Compass light

[Jack B]

Hi,
I have a bulkhead mounted compass on my boat, however it has no light, has anyone got any tips on how to light it cheaply?
Thanks Jack

 

[sailorman]

80 pence LED from maplins

My Ritchie light unit failed, i dumped the pcb that was on the light unit ( £20+) bought 2 x LEDs & Bobs yer fathers brother

 

[VicS]

Hi,
I have a bulkhead mounted compass on my boat, however it has no light, has anyone got any tips on how to light it cheaply?
Thanks Jack

By bulkhead mounted do you mean a flush fitting port hole type or on a bracket on the bulkhead.


FWIW I have a grid compass above which I have fitted a domed panel light with the lens half blacked out and fitted with a 24 volt bulb.

 

[Jack B]

Flush fitting port hole type

 

[sailorman]

drip fed info :sleeping:

 

[VicS]

Flush fitting port hole type

I thought thats probably what you meant. Not so easy to light if its not designed for lighting . Possible to light from behind ???

 

[ghostlymoron]

Unless it's a very strange one it should have a built in light. Some installers don't bother to connect them and just leave the wires concealed. Try taking it out to see if there's anything there. I connected mine (Silva) to the nav and steaming lights using diodes so I didn't have to use a separate switch.
If no light just use a torch?

 

[sailorman]

Unless it's a very strange one it should have a built in light. Some installers don't bother to connect them and just leave the wires concealed. Try taking it out to see if theirs anything there. I connected mine (Silva) to the nav and steaming lights using diodes so I didn't have to use a separate switch.
If no light just use a torch?

No doubt later on this arvo we will gleen what make it is

 

[Jack B]

Should have said it is a plastimo, not sure what model though. I will have a look this weekend to see if it actually has a light hidden away.
Thanks for all the advice

 

[sailorman]

contest ?????, access from inside the cabin

 

[Norman_E]

Most Plastimo compasses have an expensive little grain of wheat bulb on a twisted pair of wires. If you have to replace it or fit a new one the wires must be twisted otherwise the current might exert magnetic influence on the compass. With an LED the current is muck less so it probably won't matter in that case. See this page for bulb part numbers (scroll down). http://www.theyachtshop.co.uk/items/navigation~electronics/compasses/compass-accessories/list.htm

 

[VO5]

Most Plastimo compasses have an expensive little grain of wheat bulb on a twisted pair of wires. If you have to replace it or fit a new one the wires must be twisted otherwise the current might exert magnetic influence on the compass. With an LED the current is muck less so it probably won't matter in that case. See this page for bulb part numbers (scroll down). http://www.theyachtshop.co.uk/items/navigation~electronics/compasses/compass-accessories/list.htm

Yes, and the little blighters tend to burn very bright.
One way to dim them is to give them a thin coat of red nail varnish, which is the cheap solution.
The expensive solution is to fit a dimmer switch, ouch !

 

[fisherman]

I have known someone use one of a set of 20 x 12 volt Xmas tree lights. Colour of your choice.

 

[sailorman]

Yes, and the little blighters tend to burn very bright.
One way to dim them is to give them a thin coat of red nail varnish, which is the cheap solution.
The expensive solution is to fit a dimmer switch, ouch !

then buy red,green or yellow

i bought mine from maplins

 

[ghostlymoron]

Yes, and the little blighters tend to burn very bright.
One way to dim them is to give them a thin coat of red nail varnish, which is the cheap solution.
The expensive solution is to fit a dimmer switch, ouch !

A cheaper way would be to put a resistor in series with the bulb.

 

[Skylark]

My Olmypic series uses a 3mm led. Plastimo spares from a chandler will cost appox £1000. Alternatively, a few pence from Maplin, even less from e-bay.

 

[PetiteFleur]

When my compass light failed I bought a replacement from ebay but 24v version so it is much dimmer but should last a long time - I did find the original 12v bulb was too bright.

 

[William_H]

You can get the tiny grain of wheat bulbs (incandescent ) however LED is the way to go. One LED (diode) should suffice. A good source might be an old solar garden light even new they are crazy cheap around here. (1 squid). You need a resistor to run it off 12v I would suggest you buy resistors in the range 560 ohm 620 ohm 750 ohm 820 ohm and 1000 ohm. in 1/4 watt size. Try each out to see which one suits for the amount of brightness you want. Polarity is critical on the LED.Just be aware when you mount the LED that the light comes out in a beam from the domed end so you need to point it at the card, unlike an incandescent lamp that shines in all directions so orientation doesn't matter.
good luck olewill

 

[sailorman]

You can get the tiny grain of wheat bulbs (incandescent ) however LED is the way to go. One LED (diode) should suffice. A good source might be an old solar garden light even new they are crazy cheap around here. (1 squid). You need a resistor to run it off 12v I would suggest you buy resistors in the range 560 ohm 620 ohm 750 ohm 820 ohm and 1000 ohm. in 1/4 watt size. Try each out to see which one suits for the amount of brightness you want. Polarity is critical on the LED.Just be aware when you mount the LED that the light comes out in a beam from the domed end so you need to point it at the card, unlike an incandescent lamp that shines in all directions so orientation doesn't matter.
good luck olewill

we have a retailer here ( Maplins ) who stock LEDs that run on 12v @ about £0.80 a pop

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

Should have said it is a plastimo, not sure what model though. I will have a look this weekend to see if it actually has a light hidden away.
Thanks for all the advice

The lights are usually tiny LEDs on a very thin wire, not immediately recognisable as actual lights, if your eyesight is anything like mine.