addition I had a weld failure where the mast light stalk attached to the radar arch. Now I have a factory-sealed, low amp, Coast Guard compliant, virtually unlimited life, 360 degree LED unit that I'm very happy with.
Click to expand...

Would you share what make/model/mfg you went with on the 360º LED unit?

TIA,
Jim
Click to expand...

Jim,

I ordered it on line about a year ago. I believe it is of German origin, but I'm not near my boat right now and won't be for some time. If I can remember the brand, or can reconstruct my on line search, I'll post the make.

When I get back to the boat, I'll take a picture, too. I used the mast light stalk to mount a Tri Lens radar reflector. The anchor/navigation light sits on top of that.
 
Jim,

Old email records reveal that the light is a Hella, purchased through Fisheries Supply. Here are the particulars.

Fisheries Item No: 188745
Mfg Part No: HLA 980910001
Part Number Description: NAVILED 360 2NM BLACK FIXED SURFACE

I ordered just the light, without the stalk. Because of what I wanted to do with the Tri Lens reflector, I bought just the light and then had a little mounting plate fabricated to attach the light to my own stalk.
 
Hella. Well known German lighting manufacturer. In fact they were the only OE lighting supplier for a very well know German small car that was VERY popular worldwide. In fact one could say it was the "people's car". :wink:
 
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