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Mast-top LED lighting for A.I.
http://www.hobie.com/au/en/forums/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=49718		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  mingle [ Fri Nov 01, 2013 10:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Mast-top LED lighting for A.I.
I recently picked up this cheap (AU$3.00) LED light to use on the top of my mast
when night-sailing/fishing on the A.I.

It's not water-proof, but being about 5m above the water should help keep it dry!

It takes 4 x AA batteries and has 24 x 3mm(?) super-bright LEDs around the outside
and 4 x 5mm super-bright LEDS inside. It has 3 different modes - all 24 outer LEDs on,
the 4 inner LEDS on, or all 28 LEDs on at once.

Image

It has a central 40mm holes, with two spring-loaded clamps, which fit perfectly to the
top-section of the A.I. mast. Obviously, switching it on/off while the mast is in-place
would be problematic, but I'll be using it as a source of illumination while on the water
so it'll be staying on until I'm back on the beach.

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The clamps are probably strong enough to secure the light to the mast on their own,
but I'm going to add a plastic-strip and a couple of velcro spots to make sure it stays
in-place.

Image

I gave it a quick test, in the dark, and was surprised at how bright it was - the A.I.
was lit-up like a christmas tree! Now I just need to find the time to give it a run on
the water.

Cheers,

Mike.
Author:  tonystott [ Fri Nov 01, 2013 11:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mast-top LED lighting for A.I.
Great idea Mike!

I tried a different approach. I slipped a PVC collar joint over the masthead, and held it with a couple of self-tappers. I cut a vertical slot in it, and dropped in a loop of 2mm cord, holding a small pulley (a small plastic tube holds my mastead wind indicator also).

At the base of the mast, a matching pulley is suspended with thin bungee cord, tensioning a 3mm cord loop to the masthead.

I bought an LED 360 degree light from Whitworths (etc), cut down its mounting pole, and added a couple of keyhole slots. On the halyard line I tied in a couple of simple knots. When I fed these knots into the keyhles, the light is then attached to the halyard, and I can then pull it up to the masthead. Obviously I can only move it when the sail is unfurled, but that has not been an issue to date.

When the light is aloft, as a bonus, it lights up white and red reflective tape on the underside of the wind indicator, to help me spot wind direction in the dark. Another bonus is that I cannot directly see the light from my seat, so my night vision is not compromised.
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Author:  Slaughter [ Mon Nov 04, 2013 5:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mast-top LED lighting for A.I.
I had an overnighter at the weekend and was thinking that a mast light may be the next modification required. And at $3, it fits right into my price bracket. And Mike, I see it’s made from that Chinese Stainless Steel :roll: . Does it have a low power, ie: shine all night, setting ?
Author:  mingle [ Mon Nov 04, 2013 7:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mast-top LED lighting for A.I.
Slaughter wrote:
I had an overnighter at the weekend and was thinking that a mast light may be the next modification required.


My original intention was to use it when night-sailing/fishing (something which I'm yet to try) - it makes the A.I.
pretty hard to miss in the dark. It would also come in handy to illuminate the beach fishing-spot, when I have
the A.I. hauled out of the water.

Slaughter wrote:
And at $3, it fits right into my price bracket. And Mike, I see it’s made from that Chinese Stainless Steel :roll: . Does it have a low power, ie: shine all night, setting ?


I picked it up at a local Aldi store - it was reduced from $7.99 to $2.99, complete with batteries and 12 month warranty :-)

You can pick up very similar models from ebay for not much more. It's all plastic, of course, but making it at least a bit
water-resistant would be a doddle. It doesn't have any lower-power setting and I haven't tested the battery longevity
but I expect it'd last at least a couple of hours on full-blast.

Cheers,

Mike.
Author:  tjcouch [ Mon Nov 04, 2013 8:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mast-top LED lighting for A.I.
Quote:
was surprised at how bright it was - the A.I. was lit-up like a christmas tree!


Any night pics of it in action? I'd love to see what it looks like!

Great idea.
Author:  fusioneng [ Tue Nov 05, 2013 6:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mast-top LED lighting for A.I.
How do you climb up there to turn the light on :D

Actually I've been looking at those solar garden lights with a day night sensor. If I can find one small enough and doesn't look stupid up there. I might mount one on top of my mast topper.

Saves me from having to climb up there to turn it on and replacing the batteries lol.
I already have full lighting on the boat ( bow and stern lights), something like that would be a cool addition.
Bob
Author:  mingle [ Wed May 14, 2014 2:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mast-top LED lighting for A.I.
Finally, 6 months later, I managed to test out the light out in the wilds of Corner Inlet - well, actually pulled up on the beach of LSI...

I have to say, it was a lot better than I expected. The A.I. was full illuminated, even with a bit of the sail masking the light.

It produced a circle of light about 10m in diameter.

Plenty of light to work by and at anchor, the boat would be unmissable in the dark. Great for attracting squid too...

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Author:  Slaughter [ Fri May 16, 2014 9:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Mast-top LED lighting for A.I.
Although I never really want to broadcast the fact of where I am, this light setup looks like a pretty convenient mod. And cheap enough to possibly get into the guts of it and relocate the on/off switch at the hull by running a few wires down through the mast with some quick connect sockets. :idea: Hmmmm :idea: …….good one Mingle. Thanks. :D
Author:  tonystott [ Fri May 16, 2014 4:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Mast-top LED lighting for A.I.
It's funny that Mingle's light concentrates on shining light downwards onto the Island, while mine ensure that you can't see the light from the Island, Different strokes..... :) :)
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