Best way to make this connection?

[PaulRainbow]

They seem like such a good idea!. I, too, have a boxful that this thread reminded me that I need to bin. The heat-shrink crimp connectors do work, though, provided you use the proper crimping pliers. The ones that double as strippers just don't do it.

They don't do any crimping properly, need to go in the bin with those connectors

 

[VicS]

Fine ... but that does not mean LED in older filament based lights are rubbish.

I have replaced filament with standard white LED and the only difference has been usually brighter light ... with very low power draw.

Warm white LEDs must be used in the red and green lights but cool white is better in a white light.
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[ridgy]

I did try warm white led but the green looked white-ish from a distance so didn't have confidence in it. Plus the mechanism that hold the lens on is slightly damaged.

Anyway I've ordered these as suggested. I like the idea of it being accessible and detachable:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265802966332

 

[justanothersailboat]

The solder rings seem to work if heated consistently at just the right temperature for enough time on wires with a smidge of no-clean flux.

Or you can just crimp, which is easier to get right every time with the right ratchet tool for the crimp type you have.

The only drawback with the gluelined crimps is that they are a bit more expensive than many other ways of joining cables. On my boat I decided I could live with that for the ease of only needing one box of crimps, one crimp tool and no risk of using the wrong thing. Also, while not every wire needs it, it only takes one wire to have needed a waterproof crimp it didn't get... and there's all the savings wiped out.

 

[geem]

If you have space at the top of the mast, use a small cable junction box. Screw the box to the top of the mast and use glanded cable penetrations. You can then fit ferrules to the cable ends then use stainless steel chocolate block. Weather tight and UV proof

 

[Refueler]

Warm white LEDs must be used in the red and green lights but cool white is better in a white light.
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Std to me is Warm White ... not the cool bluish version ...

I'm surprised no-ones attacked with the "only approved" marine bulbs / LED's ... as they are correct for the job ...

Just a comment though ... I have 4 boats and three have nav lights ... guess what ... all three boats - the side nav lights have different shades of red / green glassware !!

 

[KompetentKrew]

LED replacing filament ? Why rubbish ? Many people do just that - I've done it on various and work fine ... power demand is significantly reduced, lamps can be easily replaced instead of whole unit ...

These LED replacements for 12v incandescent bulbs have multiple LED elements - as I'm sure you know, they're not a single bulb but a circuit board with surface-mount LEDs soldered to them. Sometimes they have as few as half a dozen LEDs; a dozen might be typical, and sometimes closer to twice that.

The LED elements die one by one - only sometimes do they flicker when failing, which is annoying in a cabin light and is the chief reason I replace the G12 bulbs in my reading lamps. You wouldn't notice flickering failure on a nav light unless you had the cover off and were looking closely.

Typically when the G12 LEDs in my cabin lights start to flicker I replace them and find that 3 or 4 of the 12+ LEDs have failed - i.e. easily as much as 10% or 20%.

The good thing about incandescent bulbs is that they're sealed in glass. Although some of the festoon LED bulbs have a glass cover it does not seem to be hermetically sealed, because in my experience the LEDs in them fail at a high rate and I reckon this is because moisture gets in.

So LED replacement bulbs fail and lose brightness put people don't notice because at close range they still "work".

Nav lights are particularly exposed to moisture and masthead lights are particularly difficult to inspect.

Most people are not seeking out high quality LED replacements for the festoon bulbs in their nav lights - they think "incandescent bulbs fail sometimes and LED lights are better" and they replace their incandescent bulbs with cheap Chinese LED replacements which are 3 for £10 on Amazon.

These are probably fine if you inspect them reasonably often - it probably doesn't even matter if your LED bulbs are "only" running at 80% or 90% brightness. They are cheap and they get the job done. But if you're serious about wanting to be seen offshore then IMO you should just get modern new nav lights that are designed with the LEDs built in - e.g. Aquasignal series 43 or 44 (the latter look better). These are not cheap, but boat ownership tends not to be.

 

[PeterBoater]

Warm white LEDs must be used in the red and green lights but cool white is better in a white light.
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Red LEDs behind red lenses and green LEDs behind green lenses, otherwise the nav light beam might well not meet the international standard for the respective colour, especially when viewed from a distance.

 

[geem]

Red LEDs behind red lenses and green LEDs behind green lenses, otherwise the nav light beam might well not meet the international standard for the respective colour, especially when viewed from a distance.

I have seen plenty of blue led masthead sector lights that should have been green. Might be interesting in an enquiry after a collision as to why the boat didn't conform to international requirements.