Replace bulbs in Perko all around (anchor) light - PERKO BULB FIG 71

mrsrobinson

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2006
7,704
Virginia
Boat Info
2001 380DA
Engines
Caterpillar 3126
I turned on the anchor light for the first time and of course it doesn't work. It reads PERKO BULB FIG 71. One of the bulbs is shorter that the other and is LED. The longer one is not LED. I find it odd both do not work at the same time.

Can I legally/coast guard approved replace both of these with LED? if yes, what make/model/brand?

Is there a way to test the the light(s) before I replace the bulbs? I unscrewed the plastic nut on the base, looks like the rod plugs in to 3 prongs.


Thanks
 
I turned on the anchor light for the first time and of course it doesn't work. It reads PERKO BULB FIG 71. One of the bulbs is shorter that the other and is LED. The longer one is not LED. I find it odd both do not work at the same time.

Can I legally/coast guard approved replace both of these with LED? if yes, what make/model/brand?

Is there a way to test the the light(s) before I replace the bulbs? I unscrewed the plastic nut on the base, looks like the rod plugs in to 3 prongs.


Thanks
Short answer is yes, I replaced mine several years ago with USCG approved LEDs. There weren't too many sellers out there with USCG approved then but it should be fairly easy now.
 
Short answer is yes, I replaced mine several years ago with USCG approved LEDs. There weren't too many sellers out there with USCG approved then but it should be fairly easy now.
Never heard of a USCG approved bulb. Have read many times that they only approve fixtures. Would like to see info on this.
 
Never heard of a USCG approved bulb. Have read many times that they only approve fixtures. Would like to see info on this.
I'll go down the rabbit hole Monday when I'm back at my desk... I'm a 100 Ton Licensed Captain and believe me it was super important that my vessel is up to code...
 
I just went 10 pages deep in a search for USCG approved bulbs with nothing to show for it. I did learn the incandescent navigation fixtures are vented to get the heat out and particularly in salt water the ventilation allows for corrosion of the LED bulbs, which I had not heard.

It was interesting to me that on marinebream.com that the navigation fixtures page has USCG all over it, but the LED bulbs for navigation lights it is not seen at all.

I also have read that the reason cheap navigation LED fixtures are cheap is they often are missing important parts, namely the diodes that control power surges etc. causing premature failure.

Interested in what others find…
 
The good, name brand CG approved complete fixtures that are LED really aren't that expensive. I replaced my standard ones as soon as I got my boat and made sure they were 2 mile lights.

Price is reasonable considering CG approved (printed on the fixture for inspectors to see), higher visibility, longer life and less susceptible to salt water corrosion.
 
The USCG standards (see Colregs) are written in terms of wave length, visibility at X distances, no RF interference, etc. USCG approves fixtures, not bulbs. OTOH, the fixtures they approve also include bulbs (LEDs, now) that meet the standards.

Replacement LEDs can meet the USCG standards, and we've sourced decent options at marinebeam.com. (No affiliation.)


It reads PERKO BULB FIG 71. One of the bulbs is shorter that the other and is LED. The longer one is not LED. I find it odd both do not work at the same time.

Can I legally/coast guard approved replace both of these with LED? if yes, what make/model/brand?

I'd just guess one of the original bulbs burned out and a PO replaced it with an LED. Possibly one is an all-round light for anchor and the other is a 225° forward-facing masthead ("steaming") light?

In any case, yes, you can replace the other one. Just don't cheap out. The actual LED replacement will depend on socket style, distance rating, and so forth... and you can often find the right replacement (OK for 10-30VDC "boat" power, with no RF interference issues) at marinebeam.com -- and a few others.

-Chris
 
CAN meet? This is go/no-go type of deal, it either is or is not USCG approved. Notice the use of the word “standards” instead of “approved”…


Ref "can" -- I meant some may, some may not meet those published standards.

Which puts the buyer somewhat at the mercy of the vendor when it comes to replacement bulbs/LEDs.

When it comes to approval, USCG doesn't approve/not approve bulbs or LEDs, only whole fixtures (including their original bulbs/LEDs). Aftermarket bulbs or LEDs that DO meet their published standards are acceptable.

So turn one on, go 2-3 miles away and see if you can still see it. :)

FWIW, we once replaced an original incandescent anchor light fixture with a 2-mile (IIRC) LED fixture... and the replacement was approximately 3x brighter (subjective guess) than the original. I had mostly been focused on reducing energy consumption while at anchor, but the improved visibility was a good deal.

That wasn't quite the same as a simple bulb replacement but... on this boat I first had to change all the burned out bulbs the PO apparently couldn't learn how to replace... and that included green/starboard, stern, masthead, and anchor lights. (Geez.) And I replaced the red/port bulb at the same time, too. The LEDs were much brighter. Then the red/port light fixture itself crapped out, so I replaced that with a new LED fixture. Near as I can tell, brighter than the original incandescent bulbs, not as bright as the replacement bulbs I'd put in earlier. If we charter, I'll have no worries about our LEDs not passing a USCG inspection.

Probably easiest solution for OP is to just buy a new LED or appropriate "size/shape/color/connectors/distance rating/non-RF-interference rating/10-30VDC" LED from a known reliable vendor and call it good.

-Chris
 
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Ref "can" -- I meant some may, some may not meet those published standards.

Which puts the buyer somewhat at the mercy of the vendor when it comes to replacement bulbs/LEDs.

