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2005 Sundancer 280 here - navigation lighting questions

BMann
Guest Contributor

Wondering if anyone has replaced their mast lightbulbs with LED's?  Haven't even cracked into that mast to know what bulb size it is??  What about the bow navigation (red/green) lights?  Would like to be brighter on the water AND not have to replace them for a long time!  Thank you!

3 REPLIES 3

wrvond
Guest Contributor
I have changed all my navigation lights to LED, but be aware that LED lights are not addressed in the Coast Guard regulations and therefore can be interpreted as not meeting those regulations. We boat exclusively on two rivers so it is a non-issue here.
The mast light uses two (2) one inch festoon lights. The LEDs I purchased have nine SMDs on a flat board between the two contacts. The issue I ran into was that the IC board was just a hair wider than the space where the aft facing light goes. Some judicious sanding on the edges of the board allowed it to fit in facing the correct direction. The forward facing light had plenty of room.
The stern light and the aft cockpit light are both 1 1/2 inch festoon bulbs.
My port and starboard running lights were old and the lenses were cracked, so I purchased complete new LED assemblies that look exactly like the originals including using the original screw holes. In fact, they are made by PERCO.
I even went so far as to replace the instrument lights with LEDs which really sharpened the colors and made the instruments much easier to see at dusk. Ensure you purchase dimmable LEDs for this area. I got wedge base bulbs with all forward facing SMDs.
Cabin lights were all replaced with warm white LEDs. You can't even tell they aren't incandescent and are quite bright. I think I got those through Superbright LEDs.
I believe I got all the exterior bulbs through marinebeam.com

BMann
Guest Contributor
SUPER helpful – thank you! A couple of follow-up questions for you if you’re willing?:


1. On the bow nav lights which (exact if you can) Perko lights did you use? And are you also a 2005 Sundancer 280 (so I know the screw holes are the same)?

2. How hard was it to replace the instrument lighting? That was next on my wish list.

Thank you again!

wrvond
Guest Contributor
Mine is a 1995 270DA, so the marker lights are likely to be quite different. I also mis-spoke insofar as the side marker lights are Attwood, not Perko. The masthead and stern lights are Perko. My side marker lights look like the attached. In any event, if you check attwoodmarine.com you may find what you are looking for.
Instrument lighting is very straightforward. Remove the screws holding the instrument panel to the fiberglass helm and pull the panel straight out. There isn't a lot of slack in the wiring, so you'll only get just enough room to reach the backs of each instrument. There should be one wedge base bulb per gauge with a twist to lock base. This should be the same for your boat as well.