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Old 10-01-2009, 06:48 PM   #1
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After I've replaced all the ground tackle, I'm going to replace all of the deck and navigation lights.

I currently have Aquasignal 40 lights with incandescent bulbs. Some of the fixtures need replacement, namely the side lights on the bow pulpit. I haven't checked the masthead light yet because I don't have a harness or anyone to hoist me up the mast.

Option 1:

Replace the original bulbs with Polar Star 40 bulbs (the new style with the single LED and reflector).



Option 2:

Install the Masina Malosi and Kuaka from Bebi Electronics into Aquasignal 40 fittings.



Option 3:

Replace the masthead tricolor / anchor / strobe with the OGM Trianchor, and possibly replace the deck-level lights with OGM products as well.



Option 4:

Put an OGM Trianchor on the mast, and Polar Star 40 bulbs in Aquasignal 40 fittings at deck level.

What is giving me trouble in making this decision is this: While all of these lights meet the visibility requirements, I am concerned about the size of the light source. A laser can reach out a long way away, but you can't see it unless you're looking right at it. That's sort of how I feel about the single-led approach. I'm not really concerned with whether or not they are "USCG approved".

I'm hoping that someone reading this has used one (or more) of the above setups, or has been able to do a comparison between different boats running different setups.
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Old 10-02-2009, 06:01 AM   #2
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We have the OGM tri-anchor on the mainmast and we have lovely vintage lights (the kind you install on boards in the lower part of the shrouds) which use regular 12V bulbs.

The regular 12V bulbs are fine at deck level--as we figure we would use this low system of nav lights only while in harbor/close quarters--these are situations where we think other boats might not see the tricolor and where we'd likely be motoring and thus have charging going on anyway so the LED's aren't really needed.

Good luck.
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Old 10-07-2009, 02:54 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by redbopeep View Post
We have the OGM tri-anchor on the mainmast and we have lovely vintage lights (the kind you install on boards in the lower part of the shrouds) which use regular 12V bulbs.

The regular 12V bulbs are fine at deck level--as we figure we would use this low system of nav lights only while in harbor/close quarters--these are situations where we think other boats might not see the tricolor and where we'd likely be motoring and thus have charging going on anyway so the LED's aren't really needed.

Good luck.
I have had experience with both the OGM tri-color/anchor mast head light and the Bebi clusters that I retrofitted into my Guest mast head tri-color/anchor light housing.

I removed the Guest Tricolor and installed the OGM light. The OGM light was removed after one year and replaced by the Bebi clusters after I observed that the OGM had somehow filled itself half full of water while mounted on the mast head. The water was impossible to drain out of the OGM fixture.

The retrofitting of the Bebi clusters into the Guest tricolor fixture was fairly straight forward and I was able to mount and secure the more powerful Malosi on-top of the less powerful (I forget it's name) light mounted in the anchor light position.

After I retrofitted the Guest housing with the Bebi's and remounted it on top of the mast and tested everything I was delighted by the results. Low battery draw and intense light output in a rugged water proof package. Bebi's customer service was superb and their prices were more than fair.

I contacted OGM by telephone and discussed the water ingress with their customer service rep. He admitted that they had problems with rain and water wicking into the the cable insulation and being pulled up into the light housing. OGM offered me a credit on a replacement light. After I explained that the light had been replaced and I didn't have a lot of confidence in OGM products at that point and I would prefer a refund minus a fair restocking fee, they refused my request and offered no recourse.

In summary my experience is the OGM light is a about three times the cost of the Bebis and if something goes wrong with OGM you're on your own.

Good luck

Tatoosh

ps FOR SALE CHEAP: OGM mast head tricolor/anchor light, used one year, slightly moist.
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Old 10-07-2009, 07:16 AM   #4
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In summary my experience is the OGM light is a about three times the cost of the Bebis and if something goes wrong with OGM you're on your own.

