I am OVER Flakey Nav Lights!!! (Who makes a good one?)

[n0mb]

Perko makes a heavy product. Their lights are great for conking someone in the head, but I'm not so sure about much else.

("Conkers" is an English game, played with seeds from a great tree called, strangley enough, a "Conker" tree. The seeds look much like buckeyes we find in the US, but a bit larger. The largest are about the size of my Perko 963 Nav Lights - 2 3/8" in diameter.)

My 2003 Pursuit 3070 was shipped with Perko 963 nav lights. I have replaced bulbs, lens, gaskets, cleaned contacts and carefully sprayed anti corrosion oil on the contacts.

But I still find myself out on the big blue at night with either the red light or the green light out. I carry a set of glow sticks (in both colors) for just such an emergency, but I'm over spending $5 each time I decide to stay out after dark - then off with the top and fix corroded contacts yet again...

There MUST be a better way!

I found myself shopping nav lights online today and found that Perko has a brand new set of LED, deck mount horizontal nav lights that are about four times as big as my current lights, so they probably won't work in my situation.

I've had these same lights on other boats and they work well. I just don't know why these (both of them!) keep corroding. I'll be the contacts on mine were made with a bad batch of leaf metal.

Who makes a small (2-3") deck mount LED nav light that will hold up for a few years?

Thanks!

Mickey

[a7ewizard]

I swapped out the original Attwoods. The replacement Attwood LEDs had the same footprint. No more festoon bulbs....no more issues.

[kerno]

As far as I am concerned, no one makes a decent, small nav light. Hey, it is not rocket science.

Lopo lights makes low profile, bullet proof LED nav lights. But they are not small and they are stupidly expensive, like $300 a pair.

Here's the link: http://www.foreandaftmarine.com/LOPOLIGHT.htm

Here's my setup that uses them

[Lazy_Iguana]

I got a set of Attwood LED sidelights. They seem to work very well. They are sealed up pretty good - so there is nothing to corrode. In theory. So far. Also - nothing to burn out.

They are also brighter and easier to see.

The old one lens bi-color lights suck. Ill never have one of those again. Head on from any distance other than very close - and your eyes do not see red and green. The colors mix together.

The LED bi-color lights have a space between the red and green, so you can see a head on situation from a greater distance.

I got my lights from Philadelphia Boat Supply for $25 a pop. Oddly enough, the single unit bi-color light is only $27.

[Glen E]

very happy with these guys - Innovative lighting LED's - going on 4 years old - never a problem - work every time and VERY bright:

[Lazy_Iguana]

By the way - who put the smallest lights they could find on your 30 foot boat? Probably the dealer. One would THINK that spending all that money on a new boat would mean you would get something other than the cheapest navigation lights that could possibly be found.

Personally, if I were going to buy a new 32 foot and I showed up to take it and found Mickey Mouse lights - I would be somewhat upset. I would have to wonder what else the dealer cheaped out on when putting stuff in. It would be like showing up at the car dealership to take delivery of a new vehicle - only to find that they took the smallest cheapest tires they could stretch over the rims, as opposed to tires that actually fit properly......

[WGHowardIII]

kerno - 11/18/2008 9:48 PM

As far as I am concerned, no one makes a decent, small nav light. Hey, it is not rocket science.

Lopo lights makes low profile, bullet proof LED nav lights. But they are not small and they are stupidly expensive, like $300 a pair.

Here's the link: http://www.foreandaftmarine.com/LOPOLIGHT.htm

Here's my setup that uses them

Don't waste your money on the Lopo lights. I had nothing but bad enpweiences with them. They will replce the unit when it fails, but IT FAILS!!! and usually when you need them.

[HullSlap]

Glen E - 11/19/2008 1:47 AM

very happy with these guys - Innovative lighting LED's - going on 4 years old - never a problem - work every time and VERY bright:

I've had mine for a couple of problem free years too.

[cowdogs]

deleted

[cold beers]

I put the Attwood LED's on my boat. Work very good and do not draw as much current from the battery's. I think they are brighter than the old 10 watt light bulbs.

[yottyboy]

I tend to stay away from LEDs due to the fact that they are not field repairable. The only repair is replacement. I'll take incandescent over LED any day. That said, buy the biggest baddest lights that will fit. Forget low profile and teeny tiny, you're out on the water not in a nightclub looking thru your purse. Go big. The advantage with bigger lights is that when a bulb goes you aren't all scrunched up in a little tiny housing trying to eff a bulb into place. You get some room with the larger lamps, enough to get fingers into anyway. You're also better assured that you'll be seen. The 963 Perkos are awfully small. I'd advise moving up to a series 40 Aqua Signal type. These are super robust, highly corrosion resistant, take up to a 25 watt bulb (10 is more like it) and have replaceable parts. They run about 70 bucks per. Like Rudolph's nose.

[ScarabChris]

I have the shark eye type. I put them in about 5 years ago after getting pissed off at the deck mounted units. They have been flawless with exception to replacing the bulbs a few times in that 5 years. I have been trying to find an LED replacement but the housing is so small. This is the only light on my boat that isn't LED.

I think why they stay so good is because they are sealed from the outside. You replace the bulb from behind. In my case in the cabin so no salt or rain never comes in contact with the electrical side.

Sorry for this not so close up picture, its the only one I had on photobucket showing them. I think I only paid about 30 bucks for the pair on ebay too. You do need to cut a sizable hole on each side of your boat to install them so you are then comitted to using them for good.

[offshore3144]

The great thing about bulb light is that you can get a bulb just about anywhere. If one of the LED lights go what do you do? You do what my freind had to do order another to replace it and take a chance navigating in the dark while waiting for the new light to come in. I think I will stick with a bulb light. I just keep a extra bulb on the boat now. I just replaced the bulb in my nav light for the first time last trip. These are good lights but expensive. They are similar to what I have on the Contender....Mark

[laguna23]

I have the shark eye lights too and have been very happy with them.

[250 Osprey]

We use the Innovative LEDs that Glen has. The issue of bulb replacement isn't really an issue as the LEDs have a bulb life of 20-30K hours.

[Trey1096]

I had an Accon pop up bow light on my last boat and I plan on installing one on my current boat this winter.

http://www.acconmarine.com/pc-33-5-s...bow-light.aspx

Well made, serviceable, and parts are readily available, though I never needed any. They now make a LED version but I think I’d like to see one shine in low light conditions before I bought one.

It would also be nice if manufacturers made their LED lights so that the LED board could be replaced as a unit so you could carry a spare. Anyone wanting to sell you a LED light will tell you in a heartbeat that a LED will last for a bazillion hours, but much like an incandescent light, so many times the problem is in the fixture and not in the bulb/diode.

Trey

[250 Osprey]

Trey,
Good point.

[Brian82]

I think it comes down to the acceptance of failure. Find decent lights that you like, and use them. The whole electicity and salt water will thing will get you no matter what way you go. LED or not! I have worked on ships, boats, and rec boats... ect... stuff fails, just buy something decent to work on and you can find replacement parts for. lol... hey if you buy the single bow light (red and green) you only have one light to smack with your hand when it doesn't come on.... besidesy our mast head light, and stern... atleast not two different colors w/two different housings

[606zpx]

I have the Accon pop up LED and that thing is a beast. It has a replacement LED insert too so you dont have to chuck the whole unit. Replaced my anchor light with a Perko LED. So far so good.

[Trey1096]

606, how bright is the Accon LED? I had their incandescent bow light and it was great. My only concern with the LED version is the small looking light ports.

If the LED’s are bright enough, it wouldn’t matter, they just look small.

Trey