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LED Anchor Light

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John Salyer

Jan 1, 1970
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I've found a bunch of stuff on replacing the incandescent bulb in the anchor
light with an LED array. But I haven't found a schematic of how to do this.
Any help? I'd like to build an array of up to 18 super bright LED's, with a
regulator. Any ideas?
 
J

John Salyer

Jan 1, 1970
0
I'm a putzer, and really would like to build one myself. Spending $114 for
a light as described isn't my cup of tea. It is more the challenge, than it
is spending the money.
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Glenn Ashmore

Jan 1, 1970
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I too am a compulsive DIYer but when I looked at what is required I
faded. To get the 2 mile range at 360º you have to use 5 or 6 of the
new ultra bright LEDs and drive them with a special power supply circuit
and you still need the fresnel lens and water tight base. I estimated
the cost would be only slightly than less the available lights and I
wouldn't know if it was bright enough until the CG came along side with
their citation book open.

John said:
I'm a putzer, and really would like to build one myself. Spending $114 for
a light as described isn't my cup of tea. It is more the challenge, than it
is spending the money.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com
 
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Jason

Jan 1, 1970
0
Absolutely hate the tricolour lights. Stupid invention. Bloody hard to make
out the movement of 30 plus vessels at night when they all have tricolours
running.
For what size of boat is this anchor light for???
 
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Joe Wood

Jan 1, 1970
0
What would drive me to go with either of the LED based solutions
discussed in this thread is their low power usage. I have the Perko
two-bulb light where each light is 750mW or 625mA for a total of 1.3A.
I have Trojan T105 Golf Cart batteries rated at a little over 200AH of
which by the rule of thumb I can only use about one-third or 70AH. If
I'm at anchor and run my anchor light for 10 hours, this comes to 13AH
just for my anchor light. This is nearly 20% of my total power budget.

Once I had to send a professional up my mast rather than doing it
myself. It cost me $120. It's good to calibrate things. These units
have lifetimes in the 10s of thousands of hours.

Joe Wood
 
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Jeff Morris

Jan 1, 1970
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The caveat in Rule 30(b) is merely to say that smaller boats only need one light, not two.
There is nothing that implies that an anchor light must be at the masthead, it must be
"where it can best be seen." When there are two lights, the forward one must be higher.

One can make a good argument that "best be seen" is not at the masthead if the other boats
are small.

Like most sailors, however, I use the masthead light, but I often add a Davis Megalite as
a second, lower light in the cockpit.
 
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Rodney Myrvaagnes

Jan 1, 1970
0
For most anchorages, we prefer an anchor light much lower than the
masthead. While it's traditional, and easy, the rules don't require a
masthead light, and we think a light hanging in the foretriangle or
off the boom is more easily seen by smaller boats. You can use a six
volt lantern battery for this.

see Colregs, Rule 30(b) "A vessel of less than 50 meters in length may
exhibit an all-round white light where it can best be seen instead of
the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule."
I agree. We hang a battery anchor light, wither in the foretriangle or
under the boom tip, when we are in an area with lots of small
motorboats around. A light 60 feet in the air might never be noticed
by someone buzzing around on a sea-doo-doo.

Rodney Myrvaagnes Opionated old geezer

Faith-based economics: It's deja voodoo all over again
 
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Larry

Jan 1, 1970
0
I agree. We hang a battery anchor light, wither in the foretriangle or

Just doesn't seem right, though, unless it's an oil lamp running on real
whale oil, does it?
 
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GregS

Jan 1, 1970
0
Just doesn't seem right, though, unless it's an oil lamp running on real
whale oil, does it?

Presents a problem, do these things opperate at night without a headlight?
I don't think they have lights. Anyway. my boat has reflectors viewable
at any angle or position. So does the trailer.

greg
 
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