Ultraled Tri LED

Chalker

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I am planning to replace the bulbs in my Aquasignal series 40 anchor/tri masthead light.

I am considering the Ultraled 3W led here
http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/bay15d-mastanch-c-99_117.html

I am aware of the difference in spectrum of some white leds vs incandescent bulbs and their effect through the coloured filters and the possible/probable widening of the colour overlap angles.
(saw an small fishing mobo in Portsmouth Harbour recently with separate port and starboard light with at least 45 degrees of overlap!)

Has anyone tried these paticular leds?

I'll use the same 3W led for the anchor light although I normally prefer to have the anchor light just above boom level as it is easier to see and judge distance in a busy anchorage. It also illuminates the hull better for collision avoidance.

John
 
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I used one of their lights in my tricolour. The colour was poor, particularly the green and, as you say, the separation between the sectors was poor. It's a bit of a gamble for your tricolour, but should be fine for your anchor light.
I've also found that Ultraleds aren't much help when it comes to requests for information; Emails get ignored.

Over the years I've bought quite a few lights from them but I stopped when they came on this forum sometime ago and gave a poor (i.e. snotty!) account of themselves. Since then I've bought from various people on E bay.
 

VicS

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I have a proper 3 coloured LED in my Aquasignal tricolour light!


If you use white LEDs I blieve cool white are recommended for anchor lights and stern lights while warm whites are recommended for the port and starboard lights to give a good colour match with the lenses and an adequate light intensity .

Take a look at what Boatlamps.co.uk have to say. I dont think they supply an LED for the tricolor because of the above.

Searolf.com do not offer an LED for the tricolour either or even for a bicolour only red ones for red lights, green ones for green light and cool white forwhite lights

Mine is the ECS (??) one generally available from chandlers. I came with a special holder that had to be fitted in the lantern to align the coloured sectors correctly

eg http://www.seamarknunn.com/acatalog/info_ES100167.html

Daft IMO to have an expensive Aqua Signal lantern designed to give the required light intensity with the correct colours up the mast and then stick some cheap LED in it that will give neither!
 
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Elessar

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I have a proper 3 coloured LED in my Aquasignal tricolour light!


If you use white LEDs I blieve cool white are recommended for anchor lights and stern lights while warm whites are recommended for the port and starboard lights to give a good colour match with the lenses and an adequate light intensity .

Take a look at what Boatlamps.co.uk have to say. I dont think they supply an LED for the tricolor because of the above.

Searolf.com do not offer an LED for the tricolour either or even for a bicolour only red ones for red lights, green ones for green light and cool white forwhite lights

Mine is the ECS (??) one generally available from chandlers. I came with a special holder that had to be fitted in the lantern to align the coloured sectors correctly

eg http://www.seamarknunn.com/acatalog/info_ES100167.html

Daft IMO to have an expensive Aqua Signal lantern designed to give the required light intensity with the correct colours up the mast and then stick some cheap LED in it that will give neither!

OK Vic, I usually learn something from your considered replies.

So.....

Considering a tricolour is an amp saving device, why did you not change the nav lights to LED and pension off the tricolour?
 

VicS

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OK Vic, I usually learn something from your considered replies.

So.....

Considering a tricolour is an amp saving device, why did you not change the nav lights to LED and pension off the tricolour?

Several reasons no one being particularly important on its own.

1. I had already recently bought a new tricolour.

2. Tricolour takes a more powerful bulb ( 25 watt equivalent) than the side lights which are only series 25 lights with festoon bulbs (10 watt equivalent)

3. I prefer the tricolour because there is no reflection off stanchions and rigging and nothing to obscure the light. It also illuminates the wind indicator.

If I had a bigger boat and sailing offshore I'd also say because the tricolour is always visible above the waves when rough.
 

Elessar

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Several reasons no one being particularly important on its own.

1. I had already recently bought a new tricolour.

2. Tricolour takes a more powerful bulb ( 25 watt equivalent) than the side lights which are only series 25 lights with festoon bulbs (10 watt equivalent)

3. I prefer the tricolour because there is no reflection off stanchions and rigging and nothing to obscure the light. It also illuminates the wind indicator.

If I had a bigger boat and sailing offshore I'd also say because the tricolour is always visible above the waves when rough.

Yep, I learned something. Number 2. Is that colregs or particular to your fittings? ( I should know that.....)

