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 Post subject: mast light
PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 11:29 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 7:57 pm
Posts: 96
Location: Western Australia
Anybody fitted a mastlight and if so what did you use?

Could be a good idea for a new AI accessory - battery operated, LED, remote control Mast light :D

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Last edited by jms2756 on Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: mast light
PostPosted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 3:18 am 
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Joined: Mon May 04, 2009 5:02 am
Posts: 817
Location: Sydney - Parramatta
I've been thinking about this too. The remote on/off is the problem. I guess you could have a wiring harness run down the inside of the mast and a switch at the mast base. I'm not keen on drilling holes in the mast though.

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 Post subject: Re: mast light
PostPosted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 5:13 am 
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Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:39 am
Posts: 858
Location: Bairnsdale, Victoria Australia
IMHO I am not convinced Leds are the best choice either as they are not very effective unless viewed from directly in front and may not be seen from the height of a masthead or at any angle other than straight on to the viewer....Pirate

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 Post subject: Re: mast light
PostPosted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 5:49 am 
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Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2008 5:04 pm
Posts: 227
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
They seem to all have a 225 degree viewable angle and go for 200- $500 dollars for a LED masthead running light. I too am not big on drilling holes in the mast.

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 Post subject: Re: mast light
PostPosted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:11 am 
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Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:33 am
Posts: 19
I have owned one of these for a couple of years:
Petzl e+LITE Headlamp

One of the nice parts is that it has a fairly rigid spring clamp attached to the back of it. I usually use it for clipping onto a book cover for reading while camping, but couldn't you clip it to the top of the mast, turn it on, aim it down the sail and have an instant light (as long as the sail was unfurled)?

The LEDs may not be strong enough, but the batteries last for at least four days on full strength so you at least wouldn't be concerned about a remote switch.

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 Post subject: Re: mast light
PostPosted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 5:11 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 7:57 pm
Posts: 96
Location: Western Australia
LED ones seem to be the 'in' thing for masthead lights such as these
http://www.bebi-electronics.com/owl.html
but they dont seem to have a battery operated/ remote control one

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 Post subject: Re: mast light
PostPosted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:34 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:34 pm
Posts: 139
Location: Northern VA
Here is what I've been using. It's a dedk light, but I use it without the suction cup and slide it into the top of the mast sleeve on the sail. It's a tight enough fit that it has stayed put there through some fairly rigorous sailing. It runs on three AA penlight batteries, and the spec says it is good for over 100 hours. I just turn it on when I put the mast up, and leave it on for the duration. The company also makes a set of red & green running lights in a canvas sleeve that I bungee to the forward hatch. It works great so far.

Happy Sailing,
- Jim L


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 Post subject: Re: mast light
PostPosted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:48 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 7:57 pm
Posts: 96
Location: Western Australia
Jim_L wrote:
Here is what I've been using. It's a dedk light, but I use it without the suction cup and slide it into the top of the mast sleeve on the sail. It's a tight enough fit that it has stayed put there through some fairly rigorous sailing. It runs on three AA penlight batteries, and the spec says it is good for over 100 hours. I just turn it on when I put the mast up, and leave it on for the duration. The company also makes a set of red & green running lights in a canvas sleeve that I bungee to the forward hatch. It works great so far.

Happy Sailing,
- Jim L


Jim any pics?, also I did a search for dedk light and found nothing, do they have a website you could post a link to?

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 Post subject: Re: mast light
PostPosted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:46 pm 
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Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 1:04 am
Posts: 54
Location: SOUTH WALES UK
jms2756,

I may be wrong, but I believe that "dedk" is a typo. I think the word is "deck".

I've found a few deck lights on several sites. I can't quite picture how Jim_L's is fitted to the mast though. I'll wait to see if Jim_L can attach any pictures.

Ger


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 Post subject: Re: mast light
PostPosted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 4:55 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:34 pm
Posts: 139
Location: Northern VA
Hi Folks,

I just pulled the photos and video from my night sail into the computer. Not surprisingly, video at night didn't turn out too well. The lights are packed away in the trailer, so I can't get to them tonight. I will try to get them out and take some pictures of them mounted this weekend.

The deck light I posted before earlier can be used as a mast light. The suction cup on the back end of it is removable. Removing the suction cup leaves a long (about 6 inches) narrow plastic body that is about the same diameter as a AA mini-mag light. It uses three AA penlight batteries, if that gives you any better idea of the size. The body of the light is narrow enough to fit inside the top of the mast sleeve of the sail. It's a fairly snug fit, and I've had no problems with it coming loose while in use. There are a couple of molded loops on the body of the light that could be used to thread a velcro strap or some such thing through. The light has two white LEDs that shine up into a conical shaped clear plastic lens (picture the orange coned flashlights that traffic cops use when directing traffic at night) with a thin piece of semi-translucent white plastic inside it. The LEDs light up the lens, and the piece of white plastic, so when the light is positioned vertically it really is quite visible from 360 degrees. There is no remote on/off, so you would turn it on when you put it up, and turn it back off when you take it back down. With 100+ hours of use on three AA batteries, you can light it when you rig in the morning, and it'll already be lit when the sun goes down that evening.

