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LED Spot light wiring


Peter Such

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I have recently purchased my 1st canal boat. It's been at Whilton Marina, who sold it me (excellent place, great service and genuinely nice and helpful people). On Monday-Tuesday I've got my Helmsman course. It's been a mad rust to get it ready for me and my cats to live on and when i was trying to unscrew the front spotlight, so i could mount a sat dish, i broke the original spotlight mount. The light still worked it just flapped around a bit. Talking to one of the engineers there he suggested replacing it with a LED spot light. So i got an LED spot light but when i wired it in to the existing inputs, only 2 wires, it didn't work. I'm thinking you need some kind of 12v to LED transformer? Has anyone had this problem or can offer advice? Many thanks. 

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10 minutes ago, Peter Such said:

I have recently purchased my 1st canal boat. It's been at Whilton Marina, who sold it me (excellent place, great service and genuinely nice and helpful people). On Monday-Tuesday I've got my Helmsman course. It's been a mad rust to get it ready for me and my cats to live on and when i was trying to unscrew the front spotlight, so i could mount a sat dish, i broke the original spotlight mount. The light still worked it just flapped around a bit. Talking to one of the engineers there he suggested replacing it with a LED spot light. So i got an LED spot light but when i wired it in to the existing inputs, only 2 wires, it didn't work. I'm thinking you need some kind of 12v to LED transformer? Has anyone had this problem or can offer advice? Many thanks. 

Assuming it is a 12v light, it may be polarised. By that I mean you need to connect positive to positive and negative to negative. So if it isn’t working, try reversing the wires.

 

I’ll take this opportunity to comment on “LED spotlight”… Please bear in mind that the main purpose of the forward facing white light is for tunnels. If you go through 2-way tunnels and encounter a boat coming the other way with an “LED spotlight” shining in your face, it is most unpleasant and you can see absolutely nothing for a very long time. Think of fancy modern car with its brilliant xenon headlights on high beam for a 10 minute very slow drive-by! Consequently you have no idea where your boat is in relation to the tunnel sides or the other boat, and thus the other boat, sporting its dazzling led spotlight, is quite likely to get hit head on…

2 minutes ago, Peter Such said:

tried that and still nothing. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Maybe you somehow managed to blow the fuse? Check for 12v on the wires with a meter.

Edited by nicknorman
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Cheers for the heads up Patron. The last thing i want to do is cause problems for other boaters which is why iv'e opted for a 2 day Helmsman course before i go out on my own. I've been on the wrong side of an accident and know how it feels. In a round about way you've answered my question. I'll simply replace the light like for like and do away with the LED one. Cheers mate.

  • Greenie 1
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The canal boats we hired in the 1970's had dual-filament car headlights mounted upside-down. When meeting another boat in a tunnel, the DIP position produced a beam directed up at  the tunnel roof, thereby avoiding  dazzling an oncoming boat  by reflection from the water.  It was a very good system. 

Edited by Ronaldo47
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Just now, Ronaldo47 said:

The canal boats we hired in the 1970's had dual-filament car headlights mounted upside-down. When meeting another boat in a tunnel, the DIP position produced a beam directed up at  the tunnel roof, thereby avoiding  dazzling an oncoming boat  by reflection from the water.  It was a very good system. 

Pretty much my set up, halogen bulb pointed to roof.

Installed a LED once but only for a short time  far to bright. Have no problem running a halogen as only on when engine running and batteries not bring drained, only caveat is to remember to switch off as heavy drain on battery when static.

 

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9 hours ago, Peter Such said:

Cheers for the heads up Patron. The last thing i want to do is cause problems for other boaters which is why iv'e opted for a 2 day Helmsman course before i go out on my own. I've been on the wrong side of an accident and know how it feels. In a round about way you've answered my question. I'll simply replace the light like for like and do away with the LED one. Cheers mate.

Just point the light towards the roof. That’s what you want to see anyway not what’s up head as you know that, a long tunnel! 

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9 hours ago, Ronaldo47 said:

The canal boats we hired in the 1970's had dual-filament car headlights mounted upside-down. When meeting another boat in a tunnel, the DIP position produced a beam directed up at  the tunnel roof, thereby avoiding  dazzling an oncoming boat  by reflection from the water.  It was a very good system. 

Still have an upside down headlight on Loddon with only the dipped beam connected, illuminates the roof and tunnel side. Works well for me 🤭

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2 hours ago, Slim said:

I actually use two lights. One in the bows pointed upwards and to the right and a second mounted on the hatch cover pointing directly at the tunnel side .

I do that as well, easy reach swivel bracket with easy reach switch. Use it to check out tunnel architecture and water cascades. Very useful addition.

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