Lighting
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Fluorescent Lights
- …fluorescent lamps typically produce about 72 lumens (a measure of light output) per watt of energy consumed (some highly efficient fluorescents produce 100 lumens per watt of energy consumed), whereas incandescent lights typically produce about 17.5 lumens per watt. In other words, fluorescent lights are approximately four times more efficient than incandescent lights. (Cruising Handbook, p. 185)
- …an entire cabin can be lit with a 26-watt fluorescent light that produces 1,700 lumens; whereas, for the same power consumption, only about 400 lumens of light output is produced by incandescent dome or reading light…they produce considerably less heat than incandescent lights…on paper they have much greater life expectancy than incandescent lamps – 20,000 hours on average (over two years continuous use), as opposed to 750 and 1,00 hours of incandescent maps. In practice, they rarely achieve this life expectancy. (Cruising Handbook, p. 186)
- …recently seen the introduction of a new technology – cold cathode fluorescents (CCF) – that not only utilizes a more substantial cathode than a conventional fluorescent, but also activates the cathode through an electronic process instead of heating it. The net result….is efficiency similar to a traditional fluorescent, but with less sensitivity to voltage fluctuations, shocks and vibration…units can be dimmed (something that can’t be done with most fluorescents)….have a significantly longer predicted life span than a traditional fluorescent….One issue of concern…is the fact that CCFs require specialized tubes that are not widely available. If this lighting is installed on a cruising boat, it is advisable to stock up on a few spares. (Cruising Handbook, p. 186)
Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lights
- those lights are recessed spots from IMTRA Marine Products, type David. I have 6 of them with 10 watt bulbs on one circuit (4 under the overhead cabinet lighting the reefer area counter, and 2 in the alcove) and when they’re all on they draw 4.5 amps, but I have them on a digital dimmer from BlueSeas and we find that dimmed so that they draw 3 amps total is still enough light to work with. The fluorescent is a Resolux from Imtra which draws .9 amps and is more than adequate all by itself. And it has a red LED which when on draws .1 amp. I do have almost 1100 amp hours of battery capacity, along with the ability to recharge in a hurry, so most of the time I don’t worry too much about the draw. (http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f55/show-us-your-galley-24896-3.html)
- LED cluster lights have been on the market since early 2000…consume minuscule amounts of energy, but also produce minuscule amounts of light. …currently producing at beast about 15 – 20 lumens per watt of energy consumed (as opposed to 72+ lumens for fluorescents)… (Cruising Handbook, p. 187)
- Have an application where low-level, highly focused task lighting is required (e.g., nighttime lighting in a navigation stations, some reading lights, and lighting of instrument panels). (Cruising Handbook, p. 187)
- Despite the low lumen output, light from an LED can be highly visible. This makes LEDs particularly useful in situations where visibility rather than illumination is the primary purpose, particularly navigation and anchor lights. The benefits are especially noticeable for red and green navigation lights because red and green LEDs can be used with a clear lens, which utilizes the full 15-20 lumens per watt output of the LEDs, rather than putting a colored lens in front of an incandescent bulb, with the lens reducing the light output between 1 – 5 lumens per watt. The same applies to red nighttime lighting inside the boat (and also to traffic lights, in which a 10-watt LED cluster can replace a 100-watt light bulb) (Cruising Handbook, p. 187)
- For given energy consumption, visibility can be further increased by pulsing LEDs on and off at high frequency (too high for the human eye to detect; what is seen is a steady light) that reduces the duty cycle to around 50%, doubling the theoretical life of the LED while cutting the energy consumption in 1/2. The net result is that with differently colored LEDs, chip-based technology, and the clustering of several LEDs, it is possible to create navigation and anchor lights that meet the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) 2- and 3-mile visibility requirements – at a fraction of the energy consumption of an equivalent incandescent or halogen light. (Cruising Handbook, p. 187)
- Other benefits accruing from LED technology are an insensitivity to voltage fluctuations, high resistance to shocks, and an extremely long life. This long life expectancy makes it reasonable to think of placing LEDs in totally sealed, and therefore, waterproofed housings (essentially, the entire fixture is replaced if the light fails). (Cruising Handbook, p. 187)
- However, it is important to remember that life-expectancy numbers are derived in labratory conditions…white LEDs have a life expectancy of 50,000 hours, as opposed to 100,000 for other colors…well before the LEDs reach the end of their life cycle, there is a significant loss of light output (Cruising Handbook, p. 187)
- LED lights are still expensive, have decidely limited light ouputs, and – to a considerable extent – have an unknown life expectancy int he marine environment. Nevertheless, the technology is exciting and definitely worth watching.
