Backup For Spotlight

Sun Chaser

Sun Chaser

Member
Oct 13, 2006
177
Bellmore, NY
Boat Info
280 Sundancer 2001
Engines
T 4.3 w/Alpha I CR
I was out the other night and while coming back to the marina my spot light stopped working. I used my regular 2 D cell battery to locate the bouys but it was not bright enough. So do you have a backup? And if so, what do you use.

Thanks,

Glenn
 
I have a backup plug in 12 volt spot. It actually is better than the one on the boat.
 
Sun Chaser said:
I was out the other night and while coming back to the marina my spot light stopped working. I used my regular 2 D cell battery to locate the bouys but it was not bright enough. So do you have a backup? And if so, what do you use.

Thanks,


Glenn
Click to expand...

Radar....
 
I have never installed a spotlight. I've been told by too many customers that "my spotlight doesn't work". Most times it's the bulb. Other times are things like gears freezing up. Many people don't use the spotlight much (and don't do any PM to it) and then the one time that they need it, it doesn't work.

From what you wrote, though, it sounds like you may use yours on a regular basis. Using it is the best PM there is.

OK, to answer your question... I use a handheld spotlight - corded. It's brighter than the typical permanent spotlight. A cordless handheld would be nice, but then you need to remember to keep it charged.
 
I have a hand held 12v recharchable spot light. Best gift my mother in law has given me. I find it much easier to use than the remote control bow mounted unit.
 
I have a portable spot pretty light wate it's a Vect or something black and decker I think makes it or whoever makes their stuff It's 2 million candle power it charges either by AC or has a DC plug for the boat as well but I keep it charged, has 2 settings for brightness also has a small lamp on top.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I do have radar and was using the GPS but there is nothing like seeing the bouys and poles with your light. I received a gift card from WM for my BD so off to WM to see what they might have.

Thanks,

Glenn
 
Like you, I have radar and use my bow mounted spotlight. I carry onboard a 12V corded spotlight as my backup.

My guess is the people who are saying to use a hand held spotlight or radar do not boat on rivers much at night.

I don’t run with it on but a brief flip on and off of the light helps increase your awareness and safety.

I use Radar at all times, even during clear days so I get vary familiar with recognizing the blips on the screen when I can’t see them directly.

I’m the type that makes tracks and routes with the chart plotter. I’ll also add waypoints for items not on the charts. I’ll even go so far as to update the locations of some of the buoys to compensate for their location variation year to year.

For those that said “I use Radar” please tell me know you can determine if the blip is a navigational buoy, and if it’s a navigational buoy, if it’s red or green without some light on a dark cloudy night?
 
Presentation said:
Like you, I have radar and use my bow mounted spotlight. I carry onboard a 12V corded spotlight as my backup.

My guess is the people who are saying to use a hand held spotlight or radar do not boat on rivers much at night.

I don’t run with it on but a brief flip on and off of the light helps increase your awareness and safety.

I use Radar at all times, even during clear days so I get vary familiar with recognizing the blips on the screen when I can’t see them directly.

I’m the type that makes tracks and routes with the chart plotter. I’ll also add waypoints for items not on the charts. I’ll even go so far as to update the locations of some of the buoys to compensate for their location variation year to year.

For those that said “I use Radar” please tell me know you can determine if the blip is a navigational buoy, and if it’s a navigational buoy, if it’s red or green without some light on a dark cloudy night?
Click to expand...

I would beg to differ, I put over a hundred hours a season on my boat and we do go out at night. I use my radar to show me the non lighted day markers when coming in and they show up big time. I have several of them in front of the railroad bridge when coming in, radar shows them just fine and I can plot my course right down the middle of the blips and wouldn’t you know it, I don’t hit them.

As far as the lighted buoys are concerned, you need your spotlight to see them? My GPS will show me the color of the markers, but if I can see that light coming from the buoy, then I don’t belong out there in the first place!
 
hack4alivin said:
I would beg to differ, I put over a hundred hours a season on my boat and we do go out at night. I use my radar to show me the non lighted day markers when coming in and they show up big time. I have several of them in front of the railroad bridge when coming in, radar shows them just fine and I can plot my course right down the middle of the blips and wouldn’t you know it, I don’t hit them.

As far as the lighted buoys are concerned, you need your spotlight to see them? My GPS will show me the color of the markers, but if I can see that light coming from the buoy, then I don’t belong out there in the first place!
Click to expand...

I’m curious, are you coming into one spot or running rivers?

I run rivers often.

One typical destination for us is Nipple Beach. It’s about 35 miles and getting there takes a combination of lakes and rivers.

BTW, out of, ……say……100 lighted navigational buoys, by this time of year (July 6) how many are still working?

Maybe by you there is no budget shortfall and if a light on a buoy is hit, broken, battery warn out, or stolen, its immediately repaired like a stop light at a intersection.

That’s not how it works by us.

I’d say of the ones that are intended to be lighted about 1 in 2 are working and I think I’m estimating very high.

Also, buoys get moved from storms or vandals. Experience has thought me that if I have a track in the GPS I’ll follow that over a navigational buoy location.
 
Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!!! Before this get's into an argument, we need to back up a little here. Where is this "beach" that Presentation is talking about? :lol:
 
Ok, so we are back to the original topic of the argument… if you are using the GPS track to find your way and you do not need, have, or believe the navigational markers. You also have radar where to spot objects in your path, where is the need for the spotlight.

My boating area would be coming from one river back or another into the bay and then back to my home river and back into a narrow channel to our marina. The last time I turned on my spotlight was to turn it forward and give it two quick blinks. This was a vain attempt to get this knuckle head boater coming at me in the channel with the spot light on continually. He kept it on. I had to stop, being in a narrow channel and completely blinded by that thing. Being on the receiving end of that damn thing will leave a very bad taste in your mouth for them!
 
Hey Bill,

I agree with you that leaving the spotlight on like an automobile headlight is wrong.

It sounds like in your situation you are comfortable without using the spotlight and if that works for you then cool.
 
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