mid cabin - windshield mast running light

[BobCT]

I've been some night running this week and the light is totally blinding. It's only lighting up the forward 1/2 but since it's so close to the helm the light on the sides is a killer.

Over the winter, I added a 360 anchor light on the radar arch which was eliminated when the radar dome was installed. That works fine but I can't switch it on at the same time as the running lights.

Do they sell a short mast light with completely enclosed sides? I could rig something up (black tape) but I don't mind replacing it since it's a little beat up anyway.

thanks,
Bob

[RWS]

Bob,

I faced the same problem as you when I first got the boat. I hated that damn masthead light on the windshield.

A night vision killer.

I replaced it with an all around light on the radar arch.

I use that light solo when anchored out.

When running the port/stbd red green lights are on as well as the stern light on the transom.

Best combination for me.

RWS

[prowlersfish]

I move mine up to the hard top . I would put yours on the arch or replace your anchor light with a 2 build running /anchor lamp . the front bulb comes on with the running lamp both come on when you use it as the anchor lamp .

[S.A.M.]

Bob,

I extended mine and put a bend it, so it lays back against the bimini and stands about 8" above the bimini with a Perko light shield.

I'll take a picture and send it to you.

[obeejr]

The light on the radar arch supersedes the need for a windshield light. Why don't you remove the windshield light, change the arch light to a two way, and wire it in the same way as the old windshield light?

[BobCT]

no way I could get the arch 360 light to come on WITH the rest of the running lights. The way it's wired from the factory, it's either one or the other. I was trying to get the windshield light to be my all around light. I didn't even know there was 360 wiring run up to the arch. Someone just pulled the light when the dome was installed...Sherman clued me into that.

I suppose I could do it if I ran the windshield wires up to the radar arch.

I took a closer look yesterday and the rear 1/2 of the light had side blinders which were facing aft. The wiring was only run to the front 1/2 of the light so I drilled out the rivet and turned it on the post. That has to help since the sides will be blocked but I have a feeling it still might be too bright.

I think they did this at the factory because I looked at a couple of mid cabins where people put black electrical tape on the sides for the same reason.

I'll check it out tonight. Sherman, no rush but I would interested in your setup as a workaround.



Bob

[S.A.M.]

Bob,

I have yet to understand why they set up the nav lights the way they did.
The windshield for running lights and the radar arch for mooring lights.

The front half of the windshield light comes on when you push the nav button and when push the anchor. If you jump to the back half for mooring it feeds back thru the nav lights and turns them on.

What I thought of was to do that and put diodes in line to stop the feed back.

When we stay out over nite, we're always anchored stern to beach and I just leave the mooring light on as it is, lighting forward. If I ever anchored on a free hook, I would need to do the above.

[RWS]

On my '83 Express, the windshield post light wires are fed up into the aluminum window frame on the stbd side.

It's been several years, however as I recall, the wires come up into the tom aluminum windshield frame via a drilled holean the vase of the rearmost area where the window frame rests on the fiberglass, just inboard of the radar arch.

If you remove the rubber from the windshield channel that faces the cockpit, you can easily locate the wires and work aft from the existing masthead light.

Remove the fasteners from the radar arch covering and pull it back.

Remove the center radar arch covering.

Run your wires up through the arch sides and to the top.

Not all that bad if you have a cold one or two and be careful when you drill the hole near the glass.

RWS

[gardnersf]

I just did this. On the nav light switch there are two wire connectors for the nav lights, one goes to the port and stbd and one goes to the fwd and stern light. I pulled off the fwd and stern light and made a jumper for my anchor light to also connect to the switch. Preto, nav light is all around and red and green and anchor light is only all around.

No more blinding light. Took me about 45minutes, most of that was putting the dash back together.