Navigation Light

I have a question about the navigation light (big one on the transom).I recently ordered a LED nav light from BCB. I got it and just went down to the boat to try it. I plug it in and it will not come on. If I put the old bulbed one in, it comes on fine, but the LED one will not work.So, I went to the front nav light and plugged the big nav light into the bow socket....no problem, LED light works fine.I can’t figure out why the LED will work in the front socket but not in the back. The old light works in the back.Also, the socket in the back is new. I thought I had an issue with the socket before....and installed a new one. Again, it works fine with the bulbed post, but not the LED one.Anybody else had this problem?

This topic has 9 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 9 months ago by jigman51.

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

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July 3, 2018 at 12:29 am #391130

apdriver
Participant

The led’s won’t work unless the polarity is correct. The incandescent will but the led’s won’t. My guess is the polarity is wrong on the transom. Switch the wires around and try it.

July 3, 2018 at 2:00 am #391133

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

apdriver, you nailed this one right away! Switch your wires……

July 3, 2018 at 2:10 am #391134

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

Polarity is the issue, reverse the wires as the incandescent didn’t care. The receptacle in those days was not marked positive from negative because it didn’t matter. Today we have a pattern, though the receptacle is still two black wires.

July 3, 2018 at 3:49 pm #391138

oldtimer57
Participant

EASIER: open light up, turn bulb 180 degrees, plug back in and put plastic lens back on. Much easier than changing the wires. Damned bulbs have no polarity indicator on em, which is a PITA. I have replaced every bulb on my boat/trailer with LEDs. Even the little courtesy light that flips up and down. That bulb is a pain in that it is an end-contact bulb (contact on each end). You have to try it to see which way it needs to be oriented.

July 4, 2018 at 9:08 am #391141

Sheff
Participant

Very easy to make it work. Take out the screw on the bottom of light pole that goes into the alignment slot on the socket at the rear of boat. Put this screw 180 degrees from where it was originally located. Wahala polarity reversed!

July 4, 2018 at 2:46 pm #391144

C130
Participant

I bought the LED for my 17 Eyra and it worked without doing anything for anyone wondering on the newer models, at least mine did.

July 4, 2018 at 8:54 pm #391147

oldtimer57
Participant

You have a 50-50 chance of installing it correctly. LEDs are based on a diode which is a directional current flow device. I bought LED bulbs for my front and rear nav lights and was lucky enough to install BOTH of then wrong. 🙂 Also when I added the double-ended bulb to the courtesy light I got it backward the first time as well…

July 5, 2018 at 3:40 pm #391151

cb2structural
Participant

Thank you guys for all your comments. I didnt check back to see all of the comments after apdrivers comment, so I changed the wiring, and all is well.But….I want to say how I appreciate everyones comments and solutions! These will all be useful to me. I appreciate everyones input!! Good solutions!

July 9, 2018 at 12:05 am #391153

jigman51
Participant

There are some smart guys on here.
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