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Usage Note

Although testing over open water has verified that our LED navigation lights do have the required visibility when used in the correct fixtures for their designed application and are as bright or brighter than many certified incandescent lights, our lights are not presently certified by any authority. Use them at you own risk. We are working on a certified model of the anchor light but we can not reliably predict when we will be manufacturing it, it is still some ways off. If certification is an issue for you, such as for usage by a charter vessel for example, you should not use our lights.

Products

MKIV Dual Function Anchor/Tricolor Light

MKIV DUAL FUNCTION ANCHOR/TRICOLOR LIGHT

[picture copyright Ken James]

Notice the large copper heat sink (the big black thing). You cannot see the light shields on the LED's well, but scroll down to see pictures of their effect on the division of the color sectors.
The new MKIV design has arrived for the tricolour and related nav lights. It is brighter and more efficient than previous models, with a very wide beam angle of 140 deg vertical dispersion (far more than the regs call for) and with even better color sector separation due to our new light shield technology that forms the required beam angles. This light also has another level of protection built in so that the light now has active thermal sensing and feedback. It uses about the same power of the old model, that is three watts for the tricolour, but gives better performance and because it uses far less LED's it will be even more reliable. And of course it is still the least power light for the application in the world, no hype or BS!

Also, we now have a new model to offer, a THREE FUNCTION masthead light, automatic anchor, tricolor, and 'steaming' light (225 deg white facing fwd for use when under power) all in ONE bulb! (The functions are mutually exclusive and only the anchor function is automatic 'day sensing' normally). We are the only ones in the world to offer a light like this!

RACERS, TAKE NOTE:

The three function light may be just the ticket for you! Since you already have the mast wiring and fixture for a 'steaming' light (used while under motor power), with just a slight bit more length of wiring run (three wires) and by moving this single fixture position to the top of the mast, you can now have all of the important masthead navigation light functions needed in this one fixture. This unique bulb is an auto anchor light, a 'steaming' light, and a tricolor light, all in one retro-fit LED 'bulb' (designed to be installed into one clear all-round masthead fixture). So now you get all three of these functions in one single fixture instead of just having only the 'steaming' light function in a single fixture, as you do now. Using the tricolor will improve your visibility while under sail when compared to deck level nav lights, while adding an insignificant amount of moment to the mast, considering that you already have a fixture for the steaming light mounted most of the way up the mast.
   
Forward Looking Light Pattern

[picture copyright Ken James]

This picture shows the forward looking light pattern of a MKIV tricolor that does not have our proprietary “HyperShields” installed. Notice how the red and green overlap to create a large “zone of confusion”, something many of our cheap competitors will have you show to other boats! Very dangerous!!! Just shining the LED's through colored filters will not eliminate this problem either, as they would have you believe.
Clean Division Light Pattern

[picture copyright Ken James]

Here is the same light with our “HyperShields” installed. Notice the clean division now between the red and green sectors. Boats will know your heading now!

Full Set Of MKIV 'Gold Series' Nav Lights

Full Set Of MKIV 'Gold Series' Nav Lights

[picture copyright Ken James]

Side lights, stern light, 'steaming' lights, towing lights, and anchor light. Note the titanium bases and polymer electrical contacts...these babies really are corrosion proof!

Power Consumption Of A MKIV Tricolor Light

Power Consumption Of A MKIV Tricolor Light
The light was run at each test point for at least one half hour to allow thermal feedback to stabilize. The average power consumption was aprox. 3.2 watts. It is not easy to see from these graphs, but the MKIV does significantly out-perform the MKIII and keeps the new high power LED's from overheating as well.

 

FirstStar MKIII anchor light This is the MKIII version of our FirstStar anchor light. It’s now recognized as the "Rolex" of low-energy, high performance anchor lights. It’s a completely self-contained device that just replaces the normal incandescent bulb in many common "all around white light" anchor light fixtures. It uses an infrared sensing phototransistor to provide fully automatic on-at-dusk to off-at-dawn operation. It uses 12 white 140 degree SMD Nichia LEDs mounted on a unique three-sided pylon array powered by our proprietary "pulse drive" circuit that also provides exceptional protection for the LEDs from power spikes common in marine systems. Power consumption is about 1 watt from 10-14.5vdc for honest two-mile visibility. It will function at full brightness all the way down to about 9 volts…quite a safety advantage.