Good luck

Tatoosh

ps FOR SALE CHEAP: OGM mast head tricolor/anchor light, used one year, slightly moist.
Sorry to hear about your OGM problems. I'm perplexed by the whole concept of "wicking" since it's a plastic sheathed cable...??? Plastic doesn't wick that i know of. Also, seems your customer service experience with them was entirely different than ours--we ended up contacting them about the possibility of getting a 24V unit (not available at this time...) and about mounting an Airmar PB weather station on top of the light ...they were helpful and provided the needed info for us to engineer a little bracket for use with the OGM and Airmar combo...

I must admit that unit is costly. We didn't have a masthead tricolor on the boat, so we were in a slightly different situation than you were, but the price is high to use the OGM.

We've had ours in place since last April--so far, so good. David was just up at the masthead yesterday and didn't see anything amiss. Of course, we're in a dry climate

Fair winds,
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Old 10-07-2009, 05:07 PM   #5
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Option 2:

Install the Masina Malosi and Kuaka from Bebi Electronics into Aquasignal 40 fittings.

... I'm not really concerned with whether or not they are "USCG approved"...
well, in this option the visibility requirements might be met and there won't be a problem of using this bulb in a 360° white (anchor) light. But as soon as you use your old tri-colour glass the distinguation between the colours deteriorates and authorities (BSH in Germany and obviously the USCG.) do not like that. So, it might be a risk to use this arrangement in some territorial waters. We get fined for this.

Uwe

SY AQUARIA
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Old 10-07-2009, 06:39 PM   #6
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well, in this option the visibility requirements might be met and there won't be a problem of using this bulb in a 360° white (anchor) light. But as soon as you use your old tri-colour glass the distinguation between the colours deteriorates and authorities (BSH in Germany and obviously the USCG.) do not like that. So, it might be a risk to use this arrangement in some territorial waters. We get fined for this.

Uwe

SY AQUARIA
One could use white light leds in their old tricolor fixture but it would be hit-or-miss as to whether you achieve light that meets the requirements of regulatory authorities and achieves your goals of being seen. The USCG regulations specify visibility at distance and gives very specific guidance on testing: measuring and calculating. I initially looked into this when we were considering purchase or actual fabrication of white led's to put in our vintage lights in the lower shrouds...we would have removed the red and green lens from the vintage lights and put in a clear lens, btw.

For about 6 years, my husband and I had a business together working in the field of biomedical tissue optics -- we used lasers, led's, and broad spectrum light as part of a system for in vivo diagnostic tools--we can easily design and fab LED based lighting systems with specific wavelengths emitted and have the equipment to test the lighting and systems for use in various diffuse media (foggy atmosphere optics very similar to tissue optics) -- so looking into this was sort of a brain-teaser for me. We did, briefly, consider putting together an LED system with our vintage lights and doing the required testing for meeting USCG regs (we could have achieved this fairly easily) but then decided the liability of having a system of light and fixture that was not tested and certified by a marine lighting mfr was just too great. Along about that point, we also decided that if a mfr of LED's hadn't tested their lighting in the vintage fixtures we owned that we wouldn't be doing the right thing to use such a combination either.

I don't know if the Masina Malosi and Kuaka from Bebi Electronics have been tested by Bebi in Aquasignal 40 fittings--if the tests have been done, you should obtain a copy of their testing info and keep it on your boat with other important stuff since this would be one way to avoid a fine by the USCG or other authorities. We do have such paperwork aboard for our nav light systems.

It would be very easy to be fined on this issue since the USCG requires testing of the entire lighting system per their requirements--therefore when you put a different light in...you get something that wasn't ever tested.

This isn't just a regulatory issue--it is a safety issue: while a green lens or red lens will pass a specific (narrow) set of wavelengths to achieve the red or green color, when you remove the broad spectrum emitting incandescent light and place an LED light in that fixture, you have no idea of what you've done. Even a white LED isn't broad spectrum (as an incandescent light is) and when you put it through a filter (red, or green or otherwise), you really have no idea of what color will pass and, most important, what visibility you will achieve without testing of the "new" system you've built yourself.

Forgetting about regulatory requirements and fines...you also more or less have to decide if you're willing to take the liability onto your own shoulders for the matter of navigation lights. If someone hits you at night--one of the first things they're going to say is they didn't see you...

Fair winds,
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