Best water tight running lights?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Properly soldered and heat-shrinked, they'll last a very long time. Use 60/40 tin/lead solder with a rosin core, and the heat shrink with an inner layer that melts, and you'll be good.

The other way to go is to use an encapsulating splice kit. I haven't used this vendor but I've used similar products. In the olden days you could find a telephone co repair truck and usually talk the tech into giving you one.

NSi Industries | Easy-Spliceâ„¢ Gel Stub 10

Splicing is not a problem -- I use the Molex ones, and they are completely sealed from both sides and last a long time. The problem is the spade connectors at the light.

The problem is that the Molex female spade connector, and in fact all the spade connectors I've ever seen, don't seal the wire from the connector side -- only from the insulator side. So sea water goes right down the wire

I guess I could try to seal it up with molten glue or something. Maybe I'll try that. But that still leaves the spade contacts themselves exposed to seawater, which can't be good.

I'm going to need to take them off and have a look and think about it.

[rourkeh]

Forget about all the plastic junk they sell at the marine stores. By far the best available marine lighting for small boats is Lopolight. Here is the link.LOPOLIGHT Navigation lights

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by rourkeh

Forget about all the plastic junk they sell at the marine stores. By far the best available marine lighting for small boats is Lopolight. Here is the link.LOPOLIGHT Navigation lights

Why do you think they are the best? They are very beautiful, but reports of premature failure are extremely common and have been going on for many years. So many reports that they are hard not to credit. Warranty service is reported to be great, even outside of the warranty periods, but that is hardly a comfort in the middle of an ocean crossing, I think.

[rourkeh]

My only experience with LopoLights has been that mine have been working for years with no problems at all. But given the alternatives when I did my exterior lighting was a Bunch of 40 year old plastic junk that has not improved I did not have a lot of options. A lot of manufacturers of production yachts of the larger variety have been using LopoLight products for years and I have not seen negative feedback.

[Paul Elliott]

Here is my Lopolight report:

Next I tried the aluminum Lopolights at the bow. The first one failed inside of a year, with the green sector going dark. Lopo replaced it for free, but the replacement shorted out after a couple of years. We had made a few more Hawaii runs over that time, but the lights didn't have any obvious water intrusion -- they are pretty well sealed.

The first light was their initial design, and had the removable access plate and screw terminals. The replacement was completely sealed with a wire pigtail. Both failed. I'm going to be replacing my stern light pretty soon, and if Lopolight wanted to give me one to test I would try it out. The stern light is seldom splashed, but I'm not sure that the Lopolight failures were even water-related.

[Cavalier]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I have the Aqua Signal LED nav lights, the big ones (these: https://www.aquasignal.com.au/series-43/), and really like them. I sail a lot in rough weather and put the nav lights under water on a regular basis. These lights seem completely sealed and seem to be bulletproof, unlike the much more expensive Lopo ones.

What is not bulletproof are the connections. I use Molex heat shrink sealed connections, but they still don't survive regular dunking in sea water for more than a season or two. If someone has a solution to this, I'd be interested to hear it. I have cut back the wires so often now that they are getting too short, and next time I'll have to rewire

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1x-AMP-1x3P...0AAOSwmOJaApOw

IP67 connectors work well - I typically pot the conductor-tail end with 3M Scotchcast, to make a more industrial connection.

[Cavalier]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Splicing is not a problem -- I use the Molex ones, and they are completely sealed from both sides and last a long time. The problem is the spade connectors at the light.

The problem is that the Molex female spade connector, and in fact all the spade connectors I've ever seen, don't seal the wire from the connector side -- only from the insulator side. So sea water goes right down the wire

I guess I could try to seal it up with molten glue or something. Maybe I'll try that. But that still leaves the spade contacts themselves exposed to seawater, which can't be good.

I'm going to need to take them off and have a look and think about it.

A common technique in subsea is to dip the conductor-wire ends in oil overnight. The oil will creep up inside the cable via capillary action between the individual strands. You can still crimp and solder if necessary - but the oil inhibits moisture or water from entering the end of the cable.

[Dragon701]

I have had nothing but trouble with Lopolights. Boat launched 2018. First port running light failure within one year, second one a year later. Stern light failed year 2, starboard running light failed year 3. Masthead light noticeably dimmer than most others in the anchorage. Steaming light looking fine. My experience would not suggest that they are much good.

