LED running lights

[Zogumwesterly]

Can anyone give me advice on LED running lights. I am interested in tricolor, stern, and bow lights. I have heard that some of the masthead LEDs are on a similiar frequency to VHF and makes communication ineffective. Thanks in advance.

[sailingdog]

Zogum-

LED's don't operate on a frequency that interferes with anything... they're diodes... I have the Orca Green Marine Tri-Anchor w/ strobe. It works beautifully, and doesn't interfere the VHF at all.

I am looking at getting the steaming, stern and bow lights later this year.

The energy savings is great... I've run the anchor light all night with the refrigerator and had the battery go from 12.6 volts... to 12.6 volts... BTW, the house bank is 220 Amp-hours, and the fridge is an Engel.

[hellosailor]

It is not that any of the LEDs are "on a frequency" but that some of the light assemblies have active electronics to control the LEDs and there have been reports of some of them emitting RFI (radio frequency interference) with VHF antennas mounted next to them.

At this time it is uncertain if that is a real problem, coincidental, or simply a faulty LED fixture that is causing the problem. Your best bet would be to decide which fixture you want, and then ask the manufacturer directly if there is any possible RFI problem with their equipment. When you go to install it, power it up and tape it in place and call down below, have someone else check the VHF to make sure there's no problem before you complete the installation.

An LED "replacement bulb" can't create RFI at all--unless there are active control electronics in it.

[sailingdog]

HS-

I've got mine mounted about six inches from the VHF antenna... no problems...

[Zogumwesterly]

Thanks for the quick reply, I'm looking at the lopo lights I think that's what there called. It's good to know that people trust them.

[Zogumwesterly]

By the way SD, I have a seafrost reefer system. Do you think that it is worth converting over to one of those Engel things? Thanks, Briggs

[sailingdog]

The Engels are self-contained portable refrigerators. I don't think you can convert your existing system over to one.

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by Zogumwesterly

Thanks for the quick reply, I'm looking at the lopo lights I think that's what there called. It's good to know that people trust them.

While they are beautiful works of art, there are far less expensive alternatives in Colregs-level marine nav lights, including the option to buy just the bulb assemblies...they plug right into the bayonet mount. This is probably how I will go, as I have Perkos up and down.

http://firststarled.com/products.html
http://www.orcagreen.com/

[sailingdog]

Valiente-

Just be aware that the replacement bulbs have not been USCG certified in any fixture to date. That could leave you open to some serious legal liabilities if you were hit while using them, as you could be considered to be operating without the proper navigation lights. The Lopolight and Orcagreen Marine fixtures are USCG certified.

Also, the FirststarLED fixtures use a PWM controller chip and may be more likely to exhibit the VHF interference that was mentioned previously. YMMV.

[Lancer28]

Sailingdog, could you please post a part # list of your LED bulbs that replaced the standard ones? I've been looking, but I can't seem to find the right things.

I really wanted to do all of my interior lights and running lights. The hardest one to find that I'm looking for is the 25W international light on the masthead. I can't seem to find anything bright enough to make it.