Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

I hate the nav lights that came with my J/100. The days when they have
worked are less than 40% of the time I have tried to turn them on.

Does anyone have a fool proof plan for lights that work? Should I
replace mine with LEDs (I haven't much paid attention to the LED threads
so I am not sure they are legal or work). If my problem is bad wiring,
is there a wireless solution (or inexpensive one).

I plan to cruise next summer and take my daughter night sailing. But not
if I cannot fix these problems.

Harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

Quick question first - are we talking masthead lights , i.e port ,starboard
and all round in one unit up top ?
If so I'd reckon there are a couple of obvious areas to be looked at. First
up you should check the size of the wiring up the mast. If it is undersized
you will have severe voltage drop problems and this will contribute to the
lack of reliability. Secondly check all the terminals. It's quite possible
that connections are badly corroded and only occasionally making a contact
of any sort. You should have a connection box somewhere near the mast step.
If you rig up a test lamp and connect it to each connection in turn you will
at least know whether the problem is at deck level or up top. If it is the
connectors replace them with all brass units. Be careful cos amazingly
enough some brass connectors come with mild steel screws which of course is
a recipe for disaster.
Regards
tdw

"Harlan Lachman" wrote in message
...
I hate the nav lights that came with my J/100. The days when they have
worked are less than 40% of the time I have tried to turn them on.

Does anyone have a fool proof plan for lights that work? Should I
replace mine with LEDs (I haven't much paid attention to the LED threads
so I am not sure they are legal or work). If my problem is bad wiring,
is there a wireless solution (or inexpensive one).

I plan to cruise next summer and take my daughter night sailing. But not
if I cannot fix these problems.

Harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

Harlan, do you mean that sometimes they come on and sometimes they
don't? Are you talking about bi-color bow lights, masthead tri-color,
steaming or anchor or what? if you are referring to ALL your nav
lights and if they are all doing the same thing, the problem is
probably somewhere closer to the panel. You will have to be more
specific about the nature of the problem.

Peter
s/v Now or Never!


Harlan Lachman wrote:
I hate the nav lights that came with my J/100. The days when they have
worked are less than 40% of the time I have tried to turn them on.

Does anyone have a fool proof plan for lights that work? Should I
replace mine with LEDs (I haven't much paid attention to the LED threads
so I am not sure they are legal or work). If my problem is bad wiring,
is there a wireless solution (or inexpensive one).

I plan to cruise next summer and take my daughter night sailing. But not
if I cannot fix these problems.

Harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

In article .com,
"Peter" wrote:

Harlan, do you mean that sometimes they come on and sometimes they
don't? Are you talking about bi-color bow lights, masthead tri-color,
steaming or anchor or what? if you are referring to ALL your nav
lights and if they are all doing the same thing, the problem is
probably somewhere closer to the panel. You will have to be more
specific about the nature of the problem.

Peter
s/v Now or Never!

Peter, sorry for the sloppy post.

Yes, the bi-color bow lights did not light up the other night. This is
at least the third time that has happened in the two years I have owned
my otherwise wonderful boat. On a previous time, stepping on the light
got it to turn on. Not last night.

Yes, the steaming light on the mast did not work all last year and most
of this year (although it did when checked by yard -- or at least they
said it did). Ironically, it worked the other night when it and the
stern lights were the only lights to work.

I have no anchor lite but I do have a panel switch for it.

I think the stern lights has worked each time.

So, I think safety and courtesy require me to find a permanent nav light
solution.

Is that clearer or am I still being sloppy?

TIA,

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

In article , tdw wrote:

Quick question first - are we talking masthead lights , i.e port ,starboard
and all round in one unit up top ?

That might be a better solution. But no! I have deck lites for port and
starboard and about a third the way up the mast a white steaming light.

I have a white light hanging on the rail on the stern.

No anchor lite but a switch on the panel.

If so I'd reckon there are a couple of obvious areas to be looked at. First
up you should check the size of the wiring up the mast. If it is undersized
you will have severe voltage drop problems and this will contribute to the
lack of reliability.

