inexpensive LED Navigation Lights

[midnightmoonlight]

Is there such a thing? Links would be great. Im looking for 2 bow lights and stern light. My anchor system is in the way to run a single light up front. I dont want to use the flashlight type. It looks like the cheapest I can find is $100 for the three. Any DIY setups using things other then marine grade? This is a fresh water setup and Im not concerned with longevity.

What size fuse should I use for a Mercury Thruster Plus trolling motor? I have a 60amp but I cant find any info on this old troller.

 

[Bondo]

Re: inexpensive LED Navigation Lights

Is there such a thing?

Nope,.... Inexpensive, and LED can Not be used in the same sentence...

What are you putting this on,..?? a 14' tinny, or a 60' cruiser,..??

 

[midnightmoonlight]

Re: inexpensive LED Navigation Lights

14' tinny

 

[boat1010]

Re: inexpensive LED Navigation Lights

A picture would really help.

 

[midnightmoonlight]

Re: inexpensive LED Navigation Lights

Here is a picture

 

[midnightmoonlight]

Re: inexpensive LED Navigation Lights

Well I ordered up some led navigation lights last night $29 for a pair of LED bow lights and $34 for the single stern light.

On the stern light can I mount it on either side left or right?

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: inexpensive LED Navigation Lights

....On the stern light can I mount it on either side left or right?

Typically starboard and must be one meter above navigation (bow) light. It must be visible 360 degrees.

You are already into it, but sometimes you can buy incandescent pieces and replace the bulbs with (relatively) inexpensive LEDs for less than the manf'd LED pieces alone.

My 1964 MFG is becoming LED over the winter... present bulbs consume more than my sonar for current; LEDs should cut battery consumption by 2/3rds-ish. Bulbs are about $15 for the three. Going to plant some LEDs under the gunwales, too, for indirect lighting while fishing at night.

 

[midnightmoonlight]

Re: inexpensive LED Navigation Lights

I was thinking of finding some lights then converting them but I didn't find anything I liked at the right price. This project needs to be done before our 2nd is born in Jan.

The stern light I have is short 8" but I figured I could doctor it up to make it longer. 1 meter above the bow lights is up there. This is going on a small 14' fishing boat. I want the lights because Ill be out at dark on a regular basis.

Does it really need to be that tall? Now that I think of it.... I have a nice aluminum telliscoping piece of pipe I can use so I can get it up to the 1 meter and have it relatively out of the way when not in use.

How close to the front of the bow do I have to have the red and green lights? It doesn't say specifically in the rules. I was thinking 6" back or 3' back so it doesn't conflict with my Reg. numbers.

I like the rope light idea under the gunwales. I think I'm going with blue.

Thanks

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: inexpensive LED Navigation Lights

The Nav light regs for your state can be accessed at the Coast Guard site but it is fairly common for the lights regs to be the same from state to state.

On "power driven vessels less than 65.6 feet" you need red and green "sidelights" visible for two miles, or vessels less than 39.4 feet, sidelights visible for one mile. Both lights must be visible from directly in front of the boat, and for 112.5 degrees to the respective sides.

The white "stern light" on vessels less than 39.4 feet can be combined with the white masthead light for an all-around light visible for at least two miles. The masthead/all-around white light must be 3.3 feet (one meter) above the red/green sidelights.

Your Nav lights (red/green) do not have to all the way forward, but DO have to be both visible from directly ahead.

BTW- having some crazy Quebec-registered 28-footer bearing down on you in the dark EVEN WITH THE LIGHTS PER REGS on Malletts Bay (Lake Champlain) makes you realize that yes, the all-round/stern light needs to be that tall. Better seen when you start flashing your lights and taking evasive action. True story. Passed close enough I could see it was a canadian reg when it went by at 20-plus knots in the dark. Was shook up enough that I neglected to write the numbers down though.

 

[midnightmoonlight]

Re: inexpensive LED Navigation Lights

Thanks for the info. We will be moving to upstate NY in a year so Ill check those regs too. I wanted to make sure I was understanding everything correctly. Our house in NY is 2 min from Lake Ontario although this little 14' wont be seeing much of the lake outside the break wall and the Oswego river

Thanks again

 

[SKEETR]

Re: inexpensive LED Navigation Lights

http://autolumination.com/1156_1157.htm

The fixtures are where they get ya $$$. However there are a lot of posibilities here as well as conversion bulbs at reasonable prices.