I am looking at ways to reduce power consumption on my 16. I have used a battery powered lantern for an anchor light, but I'm wondering about the Davis Mega Light. It claims to use only 1 amp hour over a 12 hour period. Anyone have the masthead version? The utility verions? How do you like it?
Craig
Craig -
I have one. It purports to have a "5,000 hour" lightbulb, IIRC. Well, I got a lot less than that, on both bulb #1 and bulb #2. :)
What I've done since is to modify it with an off-the-shelf waterproof LED cluster for $17 from Boaters World (West sells them, too). It's a 5 minute job, and cuts the current draw even more, while being, at least to my eye, brighter. And the bulb won't burn out for *100,00* hours.
The Davis light is good - I recommend it. I'll post details of how to do the LED mod later.
Mine is the 12V cabled version, not masthead.
Kurt,
Does the LED need the fresnel lens of the Davis light to be bright, or do you think the modification would work with any masthead light?
Craig
The Fresnel lens of the Davis light does a lot to spread the beam. It is quite focused or directional on it's own, consisting of 4 20-degree-cone LED's, as far as I can tell. I don't think it would work as well without the prisms to spread the light.
http://tinyurl.com/3sfes <- Link (they are cheaper now - only $12 US). See it below:
(http://www.westmarine.com/images/thumb/32289_t.jpg)
Boy, wait 'til Jobst sees this discussion - he knows *a lot* about LED's. :D
One thing about the Davis light - it is *not* a USCG-approved anchor light (ie; it's not been given their stamp of approval). So, technically, and in a court of law, if you wound up there because someone ran into your boat at night, there would be some discussion about your anchor light.
That said - it may well be as bright as the USCG specs call for - I just have not run any technical tests on it to know for sure. The LED's are brighter than the low-amp-draw Davis bulb, though. And they won't burn out while you are asleep (as happened with my 2nd bulb).
It's a gamble, maybe, but one I think is worth it, taking into account the energy savings, and the safety of a bulb that *won't* burn out.
I have a Davis Mega-Light, masthead model, as my anchor light. When looking at my options, I couldn't get a straight answer from the vendor, so I called Davis Industries directly. I was told that the light IS visible at 2+ miles ONLY IF you change to the higher-amperage bulb supplied with the light kit -- the "bright" bulb, ML1893 -- but that Davis had decided not to go through the process of obtaining USCG certification on it. You have to figure that they're primarily marketing the use-it-anywhere versatility of their M-L Utility Light and their M-L Ultimate Cockpit Light (and I can see where either of those products could be useful to almost anyone) so that's where their bread-and-butter comes from. It's a wonderful anchor light IMHO, seemingly made with small yachts in mind, but I do wish they'd give us all a little follow-through and get it certified. Nice & adequate is good, but certified & legal would be even better. I'm definitely interested in hearing about the LED conversion! Let me know!
That's good to know. Davis markets their masthead light with the lower amp-hour bulb which is not visible for two miles, and are not offering the brighter bulb as part of the package. Could be why they are not seeking coast guard certification. Also, is the brighter bulb more prone to burn out and changing a masthead light on anything bigger than a 19 a pain, hence the dimmer bulb? I still may buy one, but will go with the utility light so if I need to anchor where a light is essential I will at least have the option of the brighter bulb.
Commerical LED masthead/anchor lights are still too big for a 16 and too expensive for me. Jobst, got a solution for me?
Craig
Michael Quigley referred me to this site. They have both complete LED lights, and "standard light fitting inserts" made with LED's.
http://www.orcagreen.com
1) As far as I know, there is only one LED anchor light that is currently USCG approved under the new rules. Unfortunately, it is a combo masthead tri (very expensive) and next to useless on a trailer sailor since it is illegal when under auxilliary power. Orcagreen is the builder
2) The holy grail of a cheap LED anchor light that meets the USCG standards is still a ways off - but the automotive world is making strides in the right direction to use LEDs in mass market applications - so this is still possible.
3) USCG approved LED navigation lights (port, starboard, and stern) are available - and the price is dropping - but they are still very expensive.
4) I've built a fair share of LED devices - even sold a few - but they are all designed for interior cabin lighting. If I were to use the same devices in a waterproof enclosure with a good fresnel lens setup, I believe I could make a device to pass the USCG standards - BUT
it would be way too expensive
it would not be as energy efficient as folks would like
To make a long story longer - wait a few more years till the Detroit folks push the price/performance curve a bit more on white LEDs - what we all want is possible - will be available - will be legal - and will be relatively affordable.
Just my opinion
Try this link to see a sample of what Autozone sells in their stores
http://www.jamstrait.com/products.html
Several folks are selling these automotive bulb replacements in the typical colors (red, amber, green, blue, and white)
Usual disclaimers apply - I have no financial interest... Your mileage may vary ... etc.
