Best water tight running lights?

[Bermuda Forte]

Following

[deblen]

Step 1. Rosin core solder with quality heat shrink OR
quality crimp with quality heat shrink.

Step 2. Quality heat shrink to combine the wires in Step 1. for strength.

Step 3. Self amalgamating rubber tape over Step 3.

Step 4. Paint Step 3. with 2 liberal coats of Liquid Tape.

Repeat every 10 yrs or so.

Len

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Brush-On-Li...-/253247748451

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-...94857497&rt=r3

[Skipper Phil]

I wonder why you all have those lights on the bow?
There are less wet places you can find on your boats no?

[blueazimuth]

Whatever the brand, get LEDs sealed in epoxy.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by Paul Elliott

Take a look here: https://store.marinebeam.com/indexed...s-bay15d-base/

Use lots of heavy grease on the socket.

With all due respect, I feel there are two major drawbacks to LED replacement bulbs for an existing fixture.

1) The main problem with nav lights is not the filament burning out, it's corrosion. These do nothing to reduce that, compared to incandescent bulbs. In fact, unless they're in a sealed bulb, LED boards have more materials exposed that can corrode.

2) The fixtures and lenses of running lights are engineered to meet the required specs based on the location of one thin filament. Put a bank of LEDs behind the lens instead, and it's unlikely to focus light the same way. In other words, it won't meet spec. No big deal until after the collision, when such things WILL come out in the investigation. I've also heard that the colors are not the same as incandescent bulbs, so the light coming out through the lens is out of spec that way, too.

Incandescent bulbs are cheap. If that's your only problem, carry a box of spares. If you're going to spring for LEDs, buy a properly sealed, certified fixture and be done with it, essentially, forever.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

With all due respect, I feel there are two major drawbacks to LED replacement bulbs for an existing fixture.

1) The main problem with nav lights is not the filament burning out, it's corrosion. These do nothing to reduce that, compared to incandescent bulbs. In fact, unless they're in a sealed bulb, LED boards have more materials exposed that can corrode.

2) The fixtures and lenses of running lights are engineered to meet the required specs based on the location of one thin filament. Put a bank of LEDs behind the lens instead, and it's unlikely to focus light the same way. In other words, it won't meet spec. No big deal until after the collision, when such things WILL come out in the investigation. I've also heard that the colors are not the same as incandescent bulbs, so the light coming out through the lens is out of spec that way, too.

Incandescent bulbs are cheap. If that's your only problem, carry a box of spares. If you're going to spring for LEDs, buy a properly sealed, certified fixture and be done with it, essentially, forever.

Amen!

The biggest advantage of LED nav lights is not the principle of light production, it's the fact that they are fully potted, sealed, and waterproof. They are also optically superior because the LED and lens are exactly fixed in place. Don't waste time and take risks by trying to use non-approved LED bulb inserts in incandescent fixtures.

[glcalahan]

Thanks and your reply makes sense regarding replacing an LED bulb into an incandescent socket. Now I also understand that the bright light can bleed over and change the visible light at a distance. What are you thoughts regarding a sealed LED Aqua bi bow light? Seems if we are talking safety....it may be the way to go. (Assuming I decide to change to LED for consumption purposes.)

GLC

[donradcliffe]

Led bulbs run at a temperature about 150F, and repeated on-off cycles will challenge the potting which seals the fixture. Unless a manufacturer has gone the extra mile and designed a better seal, I wouldn't expect a sealed led bow light to last more than 2-3 years.

Engineering Department "For $10 more, we can design around this problem."

Sales Department "Forget it, if we charge $10 more, we will be out of business before the fixtures fail."

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Led bulbs run at a temperature about 150F, and repeated on-off cycles will challenge the potting which seals the fixture. Unless a manufacturer has gone the extra mile and designed a better seal, I wouldn't expect a sealed led bow light to last more than 2-3 years.

Engineering Department "For $10 more, we can design around this problem."

Sales Department "Forget it, if we charge $10 more, we will be out of business before the fixtures fail."

They don't run at any particular temperature, they produce a certain amount of heat. The temperature depends on how well the heat is dissipated.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

I wouldn't expect a sealed led bow light to last more than 2-3 years.

The ones on my last boat lasted 8-9 years, and were still like new when I sold it.

The ones on my current boat are going on their 6th season and still work like new.

The ones on another boat I installed these on are also going on their 5th season. Again, like new.

The boat next to mine in the marina had them installed a few of years after I did my last boat. So maybe 8 years. You guessed it, like new.

The boat at the base of the brow at our marina has had his for at least 6-7 years now. Guess what.

I could go on, but I think you get the point.

[hellosailor]

LEDs are not all the same. If you buy rime quality LEDs from any actual maker, they typically come in "bins" that are sorted from the production line. White LEDs having the most variation in the production process. So one run, from one line, may be split into nine "bins". Each bin being a specific color or brightness grading. If you don't mind some variation in the color, you might only care about brightness. Still, the different bins might go from 1x-2x-4x-8x brightness variation.

Since you need a certain minimum of brightness for your lamps, if you take them unsorted you pay less--but you'll have to design a lamp that can range up to 8x differently in brightness from the next lamp you build. If you want the brightness to be uniform, you have to buy sorted bin lots, and your cost may triple.

Obviously different manufacturers will take different solutions. And while the brightness varies, that also means the power that you choose to supply to the LED can vary. If you run an LED at 20ma you may see a full rated 50,000 hours before it degrades to 70% brightness (industry standard) but a lot of makers would run the same part at 40mA or 60mA, perhaps getting more than 4x or 6x more brightness--but generating so much heat that the life is burned out at 30,000 hours. Which may still be good enough, but it is lots more heat and lots less life. And that's without touching the question of whether and how they are heat-sinked. (Some of the modern high-power LED flashlights actually have temperature sensors in the reflector, and cut back the power level and brightness when they sense the LED is overheating.)

They're just not all the same. And that's just where the fun and games begin.

[glcalahan]

Wow...after a total rebuilding of my mast, I chose Aqua Signal LED Tri light (and deck light) for almost $300 (I think). I hope they last more than 3 years.

GLC

[hzcruiser]

Originally Posted by Skipper Phil

I wonder why you all have those lights on the bow?
There are less wet places you can find on your boats no?

It's because of the regulations, Phil! Check them out and note the difference when under sail vs under motor.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by glcalahan

Wow...after a total rebuilding of my mast, I chose Aqua Signal LED Tri light (and deck light) for almost $300 (I think). I hope they last more than 3 years.

GLC

With quality components and good design including driving the leds conservatively and dealing properly with the heat, such a fixture should last 50 000 hours or more. Aqua Signal claim 20 000, and I think that's conservative. In other words, it should outlast the boat and, indeed, you.

How many hours a year do you use your nav lights? I do a LOT of night sailing, but 20 000 hours would last me about 100 years.

[glcalahan]

Wow....thanks!