LED lighting

In the last few years the development of LED light globes has progressed significantly. They are now readily available in all common 12v light fittings at a realistic price. Many new cars are using LEDs for their front and rear lights and many traffic lights utilise LEDs.
This is great news for boat owners as the old energy inefficient incandescent bulbs can be replaced with long lasting low power LEDs.

Incandescent lighting was invented in the early 1800’s and the first practical incandescent lamp was developed in 1879. By the 1920’s light globes could be mass produced cheaply. Modern light globes produce light by passing current through a tungsten filament which heats up and gives of a bit of light along with a lot of heat.

LED stands for light emitting diode. This is an electronic device in which the energy is released as photons or particles of light energy. LEDs were developed in the 1960s and came into common use in the 1980s as the technology improved.

Now all standard 12v globe fittings are being produced using LEDs and manufacturers are making purpose built LED navigation and internal lights.

LED advantages

• Low power consumption, an LED anchor light uses less than one third the power of an incandescent light of similar output.
• Long life, typically 50,000+ hours of use subject to a stable supply voltage like a battery. An incandescent globe generally lasts upto 2000 hours
• Robust construction

Led Disadvantages

• High upfront purchase cost, a 10w anchor light globe is $12-$15, the LED replacement is $30-$50
• The output declines with age, down about 10% after 10,000 hours
• Sensitive to low voltage, like a flat battery which can damage the LEDs.
• The light is very directional, hence the arrangement of the LEDs in an array to produce all round light as well as the required intensity.

On the whole it makes sense change over to LEDs on a boat now the technology has come of age. Not only do LEDs last longer, but the lighting power requirements of the boat are considerably reduced. This can reduce charging requirements or eliminate the need for an extra battery. The main drawback is the sensitivity to low voltage but already LEDs are appearing which can cope with lower voltages.