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Replacing anchor light

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ruachwrights
Captain

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USA
258 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/16/2013 : 16:33:27

Has anyone replaced the masthead anchor light? Interested in specs. Westmarine was not able to help when I brought light bulb into store.

Vern Wright
Hajime

97 Catalina 250 TR/ WK
Hull #301
Attleboro, MA

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2013 : 19:31:20

Vern, assuming your fixture hasn't been changed out, what you're looking for is an [url="http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1%7C65136%7C296901%7C743572&id=928833"]Aqua Signal Series 25 festoon bulb[/url]. I highly recommend swapping out the original bulbs for an LED instead. They're brighter, last longer, and much less draw on your battery. I have a Dr. LED for my anchor light, but my recommendation would be an [url="http://marineledshop.com/festoon-led-navigation-bulbs/festoon-navigation-bulb-for-aqua-signal-25-anchor-lights-43mm-1-4-watt-cool-white?path=37_62"]Imtra Festoon bulb[/url], which is what I've got in all my other running lights. They're cheaper, bi-directional (doesn't matter which way you put them in the fixture as it does with the Dr. LED), come with both festoon dimpled and pointy connectors (Aqua Signal changed their bulbs at some point, and I don't remember which I used to have), and have two different white wavelengths to choose from (warm & cool). For your anchor light you want the one in the link. For colored running lights, you want the warm light instead.

Here's my [url="http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=23454"]review[/url] from when I installed them on SL.

Edited by - delliottg on 04/16/2013 19:34:18

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2013 : 19:35:09

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ruachwrights
 Has anyone replaced the masthead anchor light? Interested in specs. Westmarine was not able to help when I brought light bulb into store.

Vern Wright
Hajime
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Unfortunately this is a far more complicated subject than it should be.

First, use a multimeter to confirm that your bulb is actually burnt out. It might just be that your fixture contacts are corroded. (That was the case when I bought my boat.) This could save you a whole lot of the complication that I'm about to explain below. You can use a pencil eraser or copper polish to clean the contacts, then replace the bulb with some No-Ox or Noalox grease at the contact points to prevent the corrosion from returning.

I bought a couple [url="http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=151&ParentCat=340"]replacement bulbs from Catalina Direct[/url]. IIRC, they were made by Ancor, and WM had the exact same ones. However, the shape of the dimple has changed from our vintage of boats. The new bulbs have a very shallow dimple, whereas the original bulbs have a deeper dimple that seats better in the fixture. However, those bulbs with the deeper dimples are no longer available (which is why you might not have found them at WM).

The masthead fixture has also changed, and the [url="http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=286&ParentCat=338"]new fixtures take bulbs with pointed ends[/url]. So the whole dimple problem goes away if you replace the fixture.

This past winter I had the mast down again, and I went a different route. There's a good chance we'll really do some overnight anchoring on our own boat this summer, so I bit the bullet and [url="http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=2575&ParentCat=340"]bought a LED bulb from CD[/url]. This bulb comes with adapters for pointed ends or dimpled ends. Since my masthead fixture was severely crazed, I replaced that, so I now use the bulb with pointed ends.

The LED upgrade is nice for the anchor light, since it's the one bulb that you'll leave on all night. Steaming light only comes on when the motor is running, so it's fine to leave incandescent.

Be careful with LEDs though, because you need to get the polarity right. You've got a 50-50 chance. Make sure to check this out before putting the mast up or lowering your Bosun chair.

Edited by - TakeFive on 04/16/2013 19:57:39

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2013 : 19:44:33

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">You can use a pencil eraser or copper polish to clean the contacts, then replace the bulb with some No-Ox or Noalox grease at the contact points to prevent the corrosion from returning.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">If it does turn out to be corrosion, I highly recommend on of these [url="http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=377859&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=50218&subdeptNum=50283&classNum=50284#.UW4LkSt4apM"]Corrosion Buster Pens[/url]. It's basically a tightly bundled core of fiberglass strands that you rub against corrosion and it just makes it go away. Wear gloves because the fibers break off and will irritate your fingers, and whatever you do, don't wipe your eyes with fingers exposed to the fiberglass. I'll let you guess how I know...

Edited by - on

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2013 : 11:31:39

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by delliottg
 ....my recommendation would be an [url="http://marineledshop.com/festoon-led-navigation-bulbs/festoon-navigation-bulb-for-aqua-signal-25-anchor-lights-43mm-1-4-watt-cool-white?path=37_62"]Imtra Festoon bulb[/url], which is what I've got in all my other running lights. They're cheaper, bi-directional (doesn't matter which way you put them in the fixture as it does with the Dr. LED), come with both festoon dimpled and pointy connectors (Aqua Signal changed their bulbs at some point, and I don't remember which I used to have), and have two different white wavelengths to choose from (warm & cool). For your anchor light you want the one in the link. For colored running lights, you want the warm light instead...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Dave,

That bulb is less expensive than the one I bought, and the universal polarity is a nice trick that makes it easier to install. Your prior review is a little unclear about whether you actually used it in your anchor light fixture. I bought the more expensive one from CD because it's skinnier, and I was concerned that the "fat" one you recommended would not actually fit into the copper bracket of the fixture. Check these pics to see what I mean.

Here's the Aqua Signal fixture with the Catalina Direct skinny LED bulb, which barely fits in the copper bracket:

<center>

</center>

...and here's the bulb you bought. It looks to me like it might be too fat to fit into the fixture. But if you confirm that you made it work in the anchor fixture (as opposed to running light fixtures), I'm good with that:
<center>

</center>

Edited by - TakeFive on 04/17/2013 11:34:15

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2013 : 14:24:15

Rick,
I think your second picture is of an Imtra bulb? My anchor light is a Dr. LED (that I paid around $50 for at the time). It does fit, and it's not even a tight fit as I remember, but you do have to get the polarity right on a Dr. LED. All the rest of my running lights are Imtra. I replaced all the fixtures not realizing Aqua Signal had changed from a festoon pointy to festoon dimple (or vs-versa), and thought I'd bought the wrong bulbs, but they have the little hat that sits on either end to make them work no matter which type of fixture you've got.

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