Collaboration for DIY anchor light anyone?

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Just been messing about bored looking at building another anchor light similar to this one -
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?438936-DIY-anchor-light


Then in a youtube subscription there was a link to a PCB online ordering service -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8ycmroFQSs
https://jlcpcb.com/


So got to thinking - anyone fancy a bit of collaboration designing/ordering bits etc for a load and all build one each?


Overview of the existing light >
Been working night after night mostly for over a year and a half now, really bright, draws about 0.1A, based on the stalled frankenbebi projet.


LEDs are Cree C503D, regulator based on this -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opm-3-hkDEM&index=1&list=WL
No RF interference.






And auto turn on/off is this -
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?478423-DIY-auto-turn-on-anchor-light-circuit


Good thing is it all works!! Really well, from a getting seen point of view anyway. Basic circuits which could probably be tweaked or maybe no need.


Think it's worth clubbing together & ordering a load of PCBs & components so we can all make one?


3D CAD I can get by on (imgur seems grumpy just now so can't upload the image) but drawing up a circuit to order a PCB isn't really going to come out of my laptop.


Random initial thoughts -



  • Got to be open source IMHO, then dump the lot up on instructables or somewhere.
  • Have it all in one little bit of plumbing pipe or have the auto switch separate? (My switch is seperate but the regulator is in with the LEDs then the hoe lot epoxied.
  • I'm a liveaboard not really with an address so someone would need to be a 'postmaster'




Well, that should be enough to get the ball rolling or scoffed at :)



Just managed to get dropbox to upload 3d cad so far image while Imgur is grumpy >



led.gif
 
That's a coincidence, just the other day I found my old anchor light LED cluster and fired it up to test something.

Personally, I would still not bother with any of the auto on/off luggage, as I have felt the need to have the anchor light on in patchy mist.
My LED cluster is old tech.
These days I would use more modern LEDs. Use resistors, design for rated Imax when the 12V is boost charging, check you're getting at least 50% current at say 11.9V for a weak battery.
I'm sure there are many more 'sophisticated' solutions than a birdsnest of 5mm leds and resistors smothered in hot melt glue, but it seems debatable whether they're actually better. In harbour where 1W of LEDs is plenty, the current or Ah you will save with a 'better' circuit isn't going to be significant to most people, but do your own sums if you are going madly off grid in winter high latitudes or whatever.
Any circuit which assumes Vf will be the same for any two diodes remains ugly and amateur.
 
Another point, adding a couple of leds shining down can be handy, lights up the deck and shows the boat at close quarters, e.g. if you're anchored just around a bend in a river, or for people motoring tenders among moored yachts. Esp if you have a wooden yacht with dark/non-white topsides.
 
What would be the final cost?
There are good cheap anchor lights available already, so it would have to be cheaper than those to warrant the labor and organization. Not sure about "birds nest of led cathodes and anodes".
 
ltcom said:
What would be the final cost?
There are good cheap anchor lights available already, so it would have to be cheaper than those to warrant the labor and organization. Not sure about "birds nest of led cathodes and anodes".
Click to expand...

Dunno about cost , quick google'n'guess -

LEDS - say 4 quid for 15, prob bit less with shopping about.
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/visible-leds/8106705/

TLV431 chip - 50P ish
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/voltage-references/7866608/

Transister - 50P ish

Light dependant resister for auto switch
a quid?
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/c/disp...tointerrupters/ldr-light-dependent-resistors/

Plastic plumbing end cap
couple quid?

Potting stuff - dunno.

PCB - no idea - fiver?

So realistically - 20 quid maybe?

As for the rats nest - that's the whole idea of looking at PCB's. tidy all that up.

It's well worth the effort IMHO, really bright - high quality LEDs, almost certain well above the cheapo lights available, 100% waterproof, current is set to 66% duty so should last for years even left on all the time. Will run full brightness down to 12v from memory.
 
100 leds on ebay, couple of quid.
Resistors, another quid.
Wire,
Solder
hot glue or resin.

