{"id":20694,"date":"2012-01-06T00:01:19","date_gmt":"2012-01-06T05:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/?p=20694"},"modified":"2012-01-07T00:30:11","modified_gmt":"2012-01-07T05:30:11","slug":"testing-led-spotlight-configurations-on-the-forward-mast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/testing-led-spotlight-configurations-on-the-forward-mast\/","title":{"rendered":"Testing LED Spotlight Configurations On The Forward Mast"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Some years ago we installed a 1000 watt 230 VAC Aqua Signal flood light on the forward mast. It proved useful on occasion for checking sea-state at night, and maybe once or twice a year looking over anchorages in the dark. When Todd Rickard and Mark Fritzer visited IBEX last fall they ran into a company selling high intensity LED spots and floods called Rigid Industries. They were impressed, so we decided to give a set of these a test on the new forward mast on Wind Horse. <\/em>That’s Chris Martin of Martin Engineering doing the install.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n We ended up with a pair of their M-Series D2 diffused and four of the M Series spots. Each of these six LED lights takes 28 watts, or about 1\/5th the total that the Aqua Signal AC system required.<\/p>\n The two diffused models are on one circuit, and the other four spots on a second. The diffused are turned on here. The sign in the distance, barely visible, is 500 feet \/153m away. The corner of the dock is about 30 feet\/9m from the lights. Note that only the very tip of the anchor roller assembly is illuminated, so night vision is not unduly impacted by reflections.<\/p>\n Now we have the four spots on as well. The sign in the distance is nicely illuminated. The reflections on back from headstay and wiring will be dealt with later.<\/p>\n What we like about this system:<\/p>\n On balance we think this is a slight improvement. However, the light output is less, and only experience using it in the real world will give us the final answer. For those of you more challenged in the AC power department, this is a definite option.<\/p>\n There is another option, one which we used on almost all passages in pre LED and powerful spot light days. Go with a “traveling moon”. Plan your passage to coincide with a full (or nearly full) moon. Not only do you have great visibility, even coral will sometimes show up in bright moonlight, but you can get lines of position with the moon and brighter stars and planets. This moon was shot from the deck in Arizona, on January 6th, using a Canon F4 500mm lens with a 2x doubler, on a Canon EOS 1D Mk 4 body, hand held at ISO 200, shutter speed 1\/750th, F11.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n
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