LED Nav Lights

Personally, I wouldn't add "random" lights to my regular nav lights. The light patterns are specified for a reason, and are very helpful to other mariners at night. As others have mentioned, brighter/bigger of the standard nav lights could be a good option. There is a rule about minimum brightness for them, but no rule against carrying brighter (seen from further away) ones that are normally required on larger vessels.

If it were me, and I wanted to carry something (in addition to the standard nav lights) for certain situations, I think my first choice would be a handheld spotlight. They can be directed either at yourself (i.e. shone on sails or on a white topsides/superstructure), or "blipped" at someone else whom you want to see you (just a blip so you don't blind them).

Another possible option is a white strobe, although IIRC that signals distress. But still at least it's not making you look like something else.

I did see a "car" one night out on an inland lake. It was coming right at us with two bright, white headlights :crook Couldn't figure out what it was, of course, and it didn't help our night vision. Turns out it was a pontoon boat. Apparently some of them come with "headlights." Can't have helped them either (out on the lake/night vision) it wouldn't seem...
 
Strobe lights are difficult to "localize" because of the rapid flash. They are attention getting. Also may be considered a distress signal--and bring a larger vessel to "help"--which could turn out badly...

The big lights on large commercial boats are certainly bright, and seen at some distance. They are also very disorienting, since you cannot see the navigation lights--often even close. That way it is difficult to see which way the boat is going--and some fishing/squid boats will have the big quartz lights both sides, forward and aft!

On our ICW down here we have the tugs pushing tows, who usually ave two spot lights which light up the banks for about a mile. I just pull of the ICW until they pass.--no way they will turn the lights off, and you cannot see well enough to pass.

The spotlight often works. Sometimes even hitting the bridge of a large ship may not get their attention. The assumption is that the watch is asleep, taking a head break or in the galley getting a cup of coffee. Don't think think that many large vessels have any more than one person on the bridge when at sea!
 
Hunh. Tugs on the ICW routinely light up the banks? What is the rationale? On the lower Columbia, never see that. I have been lit up by a tug spotlight once, when the tug, towing a 2x2 barge raft, had to squeeze past a wing dam, and I was in a kayak, near the end of the dam. Very certain he wanted to know exactly where I was, so he could continue skirting the edge of the maintained channel. Tug pilots very courteous, very professional on the Columbia.
 
The ICW along our part of the coast, is rather narrow, and the 9 foot depth is only marginal at the sides of the channels. The tug may be pushing up to 6 80 foot barges. (this is unusual, more normal is a 300 or so foot tow). If the wind or current grabs a barge, the whole rig can be aground in minutes, if not seconds. The tugs are pretty good about security broadcasts: "This is the Mary Jane East Bound at Market 194 for any concerned traffic" Answer might be "22 foot cruiser West bound at 198, which side to you want to pass?, I'll give you plenty of room Captain."
 
I have seen the Tug/tows on the Columbia and Snake lighting up the shore with their spot lights. Those lights put out some candle power --- maybe more correctly called "Sun Power", at least that is what it feels like if you catch it in the eyes.

As to who is on the bridge; here on the Salish Sea, and on the Strait's, the big guys are all running with a Coastal Pilot in command. They are in the house and my understanding is that the ships master is also in the wheel house with them. That is definitely more attention to where they are and where they are going than some "recreational" craft I have seen.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

Friends_Cal_09_10_Oct.thumb.jpg
 
mgarr682":1y8ju8pf said:
A few days ago I installed some Doctor LED bulbs in my navigation lights. The GE90 Star bulb was too tall for my Perko 1209 all around light. The lens wouldn't screw down all the way so I tried the Marinebeam TW-GE-15. The Marinebeam bulb fit fine.

38_G.jpg

The actual light portion of the Doctor LED bulb ends up near the very top of the lens rather than centered like the standard bulb and the Marinebeam bulb.

37_G.jpg

With the standard bulb and the Marinebeam bulb the actual light elements are visible through the center of the lens. With the Doctor LED bulb all that is visible is the large base of the bulb. I don't know if this would reduce light output or not. Also, the height of the bulb kept the lens from screwing down all the way into the base. Notice the gap at the base in the photo.

The Doctor LED red and green lights did fit the Perko fixtures.

39_G.jpg

As far as light output, the standard bulb and the Marinebeam bulb seemed about the same but the Marinebeam bulb was a much whiter light than the standard bulb.

The red and green side lights seemed about the same brightness.

40_G.jpg

I was surprised at the volume of water that I found in the green light. I'll have to keep an eye on that.
Click to expand...


Thank you for posting this!
I have absolutely no clearance between my (glass) nav lens and the GE90 bulb. I have already purchased one "replacement" LED bulb that will not fit (superbright). I was struggling between getting the marine beam LED replacement or getting individual components. Marine beam does not specify the dimensions of that bulb. I emailed them but no response. Those pics help.

I think it is ridiculous all these posts about modifying lenses etc.. Why are these bulbs not designed to be the same dimensions? The fresnel lens may not be a glass lighthouse quality lens but its definitely not just there for looks its more complicated casting even if it is plastic. I cant believe DR led would put that bulb on the market.

When I get the marine beam bulb i will post the length of it
take care
 
I could measure it if necessary, but even without that I can say that I bought the Marine Beam bulb for my all-around/anchor light on the 22 (it's the typical removable Perko installed on 22's) and it fits perfectly.