You could use the 5m LED strips on ebay of course, but personally, one of the few LED things I've had fail is a waterproof 5m tape of 300 LEDs. Maybe I blew it up?
 
lw395 said:
Another point, adding a couple of leds shining down can be handy, lights up the deck and shows the boat at close quarters, e.g. if you're anchored just around a bend in a river, or for people motoring tenders among moored yachts. Esp if you have a wooden yacht with dark/non-white topsides.
Click to expand...

+1
 
Block off the hatch. You need to accept you will miss the light of dawn.

Compromises, compromises!

Somewhere busy - harbour with lots of shore lights, river with lots of houses. Your focus is at eye level, as if you look up you may miss a buoy sliding under your bow. But at eye level the shore lights and the anchor light hanging from forestay can be difficult to distinguish. But if the light shines on the deck - you get a big white patch (or all the deck) - and its obviously the foredeck of a yacht.

It also then substitutes for a deck light, if the anchor light illuminates the deck, if you are working with the anchor. As you say LED produce amazing amount of light - quite extraordinary - and so stunning for something so cheap.

Unfortunately we have just invested. I have been so impressed with yachts whose foretriangle anchor light illuminates the deck that we ordered and received the kit about 3 weeks ago. I need to build the housing itself, but that's the easy part.

Jonathan
 
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Hmm, might be a non starter. Not having much luck finding anywhere which does circular PCBs - maybe square with castellated holes and dremmel by hand?

Seem a bit pricey for low numbers, anyone know any different?
 
Neeves said:
Block off the hatch. You need to accept you will miss the light of dawn.

Compromises, compromises!

Somewhere busy - harbour with lots of shore lights, river with lots of houses. Your focus is at eye level, as if you look up you may miss a buoy sliding under your bow. But at eye level the shore lights and the anchor light hanging from forestay can be difficult to distinguish. But if the light shines on the deck - you get a big white patch (or all the deck) - and its obviously the foredeck of a yacht.

It also then substitutes for a deck light, if the anchor light illuminates the deck, if you are working with the anchor. As you say LED produce amazing amount of light - quite extraordinary - and so stunning for something so cheap.

Unfortunately we have just invested. I have been so impressed with yachts whose foretriangle anchor light illuminates the deck that we ordered and received the kit about 3 weeks ago. I need to build the housing itself, but that's the easy part.

Jonathan
Click to expand...

Do you have a link to the kit, pls?
 
Neeves said:
Unfortunately we have just invested. I have been so impressed with yachts whose foretriangle anchor light illuminates the deck that we ordered and received the kit about 3 weeks ago. I need to build the housing itself, but that's the easy part. Jonathan
Click to expand...

Apart from the possible enjoyment of building something, is it worthwhile? I bought one of these to replace a broken Owl. Off the shelf, 2 NM visibility and the optional bright bulb with downlights lights up and area of the deck. No work needed, just plug it in:)

https://boatlamps.co.uk/collections...-anchor-utility-led-light?variant=21259016775
 
A few years back, SailingSaves of this Parrish offered a prototype led anchor light for trials. I took him up on the offer.
It worked well, but it's limitations were: only 12 LEDs, I thought two circles of 12 in a zigzag /\/\/\ configuration would be better. The 3 LEDs pointing down at deck was a good feature, I used it as a cockpit light and it illuminated deck when boarding after a run ashore. It had no: rain hood, auto on/off (with override) and was very light weight, so it bounced around a bit. Another limitation was the length of 12v feed wire required, I wonder a built in rechargable battery would be better, it would also give it a bit of weight.
Hope this helps.
 
GrahamM376 said:
Apart from the possible enjoyment of building something, is it worthwhile? I bought one of these to replace a broken Owl. Off the shelf, 2 NM visibility and the optional bright bulb with downlights lights up and area of the deck. No work needed, just plug it in:)

https://boatlamps.co.uk/collections...-anchor-utility-led-light?variant=21259016775
Click to expand...

