Anchor light - time to join the 21st century?

[MagicalArmchair]

I love my hurricane lamp, however, its probably time to move on to something someone might actually see I suppose and is less likely to set the gaff alight, ho hum.



I don't really want a 12V cable draped over the place, or something draining my 12V all night, and the cost of these seems rather high for what it is:
http://www.boatlamps.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d80.html

I could buy two of these (one for backup), with some rechargeable batteries for half the price, and job done surely?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-11-LED...920?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5b04bc2c58

Edit: Assuming each led draws at most 20Ma, when on the unit is on it would consume 220Ma. With three AA rechargable batteries, each with 2700Ma, that gives 36 hours usage before recharge...

Any reason why not?

 

[dartmoor]

LED lights are getting ridiculously cheap - of course put "marine" or "boat" in front of it, and the price jumps by many hundreds of a percent. So interested in the "why not" too...

 

[JimC]

Looks good to me but are they rain proof?

 

[kirr]

Your assumptions seem to include the LEDs running at 1.5v I suspect that they use 4.5v which will reduce your usage to 12 hours - still adequate but not as good as 36 hours.

 

[VicS]

No doubt much brighter than your hurricane lantern and stay alight in winds above force 1 but I dont see any mention of luminous intensity or luminous flux so difficult to know what sort of visible range to expect.

I have looked at some LED lanterns. Mostly falling short of what is really required.

I reckon the best of the bunch may well be this one from Draper tools, although I suspect now only avaialble while stocks last http://www.trueshopping.co.uk/product/Draper_17_Led_Water_resistant_Utility_Lantern/3728/47708.html Probably find soewhat cheaper by shopping around.

However at a fiver those are worth a punt.

 

[lw395]

As a rough guide, you want about 1 watt of LEDs to replace about 6 watts of normal bulbs.
So 2W of LEDs should be OK.
Say 20Wh overnight, or under 2Ah.
Given the average yacht has at least 20Ah of useable battery capacity, I can't see much merit in mucking about with nimhs or nicads.
Another set of rechargeables is just another thing to check/replace/be let down by.

OTOH, something you can shove some duracells into is always a good back up.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

Now now VicS, my little hurricane lamp has stayed 'lit' in 35 knots of wind... I daresay no one would actually see it in those winds but it WAS lit...

These little £5 numbers do state "Waterproof, ideal for outdoor use" - I might give them a go, get some rechargeable batteries, turn them on at my desk at work and see just how long they stay on for. And good point kirr, I didn't consider they would likely be in series.

 

[richardabeattie]

No doubt much brighter than your hurricane lantern and stay alight in winds above force 1 but I dont see any mention of luminous intensity or luminous flux so difficult to know what sort of visible range to expect.

I have looked at some LED lanterns. Mostly falling short of what is really required.

I reckon the best of the bunch may well be this one from Draper tools, although I suspect now only avaialble while stocks last http://www.trueshopping.co.uk/product/Draper_17_Led_Water_resistant_Utility_Lantern/3728/47708.html Probably find soewhat cheaper by shopping around.

However at a fiver those are worth a punt.

Not clear what sort of batteries it uses.

 

[doug748]

I love my hurricane lamp, however, its probably time to move on to something someone might actually see I suppose and is less likely to set the gaff alight, ho hum.

View attachment 50000



Stick with what you have.

The plastic light will give you no joy whatever and it will make your boat and your heart a bleaker place.

 

[VicS]

Not clear what sort of batteries it uses.

4 C cells.

Also found that the light output is 18 lumen

According to the annex 1 of the Colregs a light with a luminous intensity of 4.3 candela is required for a visible range of 2 n.miles when the meteorological visibility is 13 n. miles

The total light output from 4.3 candela would be approx 54 lm if distributed over an entire sphere ( 1 candela producing 1 lm/steradian and there being 4pi sr to a sphere ) however if concentrated by the lantern into a beam 1/3 of a total sphere or less 18 lm would give the 2 n miles visible range required by the Colregs.

 

[Greenheart]

View attachment 50000

Stick with what you have...the plastic light will give you no joy whatever and it will make your boat and your heart a bleaker place.

