Stobe Lights

[Warriors Wish]

In searching for a strobe light to conform with rule 4.24 I came across a USCG site that had the following:

Can I use Strobe Lights to be more visible at night? For any other lights beyond those specifically defined within the Navigation Rules they should be such lights as cannot be mistaken for the lights specified in these Rules, or do not impair their visibility or distinctive character, or interfere with the keeping of a proper look-out (Rule 20).
Displaying a strobe for “higher visibility” would confuse other vessels as to your navigational status (many aids to navigation use a strobe or flashing). Also, lights provide direction and aspect information to other boat operators. For example, if while operating my vessel I see a red light on my starboard side I know I am the give-way vessel (Rule 16, 17). The use of a strobe light could overwhelm a vessel’s navigation lights and cease to provide such crucial direction and aspect information to other boat operators.
Also, Rule 36 of the International Rules addresses signals to attract attention and for the purpose of [that] rule the use of high intensity intermittent or revolving lights, such as strobe lights, shall be avoided. Rule 37 of the Inland Rules addresses strobes in regards to distress signals so that when a vessel is in distress and requires assistance she shall use…a high intensity white light flashing at regular intervals from 50 to 70 times per minute.
Since strobe light use is to be avoided (International waters) or used as a distress signal (Inland waters), it cannot be used to routinely mark vessels operating on the water.

Anyone care to comment?

Thanks, Don

 

[tiger beetle]

Ah! - the strobe light discussion!

In prior discussions of the SSS it was established that

1. a strobe light is illegal to use in US Inland Waters unless you are in distress. As the TransPac does not happen in inland water (once you clear the demarcation line at Mile Rock), Inland Rules are not an issue.

2. a white flashing strobe light offshore has zero navigation or distress meaning when outside of Inland Waters, therefore the white strobe will not be confused for being something else.

3. in reading COLREGS, a white strobe is not prohibited, therefore it is allowable if a skipper wishes to use one.

- rob/beetle

 

[haulback]

quote --- Displaying a strobe for “higher visibility” would confuse other vessels as to your navigational status (many aids to navigation use a strobe or flashing). Also, lights provide direction and aspect information to other boat operators. For example, if while operating my vessel I see a red light on my starboard side I know I am the give-way vessel (Rule 16, 17). The use of a strobe light could overwhelm a vessel’s navigation lights and cease to provide such crucial direction and aspect information to other boat operators.
Also, Rule 36 of the International Rules addresses signals to attract attention and for the purpose of [that] rule the use of high intensity intermittent or revolving lights, such as strobe lights, shall be avoided. ---unquote

I completely disagree with using a stobe as a 'running light' inshore or offshore. The seamanlike method to display lights is to use red/green/white sector lights, which every other vessel can understand on sight. I think a strobe's best use is as a 'flare-up' light....that is, to attract attention to yourself. If you use it all the time, it's like crying wolf and too bad for the poor sot who then wishes to to use one attract attention to himself, for whatever reason.

Also when veiwed from another vessel it is very difficult to judge how far off a strobe light is from your position...

That being said, it appears there is enough abiguity as to how one wishes to read the rules, to let most everyone justify their position on this subject
So, I guess it is every skipper's decision as to how he cares to use his strobe.

Jim/Haulback

 

[blighbaum]

For what it's worth . . . on the LongPac I had my strobe on, and a ship whose course I was in hailed "the vessel with the strobe" before he could see me on his radar and a bit before his full data came up on my AIS receiver. This was very helpful. Of course, as I mentioned on another post, my radar reflector wasn't working well; if it had been, the strobe might have been unnecessary.

BTW, is there a LED strobe on the market?

- Tom Kirschbaum, Feral

 

[sleddog]

.
BTW, is there a LED strobe on the market?

- Tom Kirschbaum, Feral

There are LED flashing lights available, marketed as "strobes." But not really so, unless you call any blinking light a strobe. SHTP '08 recognizes this in the Rules and Conditions, section 4.24, and requires xenon bulb.

~sleddog

 

[Alchera]

I have also found the use of the strobe very helpful now that I'm running AIS, as a means of identifying myself to ships when I hail them on the radio to warn of a close approach. I'll call the ship by name, and then when they answer tell them my location and that I've turned on my strobe for their identification. The strobe can often be seen well beyond the range at which they can see you on radar.

Though I don't run the strobe all the time, I will run it when the conditions are heavy and I'm concerned about my radar signature being lost in the clutter, as well as my own radar's ability to see through the clutter, particularly when I know I'm in a heavy shipping area. My philosophy is that the most important thing is to be seen. If someone is confused about what it means, at least they know I'm there and they are less likely to run me down, which is the whole point. If it saves my life, let them be confused! The regulations for red and green nav lights were made back when kerosene was the standard, and haven't really moved forward from there.

At least they got it right on airplanes, which use both the red and green plus the strobe. And no one complains about being confused, not being able to see the colored nav lights, or not being able to tell distance.

- Mark

 

[AlanH]

I figure that being seen at all is way better than NOT being seen.

Having been out there a number of times and coming up MIGHTY close to other sailing vessels, not ever having seen their lights, I'm not terribly confident in standard navigations lights ability to let a ship know I'm there. I mean, I've missed seeing SHIPS, before, because they've only been showing the standard red and green, plus a couple of small lights along the superstructure. If I miss him, how on earth is he gonna see ME?

I remember in the 1995 Longpac, getting out to the turnaround point and watching strobe lights coming at me. Yeah, sure I didn't know exactly what their heading was, but I could see them for miles. I did see one set of green lights. ONE....and I had to stare and stare and stare to make them out. But the strobes were *WHAM* right there. That was lesson enough for me.

I now have two xenon strobes on the boat, or will, soon. One goes at the Masthead, the other is about 10 feet off the surface, right below my Radar Reflector mounted n a sterm pole. both of them run, or will run off of 6 volt big flashlight betteries. They bloody well run forever on these big batteries and the advantage of this is that the whole system is totally separate from the boats electrical system. If the boats system goes down, those 6 volt big lantern batteries will keep the strobes going all the way to Hawaii and beyond.

Honestly, I would think hard about hoisting a couple of armband, battery powered strobes when within 100 miles of the Farallones. I mean, light the freaking boat up! There's a shipping lane out there and the north-south barge traffic runs about 20 miles out past the rocks. I want those guys to know I'm there! The electrical cost is next-to-nothing for a heck of a lot of visibility.

if I could buy lights that didn't eat electricty like a fat kid on M&M's, that could actually be seen 8 miles away by a guy on a ships bridge who just looked up for a few minutes to scan around while he's busy reading Penthouse, I'd buy them and use them.

I personally don't show a strobe when I'm inside the Gulf of the Farallones. That's just my personal thing. I don't want to be mistaken for the Lightbucket, you know?

 

[davidmgarman]

Looking for Part Number and Source for Strobe

Ankle Biter. What is the part number and manufacturer of the strobes you will be using.. SC27 Giant Slayer.

 

[AlanH]

I trashed the boxes! LOL... I bought one strobe off of ebay and got another in a trade from Max on Solar Wind.

Hey Max, what brand are the strobes you bought?
Arrrrrgh...it's the same as the ones Greg uses on Starbuck

 

[Critter]

Velleman Strobe:

That's it. Velleman HAA40W.

 

[AlanH]

Test. Test. Test. Test.