convert mast head lights to LED

The anchor light should be 'cool whit' and the tricolour should be one of the tri-coloured LED lamps - I have one made by MAST(will be fitted this winter) but other makes are available
 
Extract from RYA website:

'The use of LED bulbs in navigation lights is frequently discussed, but until an international standard for their manufacture is introduced, there can be no guarantee that with LED bulbs fitted your nav lights will conform with the COLREGs. Changing to an LED bulb could alter the intensity, the colour emitted or both, so this should be done with great caution'
 
My Aqua signal led lights are marked approved US CG 2 miles and the documents claim lots more approvals so hopefully they are acceptable in UK. Expensive though, fortunately they came with the boat.
 
LED Bulbs are not a lot of good at masthead as the limitations of the fixture within the unit are the biggest source of failures in my experience. The bayonet fitting in my old tribute-white was as often the cause of the light not working as failure of the bulb itself.

I have a Lopolight tri-white at my masthead, but in future, were the unit to need replacing, I'd fit a tricolour to the masthead and keep a travelling all-round white for use as an anchor light, when needed.
 
Watch out! I bought replacement LED bulbs earlier this year to replace the filament bulbs in my olde worlde masthead tri/anchor light while the mast was down for other reasons.

The tricolour LED bulb was the 'proper' type with different colour sectors, and though the bulb itself was unbranded it was specifically labelled as fitting the brand of light fitting I had on the boat (can't remember brand name, but not AquaSignal). (The different brands of light fitting bulb have the bulb holder differently aligned in relation to the lens colour sectors, so you have to have an LED suited to the brand you have.)

Fortunately, I checked the bulb operation before the mast went back up, as I found the bulb had either been incorrectly labelled or incorrectly manufactured, as the LED light sectors were 180 degrees out with the lens on the light fitting. I didn't have time to get back to the chandlery to change the LED before the mast was being put up a again, so I had to put the old incandescent bulb back in.

When I took the faulty or incorrectly labelled LED bulb back to the reputable chandlery where I'd bought it, I was told they had had similar returns/complaints for the tricolour LEDs from people who had bought the version labelled for their AquaSignal fittings. So it seems it wasn't a one-off fault, or faulty batch, but something more persistently wrong with the manufacture or labelling.

The all-round white was/is fine though.
 
In the UK, is there a replacement tricolour led bulb which is guaranteed *not* to interfere with vhf or ais antennas at the mast head?
It might either be fitted inside a tricolour lens or inside a clear lens (I have both).
Erm, something without the usual disclaimer "vhf antennas should be fitted at least at a 1m distance"...
 
dk said:
If the lens is coloured then you should only be using a white LED cluster, not a sectored one.
Click to expand...

You are mistaken (as Petite Fleur and Rhoda Rose have already indicated above).

The light from a 'white' LED is not a balanced mix of colours, and therefore the apparent colour of the sectors will be incorrect (e.g the green will typically appear blue or blueish). Therefore you will need a bulb with the appropriate green, red and white sectors, and for it to be properly aligned with the coloured lens.

You will still have the disadvantage that the cut off between the sectors will not be sharp, as this is inherent in using a wide light source lamp with a lens designed for a single point light source.
 
LittleSister said:
You are mistaken (as Petite Fleur and Rhoda Rose have already indicated above).

The light from a 'white' LED is not a balanced mix of colours, and therefore the apparent colour of the sectors will be incorrect (e.g the green will typically appear blue or blueish). Therefore you will need a bulb with the appropriate green, red and white sectors, and for it to be properly aligned with the coloured lens.

You will still have the disadvantage that the cut off between the sectors will not be sharp, as this is inherent in using a wide light source lamp with a lens designed for a single point light source.
Click to expand...

+1 for all that. Do not fit a LED bulb to a traditional tricolour (white in an anchor light id fine).

Bite the bullet and get a proper LED light. I fitted the NASA tri+anchor last spring and very pleased with it.
 
UK-WOOZY said:
im about to buy a tri-colour (with anchor light) aqua signal make for £85. what LED "bulb" can i get to replace the originals?
Click to expand...

I replaced the tri colour and bi colour with these warm white LED bulbs and the colours are correct and much brighter.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2pcs-Offse...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

I replaced the anchor light. stern light and steaming light this this cold white bulb and the brightness is far greater than the incandescent bulb it replaced

https://www.ebay.com/itm/5pcs-x-BAY...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

Our local safety inspectors are also happy with the replacement.
 
i have told the seller im getting an LED light instead. i have bought a tricolour aqua signal without the anchor light from him too but the lense tabs that lock into the base broke very easily.. so wasnt impressed. think ill get the NASA tricolour
 
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