Secondly check all the terminals. It's quite possible
that connections are badly corroded and only occasionally making a contact
of any sort. You should have a connection box somewhere near the mast step.
If you rig up a test lamp and connect it to each connection in turn you will
at least know whether the problem is at deck level or up top. If it is the
connectors replace them with all brass units. Be careful cos amazingly
enough some brass connectors come with mild steel screws which of course is
a recipe for disaster.
Regards
tdw

These are all good suggestions.

Maybe I should fix what I got but I was wondering if there was a
replacement strategy which was sure to work.

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

It might be a tad hard to rewire. Depending on age of boat, but presuming
she is a few years old and plastic then the wiring may well be embedded in
the fibreglass which makes rewiring a bit hard. I reckon it's a connection
issue. Nav lights are so damn simple that about the only things that can
stop them completely are blown lamps (bulbs , light globes , call 'em what
you will) and bad connections. If you have dirty connections in the light
itself then while replacing them will solve your problem a good clean,
freshly stripped ends, maybe even a bit of solder on the tips will do just
as well for a lot less money. On the other hand if the bad connection is at
the board or in a junction box then nothing will be solved by new lights. In
the light itself the bad connection may even be a corroded terminal in the
lampholder itself.
Cheers
Andrew
"Harlan Lachman" wrote in message
...
In article , tdw wrote:

Quick question first - are we talking masthead lights , i.e port
,starboard
and all round in one unit up top ?

That might be a better solution. But no! I have deck lites for port and
starboard and about a third the way up the mast a white steaming light.

I have a white light hanging on the rail on the stern.

No anchor lite but a switch on the panel.

If so I'd reckon there are a couple of obvious areas to be looked at.
First
up you should check the size of the wiring up the mast. If it is
undersized
you will have severe voltage drop problems and this will contribute to
the
lack of reliability.

Secondly check all the terminals. It's quite possible
that connections are badly corroded and only occasionally making a
contact
of any sort. You should have a connection box somewhere near the mast
step.
If you rig up a test lamp and connect it to each connection in turn you
will
at least know whether the problem is at deck level or up top. If it is
the
connectors replace them with all brass units. Be careful cos amazingly
enough some brass connectors come with mild steel screws which of course
is
a recipe for disaster.
Regards
tdw

These are all good suggestions.

Maybe I should fix what I got but I was wondering if there was a
replacement strategy which was sure to work.

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

You could just put simple battery powered dinghy lights up, but that
doesn't seem like a step forward.

Otherwise, you have to supply juice through wires, and since you have
a system that is probably 99% functional, it would seem to be
appropriate to track down the failing 1%. My guess is that the person
installing the lights forgot to finish the job and left the seal a bit
loose, allowing moisture to get in.

It seems odd to me that you went a season without even looking into
this; are they that inaccessible? And did they really ship a boat
without an anchor light?

Harlan Lachman wrote:
In article , tdw wrote:

Quick question first - are we talking masthead lights , i.e port ,starboard
and all round in one unit up top ?

That might be a better solution. But no! I have deck lites for port and
starboard and about a third the way up the mast a white steaming light.

I have a white light hanging on the rail on the stern.

No anchor lite but a switch on the panel.

If so I'd reckon there are a couple of obvious areas to be looked at. First
up you should check the size of the wiring up the mast. If it is undersized
you will have severe voltage drop problems and this will contribute to the
lack of reliability.

Secondly check all the terminals. It's quite possible
that connections are badly corroded and only occasionally making a contact
of any sort. You should have a connection box somewhere near the mast step.
If you rig up a test lamp and connect it to each connection in turn you will
at least know whether the problem is at deck level or up top. If it is the
connectors replace them with all brass units. Be careful cos amazingly
enough some brass connectors come with mild steel screws which of course is
a recipe for disaster.
Regards
tdw

These are all good suggestions.

Maybe I should fix what I got but I was wondering if there was a
replacement strategy which was sure to work.

harlan

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

On a previous time, stepping on the light
got it to turn on. Not last night.

If you're stepping or banging on something as important as navigation lights
was already a sign you needed to be replacing them!

Yes, the steaming light on the mast did not work all last year and most
of this year (although it did when checked by yard -- or at least they
said it did). Ironically, it worked the other night when it and the
stern lights were the only lights to work.

