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Old 23-10-2010, 13:03   #1
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Finally Had a Lopolight Failure

Was just testing the running lights, and forgot to turn them off before I went home. My 3.5 YO Lopolight dual color bow light had the red sector fail completely overnight. Sent off an email to Euromarine Trading to find out how to return for warranty repair/replacement. Will report on how that goes.
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Old 24-10-2010, 08:30   #2
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I thought these lights were crazy expensive. I was looking for a tricolor with anchor light and it was around 700.00US.
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Old 24-10-2010, 13:53   #3
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My Lopolight bi-color bow light (probably the same unit as yours) also failed recently -- the green sector on mine. A crewmember had a green LED penlight, so we lashed that to the bow when we came into port.

I called Euro Marine Trading, and they had me mail them the failed unit. Within two weeks, they had sent me a new replacement. They didn't even ask for my proof of purchase.

The new unit is completely sealed with a wire pigtail coming out of a hole in the case (where the wire came out of the original two-piece case). Before I returned my failed unit, I opened it up and inspected the screw connections. There was a slight discoloration on one terminal, but it looked like the sealant I had used was doing it's job. Regardless, the failure was obviously internal, since one sector was still working.

I still like the Lopolight. My original one has been through lots of salt water, and even with this failure it lasted much longer than my old incandescent bi-color. I expect the new one to last forever. Well, I can hope, anyway!
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Old 11-01-2011, 06:55   #4
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More Lopolight replacements

Lopolight replaced my broken bow light within a couple of weeks with no questions. But that one also turned out to be defective. Two rows of the lights didn't light. So this was replaced immediately by one that they had tested in house, and I sent back the defective one. Did a little home burn in on the replacement and then installed it yesterday with no problems. It is harder to install with the integral cable for me, but the old version is not available. HOWEVER, when I checked out the rest of the lights I discovered that 3 of the 4 rows of LEDs in the white stern Lopolight had also failed. So that one went back to Lopo in the afternoon with yet another replacement request. 2007 must have been a bad year for LEDs. No indication of damage or corrosion with any of these; just didn't light a large fraction of the LEDs. But never completely dead. Now waiting to hear from Euro Marine to replace the latest failure.
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Old 21-05-2011, 04:44   #5
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Re: Finally Had a Lopolight Failure

We have just had two Lopo failures - a semi-circle port nav light and a round stern light - both 24V and approx three years installed but very little actual "on" time, perhaps 15 or 20 hours max. I think that the advertised voltage range of 9 - 32 volts indicates that these are really 12V lights as the 24V AGM bulk charging voltage of 28.8 is getting pretty close to the 32V limit.
Anyway, there is a warranty claim form on their website so we'll see how that goes, the local sales agent seemingly not interested in handling this problem with no commission involved.
Maybe Hella LED lights are in our future - any advice or experience on these??
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Old 05-09-2012, 06:00   #6
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Re: Finally Had a Lopolight Failure

I had some bad luck with corrosion and lighting on my mast nav light in the past year. My mast nav LED light was made by Lopolight in Denmark and got fried during a bad lightning storm in Malaysia 6 month after I replaced it. It gave me great satisfaction and I wanted to replace it again. I had problem finding a distributor in Asia who carried the same model. Distributors in Europe, New Zealand and US never replied to my emails. I contacted Lopolight in Denmark directly and talked to Svend in their office explaining my situation and asked if I could buy one new light from them as I was not successful from their distribution channel. I was more than happy to pay for it.
To my surprised, they offered to replace my light for free without even checking on my serial number as I am not on my boat right now.
I was as surprised as delighted. The Lopolight arrived this morning in Taiwan at my house.
If anybody out there is interested in the best nav LED light, try Lopolight. The product is superb, the company fantastic , the support awesome ...
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Old 05-09-2012, 06:09   #7
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Re: Finally Had a Lopolight Failure

These nav lights look absolutely gorgeous -- like they should last 100 years.

But I have heard countless reports of failures. All graciously replaced by the distributer, but who wants to climb up a 75 foot mast to pull the damned thing off for replacement?? After spending that kind of money???

I am in the market for new nav lights myself, since I will have my mast out this winter. But I think I am going to go for the Aqua Signal ones, which are not only 1/3 the cost of the Lopos, but which besides that were top rated, ahead of the Lopos, in the test in last month's Yachting Monthly. They were highly rated for very high optical quality -- better than Lopo.
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Old 05-09-2012, 06:35   #8
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Re: Finally Had a Lopolight Failure

Those Lopolights do sure look bullet proof and at the prices they get I would expect no less. I on the other hand bought a $30 LED anchor light and running light that fit my Aqua Signal fixtures over five years ago and so far so good.
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