I am wondering if there are any updates on the "best" brand of running navigation lights to use? Thoughts based on your experiences?

[dfelsent]

My masthead lopolight failed at about ten years. That’s not bad. My yard replaced it with an Aquasignal telling me they have had fewer issues with aquasignal. Both LED.
But ten years isn’t bad.

[Catleya]

Don't buy Lopolight they promise 50000 hours mine lasted 50hours, no warrenty they told me buy new with 50% discount. LOL!!!

[Dockhead]

Now that someone has revived this thread, I can post a followup to my older posts.

I gave up on my expensive, beautiful AquaSignal LED sidelights. Constant problems with the connections, and then one day one of the spade connectors which stick out of the back face of one of the lights corroded off, so that was it for me.

I tossed them and bought Hella LED sidelights, which are much cheaper and flimsier and optically not as good as the AquaSignal ones, BUT -- they are completely sealed, and there is no connector at the fixture -- instead they come with long wire leads.

I spent quite a bit of time installing these last spring, with elaborate waterproofing of the splice from the Hella lead to my boat cable, which I then hid inside my pulpit tubing.

Working fine so far.#


Someone above wrote that the bow is a bad place for sidelights. I couldn't agree more!! But there is no other good place on my boat for them. If I were designing a boat from scratch, I would certainly find a better place.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Dragon701

I have had nothing but trouble with Lopolights. Boat launched 2018. First port running light failure within one year, second one a year later. Stern light failed year 2, starboard running light failed year 3. Masthead light noticeably dimmer than most others in the anchorage. Steaming light looking fine. My experience would not suggest that they are much good.

I am wondering if there are any updates on the "best" brand of running navigation lights to use? Thoughts based on your experiences?

Not the best optically, not the best built, not the prettiest -- but the best WATERPROOFED side lights I found are the Hella ones, which are fully sealed with no connector at the fixture.


What concerns Lopo -- I've heard a 1000 stories like yours. I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot spinnaker pole.

[Bycrick]

A different Lopolight experience. I installed a bicolor bow light in about 2007. No problems until a close lightning strike in 2011. Then it was dead shorted. Went to their web site and filled out the warranty form on a Saturday. When I checked on Monday, there was an email saying that they’d already shipped a replacement by international FedEx. It arrived on Wednesday and is still on the bow, working just fine. YMMV.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Now that someone has revived this thread, I can post a followup to my older posts.

I gave up on my expensive, beautiful AquaSignal LED sidelights. Constant problems with the connections, and then one day one of the spade connectors which stick out of the back face of one of the lights corroded off, so that was it for me.

I tossed them and bought Hella LED sidelights, which are much cheaper and flimsier and optically not as good as the AquaSignal ones, BUT -- they are completely sealed, and there is no connector at the fixture -- instead they come with long wire leads.

I spent quite a bit of time installing these last spring, with elaborate waterproofing of the splice from the Hella lead to my boat cable, which I then hid inside my pulpit tubing.

Working fine so far.#


Someone above wrote that the bow is a bad place for sidelights. I couldn't agree more!! But there is no other good place on my boat for them. If I were designing a boat from scratch, I would certainly find a better place.

I'm not sure where the connections you're speaking of are located, I have none outside of the Aqua Signal unit itself.

I have had good luck with Aqua Signal S41 bi-color on the bow and white stern light. Our bow is often emersed and occasionally at speeds which have broken the light fixture, even bending the stainless mounting bracket back until the light pointed vertically. (since reinforced).

But the lights have kept working!

I'm not sure about how the Aqua Signals of other cruisers are wired but I connect the ends of a longish wire directly to the light bulb socket (with screws), seal it with heavy grease, and then run the long wire through the deck fitting. As long as the O-rings are in place and the cover (or bulb carrier in the older versions) is screwed snugly the Aqua Signal stays dry enough inside to minimize the corrosion.

My Aqua Signals have endured for so many years I don't even know if they are current models. I have installed sealed LED replacement bulbs years ago.

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

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.

As long as we are reviving the thread, in 2021 I replaced one of the led bow lights on a 2018 Jenneau that I was delivering from Hawaii. I don't remember the brand, but the replacement fixture had special rubber seals that went on the wire connectors.

The replacement lasted back to the mainland but was dead year later.

You may get more than 3 years out of a set of led bow lights if you rarely leave your marina.