Another Light Thread. The Awful Mast Mounted Deck/Steaming Light.

[savageseadog]

Those small dual deck/steaming lights for sub 12m boats are truly dreadful things, this type of thing:

There's more than one maker that produce similar products
I've not come across a good design, there's no protection from the weather, they are terrible to wire up, no space. Why did such a poor design become so prevalent?

 

[macd]

Some of the 12m+ ones are no better. The one I've just taken off has a moped sealed headlamp unit for a decklight. I've never seen such a perfectly formed bowl of pure rust.

 

[PBrook]

Thanks for the heads up... I was going to fit one of these this year! Is there a way to improve the installation or is there a better solution?

 

[philip_stevens]

Would some form of spreader light be a better option. They come in stainless steel and polycarbonate. Maybe one on each side of the mast.

That way, you could have a decent steaming light.

 

[VicS]

Those small dual deck/steaming lights for sub 12m boats are truly dreadful things, this type of thing:

Link to MMstore removed!

There's more than one maker that produce similar products
I've not come across a good design, there's no protection from the weather, they are terrible to wire up, no space. Why did such a poor design become so prevalent?

My experiences with the Aqua signal one ( not mine but on the boat I crewed and generally helped with) was of corrosion of the deck light fitting. There is a bit in there ( a spring ??) thats not rust resistant!

Also the cover over the decklight is poor. Ours was knocked off while the mast was on the rack and only found again after I had made an aluminium replacement. We never found the reflector but since the light seldom worked that was no great deal.

Also an uncommon fitting for a halogen bulb. Cheap enough if you can find them away from "marine sources" but an astronomic price if you buy an Aquasignal replacement from a chandler.


Fancy posting a link to marine megastore ... wash your mouth out

 

[Fantasie 19]

Those small dual deck/steaming lights for sub 12m boats are truly dreadful things, this type of thing:

There's more than one maker that produce similar products
I've not come across a good design, there's no protection from the weather, they are terrible to wire up, no space. Why did such a poor design become so prevalent?

Couldn't agree more - I fitted two in the space of three years... :ambivalence:

 

[prv]

I've got some brilliant deck lights under the spreaders - LED strips (but rigid, with an aluminium frame, not the flexi strips) sold as aftermarket daytime running lights for boy racers. Self-adhesive, but I backed that up with some sikaflex. They light up the whole deck area, fore and aft, and with two of them out to the sides you're not working in your own shadow so much.

(My steaming light is an aqua-signal housing with a Bebi lamp in it.)

Pete

 

[Poignard]

Agreed. They're a pile of **** (= dung)

 

[ashtead]

Slight thread hijack but can someone give me a clue as to how you accessthe steaming light bulb on these ? Mines packed up and a trip up mast revealed no obvious screws to remove upper cover? Short of taking whole thing of master any way in to bulb?

 

[VicS]

Slight thread hijack but can someone give me a clue as to how you accessthe steaming light bulb on these ? Mines packed up and a trip up mast revealed no obvious screws to remove upper cover? Short of taking whole thing of master any way in to bulb?

Remove the lens assembly

Held i am sure by two small ( but long) posidrive headed screws one top and one bottom on the centreline The website shows the latest type with one cover over both lights but I think the fixings will be in the same place. IIRC the cover for the deck light on older ones just clips on independently

But maybe you have to unclip the deck light cover first ???????? So long since I dealt with one of these.... and they change the design periodically


But until you get to it you wont know for sure if the festoon bulb has dimple ends or cone ends!


IIRC very old ones are cone ends, later ones dimple ends but the latest might be cone ends again


Latest spec says all stainless steel components !

 

[Ardenfour]

I fitted one which was still working fine after 4 years. Cheap n cheerful, tho'

 

[ashtead]

Thanks for advice VicS . Mine dates from 2001 so assume it's old type of bulb with cone ends . Definitely no centre line screws though as per your photo so will carry out another site visit to try again.

 

[johnphilip]

Some of the 12m+ ones are no better. The one I've just taken off has a moped sealed headlamp unit for a decklight. I've never seen such a perfectly formed bowl of pure rust.

Is the lamp something like this?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/1104...1=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0
If so mine seems to eat bulbs at about £10 per hour. Awful

 

[skyflyer]

What should surprise me (but doesn't) is the wide variation in price for what seems to be the same product

£24 inc postage for this

or

£90 for this

on the face of it the same, but even if not, is one there and a half times better, or will it last three and a half times as long as the other?

 

[Niffler]

I've got some brilliant deck lights under the spreaders - LED strips (but rigid, with an aluminium frame, not the flexi strips) sold as aftermarket daytime running lights for boy racers. Self-adhesive, but I backed that up with some sikaflex. They light up the whole deck area, fore and aft, and with two of them out to the sides you're not working in your own shadow so much.
Pete

That's an excellent idea, the mast is coming down in July so an easy fix. Thanks for the tip.

 

[ghostlymoron]

It might pay you to replace the bulb with an Led when you find how to get at it. They're quite cheap now. As I recall, the deck light is a 2 prong thing and completely unprotected. Not good in my humble.

 

[VicS]

It might pay you to replace the bulb with an Led when you find how to get at it. They're quite cheap now. As I recall, the deck light is a 2 prong thing and completely unprotected. Not good in my humble.

The deck light bulb that I can remember was a miniature bayonet cap halogen bulb ... see what I said earlier in #5

Id certainly consider an LED for the steaming light but it must be the right type to have the necessary arc of visibility and range ...not just some cheapie festoon replacement from ebay

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

I have just installed one of these on my mast, just underneath the radar. I replaced both light bulbs with LEDs; easy job, just undo the screws. Both lights are very bright, especially the deck light which is a sealed spot light LED unit. I also sealed the unit with polyurethane sealant to keep it waterproof. It should last for a few years.

 

[Niffler]

I have just installed one of these on my mast, just underneath the radar. I replaced both light bulbs with LEDs; easy job, just undo the screws. Both lights are very bright, especially the deck light which is a sealed spot light LED unit. I also sealed the unit with polyurethane sealant to keep it waterproof. It should last for a few years.

Have you got a link to an example?

 

[ghostlymoron]

Vic, I thought it was the fitting that produced the 225 degree arc rather than the bulb. So a cheapie eBay would be OK.

The deck light bulb that I can remember was a miniature bayonet cap halogen bulb ... see what I said earlier in #5

Id certainly consider an LED for the steaming light but it must be the right type to have the necessary arc of visibility and range ...not just some cheapie festoon replacement from ebay