Combination steaming/ deck light has gone dark

[Philpott]

Uh, oh. This is the one I have: https://www.aquasignal.com.au/shop/masthead-topp/series-25-masthead-foredeck/

Up the Napa River I noticed that the bulbs in both parts have died. Yes, they are wired to separate switches. So I have to go up the mast, and it takes me a lonnnngggg time to get up there. Needless to say, I don't want to go up and find that I have the wrong bulbs.

http://marineledshop.com/marine-led-festoon-bulbs

Of course I would prefer to use LED, but maybe this will not be in DM's future? Please advise, Thank you,

 

[Dazzler]

It would be unusual for both bulbs to fail at the same time. I would be suspicious that you have a wiring problem. I’d recommend a thorough inspection before going up the mast. How are the connections made at the base of the mast? Are there connectors that may have become loose? Can you check for circuit continuity with a multimeter?

As you know, there are two different bulbs. You most likely have the double dimple (concave end) festoon bulb for the 10W deck light.

• Aqua Signal has re-designed the bulb holder for their Series 25, 12 Volt Navigation Lights, in June 2010, to accommodate a convex style, festoon, 10 Watt bulb
• All Aqua Signal Series 25 Navigation lights manufactured after June 2010 have a “New Style” bulb - Model 90203 Aqua Signal bulb
• Please note that for Series 25 lights manufactured before June 2010, use this "Old Style" Aqua Signal bulbs.

Follow these links for the part numbers specific to the Series 25 combination fixture:
https://www.defender.com/product3.j...th=-1|65136|2312540|2312566|2312567&id=928833

https://www.defender.com/product3.j...h=-1|65136|2312540|2312566|2312567&id=1123162

I think Ancor makes a 44mm LED double dimple festoon.

 

[sleddog]

Hi Jackie,
Thanks for the kind words on the other thread. I second Dazzler's analysis regarding the possible faulty connections.
I do not know how high off the deck your steaming light is. But if not much above the spreaders, you could nip over to the Harbor Masters and ask to borrow an extension ladder. That should get you 20 feet or a bit more off the deck. I rig a halyard to the top of the ladder as a safety, then brace it against the mast and/or spreaders with someone spotting you from below. As a friend advised this morning, "don't look down."

 

[Philpott]

IHi Jackie,
Thanks for the kind words on the other thread. I second Dazzler's analysis regarding the possible faulty connections.
I do not know how high off the deck your steaming light is. But if not much above the spreaders, you could nip over to the Harbor Masters and ask to borrow an extension ladder. That should get you 20 feet or a bit more off the deck. I rig a halyard to the top of the ladder as a safety, then brace it against the mast and/or spreaders with someone spotting you from below. As a friend advised this morning, "don't look down."

Actually, the deck light konked out a year or so ago. Twas in the dark and scawy Napa River that I realized the steaming light had died, too. Poor light. It's eight years old. Time for new bulbs. Extension ladder? Ok. Maybe. The jokes won't be the same,though.

 

[Philpott]

Thanks, Tom. I'll look at Whalepoint first.

 

[Lightspeed]

Jackie, I replaced my deck & steaming bulbs with led. All work better than the original. Found everything on Amazon by just entering the existing bulb info but in led form.

 

[skatzman]

double dimple festoon...you can't make this stuff up, it's one of the funniest phrases I've ever heard. And I know it's real: I discovered it when researching bulbs for another application.
Bring a spray can of electronic cleaner and an old toothbrush up the mast with you to clean the bulb contacts. The cleaner cleans and the toothbrush will help remove the green electrolysis without cutting away the plating on the contacts like a steel brush would. SDK

 

[AlanH]

I really should replace my steaming light as well. I've replaced the other fittings and the steaming light fixture itself is toast. I know because I found half of it on deck about a year ago.

 

[Intermission]

When I put a combo light on the Hawkfarm, the beam spread was fairly narrow, even at 14' off the deck. Almost all the light went down the forward hatch, with spill and ambient, lighting the rest of the bow. I really prefer the combo lights to spreader lights for not blinding the helms-person.
Shortly after I bought the Beneteau 5+ years ago, on my first trip up the mast, I noticed moisture and moss in the steaming light. While I've changed bow, stern, and cabin lights, all to LED, I've yet to mess with my steaming light. Going up and down the coast this fall, we burned it a lot in daylight because of the fog soup.

