LED Flare alternative approved

[grantmc]

Some significant advantages. It goes for hours. When it runs out you can replace the batteries and then goes for hours more.
It wont burn your life raft or dinghy and sink it.

Nor can it burn the holder (or those down wind).
Nor does it have the same disposal problems.

No issues taking them on a plane. So if you crew on long, particularly overseas passages, then worth having one of your own. Just like a PLB.
Something worth including in a life raft or grab bag is a kite. So in a little wind you're able to raise your visibility from the sea surface by attaching a light to a kite.

And in that worst and very scary case, when you've fallen in to the water, it's dark and cold with waves splashing over you and you know it may be a little while before any on board realise you're missing. . .

Check out this competitive product from Odeo flares in the UK

Yachting Monthly test on You Tube

.

[hamburking]

I've got a ton of flares, but they keep expiring. I would buy the LED just so to avoid being hassled by the coast guard...they do random checks and I've been warned about expired flares already.

Although the pryo flares expire, I keep them around...in an emergency I'll be glad to have them. However, does anyone know how long they really last?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by hamburking

I've got a ton of flares, but they keep expiring. I would buy the LED just so to avoid being hassled by the coast guard...they do random checks and I've been warned about expired flares already.

Although the pryo flares expire, I keep them around...in an emergency I'll be glad to have them. However, does anyone know how long they really last?

on keeping them.

[Tampabayfireman]

Ok playing devils advocate here. Working for the fire department we started to switch a large portions of our strobes over to LEDs. We use them for medevac LZ markers at night. Part way thru changing them we asked a couple of the helo pilots how visible they were. I was shocked to find that their night vision goggles didn't see the LED strobes but did see the normal type strobes. Something about the light type or frequency. Now I am concerned that should one be disabled at night with total LED lights would the night vision goggles the CG uses see the Lights. Any coasties out here able to comment on night ops and the changes in use of LEDs? This would be a big concern if one consider replacing a lot of spare flares for LED strobes






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[grantmc]

Originally Posted by hamburking

Although the pryo flares expire, I keep them around...in an emergency I'll be glad to have them. However, does anyone know how long they really last?

I organised a flare night at my yacht club a few years ago. Very difficult event to organise as an aside. Needed approvals from Fire, Police, Air Traffic, Coastguard, Military etc. But anyway.

Invited all our members to come along and try out firing off some flares. Most brought expired flares. Some people had flares dated from 1970s. We fired off several hundred flares (most long expired) that night. We only had 2 failures.
Since then I've always kept all my expired flares (likely operator error anyway).

It was an interesting night too. I think one lesson we all learnt was that you really needed to have tried firing off some flares in a safe environment, if, in an emergency, you expect to be able to do so on a stormy night at sea. Also very very easy to burn yourself or fellow crew, and very easy to create a serious fire.

The instructions are difficult to read even in daylight.

Several people set off rocket flares upside down (bad bad bad). In a life raft that would be the end. But honestly it is so easy to do.

[rgesner]

Originally Posted by Tampabayfireman

Ok playing devils advocate here. Working for the fire department we started to switch a large portions of our strobes over to LEDs. We use them for medevac LZ markers at night. Part way thru changing them we asked a couple of the helo pilots how visible they were. I was shocked to find that their night vision goggles didn't see the LED strobes but did see the normal type strobes. Something about the light type or frequency. Now I am concerned that should one be disabled at night with total LED lights would the night vision goggles the CG uses see the Lights. Any coasties out here able to comment on night ops and the changes in use of LEDs? This would be a big concern if one consider replacing a lot of spare flares for LED strobes

This is only a problem with certain red light wavelengths. The Sirius SOS Distress Light appears to be white light.

See Night vision goggles may not detect certain red LEDs, says FAA - LEDs

It would be prudent to check the wavelength of any red emergency light, see the above link for details.

- Rusty

[hsi88]

I'm with you! I plan to purchase one of these lights as well. I have a dozen expired flares on the boat (all in plastic and in great shape). I will never give another nickel to the Orion company to replace expired flares. That expiration date is a scam to sell more flares. Orion has been sitting on this cash cow long enough. I will always keep a set of flares around for smoke should I have issues during the day, but my compliance with the coast guard will be through a light that lasts for hours and has little safety issues around gasoline and my neatly packaged orange rescue flag.