I have a Hella all around light I mounted on the top of the mast. It has a bayonet single contact bulb (5008). What if I replaced it with something like this:
http://mastercatalog04.westmarine.com/0678.asp
Are these bulbs too directional for the diffusing pattern of my light? Amp draw is less than Davis ML. Reading reviews the bulbs in the ML have a tendancy to not last long. Though the LED bulb is expensive, not to have more stuff to carry in my 16 is a plus, and if they last anywhere near the 100,000 to 200,000 hours of use I will never buy another one.
Craig
When I bought the CP19, it came with a portable anchor light that uses 6 volt battery and with photocell. One battery has lasted couple trips with combined 5-6 nights.
It does not require wiring, just hang the anchor light at the forestay the go to sleep. At dawn, the photocell turns off automatically.
It is very well made with rugged waterproof gasket.
I bought an led bulb on eBay. If you want to see it, it is reference #7918267730.
What caught my eye was the multi-directional nature of this bulb. I suspect my power usage will be somewhere in the 200 milliamp range, which is higher than the Davis ML with the dim bulb, but a whole lot less than my current .83 amp bulb. When I get it and try it out I'll report how it does.
Craig
Hi There Captain Craig,
Why not consider a solar panel set up like I have. I ran my lights and CD player all season and never had to touch my battery. I am considering posting a short article on how I set this simple system up as it sure beats hauling a battery in and out of the boat.
How has the sailing been since you got back from vacation?
Wow! I got promoted to Captain already? We better belay that Captain talk or CaptK may keel-haul me, make me walk the plank and scuttle me bones in Davey Jones' locker for mutiny! :D
Your solar set-up is a great one for you situation. My boat is dry sailed and spends most of it's time "moored" in my garage where the battery is easily hooked up to a charger. I do not take it out of the boat, just pop the cover off the battery box and hook up the alligator clamps. If I had to take that group 24 out every time it needed charging I would come up with something quick. That rascal is heavy and the interior of the 16 does not give much room to get leverage.
My hope is to reduce the energy consumption by my lights down to where I can realistically count on my group 24 to provide all the power I need for a 4 or 5 day cruise. By reducing the anchor light to 2 amp hours a night (rather than the 7 to 8 it consumes now) I will greatly extend the useful life of a charge. The battery is allegedly rated at 60 amp hours, but I read somewhere that half that is a more reasonable number to figure on, mostly because you do not want to run even a deep cycle all the way down. So if I start with 30, and figure 8 to 10 for anchoring, that leaves me 20 to 22 hours for nav lights, interior lighting, etc... which should be plenty even though the nav lights consume 1.6 amps combined. I currently use a handheld VHF rather than a fixed mount, so I carry spare AA batteries for when the NiCad goes belly-up.
The sailing since vacation has been non-existent. I've been busy catching up with staff changes, the annual health insurance debacle, and such. On top of that we've had about 5 inches of rain in the last 3 days. I'm hoping labor day weekend provides some fresh winds and blue skies.
Hope your sailing has been better.
Craig
Craig,
(Notice the Captain designation is gone . . .You are right about not wanting to infringe on Capt. Kurt. Incidenatally, having a CP16 is advantageous over having a 23 if you are going to be keel hauled.)
Anyway, I forgot that your boat would not be in the sun much of the time. Plugging into a charger is not a big deal in your circumstance. Also, I agree with your math. Getting a series 24 battery in and out of the forward compartment seems very difficult which is why I opted for my 13 lb 18 Amp Hour Gell Cell.
Sorry to hear about your work and weather issues. The health insurance bit is a real pet peeve of mine but I won't get started here. The weather on LD weekend looks promising so far, except for Florida.
Capt's Craig and Gil, et al -
This here is our own lil "captainilist society", wherein and wherefores alla you scurvy dogs are Capt's irregardless of rank, odor or otherwise. Keel haulin' is reserved for stinkpotters and other such wake makin' germs, to be applied only when we've run out of rockets and cannonballs.
I don't want no stinkpotter making a mess while he scrapes down my keel...
The light I ordered from the outfit on eBay arrived. I installed it and it looked like it fits the bill. UNFORTUNATELY :( when I went to compare the brightness with the orginal bulb the all around fixture broke. The plastic holder that is molded into the base broke and the postive lead touched the negative and blew the fuse. The closest West Marine (which is also the closest store that carries much of sail boat stuff, is in Indy, 100 miles away. GRRR! :evil: And to top it off, my sister lives close to Indy and is coming up for a Labor Day weekend picnic and has volunteered to pick up stuff if they are heading this way, but the WM store is out of that light! ARGGHH!! I was hoping to do an overnight this weekend. So, I placed my order online, paid the shipping, and it should arrive by the end of next week. I'll let you know how it works.
Here's another question. I inherited an HP electrical meter from my father-in-law. It's one of those little battery operated jobs. Can I use this rascal to figure out the draw the LED has my battery using this thing? Or is it strictly a voltage meter? There is no user's guide.
I also ordered a rudder from Idasailor. Should be here any day now! :D
Craig
Hi Craig,
I can't wait for a report from you re the foiled rudder! You will be happy.
Your light story is something else. Good luck on the damage control phase of this project.
