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I am about to replace the old grungy red and green side lights on Frøya. The present set are on the hull just a few inches below the cap rail. The hull, at this point has already begun its narrowing down towards the bow, so I am sure that these lights do not meet the 112.5 degree angle test. New fixtures will not correct this and I'd have to put a sizable wedge between the lights and the hull to get the fixtures parallel to the boat's center line. Should I worry about this? I should have thought through this issue while the boat was on the hard and before the sheer stripe was painted a lovely new Royal Blue. Could have plugged these holes and put a new bi-color light on the pulpit. I am now thinking about replacing these just to have new fixtures and add the bi-color light in the bow. Any advice?
Cheers
Bob
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I like the single fixture on the bow pulpit. It's higher up out of the water, can be seen from father away, less wiring, only one bulb compared to two, easier to work on, and less holes in the boat.
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Right you are, Scott. The bi-color light in the bow makes a lot of sense. Just have to snake a wire up there from one of the existing fixtures. On the list.
Thanks
B
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Now looking at details of locating a bi-color light in the bow (DE38) and wonder if the very tip of the hull under the bowsprit would be a good location. There is a fairly wide area which would be protected from physical damage, but, of course exposed to water (but so would a light on the pulpit). Would probably have to run the wire through the chain locker and up on deck to get to the light. Anyone ever use that spot? Crazy?
Members
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I went a different route. I got some flat mount ones and put them on the toe rail.
http://i.imgur.com/DW4FajR.jpg
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Hi Patrick
That's smart and looks nice. I'll look into that location. How/where are the wires run? I am thinking about going through the anchor chain locker. Otherwise I'd have to tear out the interior woodwork.
Thanks for your help
Bob
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Hi Bob,
Honestly I don't think it's something to worry about. The original fixtures may have been custom made or modified to meet the specification, but, like you, I doubt it. They just weren't that particular about such things in the '70's.
One thing to think about, if you are replacing the fixture with an LED fixture, that the angular distribution of the light likely exceeds the specification anyway. The reason is that most LED fixtures are actually a cluster of LED's, mine is. A fixture with a cluster of LED's it's very difficult to control the 'cut off' of the light distribution, angularly speaking.
With an incandescent source, the filament is fairly small compared to the fixture, so to cut off the light distribution, you just put in a plate in at the correct angle, and the light blocked aft of that point. With a cluster of LED's a plate that blocks one LED at the correct angle, might not block the next LED at all. Hope that makes sense. I think they meet the specification by using somewhat directional LED elements and guaranteeing that at least the required field of illumination is filled, but there is likely significant overshoot. Hope that makes sense.
-Argyle
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I am sure you are right, Eric, and I am just about to take the path of least resistance and just replace the old fixtures with new, larger ones, but in the same location.
But it does bother me to know that this is an inherently bad location. The angles are all wrong. I'll look closely again to see if I can dig out the wires (at least one of them) and run it/them forward to put one or two fixtures on the bow. Should have done all this in the summer when the boat was on the hard for two months!!
Bob
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