Grrr - life ring lights

[mobeydick]

They are made the wrong way up. The transparent cap screws OVER the 'base', which would be fine if they were stored cap-up. Stored cap-down, so the light is off, water sits in the thread of the cap, waiting to be sucked in, as described.

The cap should screw INTO the base, so water would run straight down and off.

MD

 

[LadyInBed]

How about

ACR C-Light Lifejacket Light £11.26 but not a strobe, it "creates a twinkling effect"
or

ACR C-Strobe Lifejacket Light £23.95
I have two similar to this

Xenec Strobe but I didn't pay £30.59 for them! I bought them at the chandlers on the quay at Lymington.

 

[Plevier]

The Sirius still seems to have a screwy dome, which must be where moisture gets in.

Yes it does, but it looks a better job with a finer thread, it's factory assembled - maybe sealed with something, not sure other than an O ring you can see - and you don't have to disturb it because it has a 5 year (minimum; lithium normally lasts more like 10 years if not discharged) battery in it, and because it's not a gravity switch you can mount it right way up so water isn't lodging in the end of the thread and creeping in.
I reckon it's a much better bet, but only time will tell.

On reflection, I wonder if the water sensing circuit takes a tiny current all the time? I guess it must. Maybe that determines the 5 year life that they claim.

 

[Plevier]

Update on an old thread.
Yesterday I discovered my Sirius light did not work. (It did a few months ago.) It's 5 1/2 years old now, outside the 5 year claimed life.
I don't know why it has failed, but the point relevant to this thread is that I've unscrewed the "screwy dome" - with difficulty, very tight indeed - and there is absolutely no trace of water inside! I can't do anything to service it, the whole thing is foam filled, can only access by sawing it open which I will do for curiosity.
When it worked it was a very impressive flashing light.
I may well replace with the same.

Here's the working bit of it

Had 2 CR123 batteries under the PCB, both very flat.

 

[Chalker]

Don't forget that every waterproof box should have a hole in the bottom. To let the water out.

 

[Mandarin331]

After years of frustration I eventually bought one of these

http://www.force4.co.uk/7460/Baltic-Flashing-LED-Lifebuoy-Light.html

and was very pleased with it ........ that is until some great ape of a crew leant against it and broke the bracket that holds it on to the pushpit.

You just cant win!!!

+1, same experience - except that someone hit ours with their pullpit in the marina. Otherwise very pleased with it.

 

[mobeydick]

Update on an old thread.
Yesterday I discovered my Sirius light did not work. (It did a few months ago.) It's 5 1/2 years old now, outside the 5 year claimed life.
I don't know why it has failed, but the point relevant to this thread is that I've unscrewed the "screwy dome" - with difficulty, very tight indeed - and there is absolutely no trace of water inside! I can't do anything to service it, the whole thing is foam filled, can only access by sawing it open which I will do for curiosity.
When it worked it was a very impressive flashing light.
I may well replace with the same.

Here's the working bit of it

Had 2 CR123 batteries under the PCB, both very flat.

You see that component ICIB? That is a timer that counts down 5 years and 6 months....

MD

 

[Topcat47]

I manage to keep water out of my Lazilas lights for about five years or so using Fernox LSX on the threads. Eventually the crappy electrical connector corrodes and the whole thing stops working. There's no point putting a sachet of silica gel in either as it stops the lamp working,