Fibre optic cable up mast

[damo]

Chatting last night about hassles of replacing mast lights, and the advantages of led bulbs, there is still the issue of cables and thrudeck glands etc. Has anyone thought of using optic cable with the light source below deck, and lenses at the top? No more problems with salt water and bulb changing

 

[VicS]

Brilliant idea. Design it, build it, test it, get it approved, patent it and market it. Provided it is under £50 it should do well!

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Damo,

To run light that distance with a high enough luminence, you'd need a pretty good quality fibre (they normally transmit very low power light)...... and they are reasonably fragile unless toughened with special 'jackets'. This then severely restricts the bend radius that they can tolerate without either breaking, or losing most of the light.....

Nice idea, but probably impractical....

 

[damo]

That's what I figured! I once "invented" velcro straps for holding skis together and made a bunch for friends. Next year they were on the market in ski shops, making loadsa money for someone else. I guess I'm not an entrepreneur /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[steverow]

All the same it may be possible in about 10 yrs time when LED and Fibre technology improves sufficiently.
I would patent it now anyway if I were you.



Steve

 

[ShipsWoofy]

You could always send a few hundred up and splay them at the top for a pretty 1970's Christmas type decoration. Would look lovely in the breeze!

 

[damo]

That's what got me thinking about it, with the marina boats lit up for the Xmas lights competition.

 

[Woodentop]

Hey ? Read The Rules

I think you are out of your tree here.

Why should you have lights up the top of the mast ?

Answer - a small yacht can have the three lights (Red, Green,White) fed by one bulb at the mast head.

This mast head option is a small boat option to save power. Much more logical to feed your fibre optic cable from the LEDs to the proper deck level position.


(Ohh Lordy - I bet he is one of those who has his deck level lights, his steaming light and his mast head head tri-colour all on at the same time.)

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Re: Hey ? Read The Rules

I bet he is too.

You know what as well, I bet he has no sense of humour and takes everything really seriously!

 

[damo]

Re: Hey ? Read The Rules

(Through gritted teeth....) I know what the regs are. I have bow and stern nav lights which are on when motoring or when other vessels are about, and I use my masthead tri to save power when sailing. There are also an anchor light and a steaming light and a deck light on the mast. Get all those on one bulb, smarta**e

 

[damo]

Re: Hey ? Read The Rules

It is sometimes hard to smile at some of the more patronising regulars. But lets not get into a fight having only just met /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[guernseyman]

Re: Hey ? Read The Rules

Obtaining a valid Patent for the technique may be difficult now that you have disclosed it on this forum. It may be that using fibre optics for a mast head light was non-obvious but now you've told everyone there's no basis. However, if you reckon there are difficulties and you can provide patentable solutions, then there may be room for patent protection.

 

[DeeGee]

Re: Hey ? Read The Rules

[ QUOTE ]
Obtaining a valid Patent for the technique may be difficult now that you have disclosed it on this forum. It may be that using fibre optics for a mast head light was non-obvious but now you've told everyone there's no basis. However, if you reckon there are difficulties and you can provide patentable solutions, then there may be room for patent protection.

[/ QUOTE ]Oooh, I can see a few difficulties, even if you cant - but just to address one, we can have preformed fibre links which are 45 and 90 radius, as well as splitters and such... can I have a share when you do it... in 2015?? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Fill]

and how..

do you disconnect/reconnect when the mast is taken off for any reason? Just curious.

 

[damo]

Re: and how..

Hey, it was just blue skies thinking as they say - I haven't a clue how to build or market the idea. But I have had a simple idea for the connection, and how to avoid bends in the cable.......

Also, how about a sun-pipe as part of the mast extrusion and a bulb at the bottom of the mast, or even just have the inside of the mast silvered, with holes at the top covered by the appropriately-coloured lenses?

NB Don't take this too seriously Woodentop

 

[tangomoon]

Re: and how..

You have probably heard the expression - Pearls ............

Well I say well done and keep thinking. Sir Goldsworthy Gurney used a Bude light to light the castle in Bude and three of his Bude lights to light the House of Commons for sixty years thus replacing 280 candles. Fortunately he took no notice of the great unwashed and brought light where there was darkness.
Here's the link http://www.walter.org.uk/bude.htm