We offer a unique option with the FirstStar anchor light. You can specify that the light have an automatic daysensor that operates when one voltage polarity is applied to the light but not when the opposite polarity is applied. This allows the light to be run in a mode where it is on all the time, or in a mode where it is off during daylight. By switching from one mode to the other with the supplied simple three position polarity reversing switch (anchor light on in daysensing mode-center off-anchor light on with no daysensing mode), the light can be tested for normal operation during daylight hours, or it can be left on in that non-auto mode if desired. I will upload pictures to include later this week.

bulb This is the common bulb type that our LED "light engines" replace in a number of medium sized navigation light fixtures, including the AquaSignal series 40-41 and the Perko 200 series units. These fixtures can be used on vessels up to 65 feet LOA.
comparison This pretty much tells the real story. Not a great photo due to dusk conditions and no tripod for the little digital camera, but it’s an accurate representation of what you can expect from a visibility standpoint from our FirstStar seen alongside a "normal" USCG certified anchor light…note the wimpy little Davis unit that is actually using about the same battery energy as our lights! We give honest 2-mile visibility at less than 10% of the energy required for the old-fashioned incandescent bulb based fixtures.
MKIII masthead tricolor light This is a stern view of one of our FirstStar tri-color units being used to convert this "all-around-white" anchor light fixture with a clear lens into a Tri-Color navigation light with no other modification other than a bulb change.
   
MKIII combo tricolor and anchor light Both the anchor segment and the tri-color are shown powered up. In use, only one or the other segment would be in use.
task light This is our FirstStar multi-function. It’s a semi-custom unit we build for anyone wanting a FirstStar tri-color masthead fixture at half the size of a stacked tri-color/anchor light fixture, or wishing to convert an existing anchor light fixture to do "double-duty" as both a navigation tri-color light and an anchor light within the same fixture (requires a water-clear lensed fixture) using existing two-conductor wiring. In the photo shown, both the anchor light (upper all-round white segment) and the tri-color (lower red-green) are shown lit off at the same time for the purpose of illustrating where the segments are in relationship to each other. In use, only either the anchor light portion or the tri-color portion can be activated. It comes with a special three-way (anchor-off-tri-color) polarity reversing on-off switch that, in one polarity fed to the fixture though two-conductor wiring, will activate the anchor light. When the switch reverses the polarity, the anchor light goes off and the tri-color is activated. In anchor light mode, it has the same "auto on-off" function as our FirstStar unit.
task light This is a new item, a very functional design to be used as a task light, nav station light, galley light, or a bunk light. It uses eight "warm white" LED's in a brass or stainless steel head. It has the same indestructible and very efficient driver as our FirstStar MKIII anchor light and it comes standard with a built in "lossless" PWM dimmer. The light draws around one watt at max power. With it set at one half watt it is possible to read a book, due to the relatively focused beam. However, reading a book in your bunk you will not disturb the person in the next bunk because the LED's are all shielded from the side. The flexy tough plastic gooseneck allows the light to be aimed anywhere it is needed, and the head will stay aimed where it is directed.
racing light This is one of our latest full-bore racing models. They convert AquaSignal Series 41 deck level fixtures to LED based navigation lighting. They differ from our production models in that the units are fully waterproof and will withstand repeated submersions in salt water. While they mount normally in "off-the-shelf" fixtures using the normal bayonet base system, the electrical connections are made inside the protected interior of the boat’s structure via the silicone-insulated wires shown…thus obviating any chance of a short or corrosion failure caused by water intrusion inside the fixture. These units are "potted" in epoxy with a pressure relief bladder shown as the silicone rubber "dome" on top of the units. Additionally, the bases are custom fabricated in our own shop using titanium alloy! Now proven on well-known ocean racers, they represent the cutting edge of navigation light technology for the "no compromise" racing craft or expedition vessel.

polymer contacts We are experimenting with polymer base electrical contacts for the racing models as an option to the pigtails.
This shows the titanium base with polymer electrical contacts.

Due to the extreme conditions that off-shore long distance race boats impose on the fixtures causing sea water intrusion and repeated immersions and drying cycles while electrical power is applied, the industry standard bulb bases have a relatively high incidence of failure due to corrosion. Because of this, we have developed titanium bulb bases. These are immune from corrosion. If you want lights for such a race boat please let us know. The ti bases are a fractional increase in cost, around 20%, but will yield a large reliability increase. We will continue to offer our warranty on the bow combo and stern light bulb models used for off-shore long distance race boats if the titanium base is used, but will not warranty the bulb otherwise.