Purely on aesthetic grounds, I agree. In fact, where can I get a flamey hurricane lamp like yours? It's unlikely to be used at all, certainly never in more than a force 2.

 

[lw395]

Not clear what sort of batteries it uses.

Draper one is C cells.
It's 18 lumens.
A 2W LED bulb is typically 70 lumens.
You have to factor in how much of the light is going where it's wanted, i.e. focussed horizontally towards the horizon, or spread vertically.
Those Draper things will have a fairly wide vertical spread compared to a proper anchor light with a purpose designed lens.

I use a DIY effort with about 1.5W of LEDs arranged radially. It's probably not as bright as a properly legal 2NM light should be, but I find it shows up very well in anchorages. I made it ages ago, better LEDs are cheap now.

 

[prv]

Purely on aesthetic grounds, I agree. In fact, where can I get a flamey hurricane lamp like yours? It's unlikely to be used at all, certainly never in more than a force 2.

Loads of cheapo ones on eBay last time I looked, though I've heard these often leak oil until repaired with either solder or epoxy.

Pete

 

[VicS]

Purely on aesthetic grounds, I agree. In fact, where can I get a flamey hurricane lamp like yours? It's unlikely to be used at all, certainly never in more than a force 2.

Why mess with a flamey one needing a supply of paraffin when you can get LED ones http://www.healthylivingdirect.com/...old-solutions/lighting/hurricane-lantern.aspx

 

[prv]

Why mess with a flamey one needing a supply of paraffin when you can get LED ones http://www.healthylivingdirect.com/...old-solutions/lighting/hurricane-lantern.aspx

As he said - aesthetic grounds. Why do we still have open fires and stoves in our houses when central heating can do the job so much more easily and efficiently? Because sitting in your living room staring at a radiator is boring!

An oil lamp is the small-boat equivalent of an open fire, that's exactly how I regarded the one I fitted in Kindred Spirit.

(With a larger yacht in the same traditional style, I'd have had a cast-iron stove.)

Pete

 

[sailorman]

Purely on aesthetic grounds, I agree. In fact, where can I get a flamey hurricane lamp like yours? It's unlikely to be used at all, certainly never in more than a force 2.

I have a copper one made by Davey & Co, its on the sideboard @ home these daze as a hella one came with the boat that the former owner left for me

 

[VicS]

As he said - aesthetic grounds. Why do we still have open fires and stoves in our houses when central heating can do the job so much more easily and efficiently? Because sitting in your living room staring at a radiator is boring!

An oil lamp is the small-boat equivalent of an open fire, that's exactly how I regarded the one I fitted in Kindred Spirit.

(With a larger yacht in the same traditional style, I'd have had a cast-iron stove.)

Pete

The point being thet the one in th link mimics a traditional hurricane lantern


WE still hve open fires in our houses do WE Perhaps WE have the servants to deal with them. I got rid of mine over 40 yearsago and I have not noticed myself staring at a radiator yet.

 

[Greenheart]

As he said - aesthetic grounds. Why do we have open fires and stoves in our houses when central heating does the job so much more easily & efficiently? Because...staring at a radiator is boring!

As you say, Pete. I've no wish to enter a disagreement about this...(and as I said, it will very possibly never be used aboard the dinghy, so my contribution is largely irrelevant, if the question is strictly one of safety and visibility in busy anchorages...which I can appreciate, it probably is)...

...but...that atmospheric yellowish glow, be it inefficient and barely visible at a distance, is what I'd like, hence my enquiry. That LED one is quite cute...

...not sure about the waterproof factor, though! And, however do they get that flame-like glow, from LEDs?

 

[Greenheart]

I have a copper one made by Davey & Co, its on the sideboard @ home these daze...

...would you prefer a very small stack of bank-notes on your sideboard? Any photo, if it's for sale? I'd post photos of it, aloft in the rigging on a summer night...

 

[prv]

WE still hve open fires in our houses do WE Perhaps WE have the servants to deal with them.

"We" as in the population of the UK in general. I don't have one myself, the house was built in the 1990s without a chimney. I would like a fireplace in the living room, but it wouldn't really be practical to add. Not to mention way outside my budget - must be all those imaginary servants I'm paying for (WTF?)

Pete