Laurence Kemsley

Hi All

As most of you know I am nealy finished my first boat building project. As I am just a biginner I need help putting the navigation lights on, but there is one problem, I DONT KNOW HOW TO PUT THEM ON. So if some one can tell me how to do it and what I need and go through it step by step then that will be great.

Ghost in the shell

im not familiar with the wiesel, however of my boats 4 have nav lights installed.

basically you need red (left) green (right) white (stern) white (masthead), any others are extra.

you may need to drill a few holes for the wires, and snap the mast off to get wires down it. I had to do this on my sydney star when I threaded lights down the mast.

a few pictures from you may help here

texas_hippie

http://www.ramrcandramtrack.com/ramd...m05/RAM05.html
Try these RAM lights....simplest way to go. Just drill the holes to install them, glue in place, pop in a battery, and you're good to go! Click on the "home" tab, and there are some adjustable strobes that might be interesting to add to the Weisel, it is a patrol boat, right?

Laurence Kemsley

Ok I have installed the lights on the boat. But there is problem, the lights are turning different colours, like the white light on the back has turned a redish colour. And I know it is the right light because when I first put it on it was white. Here are some pictures of the white light that has turned a redish colour:

mfr02

OK. What kind of lights did you use? How are they wired? What voltage battery are you using fot them?
Filament bulbs run at either lower than their rated voltage or from a supply that can't supply enough current will glow dimly i.e. a bit red. They also need a healthy battery supply - quite often, the lights will take more than the motor.

Laurence Kemsley

The lights that I am using are LED lights, and are running of four batterys each one with a voltage of 1.2V

mfr02

I assume the batteries are in series, which should give a nominal 4.8 volts. What resistors are you using?

Laurence Kemsley

None, Should I use resistors? and if yes what are they and how do you set them up?

Ghost in the shell

yep, resistors are vital to LEDs, doesnt matter as to which leg of the LED they are on, just as long as they are there.

Laurence Kemsley

Where would I get them or how would I go about making them( if that is possable)

Ghost in the shell

not knowing much about southafrican stores I couldnt say, however in the UK there is the MAPLIN chain which sell electronic odds and sods.

[link=http://www.Maplin.co.uk]Maplins electronics[/link] <===click on the link

mfr02

LEDs are diodes that emit light when they have current passed through them. In the reverse direction, they can withstand about 4 volts, above that and they die. In the forward direction, the "normal" ones drop typically 1.9 volts, but newer types often drop more. Brightness is a function of current, the more current, the brighter, up until the point where the current id exceeded. Then they die. The purpose of the rsistor is to limit the current to a safe value. Typically, for a current of 15mA off a 6volt batery with a 1.9 volt diode, you would use the formula R=(Vb-Vd)/I, where R is the resistance wanted, Vb is the battery voltage, Vd is the diode voltage and I is the current. In this case, 270 ohm.
Some LEDs are sold as being for a higher voltage, and have a resistor built in, and will work OK up to that voltage.
It could be that the bit on the inside that was a diode has melted and become another component, and is just glowing red now.
Some LED devices (like the mini torches on key fobs) rely on the battery used being a type that only delivers a limited current.

Laurence Kemsley

Ok I have gone and bought a set of resistors. How do I go about putting them in?

mfr02

Just wire one in series with each LED. Resistors are nor polarity sensitive, so it doesn't matter which way round they are connected. It also doesn't matter whether they are connected in the positive side or the negative side. Easiest way is just to find a lighting wire at an accesible place, cut it and solder the resistor to the cut ends, insulating the bare wires.

Laurence Kemsley

Could you use resistors for computers and old equipment?

mfr02

Doesn't really matter where they come from as long as they are in working order and the right value to limit to the current you need, using the formula in my previous post. Finding the right value ex-equipment is a matter of luck.

DONS BOAT WORKS

My Feedback: (3)

LED calculator, very good site. Bookmark it!!!

Don M.

http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz

mfr02

Excellent link. Just put in the values, and it shows the circuit with a picture of what the LED connections should be, and the colour coding of the resistor.