The question then is where is the problem? If you're having trouble with
all your lights, what else is acting up on the 12v circuits? If it's only
the lights and they're more than few years old then it could be as simple as
corrosion in the light assemblies. Replace them with ones that use new LED
elements. You could, if they're not too corroded, replace just the bulbs.
But you'd really have to find out WHY the lights have been flaking FIRST.
If it's worse than just corroded contacts in the lamp assemblies, like going
into the copper wire, then you've got more work ahead.

I have no anchor lite but I do have a panel switch for it.

IIRC, that same light up on the mast serves double-duty. Forward when
underway and 360 when at anchor.

So, I think safety and courtesy require me to find a permanent nav light
solution.

Yes, for everyone's sake. If you're lights are working then you're asking
for trouble at night.

I'd start by pulling apart one of the lamp assemblies and finding out what's
wrong with it. If you can get it working then wiggle the wire leading into
it and see if that causes the light to flicker. That and look closely at
the wire for signs of corrosion. Assuming that the lamp fixture is "past
it's prime" then I'd take it to a local chandlery and see what they've got
by way of replacements close to it's size. Paying particular attention to
the mounting holes. You don't want to go drilling new holes if it can be
avoided.

When looking for light replacements (just the bulbs) I've heard it's
sometimes a good deal cheaper to go to an auto parts store. They've got LED
bulbs to fit a variety of sizes. Take your existing bulb and see if they
can match it up.

-Bill Kearney

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

In article ,
"Bill Kearney" wrote:

On a previous time, stepping on the light
got it to turn on. Not last night.

If you're stepping or banging on something as important as navigation lights
was already a sign you needed to be replacing them!

I agree. The question is with what.

Yes, the steaming light on the mast did not work all last year and most
of this year (although it did when checked by yard -- or at least they
said it did). Ironically, it worked the other night when it and the
stern lights were the only lights to work.

The question then is where is the problem? If you're having trouble with
all your lights, what else is acting up on the 12v circuits?

Nothing.

If it's only
the lights and they're more than few years old then it could be as simple as
corrosion in the light assemblies.

The boat is less than two years old and is a freshwater boat.

Replace them with ones that use new LED
elements.

Any specific recommendations Bill?

You could, if they're not too corroded, replace just the bulbs.
But you'd really have to find out WHY the lights have been flaking FIRST.
If it's worse than just corroded contacts in the lamp assemblies, like going
into the copper wire, then you've got more work ahead.

I have no anchor lite but I do have a panel switch for it.

IIRC, that same light up on the mast serves double-duty. Forward when
underway and 360 when at anchor.

My steaming light is a front only light only. Is there a battery
operated LED I can hoist up at anchor?

So, I think safety and courtesy require me to find a permanent nav light
solution.

Yes, for everyone's sake. If you're lights are working then you're asking
for trouble at night.

I'd start by pulling apart one of the lamp assemblies and finding out what's
wrong with it. If you can get it working then wiggle the wire leading into
it and see if that causes the light to flicker. That and look closely at
the wire for signs of corrosion. Assuming that the lamp fixture is "past
it's prime" then I'd take it to a local chandlery and see what they've got
by way of replacements close to it's size. Paying particular attention to
the mounting holes. You don't want to go drilling new holes if it can be
avoided.

When looking for light replacements (just the bulbs) I've heard it's
sometimes a good deal cheaper to go to an auto parts store. They've got LED
bulbs to fit a variety of sizes. Take your existing bulb and see if they
can match it up.

Great idea Bill?


-Bill Kearney

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

In article ,
Jeff wrote:

You could just put simple battery powered dinghy lights up, but that
doesn't seem like a step forward.

OTOH, it is the minimal preparedness I should have. Thanks for reminding
an old fart to use his brain.


Otherwise, you have to supply juice through wires, and since you have
a system that is probably 99% functional, it would seem to be
appropriate to track down the failing 1%. My guess is that the person
installing the lights forgot to finish the job and left the seal a bit
loose, allowing moisture to get in.

It seems odd to me that you went a season without even looking into
this; are they that inaccessible? And did they really ship a boat
without an anchor light?

Actually, my yard looked at the lights a number of times and was unable
to fix the problem. Every time they checked, things "apparently" worked
fine.

And, yes, the boat shipped without an anchor lite.

Harlan

Harlan Lachman wrote:
In article , tdw wrote:

Quick question first - are we talking masthead lights , i.e port
,starboard
and all round in one unit up top ?