Navigation Lights
- Sailing vessels under 20 meters are required to carry red and green sidelights and a white stern light. Under 20 meters, these lights may be combined in a single lantern carried at the top of the mast, popularly know as the masthead tricolor. Under power, even with sails raised, the tricolor is not legal and the regular sidelights and stern light must be shown along with a white bow (mast) light. (Upgrading the Cruising Sailboat, p. 181)
- Oil lamps can be fastened to boards on the shrouds and the stern lamps carried on the stern rail. The lamps should be removable from the mounting boards from refilling and bringing below in rough weather. Properly sealed electric lights are easier to deal with and certainly less expensive. (Upgrading the Cruising Sailboat, p. 181)
Navigation Station Lights
- Illumination should be bright and broad; the lamps should be overhead so a minimum shadow is cast on the chart while the navigator is working. Fluorescent lights are inadvisable, since they can generate interfeerence with Loran-C.
- A good addition is one or two small, gooseneck-type chart lamps, one of which should have a red light for night use. However, if part of the chart table extends under the boxes holding the instrument dials, the dial lights may prodvice enough illumination without needing for additional lighting, which could wake the crew sleeping below and interfere with the night vision of the crew on deck.
- Nighttime lighting is very important and frequently inadequate. A dim light is essential for protecting night vision but of no use whatsoever if it is not strong enough to properly illuminate a chart (this is frequently the case with the red lights installed in navigation stations), causing the navigator to turn on a flashlight or a regular light. (Cruising Handbook, p. 134)
- Some flashlights for spotlighting hard-to-see dials can be mounted in accessible holders so the navigator can reach them without standing up. (Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of Offshore Yachts, p. 224)
- I have a heavy-duty “push-pull” switch for these [the main nav station lights] lights, mounted immediately foreword of the E-80 radar/chartplotter, and immediately above the Sondenberg chart light…(see chrome knob)…this allows for easy lighting to be switched on whenever needed, no matter how fast asleep you were… (http://www.c470.jerodisys.com/470pix/47003.htm)
Oil Lamps
- Oil lamps work. Engine failure, generator breakdown, or power shortage won’t stop them….the greatest joy of oil lamps is the elimination of one of the petty irritations of life on a small boat at sea or at anchor “Damn it, turn that light off…”. With oil lamps, no one is concerned if you leave all the lights on…Oil lamps…are simplicity itself and can always be returned to service by trimmingthe wick, replacing the burner, or draining the oil and refilling the reservoir if condensation deposits water in the fuel (sputtering is usually a sign of this). Since all of the servicing on oil lamps can be done right on deck or below in the galley, it’s far more likely that you will return your running lights to full service even in rough weather. (The Self-Sufficient Sailor, p. 188)
- Trimming the wick properly so it follows the contour of the center guard and has no stray hairs or bulges, turning it up properly and using a mirror or reflector behind the chimney will make the light bright and clear. But if this is not sufficient, the Tilly pressurized lamp from England and the Aladdin nonpressurized mantel lamp made in the United States both give off bright white light. (The Self-Sufficient Sailor, p. 189)
- Oil lamps below deck are very safe if they are gimaballed and fastened with a set screw….Smoke bells are necessary to stop the heat produced by the lamps from scorching the overhead unless there is 2-3’ of clear space above each lamp. The small amount of heat produced by oil cabin lights is nice in a cold climate and with proper ventilation can be unnoticed in warm weather. (The Self-Sufficient Sailor, p. 189)
- When you’re carrying oil lamps high in the rigging, what generally causes them to go out is the oil swishing in the base. So if you ¾ fill the base with caulking cotton, you make the whole container into a wick without greatly decreasing the oil capacity. Then the amount of fuel on the wick is not affected by motion. (The Self-Sufficient Sailor, p. 190)
- Underway I carry my 360-degree anchor light about 6’ above the deck on the backstay. Hung like this (just as Joshua Slocum did on Spray), the light shed is enough to allow comfortable working all the way up to the foredeck. Since the light is above eye level it doesn’t spoil night vision. (The Self-Sufficient Sailor, p. 190)
- Using a butane pipe-lighter for lamps makes light-up time easier than with matches and is less messy. (The Self-Sufficient Sailor, p. 191)
- When you are buying burners for your lamps, take a magnet along. Some burners have iron parts that will rust and eventually jam your wick. (The Self-Sufficient Sailor, p. 192)
- Maintenance of an oil system is simple. If you drain the fuel before each passage, scrub the lamps and lenses well, and trim the wicks, that should be it for least a month. If the lenses do get sooted because of a faulty adjustment, clean them with dish soap and a plastic scouring pad. After that it’s simply a matter of refueling the lamps when they need it. (The Self-Sufficient Sailor, p. 192)
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Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lights
Navigation Lights
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