Fibre Optics

[claymore]

Sat idly watching a fibre optic christmas tree changing colour and wondered if it would be possible to strap a bundle of fibre optics together and trunk it up the mast with red, green and white bulbs shining into the end somewhere in the boat. Think I read of a superyacht that was having this done but that was for nav lights on the hull.

 

[steve_cronin]

"Dog walking on hind legs" isn\'t it?

In that it IS done but invariably done rather badly.

When putting the minimum obstruction between the incandescent light source AND giving a wide arc of visibility are the prime concerns, does fibre optic have a role here?

Steve Cronin

ps Did your fibre optic tree look much in daylight and did it avoid catching fire? The high output bulb in the bases of several of these caused house fires in Leicestershire and the trading Standards Dept ran around getting them withdrawn from sale!!

 

[claymore]

Re: "Dog walking on hind legs" isn\'t it?

Hmm, I was thinking along the lines of fibre optics being an alternative to masthead bulbs. I know absolutely nothing about them but thought that by shining a single light into the end of a sheaf of fibres in the boat somehow - if the fibres were then sent up the mast and appeared at the top shining white ? I assume the heat thing is similar to voltage drop except that you seem to be saying that it would need a massive bulb to send light along that kind of distance? Pity if it won't work as I had a eureka moment and saw the profits providing me with an alternative to coming to work - oh well!

 

[steve_cronin]

No, No there isn\'t much light intensity lost....

.. perhaps I wasn't clear.

you must have noticed that the light emitted from the ends of the fibres on your tree was very directional. This would be a disadvantage on a nav light as although you want to shutter it out outside the arc of ahead to one point abaft etc, it needs to be CONTINUOUSLY visible over the display (visible) arc. Fibres would give a series of pinpoints which although they could be arranged very close to each other would inevitably result in "null" spots.

The reason for the house fires was that because the tree manufacturers in far Taiwan want a reasonably high output from the end of each fibre and there are a lot of fibres then they were putting quite high wattage bulbs nto the "lump" at the base of the tree. For aesthetic reasons this was often housed in a too restricted casing which got very hot, melted and caught fire.

Fibre optics used for comms purposes use laser light which can be modulated very precisely and the losses are low. It therefore makes an ideal medium for data transmission. On a boat I can't see it doing much more than transmitting engine monitoring or electronic performance data to a command console. As (was it you) said there are some up-market motor boats using fibre clusters to produce "novelty" effect lighting schemes in sophisticated deck saloons (there was a Caymen Island registered monster going around the Eastern Med last season with a saloon upholstered in light studded suede leather! - Ughh!!)

Steve Cronin

 

[claymore]

Re: No, No there isn\'t much light intensity lost....

Thanks for that Steve
Regards
JohnS

 

[Guest]

I\'d go for the indoor water feature myself Jim (NM

NM

 

[Guest]

Re: I\'d go for the indoor water feature myself Jim (NM

There's a couple moored in St Katharine's dock in London which boast potted palms on the after deck!