Popular Post Detling Posted July 13, 2018 Popular Post Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 I see more and more of these now. Because they are low current many owners fit 2 or more since they still use less amps than their old light. How many owners have stood 100 feet in front of their boat at night in the dark and asked someone to switch them on? Then off. As LED headlights appear to be ice white they totally destroy night vision, the volt dropped old light was yellowish and did not destroy your vision anything like as much. The chances are also that the illumination was also lot less before your new LED lights, but in a tunnel you do not need to be able to read a book 100 yards in front of your boat. The poor steerer coming the other way has no idea where your boat is as they are dazzled and have had their night vision destroyed. The new lights are also more akin to flood lights than spot lights meaning there is no escape from the blinding glare. I am thinking of making my cratch glass mirrored so you can admire the reflection. If you need bright lights for night cruising, please have another one for use in two way tunnels. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_fincher Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 I couldn't agree more. Some of these are very bad news. I was recently completely blinded by a boat coming towards me in Braunston tunnel that had a bar like arrangement across much of the top of the cabin. Two very powerful forward facing lights at each end of the bar, and a massive matrix of lower powered ones filling the whole gap in between. Unfortunately they also decided to actually stop in the S-bend part of the tunnel, but I was unable to see exactly how, because I was blinded and could not judge if their bows were at least tight to the side. It transpired it wasn't, and the resulting bash was quite severe. Had I been able to see anything of their boat, I would have been able to avoid what happened, but I was deprived of any visual information of what the spotlights were hiding. Another issue is that if people replace standard tunnel lights with LED ones, because they draw far less current, most of the volts drop that might have occurred along a cable along most of the length of the boat n longer does. Hence the lights are driven by a higher voltage at the actual light than was the case for what they replaced, and the increased nuisance value is even greater. I hate these things. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave moore Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 Well said Alan. Couldn’t agree more. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machpoint005 Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 I must admit was wondering about fitting an LED bulb to my tunnel light, but since I have now got the dear old halogen bulb working again (and goodness knows how old it is!) I'll stick with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nb Innisfree Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 Fight fire with fire, an aircraft landing light would do the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roland elsdon Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 Halogen? halogen? Ive been accused of blinding people with a 21watt bulb in the past.. we used to have an oil light on the front and i know of several old boats who still have. Its fine. went through netherton yesterday didnt even bother with headlight engine room light was fine. The led and light bar brigade have only themselves to blame when hit by others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 I met a trip boat in a tunnel that had 2 LED spot lights, but to help me see as I got closer he switched them both off. I didn't have a clue where he was Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicknorman Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 (edited) We traversed Harecastle today. The boat behind had a sort of strip light of LEDs, extremely bright. Had I looked behind me I think I would have been turned to stone. As it was, I certainly didn’t need my own light even though he was 100 yds behind. Let us hope that he only boats on narrow canals with 1 way traffic! We have an enormous Francis light (F11) which looks impressive but in fact is an ideal tunnel lamp when defocussed. There is a ring of light around the outside, and it’s black in the middle so as not to dazzle. In addition I can dim it if necessary (joys of Empirbus), which I usually do when passing boats in 2 way tunnels. Edited July 13, 2018 by nicknorman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post dogless Posted July 13, 2018 Popular Post Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 As one only ever uses the tunnel light with the engine running, I've never quite understood where their power saving is relevant. Rog 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machpoint005 Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 14 minutes ago, roland elsdon said: >> The led and light bar brigade have only themselves to blame when hit by others. Quite agree. I find the most useful aid to navigating a tunnel is having all the cabin lights on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicknorman Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 3 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said: Quite agree. I find the most useful aid to navigating a tunnel is having all the cabin lights on. Agreed. I’m just showing off now but I have a keypad button near the steering position that turns all interior light on. Another to turn them all of after exiting the tunnel. Empirbus again! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogless Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 Really! You Nick! Not like you at all Rog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenA Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 There used to be specific rules for headlights - I seem to remember they said that they shouldn't have a beam (i,e, should be unfocussed). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boater Sam Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 I changed over to 36W LEDs because I got fed up with the filament bulb packing up as soon as I got into a tunnel. Yes, they are incredibly bright so I fitted them behind the glass in the cratch board and I diffuse them with a sheet of paper in front when in a tunnel but enjoy the full glare when night boating. They point up at the tunnel roof and walls anyway. They double as a cratch light if I swivel them inboard, great for doing jigsaws and late BBQs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 Kiss of death, I am still on my original bulb, 16 years now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_fincher Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said: Kiss of death, I am still on my original bulb, 16 years now Have you tried turning it on? ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 1 minute ago, alan_fincher said: Have you tried turning it on? ? Never thought of that, it would save Diana standing out with a torch in the drips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard T Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 We have an LED light on our boat but it is pointed upwards and towards the right so I can see where I'm going but not blind a boat coming towards me. It did take a bit of trial and error to find the best angle for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard10002 Posted July 13, 2018 Report Share Posted July 13, 2018 5 hours ago, Machpoint005 said: I must admit was wondering about fitting an LED bulb to my tunnel light, but since I have now got the dear old halogen bulb working again (and goodness knows how old it is!) I'll stick with that. Several of our club boats fitted these LED lights which turne night into day, and I followed suit... cruising in the dark was a pleasure! However, I saw one of our boaters on the towpath truly blinded by my light, took a look myself, and immediately took steps to fit an "old fashioned" 55W halogen yellowish fog light. Shows the way ahead fine, doesnt blind anyone, and it doesnt matter how many Amps it draws, because the engine is always running when it's on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveR Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 I thought tunnel lights were to show the tunnel wall not the way ahead. We are not doing a massive speed - why do you need to see so far ahead? I have 2 of these LED lights fitted both are turned 60 degrees outwards to the tunnel walls as well as 45 degrees up, The one at the stern with me is at 45 degrees up on the centre line. I have asked boaters coming towards me in the tunnels when we finally pass slowly and all have said no problem. If I do need to travel at night, although why is beyond me, it is a moment to adjust the angles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 10 hours ago, Richard T said: We have an LED light on our boat but it is pointed upwards and towards the right so I can see where I'm going but not blind a boat coming towards me. It did take a bit of trial and error to find the best angle for it. We do the same, point up to see the profile of the roof and to the right the lights are LED we have been blinded many times by those with BIG brass search light that always point forward with a long beam never yet seen one at the correct angle, why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boater Sam Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 Because folk have them for show not sensible use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor Vectis Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 (edited) 14 hours ago, dogless said: As one only ever uses the tunnel light with the engine running, I've never quite understood where their power saving is relevant. Rog That's my thinking too. ETA But there was the time on the BCN Challenge a couple of years ago when it was chucking it down with rain (rain, rain? What's that? But I digress.....) and I forgot to turn it off when we stopped for the night. Oops. Edited July 14, 2018 by Victor Vectis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor Vectis Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 14 hours ago, nicknorman said: Agreed. I’m just showing off now but I have a keypad button near the steering position that turns all interior light on. Another to turn them all of after exiting the tunnel. Empirbus again! Was he another Greek bloke? A mate of Telemachewotsit perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen-in-Wellies Posted July 14, 2018 Report Share Posted July 14, 2018 14 hours ago, dogless said: As one only ever uses the tunnel light with the engine running, I've never quite understood where their power saving is relevant. Rog The only incandescent bulbs now left on my boat are in the navigation lights and the tunnel light I use for tunnels with two way working. The super bright LED tunnel light I originally made for Standedge, is restricted to tunnels with one way working at a time. Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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