I reckon so, you can get something much higher quality for less. the Cree LEDs are almost certainly better than other commercial offerings which aren't high end. Stabilised constant current power supply running at 66% rating so should last for many, many years, encased in epoxy so completely watertight. Feeling good about making something better for less money is certainly a part of it - maybe of no interest to many less tech inclined but then this is PBO forum :)

Plus a fair chunk of the cash was delivery so there are enough components to convert the deck nav lights at some point.
 
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LadyInBed said:
A few years back, SailingSaves of this Parrish offered a prototype led anchor light for trials. I took him up on the offer.
It worked well, but it's limitations were: only 12 LEDs, I thought two circles of 12 in a zigzag /\/\/\ configuration would be better. The 3 LEDs pointing down at deck was a good feature, I used it as a cockpit light and it illuminated deck when boarding after a run ashore. It had no: rain hood, auto on/off (with override) and was very light weight, so it bounced around a bit. Another limitation was the length of 12v feed wire required, I wonder a built in rechargable battery would be better, it would also give it a bit of weight.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Mk1 has 15 LEDs, works fine , up close you can see the banding but not really visible even a short distance away.

Think Mk2 will have 24 LED's, MK1 is easily as bright as anything else in the anchorage but i want to be the brightest :) Plus thinking of having the regulator/dawn/dusk switching circuit separate so have control over brightness if wanted & over ride the auto switch.

Finding somewhere to make PCBs ain't really happening, no one else has come forward with any suggestions so maybe it's not a road to go down.

Not convinced about down lighting, the cree LEDs are quite narrow so it wouldn't light up much of the deck - just the head of anyone sleeping in the fore peak., anyway it's bright enough to see what's going on as it is and don't we all have head torches? Mine lives in an old oil lamp so wouldn't do anything pointing down.

1WRSvkN.jpg


But any info is free and posted here so others can see what has worked - build what you want :cool:

Then share what worked/didn't for others who might be interested - tis PBO after all.
 
I know this thread is about DIY and low cost, so I just post this as a design suggestion.

I have been using one of these for a few years:

https://www.svb24.com/en/sure-mooring-light.html

Using indirect light like in this design means that the full 360 degrees can be covered with fewer LED's. Close up the light looks more like a bright patch, but at a distance it looks like any light, to me at least.
I suppose achieving the cone shape DIY would perhaps be a problem...
 
LadyInBed said:
A few years back, SailingSaves of this Parrish offered a prototype led anchor light for trials. I took him up on the offer.
It worked well, but it's limitations were: only 12 LEDs, I thought two circles of 12 in a zigzag /\/\/\ configuration would be better. The 3 LEDs pointing down at deck was a good feature, I used it as a cockpit light and it illuminated deck when boarding after a run ashore. It had no: rain hood, auto on/off (with override) and was very light weight, so it bounced around a bit. Another limitation was the length of 12v feed wire required, I wonder a built in rechargable battery would be better, it would also give it a bit of weight.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

I sell the finished article now. Your photo is on the front page of my poorly designed website I think. The reflection from the water is great.
I addressed some of the points you make:

  • no rain hood needed now. All LEDs in a strong, flexible, sealed container.

  • auto on / off can be supplied as an extra.

  • a downhaul has been added to the uphaul so light does not bounce around.

  • there is an integral strain relief on wire so any pulling on wire does not cause damage

  • length of 12v feed wire (rated to 6Amps although lamp pulls nowhere near an amp) can be specified.

  • a strobing switch can be added so lamp can be used for other things apart from a simple anchor light.

A fused (1 amp) cigar plug is included as an option.

lifetime guarantee

I think it is the cheapest anchor light of its type (brightess and low current draw) available.

Alas I have to make them by hand.

I like the collaboration idea of the OP; mass production should drive the cost down and it is certainly easier than making a light by hand. Don't know how OP's light compares to mine (except OP's uses a circuit board and mine does not). Would like to see pictures of the OP's finished article and wish him well with his project.
 
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