Product Information


Bright Idea!


We started down an aisle on the mezzanine level of the Seattle Boat
Show, and noticed some extremely vivid lighting from seventy or eight
feet away. The lights proved to be part of a display at the Miller &
Miller Boatyard booth, and even in the relatively well lit environment
of the boat show the illumination was dramatically apparent.

Peg Miller introduced us to a new product called Lopolight. Lopolight
is built in Denmark, and relies on a group of small light emitting
diodes, rather than a single bulb, for illumination. The obvious result
is a much brighter light that is said to use only about 10- 20% of the
current required for a standard DC lamp.

Lopolights are built into rugged aluminum housings, and the
manufacturer claims that the cases are strong enough to be used as foot
steps. When each Lopolight is assembled, the case is then filled with
epoxy to create an waterproof seal that has been tested at depths of 90
meters. The fully sealed component never needs to be opened for bulb
replacement, as the LED's are rated with an average life expectancy
of 50,000 hours. (50,000 hours would provide light for eight hours per
day, every day, for about seventeen years).

Peg informed us that while many 12-volt incandescent bulbs will draw 3
amps per hour, a Lopolight produces many more lumens while consuming as
little as 0.3 amps per hour, or about 1/10 the battery drain.

Lopolights are available in colors and shapes appropriate for running
lights, stern lights, masthead lights, anchor lights, combination bow
lights, and even cabin and deck lights. They should be attractive to
almost anyone looking for substantially brighter light and far less
energy consumption.

The downside, according to Peg Miller, may be the initial cost.
"These lights are no cheap date," said Peg, "but in many
applications they make sense over time. Take a masthead light for
example. It's certainly not cheap to hire a rigger to go up the mast
to replace a masthead light, even if the bulb itself is only a few
dollars. Replacing a traditional masthead bulb twice will cost about
what the Lopolight does, and the Lopolight should never require any
maintenance."

Lopolight appears to be a promising product that should be of interest
to safety minded boaters cognizant of the value of being well visible
after dark as well as to boaters concerned with lower power consumption
and exceptional durability.

For additional information on Lopolight, contact Miller and Miller
Boatyard at 206-285-5958 or by email: