Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 24-05-2018, 05:52   #1
Registered User
 
mottseng's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Ontario Canada
Boat: 1985 Canadian Sailcraft CS30
Posts: 502
Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

Considering installing a photo sensor that automatically turns on the anchor light at night and off again when the sun comes up. Decision is what sensor and where to install it. Anybody have any experience with this?
mottseng is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-05-2018, 07:20   #2
Moderator
 
noelex 77's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Jul 2007
Boat: Bestevaer.
Posts: 14,678
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

Some solar regulators will do this.

If you install a seperate dedicated automatic day night switch check the power consumption. LED anchor lights do not consume much. The power consumption of some day/night switches can be a significant. So you need one of the low consumption switches to make the exersise worthwhile.

Leaving the anchor light on 24 hours can be an option.
noelex 77 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-05-2018, 07:46   #3
Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SF Bay Area (Boat Sold)
Boat: Former owner of a Valiant V40
Posts: 1,141
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

There are LED bulbs with built-in photocells available. Does exactly what you want without additional wiring.
jamhass is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-05-2018, 09:19   #4
cruiser

Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Probably in an anchorage or a boatyard..
Boat: Ebbtide 33' steel cutter
Posts: 5,030
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

Quote:
Originally Posted by mottseng View Post
Considering installing a photo sensor that automatically turns on the anchor light at night and off again when the sun comes up. Decision is what sensor and where to install it. Anybody have any experience with this?
Made one a while ago, works great, no more watching the sun go down at happy hour worried about the anchor light not turned on..

Light dependant resistors are these:-
https://pi.gate.ac.uk/pages/airpi-files/PD0001.pdf
One of these as a FET..
ALLDATASHEET.COM - Datasheet search site for Electronic Components and Semiconductors and other semiconductors.

Read more at DIY auto turn on anchor light circuit?


LDR is attached to the corner of a port with a wire going up to a plastic enclosure velcroed to a bulkhead out of the way.

conachair is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-05-2018, 09:23   #5
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: W Carib
Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33
Posts: 13,479
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

Quote:
Originally Posted by jamhass View Post
There are LED bulbs with built-in photocells available. Does exactly what you want without additional wiring.
This^. Installed in my anchor and tricolor at start of this season. Awesome.
belizesailor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-05-2018, 09:28   #6
Registered User
 
SVTatia's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Toronto, Canada
Boat: Luders 33 - hull 23
Posts: 1,787
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

One from Marinebeam:

https://store.marinebeam.com/smart-l...be-n3-tri-cmb/
SVTatia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-05-2018, 10:02   #7
Registered User
 
mottseng's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Ontario Canada
Boat: 1985 Canadian Sailcraft CS30
Posts: 502
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

Quote:
Originally Posted by conachair View Post
Made one a while ago, works great, no more watching the sun go down at happy hour worried about the anchor light not turned on..

Light dependant resistors are these:-
https://pi.gate.ac.uk/pages/airpi-files/PD0001.pdf
One of these as a FET..
ALLDATASHEET.COM - Datasheet search site for Electronic Components and Semiconductors and other semiconductors.

Read more at DIY auto turn on anchor light circuit?


LDR is attached to the corner of a port with a wire going up to a plastic enclosure velcroed to a bulkhead out of the way.

This is great....thanks
mottseng is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-05-2018, 14:29   #8
Moderator
 
Jim Cate's Avatar

Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 21,135
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

Bedazzled (UK LED vendor) has tower type lights with auto switching built in. We've used one for some years now, and it is bright and low power draw, switches off and on reliably. Excellent product, as are all the other ones we've bought from them.

It was Dockhead who directed our attention to the firm... thanks, DH!

Jim
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, lying Port Cygnet Tasmania once again.
Jim Cate is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 24-05-2018, 16:03   #9
Registered User
 
Reefmagnet's Avatar

Join Date: May 2008
Location: puɐןsuǝǝnb 'ʎɐʞɔɐɯ
Boat: Nantucket Island 33
Posts: 4,864
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

I've had the bulb with the sensor. Worked well. I't (obviously) has some electronics with it so check the height fits the housing and I'd also recommend dipping the bulb (except for the contacts, of course) in some clear polyurethane to seal all the circuitry from the elements.


Nowadays, I just use the "load" output from my solar panel MPPT controller with it configured to come on from dusk 'till dawn.
Reefmagnet is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 25-05-2018, 07:58   #10
Registered User
 
01kiwijohn's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Tacoma, Washington, USA
Boat: Casacde 36
Posts: 596
Images: 1
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

Davis have one that is an LED anchor light with a built in sensor. I leave the light switched on whenever I'm at anchor; then I can find the darned boat, when returning late in the evening.
01kiwijohn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-05-2018, 08:22   #11
Registered User

Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Ranieri/Bari, S. Italy
Boat: Jeanneau 43ds
Posts: 638
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

I agree w JammHasss and Jim. Forget messing around with a separate light sensor. Just change the bulb for an LED with sensor built in. Same fitting as your old bulb. I did it and it is so convenient and consumes so much less bec only comes on when dark (you might have left the boat already a few hrs beforehand to go to a restaurant) and then in the morning will switch OFF when it becomes light enough (while everybody else is still snoring away). This is a no-brainer.
__________________
SaltyMetals is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-05-2018, 09:41   #12
Registered User
 
mvmojo's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: www.mvmojo.com
Boat: Robt Beebe Passagemaker 49-10 in steel
Posts: 424
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

Been using one for 20 years! First was home built similar to the schematic posted. When it finally failed, I found one on Amazon. Just type in 12v photoelectric switch. Here's one similar to what I'm using now. $4.50. You can't buy the parts to make one for that!
https://www.amazon.com/Solu-Photosen...lectric+switch
mvmojo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-05-2018, 09:54   #13
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 15
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

C'mon guys and girls, consider the effect of light pollution. Yes its very real and extremely damaging to all nocturnal ecosystems ..... minimise your footprint on this earth.
tidalwavenz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-05-2018, 10:14   #14
Registered User
 
OS2Dude's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Atlanta, GA
Boat: Catalina 30
Posts: 651
Images: 5
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

Unless you are planning to live on the hook, why would you want/need such a thing? Unless you are on a very small vessel, the anchor light is ONLY for when you boat is at anchor. It is NOT a steaming light, it is not to illuminate your wind vane, nor is it 'to make you more visible'. If you want a light to show you are a sailboat, get a red over green light or a masthead tri-color.
OS2Dude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-05-2018, 10:26   #15
Registered User
 
Cadence's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: SC
Boat: None,build the one shown of glass, had many from 6' to 48'.
Posts: 10,208
Re: Photo Sensor for Anchor Light

Quote:
Originally Posted by 01kiwijohn View Post
Davis have one that is an LED anchor light with a built in sensor. I leave the light switched on whenever I'm at anchor; then I can find the darned boat, when returning late in the evening.
Probably works well depending on how many lights one sees late in the evening.
Cadence is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
anchor, photo

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Idiot using a strobe light as an anchor light - Optolamp Amazonia monte Electrical: Batteries, Generators & Solar 19 25-05-2015 09:17
For Sale: Night Watchman Anchor Light Sensor osirissail Classifieds Archive 1 10-04-2015 21:27
Anchor light as mast head light under power? carlspackler Rules of the Road, Regulations & Red Tape 57 15-01-2014 07:21
Anchor Light Dusk-to-Dawn Photo Switch nhschneider Electrical: Batteries, Generators & Solar 40 23-07-2010 11:33

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:49.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.