LED Tricolour/anchor light- which one?

[MooseMarine]

Hi, the mast is down and all jobs on it must be done. Number 1 is replacing the tricolour/anchor light with an LED unit. Looking at Hella/AquaSignal/Lopolight. Which one is best? Or is there something else out there better? Over 12m so need a good 2nm visibility or more!

[botanybay]

If 24v then definitely aqua signal which I am very pleased with.

The regulator for some of the others have been known to overheat in the tropics in 24v systems.

Also, some have had noise issues with the regulator when in close proximity to the vhf antenna.

[MooseMarine]

Thanks Botany Bay,

It's a 12v system, missed putting that bit in. Plan to head to cooler and warmer waters, so need something that will cope with a range of temperatures. Hope for good conditions, but need to plan for the full range.

[Gudgeon]

I have been very satisfied with Lopolight tricolor anchor mast head combo. I orginally had the card fiber one and it failed. Lopolight replaced it no questions asked. They discontinued the carbon fiber so I have an aluminum housing now.

[chris07732]

Just checked the prices of the Lopolight. Crazy high. What can make them worth 200% more than other lights. Good service, willingness to stand behind their products counts for something, but jeez!!

[Gudgeon]

What I think makes them worth the price is life expectancy 50K hours, the construction multi LED so if one fails you still have a light. They are rated water proof.
The housing is machined aluminum not a stamped aluminum/plastic screwed together housing. I orignianlly had a carbon housing which they had issues with and no longer make. I was very light and if they brought it back I would serioulsy think about putting it back on. I do know it was the brightest anchor light around a very clean white light. You can also add an adapter for the windex for the mast head tri light so you do not need a windes lights.
So theyare my 2 cents.

[dana-tenacity]

LED Lighting for Boats, Navigation, exterior and interior Lights – Neptune's Gear Ltd

[Sheetbender]

If your current light uses a double bayonet or single bayonet bulb, then go to an RV store and get a 12 volt led replacement bulb for about 15 bucks. Bright, cool running, long lasting, cheap.

[Idylles15.5]

The neptune light looks like a decent price for a mast tri color.
I was looking at the aqua signal steaming combo deck light. That is crazy expensive too like the lopolight. All the other ones look like cheap plastic crap though. Wonder why Neptune doesn't make a steaming / deck led?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by MooseMarine

Hi, the mast is down and all jobs on it must be done. Number 1 is replacing the tricolour/anchor light with an LED unit. Looking at Hella/AquaSignal/Lopolight. Which one is best? Or is there something else out there better? Over 12m so need a good 2nm visibility or more!

I just went through this exercise last year.

I rejected the Lopo because of widespread and consistent reports of failures. You don't want to risk that at the masthead where you might not even detect a failure until it's put you in danger, and where replacement is a lot of work. Great customer service can be a cold comfort when what you really need is total reliability. The very high cost was just icing on the cake.

I looked at the Hella, but in the event went with the new Aqua Signal tricolor/anchor light. According to Practical Boatowner, which tested all these a little over a year ago, the Aqua Signal optical performance is superior to the Lopo and others. Plus this is already AS's second generation of LED lights. Plus AS is a large German company which makes nav lights for ships, so have the resources and experience to do serious R&D, something Lopo, an artisan-type company, seems not to have done.

So for me the choice was clear. When I received the Aqua Signal light, I was very pleased at the very robust construction, and performance is great - much better optically than the incandescent light it replaced. The reasonable price was merely a bonus.

[Bregts]

I'm fulltime cruising with a Nasa Combi-light and I'm very happy with it. Only needs one cable, switching +/- poles changes between anchor and tri-color light. Always the most bright anchorlight in the anchorage, same for the tri-color, very bright.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by Bregts

I'm fulltime cruising with a Nasa Combi-light and I'm very happy with it. Only needs one cable, switching +/- poles changes between anchor and tri-color light. Always the most bright anchorlight in the anchorage, same for the tri-color, very bright.

Thanks for posting. I was looking at that too, but wasn't sure how well it worked. How long have you had it?

Matt

[Bregts]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

Thanks for posting. I was looking at that too, but wasn't sure how well it worked. How long have you had it?

Matt

One year, the first batch had a problem a few years ago but the problems where resolved. I got mine of amazon last year january.
Some posts on the internet report problems with the light when used while on shore power. I never do that, no idea why I would have a nav light on while on shore power. The led's can have a problem with the voltage peaks produced by some battery chargers.

Talked with some cargo vessels during the 5000NM we did last year and they always reported to have good a visual on the nav light.

[Colin A]

Got one of the Misea ones a couple years ago so far so good.
LED TriAnchor (2 or 3 Wire Installation) led navigation lights [LXTA-12/24V] - $349.00 : MISEA Group!, Marine Safety Energy Affiliates

[MooseMarine]

Thanks for all the feedback.

Bregts - NASA make very good products. We have used their instruments on our old boat with no problems in 15 years! Well, except getting through 2 sets of wind cups, but the after sales service was exceptional. The website says only OK up to 12m, but 2nm visibility is OK up to 20m for sidelights and anchor, unless I need to brush up on my Colregs

Dockhead - will revisit the AquaSignal offering. We've had Hella bottom Nav lights on our old boat (under 12m) and they have been OK. Any reason for choosing AquaSignal over Hella?

Dana-Tenacity - Optolamp is a new name for me and I'll check this out further.

Colin A - MISEA is, again, a new name for me and I'll check this out further.

RV/bulb replacement route- not going to persue this one.