Check the life left on your navigation lights

[noelex]

I recently noticed our Aqua Signal 34 anchor light was not working. When turning it on, it gave 4 flashes then nothing. I suspected a loose electrical connection, but consulting the manual showed that 4 flashes indicates the end of its service life.

To deliberately stop the light working seems a strange feature to incorporate into a navigation light, especially as the four flashes were quite bright indicating the led was still capable of working. However, there is a warning system that I was unaware of, so it is really user error:

– 1 x flashing = 75% remaining service life

– 2 x flashing = 50% remaining service life

– 3 x flashing = 25% remaining service life; recommendation: provide replacement!

– 4 x flashing = End of the life expectancy; the light switches off immediately.

I suspect this warning is a requirement for certification so may apply to other brands of navigation lights. It is worth checking. You could be left without a working navigation light at an inconvenient time when replacement is difficult. We managed to reach the "end of life expectancy" in only just over six years. Granted we anchor a great deal, but the anchor light is only turned on at night (given the low power draw some cruising boats leave the anchor light on 24hrs a day) so others may be close to the stage of losing a navigation light from this inbuilt "feature".

 

[Refueler]

What a ridiculous system !!

Why would it be a certification item ... standard filament bulb lights don't have it .. so why LED ?

 

[RunAgroundHard]

What a ridiculous system !!

Why would it be a certification item ... standard filament bulb lights don't have it .. so why LED ?

LED intensity degrades over time and the navigation lamp becomes non compliant with SOLAS.

4.3 Special requirements for lights using LEDs
The luminous intensity of LEDs gradually decreases while the electricity consumption remains unchanged. The rate of decrease of luminous intensity depends on the output of LEDs and temperatures of LEDs. To prevent shortage of luminous intensity of LEDs:
.1 An alarm function should be activated to notify the Officer of the Watch that the luminous intensity of the light reduces below the level required by COLREGs;
Or
.2 LEDs should only be used within the lifespan (practical term of validity) specified by the manufacturer to maintain the necessary luminous intensity of LEDs. The lifespan of LEDs should be determined and clearly notified by the manufacturer based on the appropriate test results on the decrease of luminous intensity of the LEDs under various temperature conditions and on the temperature condition of LEDs in the light during operation, taking the appropriate margin into account.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80e5e6ed915d74e33fd083/MGN_393.pdf

 

[lustyd]

LED intensity degrades over time and the navigation lamp becomes non compliant with SOLAS.

But we’ve never seen filament ones where the colour has faded or plastic crazed?
Filaments also fade with low voltage, but I wouldn’t turn them off to fix it!

 

[Refueler]

LED intensity degrades over time and the navigation lamp becomes non compliant with SOLAS.



https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80e5e6ed915d74e33fd083/MGN_393.pdf

Another example of some dimwitted bureaucrat issuing reqt's ....

As I said - filament lamps were fine without such crap !

Ok - lets consider other aspects ... I have lost count long ago of the number of yachts sail and motor that the nav lights are actually non compliant .. mostly because of mounts - not being correct angles .. having no wedges to correct the light angle.

 

[lustyd]

I have lost count long ago of the number of yachts sail and motor that the nav lights are actually non compliant .. mostly because of mounts - not being correct angles .. having no wedges to correct the light angle.

Or where a replacement bulb wasn’t OEM. Read the fine print and that invalidates most lights compliance. Now try finding an OEM bulb spare!

 

[Boathook]

Or where a replacement bulb wasn’t OEM. Read the fine print and that invalidates most lights compliance. Now try finding an OEM bulb spare!

Means I have a problem. My led light 'bulbs' are much brighter than the originals so I can be seen. Even when I made a mistake in the conversion no one commented in the 2 years when I was going sideways at 5 knots ! I only noticed it when testing the lights one year ....
All the colours look correct and clearly visible.

 

[William_H]

As said that requirement is conceivable in todays possible electronics. But IMHO LED can be so bright in excess of minimum requirements that any degradation over time is not to be considered. Aren't LEDs usually quoted as 10000 plus hours. Probably limit of test time.
Anyway if I were OP I would open up the offending light and rewire and remove/ bypass any control circuits if possible.
To be honest i wondered if this were an April fools day joke. Apparently not. ol'will

 

[noelex]

I have been looking up how other manufacturers deal with this system. It seems most (every?) manufacturer has a system to warn users that the "end of life" is approaching.

