does anybody know if there are any LED light bulbs available for navgation lights. My light bulbs have a short short life and take to much energy from other equipment. my electrician says that my light bulbs are the reason that some thing in the motor is always burning ower and stoping it from generateing electricity for my equipment. this same problem has bin bothering other boats with the same engines and electricity (old RNLI Atlantic 21 ). always the right side engine and the same thing burning ower.
Hi And welcome. Yes LED's are available that replace a normal 12v Bulb. Various dealers here in UK, try Google searching. or look here http://www.indexmarine.co.uk/
Here in Iceland is evrything is wery boltet down conserning the laws around boats. Lights are have ther own sett of laws, what kind of light bulps and so on. Becuse evry boat larger than 6 meters is registerd and must have an overhaul ones a year by some inspection guy from the goverment. And nobody can sail those boats vithout a licence ( up to 30 tons).
Plastimo make specific LED navigation lights. Whether these would comply with your regulations or not I don't know. They are quite expensive as well, but worth it in my view. In the UK it was illegal to use LED lights on a bicycle for the simple reason the law stated the lights must be lit with a filament bulb. LED's don't have a filament.
Classic example of laws not being up to date and moving with the times - bit like the fact it is STILL illegal to celibrate Christmas(Oliver Cromwell) and all hackney carriages(taxis) must carry a bale of straw!
If they comply with IRPCS then you shouldn't have any problems with local rules.
However, you might be looking for a solution to your problem in the wrong place.
Nav loght bulbs are normally only about 10W and so draw only about one amp each. Your battery should be able to keep these burning for more than 24 hours. If something is burning out in the engine then I think you ought to start looking for short circuits or damaged components in your wiring loom and engine?
As for the LED the legislation over here still require filement bulbs but as we both know it may take long time getting things through "Siglingamálastofnun".
The LED technology is here to stay and like we are supplying the Icelandic police and the Coast Guard are getting more and more to LED (Blue and Red lights).
Bogi
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