[picture copyright Ken James]

 
windex light This little unit packs a real punch. Fully waterproof, it uses our "pulse drive" circuitry and is used as cockpit utility light and also a "Windex" light at the masthead, as well as a bridge station light, nav station light, boarding ramp light, transom light (keep an eye on that dingy!), and engine room light. We make them in white, warm white and night-vision red. Special order for amber, blue, green, and violet. (UV may be available also...call ) All can have light-sensing auto on-off if desired. Another option is magnet controled dimming.
StarDrop kit This is a StarDrop kit using only three LUMILEDS that equals the light output from our previous 48 LED StarChip units. These new kits can have up to 5 white LEDs and are now available in a warm white (3200 deg. K) LEDs as well as pure white at (5000 deg. K). The kits now range from two to five white LUMILED models and all are available with loss-less PWM dimmer control and red night-vision LEDs and other options such as one switch group control and day sensing. Fixtures equipped with these can equal or better the light output of a 10-watt halogen bulb,(30 watt halagon or ten to 15 watt fluorescent max right now-Ken) all at phenomenal energy savings and a much longer service life. They operate at 6-40VDC All models come with ten second "soft start" standard...with this much light, that is almost necessary!
Stardrops cabin light This shows a StarDrops kit that uses the new warm white leds installed in a fixture. The color of these leds is designed to be in the region most pleasing for illumination purposes. The resulting light is pleasantly "warm" without being too yellow.

[picture copyright Ken James]

 
comparison3 Here the FirstStar LED anchor light is in the center of the picture. The lights to the left and right are a 25 watt incandescent bulb and a 10 watt incandescent bulb, respectively. As you can see, the FirstStar anchor light holds its own as far as brightness goes!

[picture copyright Ken James]

   
comparison2 Last of all is an image showing our MKIII FirsStar on the left and our competitors led anchor light (a non-retrofit model) on the right. They are pretty close in visibility. Ours uses only about 20% of the power of theirs.

[picture copyright Ken James]

 

'bell housing' StarChips light shown with a short pigtail

bell housing starchips

[picture copyright Ken James]

'dome light' StarChips light [Picture to follow soon]

[picture copyright Ken James]

Look, an entire salons worth of wonderful 'neutral white' light for only two watts of power, less than HALF the power of most others!

StarChips MKIV light set

[picture copyright Ken James]

We are re-introducing the StarChips cabin light. The MKIV model is now the most efficient and most compact cabin light we have ever sold, as well as being the cheapest, brightest, and one of the most, if not THE most, cost effective LED boat cabin lights in the world today.

By using the most efficient and smallest super bright LEDs in the world today, this light now uses only two LEDs to make considerably more light than the original StarChips cabin light that used as many as 48 white state-of-the-art LEDs of only seven years ago.

The standard LED array with this light is about the size of a nickel coin. Contrast that with our older StarDrops model cabin light which used four powerful LEDs (but made less light) and had to be four inches square in order to dissipate the heat that the LEDs made.

The new LEDs are almost three times as efficient as a fluorescent light. They can use a much smaller LED array since they make so much less heat and they can also withstand much higher temperatures also, which makes them much less vulnerable to ambient temperature fluctuations.

The new MKIV LED driver used to supply power to the StarChips LED array is the same super efficient Variable Pulse Width driver design as used in the MKIV navigation lights, incorporating a better miniature power supply for the control IC and a new thermal sensor/feedback circuit to make sure the LEDs never over heat.

By using this very compact driver design coupled with the new very small LED array the entire light becomes very compact. And the MKIV driver has proven to be nearly indestructible, so the cabin light inherits a great reliability record.

The StarChips is both very bright and very efficient. The standard light is now twice as bright as a ten watt halogen bulb for about two watts, 8-16 VDC, and it can be had with a four watt LED array if even more light is needed.

The light can be ordered with several options, including a two or four white LED array (the two white LED array is about twice as bright as a ten watt halogen bulb), color temperature selection of the white LEDs (silver white like a fluorescent bulb, good for the galley or head, neutral white like a halogen bulb for the main cabin, and warm white for a more cozy atmosphere) color selectable between white or red, amber, green, or blue LEDs for preserving night vision, compatibility with night vision equipment, or just mood or courtesy, 0-100% 'lossless' dimming control, and automatic daylight sensing.

The new StarChips comes in two basic models, one with the LEDs facing to one side to be retrofitted into a dome light fixture, or another model with the LEDs facing from the end for bell housing fixture installations. The basic light (two white LEDs) comes with just two wires, and the models with color selectable white/red arrays and dimming come with four wires, a polarity reversing switch, and a dimming control potentiometer. The length of these wires can be custom ordered for remote mountings. The light can either be retrofitted by hardwiring into a multitude of fixtures, or it can easily be mounted into the base of a light bulb to fit into pre-existing light bulb sockets. It is designed to fit into the standard double index pin double base contact type bulb base.

If needed, you can ship us your fixture(s) and we can retrofit the light(s) into the fixture(s) for you, in most cases for no charge or a very minimal charge if extra parts are needed. Call for details.

With all these improvements, particularly in efficiency and brightness, the StarChips represents the most cost effective LED boat cabin light on the market today. Email us for a price list today!

BTW, the 'guts' of our StarChips light is used in the new MKIV flexy stalk light, resulting in a great, 'all up', multi task general area or task light in a very functional practical package.