When it comes to approval, USCG doesn't approve/not approve bulbs or LEDs, only whole fixtures (including their original bulbs/LEDs). Aftermarket bulbs or LEDs that DO meet their published standards are acceptable.

So turn one on, go 2-3 miles away and see if you can still see it. :)

FWIW, we once replaced an original incandescent anchor light fixture with a 2-mile (IIRC) LED fixture... and the replacement was approximately 3x brighter (subjective guess) than the original. I had mostly been focused on reducing energy consumption while at anchor, but the improved visibility was a good deal.

That wasn't quite the same as a simple bulb replacement but... on this boat I first had to change all the burned out bulbs the PO apparently couldn't learn how to replace... and that included green/starboard, stern, masthead, and anchor lights. (Geez.) And I replaced the red/port bulb at the same time, too. The LEDs were much brighter. Then the red/port light fixture itself crapped out, so I replaced that with a new LED fixture. Near as I can tell, brighter than the original incandescent bulbs, not as bright as the replacement bulbs I'd put in earlier. If we charter, I'll have no worries about our LEDs not passing a USCG inspection.

Probably easiest solution for OP is to just buy a new LED or appropriate "size/shape/connectors/distance rating/non-RF-interference rating/10-30VDC" LED from a known reliable vendor and call it good.

-Chris


I thought that was a quote from the website. One problem in this issue is that the brighter bulbs can overpower the lens and appear white or washed out over distance. The regs are more than just distance. All the complexity is why bulbs cannot be approved.

At the end of the day the risks vs. cost are what matters. The cost of modern LED fixtures is very low. The risk of a ticket is low as is being in a serious accident but if one is in a serious accident I guarantee you the accident investigation will find the non approved bulbs. Never be cheap on safety.
 
A couple years ago I replaced the bulb in my anchor light with a cheap LED from the hardware store. When I anchored in the bay at Madeline island we went for a walk and I looked at the boat from about a mile away. I could see my anchor light better than any other anchor light in the bay. When I told of my success I was chastised by MonacoMike because the LED wasn’t “USCG approved “
 
The regs are more than just distance. All the complexity is why bulbs cannot be approved.

The cost of modern LED fixtures is very low... Never be cheap on safety.

Yep, hence all that "meet the standards" stuff. And yep, agree, costs are usually trivial.

In some cases, a whole fixture replacement can ba a PITA, though... often given different dimensions, mounting patterns, etc.

This boat started life with Aqua Signal Series 41 fixtures with incandescent bulbs. The Series 44 replacements were close enough in dimensions to fit the bevels in the fiberglass light surround, and the mounting screws could use the same holes... so our red/port light replacement was an easy enough swap.

-Chris
 
I used these:

Serundo Auto 578 Led Bulb 211-2 Led Festoon Bulb 41mm 42mm 1.65in Led Festoon Bulb for Car Map Light Dome Light, 6000k White Super Bright Interior Led Festoon Bulb,Pack of 4pcs https://a.co/d/2TssElz

Definitely not USCG approved, but cheap and super bright and easy to replace. I appreciate @MonacoMike and his passion to adhere to colregs, but nobody is going to pull you over or inspect your bulbs on this planet. They’re looking for low hanging fruit. Flare dates and life jackets, and not being blind drunk are good first steps. Fire extinguishers and a good vhf are also great. Safety is mostly common sense and planning for the things that usually go wrong. Having all equipment up and running is the key.
 
Thanks everyone. My goal is to improve my boats visibility to other boaters "legally" and to not get sued if there is an incident and my bulbs are "discovered", where a good lawyer can place liability on them.
 
Sooooo, does anyone know what navigation/anchor bulb (make, model, watt, etc.) came with our boats from the factory? I'd like to replace these at a minimum with what Sea Ray put in them.
 
Yes, I doubt it's the original though. "PERKO FIG 71" The 2nd one is LED.

1654550952735231883087467844754.jpg
 
I used these:

Serundo Auto 578 Led Bulb 211-2 Led Festoon Bulb 41mm 42mm 1.65in Led Festoon Bulb for Car Map Light Dome Light, 6000k White Super Bright Interior Led Festoon Bulb,Pack of 4pcs https://a.co/d/2TssElz

Definitely not USCG approved, but cheap and super bright and easy to replace. I appreciate @MonacoMike and his passion to adhere to colregs, but nobody is going to pull you over or inspect your bulbs on this planet. They’re looking for low hanging fruit. Flare dates and life jackets, and not being blind drunk are good first steps. Fire extinguishers and a good vhf are also great. Safety is mostly common sense and planning for the things that usually go wrong. Having all equipment up and running is the key.

https://store.marinebeam.com/perko-atwood-hella-31mm-festoon-led-replacement-bulb/

These lamps are MUCH brighter than the original incandescent festoons, and easily meet the 2nm visibility requirements. Choose Cool White for anchor lights, steaming lights, and stern lights, and Warm White for bi-colored lamps. If you have separate red or green sidelight fixtures (i.e. not bi-color), you need the colored bulbs found here.
 
https://store.marinebeam.com/perko-atwood-hella-31mm-festoon-led-replacement-bulb/

These lamps are MUCH brighter than the original incandescent festoons, and easily meet the 2nm visibility requirements. Choose Cool White for anchor lights, steaming lights, and stern lights, and Warm White for bi-colored lamps. If you have separate red or green sidelight fixtures (i.e. not bi-color), you need the colored bulbs found here.
Did you find the USCG bulb approval we discussed?

I have read and it seems logical that the lenses are not of adequate strength to maintain the color with that many lumens being pushed through them.
 

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