[Tampabayfireman]

Well the ones we were using were both white with blue lens or blue with clear lens.


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[rgesner]

Originally Posted by Tampabayfireman

Well the ones we were using were both white with blue lens or blue with clear lens.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

I emailed Sirius to query what wavelength it is, so when they reply, I'll update here.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by hsi88

I will never give another nickel to the Orion company to replace expired flares. That expiration date is a scam to sell more flares. Orion has been sitting on this cash cow long enough.

Every time I have sold my boat, I included the ORION flare kit I used onboard, along with all the other safety gear. When I buy a new boat, I buy a new ORION flare kit, so I have new flares. The flare kit used to run about $100, but now I think its much more. What bothered me was that the flare kit did not include enough flares to be legal...still had to buy another package of "shells". Also, I needed 6 additional shells, but they only come in packs of 4! (this is canadian regs).

Yes, orion should be very worried.

I have sailed with my kids since they were little. I have always told them the flare kit is the most dangerous thing on the boat. And it always gets a special place. However, if I really run into trouble, I think the "can of orange smoke" will be much more effective at getting attention, since we rarely sail at night.

I hope there is a "flare night" here sometime...I have never fired a flare. I have, however, read the instructions...seems simple enough. The handheld flares a bit more complicated to light.

I once took all my expired flares to the local fire hall. I had understood thats what you are supposed to do. The firefighters all just looked at me funny and told me to just fire them off on Canada Day (canadian version of 4th of July).

[hellosailor]

I can tell you that I'm one of many people who has had 10-15 year old flares ALL fire exactly the same as new ones. Other folks have had many failures, and the bottom line is that MOISTURE and OXYGEN are what kill flares, simple age does not. If you take your pyros on "day one" and place them a metal ammo can which is hermetically sealed, and you throw in some dessicant packs and oxygen absorbers (both on Amazon) and then CLOSE THE CAN, they will last damn near forever.


I put a large label on the can saying it contains PYROS and FLARES and it is dated and HERMETICALLY SEALED - DO NOT OPEN EXCEPT IN EMERGENCY. Along with a list of what's in it. Anyone who wants to inspect it is welcome to, as long as they sign a form stating that they are intentionally ruining the hermetically sealed storage of my emergency lifesaving equipment and they assume liability for consequential failure and damages.


I recently spoke to Olin because I'd bought new highway flares for the car, after discovering the old ones in the trunk (ok, maybe 30 years old and just in their bags) would not light at all. They said well, they package them in sealed polythene bags with a three year date (which you can't read unless you open the sealed bags) and I over-sealed those bags y taping them over with real mylar duct tape, which should also block oxygen and moisture.


But those plastic barrels this the twist-lock lid, full of loose flares? Worthless. No protection at all. That's guaranteeing a crapshoot.


4th of July is usually a "flare night" and if I was on the water, I'd refrain. Near the water, I'd just give a courtesy call. Inland...really, those flares go up half as high was fireworks, o one is going to mistake them for distress flares. They really show you what 12g flares are good for. (Not much.)

[mitiempo]

Originally Posted by hamburking

Also, I needed 6 additional shells, but they only come in packs of 4! (this is canadian regs).

You should be able to buy packs of 3 shells. We sell 3 packs of approved shells in Victoria.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by hamburking

Although the pryo flares expire, I keep them around...in an emergency I'll be glad to have them. However, does anyone know how long they really last?

On the 4th of July 1993 we shot off some expired SOLAS parachute flares from 1970. Every one of them worked perfectly, so we saved the rest of them.
They're still aboard in our "oh ****" bag.

BTW, don't night vision goggles work on infrared? That would explain the lack of seeing a LED light source, no heat to speak of.

[hellosailor]

Oddly enough, I saw the Olin 12g shells in WallyMart just last week. Here in the US, they are now FOUR TO A PACK when the regs still call for 3, last time I looked.


So at least one maker just isn't putting 3 to a pack anymore.


This is like hot dogs versus buns, right?

[ilana]

I once took a ride on trading ship 180,000 tons and everything that is not at least 40 meters in height, does not exist
Moreover, most cruise none of the staff did not bother to look out of the windows.
Israeli skipper libi belozersky, sailed on Italian s/v that has lost ballast spent 9 days at sea. Trades ships past in front of them did not notice fireworks.
Only a small tug boat was able to see them
Ilan