For example, this is Lopolight’s system:
• All OK: 5 seconds after turning on the light it will go dark for 0,1 second and turn
on again. This is just a check for you to assure that the microprocessor is working.
• Less than 2000 working hours left: The dark period is extended to 2 seconds:
you should change the light at your next service within the next 12 months.
• Light Expired: The dark period is extended to 5 seconds: You should change
the light immediately. (The light will still be working, even in the expired state)

Note in this case (and every other manufacturer that I found) the light continues to work despite reaching its "end of life". I think this far preferable to Aqua Signal’s solution where the electronics deliberately turn off the light.

 

[Refueler]

This all explains a LED bulb I have in my party room .... it flashes and then stays on ...

Never seen it before ... all other LED's I have around house are cheaper budget versions and they just reach a time when the output goes quickly down - but this one is a 'brand' name ....

mmmm won't buy that brand again !!

 

[lustyd]

All the colours look correct and clearly visible.

I'm afraid that's irrelevant. Even if you replace the OEM bulb with a generic one of identical spec, you're no longer compliant.

Obviously I'm just pointing out the absurdity of the situation, I swapped to LED bulbs and they are superior in every way. My LED bulbs also won't dangerously time out when they decide they're too old.

I find it scary that anyone is defending that sort of behaviour by manufacturers or even those setting the rules. Sadly, looking around these days I don't find it surprising any more that the turkeys keep voting for xmas.

 

[Daydream believer]

I recently noticed our Aqua Signal 34 anchor light was not working. When turning it on, it gave 4 flashes then nothing. I suspected a loose electrical connection, but consulting the manual showed that 4 flashes indicates the end of its service life.

To deliberately stop the light working seems a strange feature to incorporate into a navigation light, especially as the four flashes were quite bright indicating the led was still capable of working. However, there is a warning system that I was unaware of, so it is really user error:

– 1 x flashing = 75% remaining service life

– 2 x flashing = 50% remaining service life

– 3 x flashing = 25% remaining service life; recommendation: provide replacement!

– 4 x flashing = End of the life expectancy; the light switches off immediately.

You have me really worried now. I have had a couple of flashes of brilliance when doing a job on my boat the other day & felt quite proud. But now I am not so sure

 

[Refueler]

Such redundancy built in worries me ... not only on a boat - but there are replacement LED's for cars as well ... imagine the same on your car !!

 

[justanothersailboat]

A warning flash 5 seconds after switch on is going to be hard to spot from many boat switch panels!

I looked, but can't see any SOLAS regulation about led nav lights actually having to implement this behaviour. Maybe it's "just" manufacturers trying to avoid litigation?

 

[PCUK]

A warning flash 5 seconds after switch on is going to be hard to spot from many boat switch panels!

I looked, but can't see any SOLAS regulation about led nav lights actually having to implement this behaviour. Maybe it's "just" manufacturers trying to avoid litigation?

. . . and increasing sales of course!

 

[rogerthebodger]

When incandescent lights were first manufactured the life were so long that there were no replacements needed. The manufacturers got together to reduce the life of the lights they manufactured to increase the sales

Longest-lasting light bulbs - Wikipedia

 

[Refueler]

When incandescent lights were first manufactured the life were so long that there were no replacements needed. The manufacturers got together to reduce the life of the lights they manufactured to increase the sales

Longest-lasting light bulbs - Wikipedia

There's an old wives tale about a certain European company creating the everlasting light bulb ... they are reported as having locked it away securely to avoid it getting on market ...

Total bo*****s of course ... but good party chat !!

 

[oldmanofthehills]

There's an old wives tale about a certain European company creating the everlasting light bulb ... they are reported as having locked it away securely to avoid it getting on market ...

Total bo*****s of course ... but good party chat !!

There is reportedly one normalish bulb in some the fire brigade house in Livermore, Calfornia that has been there for 100 or more years.

I expect they dont dare turn it on for more normal use, but its an example given when describing the bathtub curve of failure rates

 

[rogerthebodger]

There is reportedly one normalish bulb in some the fire brigade house in Livermore, Calfornia that has been there for 100 or more years.

I expect they dont dare turn it on for more normal use, but its an example given when describing the bathtub curve of failure rates

See post #16

I expect they don't dare turn it on for more norma actually Thay don't dare it OFF as its the switching on /off that causes incensement to fail

 

[TLouth7]

There is reportedly one normalish bulb in some the fire brigade house in Livermore, Calfornia that has been there for 100 or more years.

I expect they dont dare turn it on for more normal use, but its an example given when describing the bathtub curve of failure rates

It's more that they never turn it off!

The original Colossus codebreaking computer contained so many vacuum tubes that detractors said it would constantly blow them and stop working. Again the solution was never to switch it off: it's the thermal change that results in failures.