 

[mike cunningham]

When I put a combo light on the Hawkfarm, the beam spread was fairly narrow, even at 14' off the deck. Almost all the light went down the forward hatch, with spill and ambient, lighting the rest of the bow. I really prefer the combo lights to spreader lights for not blinding the helms-person.
Shortly after I bought the Beneteau 5+ years ago, on my first trip up the mast, I noticed moisture and moss in the steaming light. While I've changed bow, stern, and cabin lights, all to LED, I've yet to mess with my steaming light. Going up and down the coast this fall, we burned it a lot in daylight because of the fog soup.

I propose a double dimple festoon festival where all double dimple festoon fans can gather and replace their fawlty festoons.

 

[Philpott]

Okay, that's enough of that. Youse guys aren't taking this seriously. I looked up the bulbs on the internet, even where Tom P recommended, but I just didn't know which bulbs to buy. So I took the list to to West Marine and the local Ace hardware, but the bulbs are all hanging too far up for me to read the fine print and jumping up, batting them down and trying to catch them before they hit the floor didn't appeal to me.

So yesterday I ascended Dura Mater's mast 4" at a time. You think you could go up faster? Well, come on by and I'll watch you go up faster. In the meantime, I went up, detached the housing, sprayed everything with Corrosion X, used a toothbrush on everything and brought the unit down. Two bulbs, neither of which looked like the bulbs recommended online. "Huh", she said to herself.

Borrowed that special electronics grease from Chris, who is an engineer and always has whatever I need, put it in my pack.

Drove to West Marine, bought bulbs that looked like the ones I took off, drove back to RYC harbor, ascended yet again. By this time the light was fading, so I took my headlamp up with me. Smeared Chris's grease on the ends of the newly cleaned light connections, smeared goop all along the edges of the housing and re-installed it by screwing it back on to the mast.

Various SSS ers of E Dock ilk wandered by with good wishes. Dockmates David and Gene called "hello", and several other nice men walked by, a couple even incomprehensively called up: "Need help?" Huh", she said to herself.

Bob J wandered over just as I finished screwing the gooped up combo housing onto the mast, and asked whether I'd like him to turn the light on for me. "Yes, thank you." So he did but the lights didn't work.

I'd done it twice, and it was getting dark soon. As I descended the lights blinked. On. Off. Both at the same time. Off. On. What does this mean? I have no idea. But that ascending and descending a 36' mast twice in 4 inch increments made me tired and hungry for chocolate. So I consoled myself with dark chocolate and almonds and went home. Tomorrow's another day. Or the day after that.

 

[sleddog]

Okay, that's enough of that.....
Bob J wandered over just as I finished screwing the gooped up combo housing onto the mast, and asked whether I'd like him to turn the light on for me. "Yes, thank you." So he did but the lights didn't work. I'd done it twice, and it was getting dark soon. As I descended the lights blinked. On. Off. Both at the same time. Off. On. What does this mean? I have no idea. But that ascending and descending a 36' mast twice in 4 inch increments made me tired and hungry for chocolate. So I consoled myself with dark chocolate and almonds and went home. Tomorrow's another day. Or the day after that.

I don't recall having dark chocolate and almonds for consolation when in the 1977 Miami-Nassau Race on IMP it was getting dark and time to turn on the double, dimpled, festoon Aqua Signal nav lights as we short tacked with the large fleet along the semi-submerged reef bordering our starboard side all the way from North East Rock off Bimini to the Berry Islands.

I think it was Billy Barton who first discovered the electrical issue: the lifeline wires were "hot." Somehow that morning, when rebedding stanchion base bolts, the bow pulpit running light wires had been accidentally hit by a screw.

This was disturbing, as during the long, damp night we couldn't hike, nor touch the lifelines due to the receiving an electrical jolt....Even occasionally the wire jib sheets would become energized. We considered turning off the running lights, but there were so many boats in the vicinity that would have been dangerous.

By oh-dark-thirty the problem had resolved itself as the battery died. And we broke out the emergency red/green clamp-on light. But daylight revealed the full extent of the problem: the lifeline wires were now rusted as was the foot of the #1 genoa where it had wiped against the lifelines on each tack.

All in a long night..

 

[Philpott]

Now THAT is a disturbing story. Or ... an electrifying story. I don't know how you could have travelled so far and so widely without dark chocolate.