Testimonials

" I have been extremely happy with our LED light bulbs supplied by FirstStar.
When you are sailing nonstop around the world, minimizing electrical power consumption is critical. The FirstStar bulbs inserted in our regular light housings have taken an incredible beating including long submersions, and they still work great.
They only way I have been able to stop them was by surfing so fast (20+ knots) that I washed the whole light housing off of the bow pulpit! "
– Bruce Schwab, first American to complete the Vendee Globe Race ... solo, nonstop, around the world.

" Having considerable first hand knowledge of the LED driving technique that FirstStar uses I was anxious to try their anchor light in my sailing Catamaran (Awakening). Back in 1974 I co-founded a company, Avicon, which made digital instrumentation for private aviation. The biggest challenge of the time was visibility of digital displays in bright sunlight. Up to that time amber gas discharge 7 segment arrays were the norm, and LED displays were virtually illegible in sunlight. To my knowledge we were the first to use the repetitive high current/narrow pulse width driving technique with LED arrarys, and it worked dramtically well. It turned what would have been very washed out and hard to read displays, even in modest sunlight, to bright and energetic displays even in bright/direct sunlight. In fact, so bright that we had to dim it down for the pilot and have it automatically adapt to the ambient light conditions.
How it works is based on the fact that the human eye has a very fast response time to the leading edge of a high intensity pulse of light, but a very slow decay time once the pulse is gone. So long as you refresh the pulse often enough, your eye only sees the peak. But, you may ask, doesn't this high power pulse shorten the life of the LED, or even just blow it out. In fact we drove the LEDs well above their steady state maximum power specifications, so we worried about that too until we talked with the physicists and engineers who actually designed the LEDs. They told us that heat was the only thing to be concerned about, and that was entirely a function of the average (bulk), not instantaneous (peak) , power. In fact our pulses were very narrow so the average power was actually much lower than the specifications. Indeed, our displays actually ran cool, and we never had any lifetime or blow out problem with the displays at all.
I had already tried other manufacturer's LED "bulb replacements" for interior light fixtures in boats and frankly was very unimpressed. They used either simple DC drive or traditional pulse width modulation (ie dimming technology) using normal levels of drive, and the results were pretty whimpy for area lighting...not comparable at all to the incandescent they were supposed to replace. A large array of LEDs puts out more light, alright, but the power savings driving that many LEDs was less than desired, particularly since I knew what was possible.
When I read that FirstStar was using this highpower/narrow-pulse technique I had to give it a try, and I must say I have been thrilled. The anchor light is brighter than my old incandescent one while using a tiny fraction of the power. My battery monitor hardly even sees that its on. I plan on trying more of their stuff in other lighting applications. "
– Michael Cope, BSEE. Founder of Interphase Corp and other companies

DATE:Thursday, January 27, 2000 3:15 PM
SUBJ: FirstStar shines in minus 45 Celsius!

"Quick note to say tried First Star today & it shone from 1.2 km away in near dark arctic afternoon light. Its a challenge to get a photo of it but we have some ideas on that. Alls well but getting a bit chilly, looking forward to temps in the –30's. Cheers! P.S. –Over the next few weeks we will be posting some gear reports on the sverdrup2000 webpage now that we have seen how everything works under harsh conditions. Look out for that!"
– Keri & Greg, S/V Northanger in the North

And again, later: "We were very pleased with the performance of the First Star and Tri–Star you supplied. although we have to admit that they were quite often used for the unusual purpose of allowing our sledding teams to locate the boat from afar during the 4–month dark period. Their low power consumption was of premium importance here. They will now be up on the mast for our next adventure which will be mountaineering and big–wall climbing exploration of NW Greenland, based aboard Northanger. the website for this voyage is: www.northanger.org."
– Keri & Greg, S/V Northanger

"Here are a few shots of Skidbladnir all dressed out for day and evening. I'll be giving you all of the word–of mouth advertising that I can!"
– Steve Huntley, M/V Skidbladnir

"I wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know how happy we are with your bulbs. We purchased one of your white LED bulbs [....] for down below and it is the preferred reading light. The anchor light [FirstStar] has worked very well. It at least twice as bright as the Mini–Mega Light that I was using before. The blue cast of the light makes the boat very easy to identify at night in a crowded anchorage as well – it stands out compared to the yellow cast of all the other anchor lights. In Zihuatanejo, a number of neighbors commented on my light and how they were using it to help identify the location of their boats due to the brightness and pure blue–white color. The second light [FirstStar] I purchased from you has been installed on a friend's boat at the masthead and he is very happy with it."
– Marc Hall, S/V CRAZY FISH, Sea of Cortez

"I love my anchor light (FirstStar). It works just as advertised."
– Tom Muha, S/V TAJ MUHA, Chesapeake Bay

"Just a note to let you know that First Star has proved to be a very sexy feature for my yacht. Its blue–white glow gets noticed and that's always a good thing at night at anchor. But that's an added benefit. What interested me most about the First Star was its reliability, exceptionally long life, miniscule power consumption, and its daylight sensor automatic shut–off. That's the kind of innovation I always look for when I do upgrades and add accessories. Keep up the good work."
– Len Krauss, SUNDANCER III, SW Florida

