63 Foot Long Anchor Light Switch

[Hudson Force]

Two years ago I switched my double bayonet incandescent anchor light for a bright LED with the same double bayonet base and a small fraction of the amp requirement. I was surprised to find that after just six months it failed to function. I exchanged it for another similar LED that worked well and, in addition, I found that the lamp I removed worked fine. Sometime later my second LED quit working. This time I went up my mast with some emory paper taped around the end of a pencil so I could clean the contacts and then rubbed in some GB Ox-Guard anti oxidation compound to insure good connection. Five months later the anchor light stopped working again. I was standing on my bow looking up at the dark spot before rigging my stand-by light when I plucked my forestay like a huge 63' guitar string and the vibration did the trick. My light was on and it remained on through the night. So, now I will admit that over the last month, I've turned on my anchor light about half a dozen times, not always, by grabbing my headstay and pulling hard with a quick release. I won't have the mast down soon and I don't have much space to work well with changing the double bayonet receptacle in the air. I have also had a couple other items that sometimes function with an impact stimulus! Has anyone found a solvent, oil, anti-oxidation or mystery magic spray that has kept them from doing some ritual like plucking their headstay?

[Reefmagnet]

I filled my LED anchor light socket with lanolin grease before inserting the bulb, as I do with all connections on the boat. Never had issues.

[colemj]

Bayonet fixtures are notorious for poor connection- the contact areas are very small. When you have the mast down, change the socket to a more contact-solid type. Before then, it sounds like you have it figured out.

Mark