That might be a better solution. But no! I have deck lites for port and
starboard and about a third the way up the mast a white steaming light.

I have a white light hanging on the rail on the stern.

No anchor lite but a switch on the panel.

If so I'd reckon there are a couple of obvious areas to be looked at.
First
up you should check the size of the wiring up the mast. If it is
undersized
you will have severe voltage drop problems and this will contribute to the
lack of reliability.

Secondly check all the terminals. It's quite possible
that connections are badly corroded and only occasionally making a contact
of any sort. You should have a connection box somewhere near the mast
step.
If you rig up a test lamp and connect it to each connection in turn you
will
at least know whether the problem is at deck level or up top. If it is the
connectors replace them with all brass units. Be careful cos amazingly
enough some brass connectors come with mild steel screws which of course
is
a recipe for disaster.
Regards
tdw

These are all good suggestions.

Maybe I should fix what I got but I was wondering if there was a
replacement strategy which was sure to work.

harlan


--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

In article , tdw wrote:

It might be a tad hard to rewire. Depending on age of boat, but presuming
she is a few years old and plastic then the wiring may well be embedded in
the fibreglass which makes rewiring a bit hard. I reckon it's a connection
issue. Nav lights are so damn simple that about the only things that can
stop them completely are blown lamps (bulbs , light globes , call 'em what
you will) and bad connections. If you have dirty connections in the light
itself then while replacing them will solve your problem a good clean,
freshly stripped ends, maybe even a bit of solder on the tips will do just
as well for a lot less money. On the other hand if the bad connection is at
the board or in a junction box then nothing will be solved by new lights. In
the light itself the bad connection may even be a corroded terminal in the
lampholder itself.
Cheers
Andrew
"Harlan Lachman" wrote in message
...
In article , tdw wrote:

Quick question first - are we talking masthead lights , i.e port
,starboard
and all round in one unit up top ?

That might be a better solution. But no! I have deck lites for port and
starboard and about a third the way up the mast a white steaming light.

I have a white light hanging on the rail on the stern.

No anchor lite but a switch on the panel.

If so I'd reckon there are a couple of obvious areas to be looked at.
First
up you should check the size of the wiring up the mast. If it is
undersized
you will have severe voltage drop problems and this will contribute to
the
lack of reliability.

Secondly check all the terminals. It's quite possible
that connections are badly corroded and only occasionally making a
contact
of any sort. You should have a connection box somewhere near the mast
step.
If you rig up a test lamp and connect it to each connection in turn you
will
at least know whether the problem is at deck level or up top. If it is
the
connectors replace them with all brass units. Be careful cos amazingly
enough some brass connectors come with mild steel screws which of course
is
a recipe for disaster.
Regards
tdw

These are all good suggestions.

Maybe I should fix what I got but I was wondering if there was a
replacement strategy which was sure to work.

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Thank you Andrew. I like the solder idea.

Someone else thought I could replace just the bulbs with LEDs. Any
thoughts about this?

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

Replace them with ones that use new LED
elements.

Any specific recommendations Bill?

None exactly. Take the bulbs to a local marine store and see what they've
got. If anything, use that as a cross-reference to what the bulbs are known
as from other vendors. You may be able to do a search online for your
bulb's part number and wander through the links to find the same info.
Then, armed with alternative part numbers and vendors, check for replacement
bulbs from other sources, auto parts suppliers being one choice.

My steaming light is a front only light only. Is there a battery
operated LED I can hoist up at anchor?

And the boat came without a 360 anchor light? Seems odd. Are you sure it's
just the forward light? As in, it's just a single forward-facing lens
assembly? Not a 360 unit that's got a problem with the rear bulb? But then
I'm no sailboat expert (by any stretch) so perhaps others with more specific
understanding might chime in.

What make/model is the vessel?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

Harlan Lachman wrote:
It seems odd to me that you went a season without even looking into
this; are they that inaccessible? And did they really ship a boat
without an anchor light?

Actually, my yard looked at the lights a number of times and was unable
to fix the problem. Every time they checked, things "apparently" worked
fine.

This isn't rocket science - if your yard can't figure it out they're
not trying. Do they send a kid who flips the switch, or do they strip
it down and look for corrosion or cold solder?


And, yes, the boat shipped without an anchor lite.