"I've been enjoying the low power requirements of my anchor light...when can I be the beta tester for the new running light. Am really eager to try it out as I love that anchor bulb."
– Chuck Naeyaert, S/V ASPARA, Tampa Bay

"We Love our anchor light! It doesn't even register on our amp hour meter! It has that unique Star look as well."
– Bob and Kristin Beltrano, S/V NAI'A

"We are currently on the boat anchored in the bay off of Zihuatenejo, Mexico. Having a great time. The new bulb works great. As far as I can tell it does not interfere with any ham or SSB band I listen or broadcast on. Also with the old bulb we used to be able to light it up with the RF energy when we broadcast from the radio, this does not happen with the new bulb. Thanks a lot."
– Marc Hall, S/V CRAZY FISH

"The First Star anchor light I purchased got tested on a recent week–long cruise aboard Allegro. The first noticeable difference in this light is the battery condition in the morning––almost no battery drain. This will cut down on the noise pollution in the anchorage caused by running the engine to charge batteries. Another added benefit was that while we were taking a sunset walk on the beach, the light came on at dusk automatically and the light was noticeably whiter than the other lights in the anchorage. Please send me information on your cabin lights when they become available. ."
– Dale McDonald, S/V ALLEGRO

"...I am very pleased with the one (FirstStar) I put on my boat, and will send a photo at the first opportunity. The light is such a pure white...it actually looks like a star. I wonder if there is the possibility of it being mistaken for a star or planet by other boaters? (chuckle)....Anyways, I will continue to recommend your product...
– Ed Matson, S/V Meridian

"Last night was the first test of the light, and it came on about a half hour before dark, and stayed on about a half hour after dawn. The light seems bright, and is clearly visible from around the harbor...... We have been cruising around the world full time since 1979, and are always concerned about having an anchor light on whenever at anchor. The new light is a significant safety feature, knowing that we will never inadvertently have the boat dark, should we return late in the night. The power saving aspect is also important, as we no longer have to leave the light on all day, should we be leaving the boat for the day or longer."
– Gary Walls, S/V AMADON LIGHT

"I have the FirstStar light working on Escapade using a 24 to 12 VDC converter. Works fine. The only unusual thing is the color. It looks like a planet rather than a boat light! But we can spot Escapade in a harbor full of boats."
– Regards, Erick Reickert

"I installed the lamp set and am quite satisfied with it. Not as bright as some but brighter than others. Quite distinctive so makes it easy to locate in crowded anchorage. A lady came up while I was pulling up anchor and wanted to know what kind of anchor light I was using so I gave her the tri–color information sheet that had come with my lamp. "
– Gary Mohr, S/V OUTLIER

"The FirstStar got here as stated by Priority mail. I also got the invoice and paperwork in the mail. Thank you very much for getting it out, as you did. We got the unit installed this past week with no trouble. "It works well and has what appears to me to be more than adequate output. The color of the light is unique––it is whiter or more like a "star" than a normal incandescent light. "The Mason 44 leaves for Mexico in the morning. At least their daily power consumption will be about 10 amps less than before. Based upon this positive experience, I will try to get other people here using the light."

– Thanks, Steve

"I was very pleased with my TriStar masthead lightbulb on my recent roundtrip voyage from San Francisco to Hawaii, and return on my 27 foot sloop Wildflower. It's low energy draw enabled me to run my radar more frequently, very important when sailing solo. I also felt great confidence in it's durability, where a regular bulb can get jarred and the filament broken at sea, with no recourse for replacement."
– Skip Allen, S/V WILDFLOWER

"Dear Sir, We have been using the First Star Anchor LED, and like it very much."
– Bill Healy, Yacht AMADON LIGHT at Anchor in Jacare, Brazil

"I received the package yesterday, and we spent time oohing and aahing over the two bulbs. Our boat is out of the water, so we have to wait until next week to install them and see what they really look like. I'm looking forward to not debating over whether we should turn on the anchor light because it's such a power hog!."
– Thanks –– Karryn Dean

Been meaning to write you that we installed the Anchor light we bought from Bill Harriss 4/28/00 on a new J–42 in 11/00, and as we live on board, we use it all the time. it's wonderful, and the distinctive "color" makes the boat easier to find....until everybody gets one! Thanks!
– Carol & Peter Willauer S/V Eight Bells

I did appreciate your anchor light. On the way back to NY I stopped at Block Island and took the launch ashore. On the return there were hundreds of boats in the Great Salt Pond, all showing anchor lights. The distinctive color of your light was a welcome beacon leading us home.
– Bill Fowler, l'esperance, 33' Cruising Catamaran

I have been using your lights for over a year of cruising in Mexico. We find that we are one of the few boats to burn an anchor light every night because your lights consume so little power. I really feel better being able to keep a proper anchor light burning at night as no one wants to be found liable in a Mexican court when a panga hits you in the night. One way to justify their greater initial cost is money saved in the solar panels you would need to feed the incandescent lights they replace. I figure that the anchor light alone saves power equivalent to a 50 watt panel. Not to mention the space to mount it.
– Clark Willix, aboard Temptress – www.geocities.com/willix

