Putting LEDs into old nav light housings

[KelseyB]

I have a set of these old-ish bronze nav lights for my stern light, steaming light, and bow. They are incandescent, and considering how long they sat, I doubt that the electric aspect of them works at all (quite corroded). I want to replace the actual fixture with LED, but try to keep the housing because it looks cool. I can't find a manufacturer who makes LED fixtures without the housing, as in just the bulb and the wiring, that I could simply put into this housing and then seal up, perhaps because LEDs tend to be a complete unit. Maybe I could put an entire LED nav light unit inside this one, and just have two housings, essentially? Especially because these are not watertight. Does this kind of thing exist, and who might sell them?

[Jim Krause]

I did this on my boat. Dr LED makes replacement LED fixtures for most types of mounts/applications.
https://www.doctorled.com

[Spot]

Cool housings. How were they attached to the boat?

Did you test the bulb for continuity or try them with 12V (assuming they are 12v...)?
I like to give existing a go once before giving up. Mine are 40 years old with a standard marine bulb base. The bulb should have have a number or it can be cross referenced by diameter and contact type.
You'd want a higher-quality LED replacement to avoid RF noise.

PS re-stuffing them is an option too. Keeping stuff from vibrating and staying sealed would be concerns as you already figured.

[Knotical]

You sure there wasn’t an oil burning lamp in there

Anyway, cool fixture

[KelseyB]

Originally Posted by Spot

Cool housings. How were they attached to the boat?

Did you test the bulb for continuity or try them with 12V (assuming they are 12v...)?
I like to give existing a go once before giving up.

They have little brackets on the back that slide over slots on the stern rail, bow pulpit, and on the mast, although I may try to attach them a bit better.

And in terms of testing before giving up, I'm usually with you on that one, except they sat for 15 years and if they're anywhere near as bad as everything else that was in the boat when I got her, they won't work. I'm also trying not to skimp on important stuff like nav lights before I leave on my trip, just generally

[Spot]

The first picture of the bulb end of the wire looks pretty clean, I would have expected more colors and more corrosion. It looks like a bayonet style (push in and twist) to remove. I can understand the concerns if other systems were neglected but you might be surprised. The marine based bulbs have + and - on the bottom and the shell is for the mechanical connection to the fixture, not electrical. Automotive types generally use the shell for the - electrical connection.

PS On mine the bulbs actually rotted out, the adhesive holding the globes broke free and they twisted in the shell around the filament. Socket and wires were fine.

PPS On the bow lights, are the lenses colored or the bulbs?

[Nicholson58]

https://store.marinebeam.com/

Replacement bulbs and fixtures

[jamhass]

LED replacements that fit the base are great for CLEAR lenses. However...
Colored lenses need LEDs specifically matched to the color of the lens.

This is because LEDs emit light in a VERY narrow spectrum, and if that spectrum does not match the color of the lens, the brightness of the resulting light is very much reduced. LED manufacturers offer specifically matched LEDs for many popular fixtures, but maybe not for older fixtures. As a result you could spend a lot of $$$ trying to find an LED that really works in your fixture. You will be likely better off using LEDs in the clear ones, and staying with incandescents in the colored ones.

[Uncle Bob]

Hi, I have bought from this flea bay vendor, http://www.ebay.com.au/usr/toplightparts and been happy with price, quality and delivery.
Cheers.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

https://store.marinebeam.com/

Replacement bulbs and fixtures

+1

I’ve used this brand for a few conversions and have been very impressed with the quality and brightness they provide.

[Spot]

The lower current draw (0.5A versus 0.05A) and associated reduction in heat output is nice too.

Here is a 7.5w 'regular' and a 5-10w replacement LED powered up in a vintage socket. This is from the 'steaming light' off the 21-footer. Does this prove that I miss working on the boat due to the snow? I do not have an interest in SuperbriteLED's, just a happy customer after seeing them run while listening on VHF and not hearing interference during repeated on/off cycles.

The reminder about the bow colors is good too. If the light is double-filtered it could become quite dim. I still need to sort that on mine.

[Pegu Club]

We replaced all of our lights internal and external on our 1977 Bristol 29.9 with LEDs, Dr LED, and Marine Beam is where we located what we needed.

Fair winds,

[ggray]

I hate saying it but should you worry about not having lights w/ USCG approval stamped on them should you have a collision at night?


I suppose you could have a testing company certify as to meeting USCG standards, after the fact....

[KelseyB]

Originally Posted by Spot

PPS On the bow lights, are the lenses colored or the bulbs?

Yea that one in the picture looks okay but upon closer inspection they're not, unfortunately. And the bow light has colored lenses, not colored bulbs, so I could just put a normal white LED inside

[KelseyB]

Originally Posted by ggray

I hate saying it but should you worry about not having lights w/ USCG approval stamped on them should you have a collision at night?


I suppose you could have a testing company certify as to meeting USCG standards, after the fact....

This is actually a very good point... the boat is not currently documented, but I'm considering getting it documented, so would that matter? And does USCG approval for nav lights pretty much just look at brightness and watertightness, or is there something else? I feel like there are likely tons of things on my boat that aren't perfectly up to USCG standards, not because it's unsafe at all, but perhaps because she's just old and a bit quirky and I've been doing the refit myself.