I too first purchased a Dr. LED bulb and found that it didn't fit properly. I could mash the top down and make it work, but even then it didn't really line up properly with the lens of the fixture. So I did not use it and instead bought the Marine Beam bulb. No complaints! (Well, except that it is so bright I need to make a deflector to keep it from shining into the V-berth!)
 
Why are these bulbs not designed to be the same dimensions? The fresnel lens may not be a glass lighthouse quality lens but its definitely not just there for looks its more complicated casting even if it is plastic. I cant believe DR led would put that bulb on the market.

Really? Why don't all computer power supplies fit all computers? It's marketing my friend. :roll: :wink: and sales, that's what it's all about. We gotta live with it or go nuts over it.

Glad you found the right ones at last! :thup

Charlie :mrgreen:
 
Sunbeam,
I bought one of these shields at West Marine.

Bill Kelleher


Light Glare Shield

PERKO Light Glare Shield
Model # 192411 | Mfg # 1192DP0BLK

$13.99


 
I've been looking everywhere for one of those! In fact, I ordered one in 2012 which is still on back order :roll: Also looked when I was at Fisheries in August (and they are a pretty big place). I was going to make one, but if I can find the Perko one will definitely buy it.I'm off to West Marine (online) to see if I can find it there, thanks!
 
iconoclastastic-

Your photographs are of professional grade!

Sharp, clear, well cropped: First Class all the way!

Great example for the rest of us!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Sunbeam":h7viv6o6 said:
I've been looking everywhere for one of those! In fact, I ordered one in 2012 which is still on back order :roll: Also looked when I was at Fisheries in August (and they are a pretty big place). I was going to make one, but if I can find the Perko one will definitely buy it.I'm off to West Marine (online) to see if I can find it there, thanks!
Click to expand...

Contact Perko for an update
 
Sunbeam":2uekzv6w said:
I've been looking everywhere for one of those! In fact, I ordered one in 2012 which is still on back order :roll: Also looked when I was at Fisheries in August (and they are a pretty big place). I was going to make one, but if I can find the Perko one will definitely buy it.I'm off to West Marine (online) to see if I can find it there, thanks!
Click to expand...

I found mine on Amazon for about $13.00. Boat-Tec had it listed there.
 
BrentB":3qxg3uyd said:
Contact Perko for an update
Click to expand...

I had ordered it through a chandlery, who had supposedly contacted Perko. After bugging them a few times I sort of gave up (but did not withdraw my order). Then I just looked for them whenever I had a chance (to no avail). That's all solved now though as West Marine has them (at least they show them in stock online), and will ship free to a store. So I will order one as soon as I'm going to be near a store (few weeks).

If it had been a super high priority, I would have contacted Perko, but it was one of those "I'll just see what happens" things. I had figured to just make my own by laying up a bit of fiberglass if I never found one (saving a few bucks) and/or move the light to a radar arch. But now that I have found the Perko part I'll order one just for ease/expediency.
 
Old thread brought back:

I noticed water in our port (red) nav light, so I opened it up to see what was going on. Wet & corroded and I have no idea how it got in. The seal seems OK and no cracks. I did not see any water in the starboard (green) light, but I figured I'd better check it too. Took it apart and the lens came out in three pieces. :x So the intact lens light was soaked and the one with the broken lens was dry. :? Weird.

No problem though, I'll just buy a new green lens and clean up the red one. Wrong. Perko does not sell just the lens on the model 170 lights; you have to buy the entire light assembly. :roll: $34/ea at Fisheries. Cheap enough.

Well, since I have to replace at least the green one, I'll update them to LED units, right? Uhm, no. $198/ea at Fisheries for the LED version of the 170! :shock: :thdown

My solution? I ordered two new 170 nav lights in incandescent and I ordered one each red & green LED replacement bulbs from marinebeam.com. $41 delivered to my door for the two bulbs.

Makes each light an LED nav light for about $55 a piece. :mrgreen:
 
Localboy,

You made a great choice! Years ago, on my 22 cruiser, when my Perko 170's were toast like yours, I bit the bullet and purchased the 170 LED's. I was excited to keep the same configuration as was on my boat. Same footprint, no new holes and no bad looking gelcoat, for areas that had been covered by the old lights.

Well, I had to order them back then and wait a month to get them and they were very expensive. I took the lights and a bag with a few tools in it to the dock, figuring that I would swap out the lights in less than 30 minutes. After taking off the first light and just about pitching it in the trash, I reinstalled it. The new LED light had the same footprint, but the power wire comes out of it in a different area and would require a new hole in the boat.

Back in the house, I gave it some though. No I did not want to drill another hole, I only drills holes on a boat if no other alternatives exist. After sleeping on it, I had a plan. I was able to take thick rubber gasket material, cut it to fit the light base, then cut out the gasket to reroute the new wire route to the old wire hole. The LED wire size was smaller that the incandescent wire, so there was plenty of room for the new wire, without hard turns or pinching it. Problem solved, but the 30 minute job took several hours, including a trip to the local gasket store...
 
I would have gone with something else vs the Perko ones, but as Steve noted, the holes already existed for the 170s. Aqua Signal had some nice LED units that were completely sealed, but again...holes. The "quality" of the Perko stuff does not impress me. But alas...holes.
 
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