Checking LED Anchor Light

[kmacdonald]

You bought the wrong bulb. Three pages of responses and no one mentioned it.

[Spot]

Hello Mike,
Sounds like you may need BA15D compatible bulbs instead of BA15S.
I just bought some myself, I hope I got it right...

Pics in link:

https://www.bulbamerica.com/pages/wh...ay15d-base1157

[sailorboy1]

I guess so. I took the old bulb with me to get the LED and got what seemed the only choice.

Now I'm more inclined to just replace the whole light if I have to go up the stick again!

[P3sailor]

If you still have the old bulb, trying checking for a part number usually stamped on the brass base of the light, you may just have to use a reference guide to determine which LED light is compatible with the original.

[Lake-Effect]

Wow. 4 pages on an anchor light. Gotta be some sort of "how many cruisers does it take to change a lightbulb" joke in here somewhere.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Wow. 4 pages on an anchor light. Gotta be some sort of "how many cruisers does it take to change a lightbulb" joke in here somewhere.

none

because it wouldn't work afterward

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by guyrj33

Yes a single LED is a diode, but a LED bulb consists of several LED's and electronics to regulate current and voltage, making a LED BULB a complex active circuit.

Well if one defines a bulb that way then yes I agree. However I have some LED "bulbs" that are just an LED and run off a battery with no circuitry involved. One is an LED bulb (at least it is shaped like and looks like a bulb) that replaces directly an incandescent bulb in a flashlight.

[benc65753]

This thread has run a while now so I don't know if you've sorted out your issue yet. If the old incandescent light you replaced is a bayonet lugged base, probably the lugs are 180 degrees to each other and are at the same height above the base. Like the old 1156 base bulbs. It's pretty easy to get the LED bulb in backwards. You have a 50/50 shot of getting it right the first time. What I found was to leave the circuit energized, remove the bulb and insert it back into the base after you have turned it 180 degrees so the bulb is backwards to the first time. I think this may solve your issue. Other posters have alluded to the LED being a diode, meaning current flow only goes one way through the bulb. DC current only flows in one direction so the bulb has to be oriented to the flow of current correctly. If you have a 12 volt battery, a couple of wires and a LED you can try attaching the wires to the base and posts in various configurations and it'll be pretty apparent which way works. Have fun. Hope this helps. Don't ask me how I know this. lol

[sailorboy1]

Was at a super west marine today for something different, but while there looked at the bulbs again. I looked at both regular and LED and still don’t see any other bulb type that would fit in the fixture than what I got originally.

But, I’m not interested in more attempts at changing the bulb. It’s fully replace the whole thing now. It’s not much of a priority as as I have other fully approved anchor lights that I consider much more effective that that mast top star.

[a64pilot]

It’s maybe a little more expensive, but get one from Marinebeam

[Trawlerman]

I will throw a little curve into what you have heard on the issue of LED light bulbs. Most of the current ones of any quality have a full wave bridge built into the circuitry so that they will light regardless of polarity. Having said that, if you have used an ohmmeter on a high meg-ohm scale and see an open circuit, I would bet you nickels to donuts that you have an open wire that occurred in the hoisting of the mast.

[Bleemus]

I have had good luck with superbrightleds.com. Each bulb description has a link to a dimension graphic. Pull out the micrometer and find your bulb.

Before converting I would draw about 26 amps with every light on including the massive spreader and foredeck lights. Now it's about five amps. Just turning on every cabin light doesn't even move the ampmeter. Very pleased.

[sailorboy1]

People just don't read threads before responding do they?

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

People just don't read threads before responding do they?

Where's the fun in THAT?

[Bleemus]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

People just don't read threads before responding do they?

I hit send before saying they were very helpful finding a bulb I couldn't source. If you have determined that the bulb you have is non functional after reversing polarity and the wiring at the masthead is live giving them a call or sending a photo might lead to a solution. They know LEDs.