You can get a Davis MegaLight. With the low power bulb it uses about
1 AH a night, and with the high power bulb it is as bright as a
standard anchor light. However, it is not certified, because its too
easy for someone to change the bulb! We use ours in addition to the
anchor, or in mooring fields where a light is needed, because
sometimes its easier to spot the light dangling 8 feet over the water
then at the masthead.

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

In article ,
"Bill Kearney" wrote:

Replace them with ones that use new LED
elements.

Any specific recommendations Bill?

None exactly. Take the bulbs to a local marine store and see what they've
got. If anything, use that as a cross-reference to what the bulbs are known
as from other vendors. You may be able to do a search online for your
bulb's part number and wander through the links to find the same info.
Then, armed with alternative part numbers and vendors, check for replacement
bulbs from other sources, auto parts suppliers being one choice.

My steaming light is a front only light only. Is there a battery
operated LED I can hoist up at anchor?

And the boat came without a 360 anchor light? Seems odd.

Agreed. There is even a panel switch. Just no light.

Are you sure it's
just the forward light?

Yes.

As in, it's just a single forward-facing lens
assembly? Not a 360 unit that's got a problem with the rear bulb? But then
I'm no sailboat expert (by any stretch) so perhaps others with more specific
understanding might chime in.

What make/model is the vessel?

J/100. J-Boats.

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

LED light sources for marine use have a lot going for them. The extremely
low power consumption is an obvious advantage, added to this is that the low
wattage of the led lamps means that voltage drop through the wiring is not
so much of a problem. The one area where you need to be careful with led
lamps is that some do not give an adequate spread for use as nav lights.
There are available led arrays that can be simply retrofitted (retrofitted ?
not sure I like the word but...) into existing bayonet or bipin lampholders.
By the way, I'm not trying to dissuade you from getting new nav lights. By
the sounds of things your old ones are way past there use by date and let's
face it nav lights are not the most expensive thing on your boat to replace.
My point has been that even crappy old nav lights will work if the
connections and wiring are good unless of course the lampholders themselves
are corroded beyond redemption.
My basic suggestion still stands. Rig up a test lampholder and starting at
the lights themselves see what happens. If nothing at the light itself then
work back until you get to the battery.
Cheers
Andrew

ps - Anyone thinking of replacing there cabin lights with LED lamps should
first try one out for the quality of the light. They are good for reading
and chart work perhaps but they are a very "unfriendly" light source. I'm
going LED for my nav and chart table lighting but sticking with incandescent
and halogen for everything else and that's because of the quality of the
light itself.

A

"Harlan Lachman" wrote in message
...
In article , tdw wrote:

It might be a tad hard to rewire. Depending on age of boat, but presuming
she is a few years old and plastic then the wiring may well be embedded
in
the fibreglass which makes rewiring a bit hard. I reckon it's a
connection
issue. Nav lights are so damn simple that about the only things that can
stop them completely are blown lamps (bulbs , light globes , call 'em
what
you will) and bad connections. If you have dirty connections in the light
itself then while replacing them will solve your problem a good clean,
freshly stripped ends, maybe even a bit of solder on the tips will do
just
as well for a lot less money. On the other hand if the bad connection is
at
the board or in a junction box then nothing will be solved by new lights.
In
the light itself the bad connection may even be a corroded terminal in
the
lampholder itself.
Cheers
Andrew
"Harlan Lachman" wrote in message
...
In article , tdw wrote:

Quick question first - are we talking masthead lights , i.e port
,starboard
and all round in one unit up top ?

That might be a better solution. But no! I have deck lites for port and
starboard and about a third the way up the mast a white steaming light.

I have a white light hanging on the rail on the stern.

No anchor lite but a switch on the panel.

If so I'd reckon there are a couple of obvious areas to be looked at.
First
up you should check the size of the wiring up the mast. If it is
undersized
you will have severe voltage drop problems and this will contribute to
the
lack of reliability.

Secondly check all the terminals. It's quite possible
that connections are badly corroded and only occasionally making a
contact
of any sort. You should have a connection box somewhere near the mast
step.
If you rig up a test lamp and connect it to each connection in turn
you
will
at least know whether the problem is at deck level or up top. If it is
the
connectors replace them with all brass units. Be careful cos amazingly
enough some brass connectors come with mild steel screws which of
course
is
a recipe for disaster.
Regards
tdw

These are all good suggestions.

