Thursday, March 6, 2014

BACK UP NAVIGATION LIGHTS

Do you already have stayed without one of the navigation lights while sailing at a high traffic coastal zone? That can be quite stressing, specially if the sea conditions does not allow for a change of  a bulb.
It happened to me several times but on last one, with a nasty F6 and all the night ahead on a high traffic zone (between Zaquintos and Italy), I decided that it would be the last.

So I started to look for a back up mast tricolor but I was quite shocked when I started looking at the prices. Of course I want led lights for low consumption but found out quickly and confirmed it in Dusseldorf, that all those top mast lights are very expensive even if only wanted as a back up system. The prices goes for around 500 euros and that was just too much for me...and then I found in Dusseldorf something for a bit more than 200 euros:
http://www.ledconcept.fr/feux-tricolor-3-secteurs-plus-feux-de-mouillage-led-a429.html
 and I was almost to buy it at the boat show..... and I am very happy I did not because later I found the same thing for almost half the price...and that is just to good not to share. ;-)


It can be sold as a tricolor mast for 55 euros or as a tricolor plus am anchor light for 129 euros, both including VAT.
http://www.nasamarine.com/proddetail.php?prod=SupernovaCombi
http://www.nasamarine.com/proddetail.php?prod=Supernova

I had already mine at home and they include a mast mount. I have opted for a simple tricolor wanting to maintain independent systems for more reliability.

Off course, there is a catch, as most of the led lamps these ones only have a 2NM range and that makes them unsuitable for boats with more than 12M. In fact most led bulbs only give a 2NM range and the few ones that give a 3NM range are very expensive. That explains why those top quality mast lights are so expensive (even if someone had told to me, not very reliable). Anyway and even if I have a 12.50M boat, I only want them as a back up and certainly a 2NM range (instead of a 3NM) is much better than nothing.

Talking about the replacement of the existent bulbs on the traditional system on my boat (that is already led but not with 3NM bulbs) for 3NM bulbs the best I could find regarding price was this offer: 3 for the price of two and a half (80 euros) from the same manufacturer that was selling that tricolor for almost the double of the price LOL.
                                      
http://www.ledconcept.fr/pack-de-21-a-50-ampoules-de-navigation-bay15d-a-led-a436.html

Can someone find better or better priced regarding a led lamp to substitute a 25/30W incandescent bulb?

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