As an observation, I hope you can choose nav/nav+steam/tri as opposed to nav+steam/tri because as an observer I think tricolours are poor in busy waters or when there is a lot of shore clutter.
 

JimC

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I have the Ultraleds 14WW warm white bulb in my Aquasignal tricolour. The colours and the general brightness are OK but there is a sector of about 10 degrees when viewed from the bow where the red and green can both be seen, i.e. there is an overlap rather than the sharp cut-off you get with a vertical filament bulb. Personally I'm not too bothered about this because I reckon it would be obvious to an observer that I was bows-on to him. Also I'd rather have a bright light, albeit with slight overlapping of the sectors, than a dim filament bulb because the load was flattening the battery or worse, the filament had blown or failed through vibration.

3. I prefer the tricolour because there is no reflection off stanchions and rigging and nothing to obscure the light. It also illuminates the wind indicator.... If I had a bigger boat and sailing offshore I'd also say because the tricolour is always visible above the waves when rough.

I can see the sense in this but there is also an opinion that a high level light on a small boat can look like a low level light at a greater distance when viewed from high up on the bridge of a big ship. I believe that this was cited during the inquiry into the Ouzo tragedy.
 

VicS

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Yep, I learned something. Number 2. Is that colregs or particular to your fittings? ( I should know that.....)

As an observation, I hope you can choose nav/nav+steam/tri as opposed to nav+steam/tri because as an observer I think tricolours are poor in busy waters or when there is a lot of shore clutter.

The series 25 lights (with 10 watt bulbs or equivalent) are suitable for boats up to 12m

I bought the original series 40 tricolour with the optional 10 watt bulb but it is approved for boats up to 20 m if fitted with a 25 watt bulb. I decided that by using the LED equivalent of the 25 watt bulb I could upgrade to a visible range of 2 n miles instead of 1 n mile without taking too much power from a small battery.

Yes I have a full set of deck level lights, and a steaming light, so I can show the legal lights under power or at the flick of a single switch change from tricolour to deck level lights when sailing if they are more appropriate.
 

Elessar

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Yes I have a full set of deck level lights, and a steaming light, so I can show the legal lights under power or at the flick of a single switch change from tricolour to deck level lights when sailing if they are more appropriate.

why am I not surprised :)
 

Frayed Knot

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I used one of their lights in my tricolour. The colour was poor, particularly the green and, as you say, the separation between the sectors was poor. It's a bit of a gamble for your tricolour, but should be fine for your anchor light.
I've also found that Ultraleds aren't much help when it comes to requests for information; Emails get ignored.

Over the years I've bought quite a few lights from them but I stopped when they came on this forum sometime ago and gave a poor (i.e. snotty!) account of themselves. Since then I've bought from various people on E bay.

I'd second this opinion of Ultraleds. A couple of years ago I replaced all of my cabin lights with leds from them. I had terrible problems with RFI & half of them failed after less than a year of liveaboard use. All attempts to contact them were ignored - Beware.
 

VicS

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Hi Vic, what steaming light did you choose and where is it mounted ?

Thanks,

Boo2

The steaming light is the Aqua Signal series 25 masthead light. Same size and shape as the side lights and stern light.

I should say, "was a series 25", because I have replaced all the original ones with some look alike cheapies. :eek: due to crazed lenses


Its mounted on a simple home made aluminium bracket on the front face of the mast. I only put it at about head height so that it can be reached if the bulb should need changing ... my choice.
 

Adrian Jones

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I am planning to replace the bulbs in my Aquasignal series 40 anchor/tri masthead light.

I am considering the Ultraled 3W led here
http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/bay15d-mastanch-c-99_117.html

I am aware of the difference in spectrum of some white leds vs incandescent bulbs and their effect through the coloured filters and the possible/probable widening of the colour overlap angles.
(saw an small fishing mobo in Portsmouth Harbour recently with separate port and starboard light with at least 45 degrees of overlap!)

Has anyone tried these paticular leds?

I'll use the same 3W led for the anchor light although I normally prefer to have the anchor light just above boom level as it is easier to see and judge distance in a busy anchorage. It also illuminates the hull better for collision avoidance.

John

Make sure you use warm white LED lamps behind bi-colour lights, these will produce correct red and green colours. Use cool white LED lamps for stern, mast and anchor lights, these produce the brightest white light. Do not use cool white LED lamps behind bi-colour lights as they will produce incorrect colours.
Ideally use red LED lamps behind separate red lenses and green LEDs behind separate green lenses.

regards
 
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