The small company I work for has a division that does mechanical construction at Cape Kennedy in Florida. They are located in Titusville and the 8 guys that work there are now evacuating. They are really upsat as one has a boat, one owns some horses, etc. My wife and I have considered heading south one day, but I think we might be happier here.
I truly hope that all our ComPac friends are OK down there the next few days.
A final report on the anchor light adventure:
When my new all around masthead light arrived I installed it and put the LED bulb in. When the mast was raised it was not as bright as the incandescent bulb even though there are 6 LEDs ringing the bulb. Most are aimed up and I was probably visible by the naked eye from the moon, but that's not what I was after! I left the light burn all night and then put my 2 amp trickle charger on and within an hour the battery was back up to full charge. So the energy consumption was what I was after, but the brightness was not.
Oh, and the bulb is not quite "white." It is the color of the new headlights - kind of blue-ish. Actually, when my wife took the dog walking in the morning before the sun came up she thought there was a very bright planet on the horizon as she turned the corner, then realized it was my light.
My light is the cheap Hella available from West Marine. The lens is clear on the top, unlike some other all-around lights. So I figured I needed to deflect the light outward. Then it struck me: why not use one of those little convex mirrors people stick on their car mirrors to help see in the blind spots. No one made one small enough, so I talked to a glass shop owner who agreed to try and cut one down for me. I went to NAPA, bought a mirror and took it to him. Turns out NAPA's are plastic so he just ground it down so it fit perfectly and didn't charge me anything. I glued it to the top inside of the lens with silicon gel glue. It worked great! The light was noticeably brighter. The light was directed out and even down so the rear of the cockpit was illuminated.
I spent last night out anchored in a channel off Grand Lake. When I put the charger back on this afternoon it should very little discharge. And that was after motoring for about an 90 minutes last night with all the navigation lights on, and using the cabin light to get everything arranged for the night. YEAH!!
So, I would call this a qualified success. The only question that remains in my mind is the color. It is not the shade of white one normally sees. Whether or not that meets USCG codes is unknown.
Craig
Craig -
Good reading, and good ideas. :) I think that the color is close enough to white that it's OK, the brightness is the main factor. I do know that some white LED's are "whiter" than others. Whiter ones are usually more expensive, IIRC.
DId you see the pics I posted of my Davis light modded with LED's?
http://com-pacowners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=119
Quote from: CraigI am looking at ways to reduce power consumption on my 16. I have used a battery powered lantern for an anchor light, but I'm wondering about the Davis Mega Light. It claims to use only 1 amp hour over a 12 hour period. Anyone have the masthead version? The utility verions? How do you like it?
Craig
Get a solar powered walk way light let it charge all day and it can be raised with the jib line and it will stay on all night also it can be used for years.
At a hardware store it will cost less than $20.00. on days you are not planning to use it leave it in the cabin.
Miata
Miata,
A walk way would work pretty well in a mooring field as a way to help you find your boat at night. I doubt a solar walk lamp is bright enough to be visible for two nautical miles.
Craig
Attention on deck, I fly a Davis Mega masthead lite atop my CP-19 mast. I like the bugger. It turns on at dark, goes off at light, I have a master switch [and one amp fuse] that cuts power to it if I wish, and the lens is necessary to get all the performance out of the lamp.
It takes no juice and the 1000 amp cold cranking battery used is charged by a trickle charge solor cell mounted atop the foward hatch. Since I never step on the hatch this is a pretty good location for this solor cell. My battery is topped-off while I'm at work. Ready for me after work and on Fridays thru Sundays. We only work 4 ten hour shifts and nearly zero overtime. I like Fridays off.
I placed two LCD lamps into my Saturn automobile rear lens. I like them, I took them out...'cause these LCD bulbs are taller than the originals and by being taller, that is when installed they are reflecting at a different spot on the reflectors of the tail lite assembly and the 'beam' is uni-directional.
They only 'laser' out toward the guy behind me. They do not fill the 180~270 deg 'flood of light' zone that the original lamps did. I feel I have much less light to the sides of the tail lites coming off the reflectors. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I am going to see about placing a LCD bulb inside my cabin where an ancillary little 12 volt lamp with lamp shade but no reflector is mounted on the bulkhead; once I drag my boat out from the winter storage, just to see if I like that.
skip.
Skip,
I looked long and hard at the Davis Mega Light. Two things swung me in the direction I went:
1) The 16 is so small I take only extra gear that can't be attached. Digging a light out of wherever is less than desirable.
2) I found an LED bulb that had a ring of diodes that shine at a 90 degree angle to the base. With those and by putting a small mirror at the top of the lens I was able to get good light dispersement.
Craig
Well craig your right.
Small is good, that is why I attached my Davis to the top-O-mast . I don't have to 'find' it.
BTW, the lens is the key, it is not the brightness of the bulb . And the higher up the better.
Craig also.
Yep, I think this is the way to go, LED's on the boats interior. Less power required...
"Scotty, I need more POWER!"
"Captain...I'm giv'en her everything she's got!!.
She's gon'a blow..."
These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise...
enjoy, skip.