Aqua Signal mast head light maintenance

[winsbury]

I'd love to upgrade my existing light fittings proactively to LED but is cost prohibitive. How a) is it possible to justify £8-12 for an incandescent bulb and b) anything up to £40 for a waterproof LED one? This is clearly profiteering on the basis that it has to be of an 'approved type' for navigation.

I asked the various LED sales people at the boat show recently about the replacement bulb options - what became clear was that many of the so called navigation led bulbs are a) not approved and b) likely to suffer premature failure due to moisture ingress as they are not sealed and multi-led bulbs leds are notoriously sensitive to water damage. Neither of these points are in the numerous ads for these cheaper/imported bulbs as seem on fleabay etc. There must be hundreds of boats running illegal and unreliable retro-fit led bulbs simply because the big boys wont produce a reasonably priced led replacement that will fit older light fittings.

Rant over, I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

[Sans Bateau]

But your old Aqua Signal lights crumbled in your hand when you took them off? That did not cause you any doubts about the build quality?

It was 16 years old.

 

[Dockhead]

It was 16 years old.

My whole boat is 12 years old, and I would be appalled if it crumbled in my hand . . .

 

[Chalker]

Nav lights are approved as a whole unit, housing, coloured filters and bulb all together. Similarly LED lights are approved as a complete unit.
Bulbs have to meet a spec but are not separately approved.
That's why you cannot find an approved LED bulb to go into an Aqua Signal series 40 Tri, or any other Tri.

 

[Sans Bateau]

My whole boat is 12 years old, and I would be appalled if it crumbled in my hand . . .

Dont worry, I think your boat'll be OK.

 

[winsbury]

Nav lights are approved as a whole unit, housing, coloured filters and bulb all together. Similarly LED lights are approved as a complete unit.
Bulbs have to meet a spec but are not separately approved.
That's why you cannot find an approved LED bulb to go into an Aqua Signal series 40 Tri, or any other Tri.

That makes sense as the filters will be tuned to the wavelengths from a given bulb so unless the LED had the same treatment it could change the observed colour or range or if excessively bright wash-out the lens filtering.

With the exception of the very expensive silver bodied sealed led lamp range offered by chandlers, there plenty of relatively cheap replacement led lamps being sold for nav light purposes which would in many cases make the tricolour or even single colour nav lights illegal and definitley unreliable. For example some advertise cool white or warm white and none indicate whether they are suitable as 10W or 25W replacements. These choices might be okay for a cabin light but not for a nav light.

In short I think I answered my own question - there is at present only one company sticking their neck out to make 'proper' led replacement nav bulbs, and hence they can charge whatever they want.

 

[Chalker]

By 'proper' I assume you mean the ones with 3 colours of LED around the cylinder?
I've looked at them and agree that the price probably reflects the level of competitition!

 

[chewi]

Maybe try to use a rubber oil filter remover to turn the collar, rather than any localised pressure.

btw does anyone have a spare split ring for one?