The red & green running lights are the exact same light, but with colored lenses installed instead of clear. The set of two lights come in a nylon canvas mounting pouch/sleeve. The sleeve acts to limit the directions from which each of the two lights can be seen. The sleeve has three grommeted holes (one at the back and one more one each side near the front) that I laced with shock cord. I made the shock cord just long enough that it reaches to the hooks one each side of the forward hatch. As an added measure I also make sure the forward hatch bungees are laced on top of the lights.

Here is a link I found to the navigation lights
http://topkayaker.net/topkayakershop/in ... 0a7b5825d6

Here is the deck light (masthead light for us) at the same site
http://topkayaker.net/topkayakershop/in ... cts_id=143

The lights mounted quite easily, and they seem pretty durable and waterproof. I talked to some folks who were watching me from on the marina wall, and they said I was pretty visible, even from about a half mile out. That's as far as I got from the shore, so I can't say now much further they may be seen. Of course, you have to remember that the running lights are only sitting about 5 inches above water level, so those won't be spotted until you're fairly close. I'd suggest also carrying a flashlight so that you can light up the sail if anyone is coming at you.

I purchased all of mine locally in the Annapolis, MD area, so I don't know this vendor. It's just one I found that has them on their site. I hope that this additional info helps, and I'll try to get some pictures taken this weekend (weather permitting).

Happy Sailing,
- Jim L


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 Post subject: Re: mast light
PostPosted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 10:03 am 
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Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:34 pm
Posts: 139
Location: Northern VA
Here are the photos. No nighttime shots, but you can see how the lights are mounted.

Masthead Light

Image

Image

Image

Image




Navigation Running Lights

Image

Image

I'll see if I can get some shots of the lights in use the next time I do a night sail. Tried last time, but night time photography didn't turn out so well.

Happy Sailing,
- Jim L


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 Post subject: Re: mast light
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:37 am 
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Joined: Sun Jun 11, 2006 11:29 am
Posts: 93
Location: FL Panhandle; Western MD; Mandeville, LA
I found these inexpensive Eveready LED Glow Sticks at the WalMart store yesterday. They come in RED and in GREEN - and with a $2.88 price tag for each, I wound up buying four (two of each) to use as navigation lights on my Adventure Islands.

Image

A simple twist turns the light on and off, and everything appears to be enclosed in plastic. It doesn't say "waterproof" or even "water resistant" on the packaging, but with an extra strip of tape along the "twist seam", I think they ought to do the job. If it ever stops raining in Louisiana, I'll try to post an evening shot.

The Glow Sticks use A76 button-style batteries, but the LED light will extend their life. The Glow Stick comes with a lanyard.

Jim, I'm going to look for the mast light you're using. It seems like it was tailor made for the AI. What luck!

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 Post subject: Re: mast light
PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 1:46 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:34 pm
Posts: 139
Location: Northern VA
Hi Joanie,

Next time you stop by the shop (Backyard Boats in Annapolis), step around the corner to Spring River Kayaks. Glenn & I both picked up our lights there. I've used them for night sails on a few occasions now, and they've worked out great.

Let me know next time you're making it down this way. We'll have to meet and talk about AIs, CHIG, and Fleet 940 site stuff.

Happy Sailing,
- Jim L


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 Post subject: Re: mast light
PostPosted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 9:37 am 
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Joined: Sun Jun 11, 2006 11:29 am
Posts: 93
Location: FL Panhandle; Western MD; Mandeville, LA
Jim -

Next time I'm out your way, you can bet on it.

By the way, those Eveready Glow Sticks use a single LED, and I noticed the item description for your Paddlers Supply deck light indicates it uses two LEDs. But I couldn't find any information about the red and green navigation lights you have. Do they use one or two LEDs? I ask because I was wondering about the brightness level difference, and the viewable distance that two LEDs might have over a single.

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What can I say? I never met a Hobie I didn't like . . .


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:54 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 7:57 pm
Posts: 96
Location: Western Australia
Matt I have found a suitable light to adapt for a mastlight (no remote control :( ) but it weighs 950g including the fitting and batteries, is this going to be too heavy to fit to the top of the mast?

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