flashing LED or fixed?

[TiggerToo]

Does anyone know whether a flashing LED consumes more or less power than a fixed one over the same period of time?

 

[savageseadog]

If the current flowing when on is the same, the power used is less by the ratio of the on time divided by the total time between flashes. You can take advantage of this by increasing the on current and hence the power which will make the flashes brighter.

 

[davehu]

on bicyle lamps they have flashing and non flashing modes for the rear lamp leds and they always quote a longer battery life on flashing mode.

 

[deep denial]

is it possible to buy a masthead flashing LED?if so, where from?

 

[AlanPound]

Illegal, basically...

 

[beneteau_305_553]

I dont think its illegal as long as the statutory lights are also clearly visible.

I am looking at adding one to mine. Does anyone have any details of any?

 

[Csail]

so whats the point in adding a flashing one?

 

[Benbow]

[ QUOTE ]
I am looking at adding one to mine.

[/ QUOTE ]

Please don't.

If you feel in danger of being run down a steamer-scarer torch on the sails is more effective. Imagine the chaos if everyone started inventing their own nav light system to supplement to real one.

 

[Sgeir]

I enjoy sailing at night (errmm, usually), but would be very concerned about showing any light other than the prescribed ones. It's not unusual to see other vessels, always pleasure boats, and usually yachts I'm afraid to say, showing misleading light combinations.

In darkness, most of us have no real sense of scale, distance, or speed of the other vessel, and spending time trying to interpret incorrect lights is pointless, and potentially dangerous IMHO.

I've seen submarines use flashing lights when doing the "measured mile" tests (yellow IIRC), but as they shift pretty fast they were unlikely to be mistaken for fish farm buoys or mini cab offices.

I hope that this thread does not encorage people to make their own "improvements" to the internationally agreed conventions.

 

[awol]

Seem to remember Colregs encourage subs to use flashing yellow.
Re bicycles - flashing LEDs are banned in overnight events, like the Paris-Brest-Paris because of their distance perception disorienting effects on other cyclists.

 

[Roach1948]

A yacht I did a transatlantic on a few years back had an emergency strobe at the masthead. The skipper intalled it as he was almost mowed down the year before and had a bad experience trying to set-off a white flare whilst trying to take avoiding action single-handed. I would say flicking just a switch makes sense.

 

[Sgeir]

[ QUOTE ]
Seem to remember Colregs encourage subs to use flashing yellow.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'd assumed so too, but as far as I can see, the only reference is to hovercraft: <ul type="square"> (Rule 23) - (b) An air-cushion vessel when operating in nondisplacement mode shall, in addition to the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule, exhibit an all-round flashing yellow light.[/list]

 

[Benbow]

Why would anyone mess about with a white flare ? You can get a 1 million candle power hand-held spotlight for the cost of 1 flare, it can be re-used and is available quicker and with much less drama. I always have one to hand in the cockpit at night.

But if masthead strobes proliferate, then they WILL be used inappropriately - just look at the number of boats you see in the Solent with all sorts of weird and wonderful light combinations.

 

[BruceDanforth]

I think I've seen boats involved in perse-seine fishing using a flashing yellow.

 

[Pye_End]

Memory of yachtmaster a few years ago is that yellow flashes (slow) was for submarines and fast for hovercraft.

Now where would I have left the books I used at the time....

 

[Searush]

MOB strobes are white flashing aren't they? I wouldn't like a big tanker coming closer to see if I was a MOB . . .

 

[johnkebab]

Depending on what you're doing I'd say its not a bad idea, I'd certainly fit one and use it for long ocean passages at night when in view of a large tanker.

If the tanker changes course for you, call them up, hopefully there will be someone on the bridge!

If not they're probably doing their normal nocturnal thing and you need to turn your cargo-tanker magnet off.

The vendée globe boats have one fitted do they not?

 

[beneteau_305_553]

I think saying chaos is a exagerating. An additional flashing light may just help a ship to see a yacht earlier so either avoid running over the top of it or having to take violent avoiding action.
Hopefully we see a ship coming up on us but sometimes when things go wrong we don't. So I have a seame reflector, an octahedron reflector and nav lights. I also have radar.

 

[Pye_End]

With the latest LED nav lights I think it would be foolheardy to do anything but abide by the COLREGS.

I know that some boats used flashing light when crossing 'the pond', but now that you can get good nav lights for very little current I cannot now see the point.

 

[beneteau_305_553]

A flashing light is much more conspicuous than a fixed light.
To have another light to attract attention in addition to the colregs lights makes sense to me.