Replacement LED bulbs for Nav lights

[ghostlymoron]

I didn't use the expensive waterproof LEDs. The housing is IP54 so whilst not hoseable does offer some degree of protection. I'm don't think it's any worse than normal festoon bulb.

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Are people using Boatlamps LED replacements in their nav lights using the very expensive waterproof Led bulbs for bow and stern lights, or the much cheaper £4-£5 offerings?

- W

 

[rszemeti]

How do you change the L angle with foil round it?

Think of standing in front, just beyond the angle you should be able to see the bulb from ... you can no longer see the bulb .. and therefor no light ... but you have effectively increased the width of the bulb by adding a much wider reflector, increasign the coverage angle. There is a reason they don't put reflectors in nav lights!

 

[rszemeti]

View attachment 77440

Red lines show maximum angle without reflector

Blue lines show maximum angle with reflector (reflector also badly drawn in blue)

 

[JumbleDuck]

Are people using Boatlamps LED replacements in their nav lights using the very expensive waterproof Led bulbs for bow and stern lights, or the much cheaper £4-£5 offerings?

I used their standard ones. Can't see why the LED bulbs would need to be any more waterproof than the incandescent ones were.

 

[JumbleDuck]

View attachment 77440

Red lines show maximum angle without reflector

Blue lines show maximum angle with reflector (reflector also badly drawn in blue)

 

[david_bagshaw]

The idea that the colour of light changes as you go further away is a very peculiar one, and I can't think of any science which would support it. Neither does my experience.
t.

Strangely I have seen it, when anchored at Perkpolder NL, all the red and green signal lights on the big sea lock were sodium yellow. might have been because they were coiled neon.

 

[LadyInBed]

Think of standing in front, just beyond the angle you should be able to see the bulb from ... you can no longer see the bulb .. and therefor no light ... but you have effectively increased the width of the bulb by adding a much wider reflector, increasign the coverage angle. There is a reason they don't put reflectors in nav lights!

Something for me to check, next time I can stand in front of the boat.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Strangely I have seen it, when anchored at Perkpolder NL, all the red and green signal lights on the big sea lock were sodium yellow. might have been because they were coiled neon.

But did that change with distance? That's the bit I don't understand.

 

[Seven Spades]

I would strongly advise you to changed your navigation lights not the lamps. Part of the benefit of LED navigation lights is that they are completely sealed and so you do not have to rely on the point of contact corroding or water ingress. I changed mine for Hella LEDs and they were fantastic and I had no worries about compliance.

 

[RAI]

Apart from the angles and colours, the combined lamp's brightness also has to be considered. LEDs slowly get dimmer with age, the expensive certified lamps have a bit of built in electronics which slowly increases the current supplied with age and so keeps the intensity within spec.
Hopefully the cheap ones start out more than bright enough to get the required range even when they dim with age.

 

[[70521]]

If you have done that, it is very unlikely that your angles of coverage are correct.

I've never heard such tosh. A vessel is constantly pitching and rolling, we don't sail in a vacuum.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I've never heard such tosh. A vessel is constantly pitching and rolling, we don't sail in a vacuum.

Harsh but fair.