Solar lights

[Johnjo]

Hi all,
remember reading somewhere about using solar powered garden lights
as anchor lights, where I moor boats have a habit of short cutting at
speed through the swinging moorings rather than follow the deeper water,
so the risk of collision at night is very real, couple of boats were hit
last summer,though luckily damage was light.
does anyone have any experience of these lights good or bad?

regards mike

 

[jimi]

Ah'll gie ye wan o ma batteries .. that should be good for a couple o' centuries (unlike England)!

 

[Johnjo]

Jimi
thanks for the offer, but Im afraid to connect to your supercharged
batteries, my 12 volt system would not be able to cope with the amperages
involved!
Probably end up toasting myself and the boat!!!
all the best
mike

 

[maxi]

Morning Mike27,

I did buy & trial a solar powered garden light with he following effect.
The light is a soft blue/white glow rather than a focal point of light, so is none too good in rain or mist etc. and it's visibility is very limited as regards distance. If you have a backdrop of shore lights etc. then the solar job gets lost very quickly!

As regards reliability, it did work automatically but never managed to stay alight beyond 0300 hrs.(this on the South Coast in Summer). So it might just be ok in good weather in the short nights of summer, but I have reverted back to a magnified lifejacket light which does give a good strong focal point of light for about ) 0.18 amps/hr.

 

[Johnjo]

Maxi
where I moor there are no backlights, so might do the job and as you
say, might last the night in the shorter summer months,
Interested in your lifejacket light though, do you have this on a timer?
all the best
mike

 

[Bergman]

Re: Chocolate fireguards

SWMBO made me buy one before Xmas

I can see the thing out of the window as I write, at least I can when it lights for about 10 seconds every 2 minutes, and it won't do that for much longer.

I suppose 53 and a bit N in Jan is asking a lot, but then so is £35 from B&Q

Even SWMBO hasn't asked for another.

 

[seahorse]

Re: Solar lights?? WHY NOT TRY..

I mulled over the problem of an anchor light for a while.. cost, visibility, amps etc & I decided on a Strobe Light. Bought it from "Black's " camping shop immersion proof to 5m (hope it doesn't get that deep when it's on the fore stay). It cost £26 & takes a D cell flashes quite quickly for 16 hrs then slows down for a total time of 60 hr. Very useful for life jackets & if U fit a rechargable D cell then it costs nothing to run as an anchor light!

 

[dk]

Re: Solar lights?? WHY NOT TRY..

Uh! Surely an anchor light shouldn't flash?

 

[Johnjo]

Problem solved, goingto get a light sensitive switch coupled to low
wattage light, did not know such a thing existed until I saw it on the
PBO site,
Thanks you all for the input.

regards mike

 

[Sunny_Jim]

One can get high intensity white LEDs which take virtually no current but give a good light visible in all weathers with very long maintenance-free life...