Maybe I should fix what I got but I was wondering if there was a
replacement strategy which was sure to work.

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Thank you Andrew. I like the solder idea.

Someone else thought I could replace just the bulbs with LEDs. Any
thoughts about this?

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

Lets pretend for a moment that you are in the vicinity of 1030S and 130W
after being in a raft for four days. It's zero dark thirty in the morning
and while bailing water from your liferaft, you turn forward and look up and
see two red lights, in what appear to be in a horizontal formation. What
would you think and if you could think what would you do? Story follows, if
you wish.

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

tdw wrote:
First up you should check the size of the wiring up the mast. If it is undersized
you will have severe voltage drop problems and this will contribute to the
lack of reliability.

Undersized wiring with its associated voltage drop just means the
lights will glow less brightly, and may not meet Coast Guard
specifications for brightness. Incandescent bulbs *like* lower voltage
and last longer. Shouldn't affect reliability. Assuming it's not also
crappy wiring with compromised insulation, or ridiculously undersized,
like 22 gauge or smaller.

Corrosion at contact points is usually the problem; check switches,
fuse carriers, connections, bulb mounts, etc.

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

Poor wording by me. You are quite right regarding incandescent lamps, I
should have noted the comment related to halogen lamps. I also think it is
the least likely cause of his problems. Regarding the halogen lamps
undervoltage will not stop them working as such but will greatly shorten
lamp life.
One thing that intrigues me however is that Harlan refers to his boat as a
J100. Now I'm not being adamant about this but I was under the impression
that J100s have only been on the market a couple of years. If thats correct
it all seems a tad strange to me. To begin with the J100 brochure says that
they come with all necessary nav lights and given the age in which we live
I'd have thought that would have meant masthead installation, yet Harlan
says he stepped on his lights and that he does not even have an allround
white steaming/anchor light, working or not. That seems strange in a boat so
young.
My boat is nearly twenty years old and is only now beginning to have these
kind of problems with nav lights. Sadly mine is definitely a masthead
installation and the problems all appear to be around 13 metres above the
deck. Bugger !!
Cheers
Andrew

"Mark" wrote in message
ups.com...

tdw wrote:
First up you should check the size of the wiring up the mast. If it is
undersized
you will have severe voltage drop problems and this will contribute to
the
lack of reliability.

Undersized wiring with its associated voltage drop just means the
lights will glow less brightly, and may not meet Coast Guard
specifications for brightness. Incandescent bulbs *like* lower voltage
and last longer. Shouldn't affect reliability. Assuming it's not also
crappy wiring with compromised insulation, or ridiculously undersized,
like 22 gauge or smaller.

Corrosion at contact points is usually the problem; check switches,
fuse carriers, connections, bulb mounts, etc.

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

In article , tdw wrote:

One thing that intrigues me however is that Harlan refers to his boat as a
J100. Now I'm not being adamant about this but I was under the impression
that J100s have only been on the market a couple of years. If thats correct

Boat has been available for only three years. Most boats have not seen
two full seasons.

I thought it strange too. Stranger still that I have never had
intermittent Nav light problems on any of my previous boats (power or
sail -- and none in this boat's price range :-(

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

Harlan,
Given the relative youth of the boat have you spoken with J Boats themselves
? Just a thought.
I'm guessing here but I find it hard to believe the (presumably factory
fitted) wiring is to blame nor the main wiring panel. Maybe just really
crappy nav lights. Open one up and have a look inside.
Cheers
Andrew

"Harlan Lachman" wrote in message
...
In article , tdw wrote:

One thing that intrigues me however is that Harlan refers to his boat as
a
J100. Now I'm not being adamant about this but I was under the impression
that J100s have only been on the market a couple of years. If thats
correct

Boat has been available for only three years. Most boats have not seen
two full seasons.

I thought it strange too. Stranger still that I have never had
intermittent Nav light problems on any of my previous boats (power or
sail -- and none in this boat's price range :-(

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

In article , tdw wrote:

Harlan,
Given the relative youth of the boat have you spoken with J Boats themselves
? Just a thought.
I'm guessing here but I find it hard to believe the (presumably factory
fitted) wiring is to blame nor the main wiring panel. Maybe just really
crappy nav lights. Open one up and have a look inside.
Cheers
Andrew

"Harlan Lachman" wrote in message
...
In article , tdw wrote:

One thing that intrigues me however is that Harlan refers to his boat as
a
J100. Now I'm not being adamant about this but I was under the impression
that J100s have only been on the market a couple of years. If thats
correct

Boat has been available for only three years. Most boats have not seen
two full seasons.

I thought it strange too. Stranger still that I have never had
intermittent Nav light problems on any of my previous boats (power or
sail -- and none in this boat's price range :-(

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

TPI makes their boats. I have talked to them. But as long as I cannot
assure them about what the problem actually is....

Harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

tdw wrote:
Regarding the halogen lamps undervoltage will not stop them working as
such but will greatly shorten lamp life.

I thought that too, as it would stop filament regeneration, but a
little research shows halogen lamps also have longer lives when
undervoltaged, as long as the voltage is above 35% of the nominal
voltage, or is periodically raised above that minimum. From a
manfacturer's website:

" Voltage: Reduced voltage produces a decrease in lumen output and an
increase lamp life."

" Dimming: Like all incandescents, tungsten halogen lamps can be
dimmed simply by lowering the voltage across the lamp. Full-range
dimming is relatively easy and low cost. The color temperature varies
over the dimming range, becoming warmer as lamps are dimmed. Dimming
generally extends lamp life, although the increased lamp life does not
follow standard incandescent lamp curves. As periodic high power
operation is required to raise a lamp's temperature up to the level
needed to activate the halogen cycle, continuous dimming below 35% is
not recommended."

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

In essence, yes cos what we know as halogen lamps are indeed filament lamps
which will have a longer lamplife if run slightly under voltage. If they are
constantly run below near full voltage they tend to blow early and also to
burn out the lampholder. if you test a lighting transformer you will find
that most run at about 11.5v not 12v. I'm not convinced by the 35% figure
but only because my own experience leads me to believe it's a bit high. I
would have thought it to be closer to 20% but I cannot back this up, it's
based purely on my own observation. The problem is all to do with the gases
inside the capsule not getting up to full operating temperature leaving
deposits on the filament. Running the lamp(s) at full power for a few
minutes avery now and then cures this problem but if e.g. final voltage to a
boat system drops below 10v one doesn't have the ability to raise
thistemporarily to 12v if the drop is caused by inadequate cabling and/or
connections. In reality of course the total wattage in a masthead nav light
is unlikely to be greater than 20w x 2 and thats a pretty low current. Even
a 1.5mm multistrand cable should be more than adequate over 10 - 15 metres.
cheers
Andrew
"Mark" wrote in message
ups.com...

tdw wrote:
Regarding the halogen lamps undervoltage will not stop them working as
such but will greatly shorten lamp life.

I thought that too, as it would stop filament regeneration, but a
little research shows halogen lamps also have longer lives when
undervoltaged, as long as the voltage is above 35% of the nominal
voltage, or is periodically raised above that minimum. From a
manfacturer's website:

" Voltage: Reduced voltage produces a decrease in lumen output and an
increase lamp life."

" Dimming: Like all incandescents, tungsten halogen lamps can be
dimmed simply by lowering the voltage across the lamp. Full-range
dimming is relatively easy and low cost. The color temperature varies
over the dimming range, becoming warmer as lamps are dimmed. Dimming
generally extends lamp life, although the increased lamp life does not
follow standard incandescent lamp curves. As periodic high power
operation is required to raise a lamp's temperature up to the level
needed to activate the halogen cycle, continuous dimming below 35% is
not recommended."

Running, Steaming and Anchor lites
 

In article ,
Harlan Lachman wrote:

I hate the nav lights that came with my J/100. The days when they have
worked are less than 40% of the time I have tried to turn them on.

Does anyone have a fool proof plan for lights that work? Should I
replace mine with LEDs

I've been switching to LEDs and am extremely happy with them. You can
fix the wiring pretty easily as you're working. Quite likely, it's not
the wires but the socket, which you'll be getting rid of. You can even
replace the second most-usual problem, the quick disconnect. Solder and
shrink-wrap the connector, as the LEDs will likely outlive the boat.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/