I bought your $500 combo LED light at the Annapolis Boat Show last fall. Just installed it 2 weeks ago in Miami. I'm sitting in the Exumas, Bahamas now, and wanted to offer some feedback. I love my LED light! I bought a Perko 200–series single–fixture light with clear lens. Your bulb fits & works great. Because of the all–in–one (anchor & tricolor lights in 1 bulb) design, I was able to buy a single fixture for my masthead, reducing windage and complexity aloft. As far as the quality and amount of light produced, I was disappointed at first, since I was looking at the light up–close to the boat. However, by the time I walked even a few boat lengths away, the light seemed better. I think this can be explained by the fact that each LED emits a rather dim light, so the up–close intensity of the light is rather low. However, the size of the area of the bulb which emits light is large (it's a large, but not intense light), so as soon as you're some distance from the light, it appears quite bright. How bright? I'm estimating it is just a bit brighter than the Perko 200–series light with a 10–watt bulb (the 10–watt bulb meets the legal requirement for a 34' boat), but not as bright as the 25–watt bulb.
My only other comment is the quality of light from the anchor light...it is quite a blue–white light (same as all white LED's I've seen), which makes it visible, but also makes it easy to confuse with a bright star in the sky.
How happy am I? Very. It's a lot of money, but I save 10 Amp Hours of electricity each night, which adds up to 70 AH/week, or about 1 hour of engine running to charge the batteries. $500 to save 1 hour of engine running each and every week seems fair to me. When I get a chance, I plan to do some long–range visibility comparisons, and I'll e–mail you the results. Thanks for all your help...
– Chris Parker & Michael Zidziunas

You may recognize the name as being someone who just ordered your masthead TriStar and anchor lights, which were delievered to me in Boston in September. I carried them back to my boat in Cape Town, put the TriStar in, but fortunately not the anchor light, and set off for Australia. During a hard passage the boat was rolled enough to put the masthead in the water and tear off the entire fitting. I am about 99,900 hours short of the 100,000 expected, but somehow don't expect that this is covered under warranty.
I would like to get another TriStar. My wife is flying out to spend Christmas with me. Can you get a TriStar to her before Dec. 16? Also, is there any chance of any discount for this order considering the circumstances? While the display was in place, I was happy with it. Good light and almost no power drain.
...I'm looking forward to having it on the passage. I took real satisfaction in seeing almost no reduction in my battery voltage after having the LED (TriStar) on all night long.
Happy Thanksgiving.
– Webb Chiles

I purchased the "bull" from you in September, prior to departing on my first trip "South". I just wanted to let you know we sat out some strong winds, currents and a tropical storm, a North Easterner, and a very crowed anchorage in Wrightsville Beach, NC, all with the comfort of knowing the "Bull" was going to hold like it is advertised. Fact is, the only complaint > I can think of ..... is that it digs so deep and firm, that it is a total PAIN IN MY BACK to have to pull it up! Great anchor, I love it! Thanks, – Mike, Misty Morn II

... both the tri star and the first star work great > and consume basically zero electricity aboard. thank you for such a wonderful product! – Matt Squires, s/v Pelorus Jack

A big thank you to both you and Ken! Thanks so much for the work to get the units to me a week plus ahead of my departure date! The units are fantastic. Sitting at the dock, my crew and I made some comparisons between the LED units, the many different conventional nav and anchor lights in the marina and boats anchored out in the harbor. By far the LED units are vastly superior in light quality and output. The slight shift to blue on the white sector and anchor make it appear much brighter than the yellow of the conventional units. The red and green sectors were casting shadows on the boats next to us! Absolutely fantastic! Some of my crew are captains of there own boats and to a man said they were going to get a set from you when they outfit for their next offshore trip. I hope I sold at least two sets for you in the next year. The units sold themselves. This doesn't even take into account the huge energy savings they provide. Thanks again, great job! – David Canavan

"...I'm looking forward to having it on the passage. I took real satisfaction in seeing almost no reduction in my battery voltage after having the LED (TriStar) on all night long." Happy holidays. – Webb Chiles

First, abject apologies for the unnecessary 'flap' I caused with my recent phone call concerning the apparent failure of my LED anchor light shortly before mast stepping. Due to the brain going 'off–line' at a critical moment, a poor test procedure was employed (ie, too much ambient light for the photocell). Using the recommended 9–volt battery and better shrouding, all appears to be well. Prior testing earlier in the week, using a 12–volt battery and the masthead fixture, had shown intermittent behavior that I put down to poor seating in the fixture socket. However, all appeared to be working. Thus, my panic when installing the lamp for the season and getting no response. I got very busy testing the in–mast wiring for continuity, etc. Naturally, the explanation for all the foregoing was ambient light and the photocell. I still can't understand how I entirely overlooked the obvious. Next, permit me to note the excellent customer service I received. I called Saturday evening, not expecting to hear from anyone until the start of the workweek. Imagime my pleasant surprise at receiving a most helpful phone call that very evening. A very patient individual 'held my hand' and suggested retesting the lamp. I have previously communicated my favorable comments regarding this anchor light. Clearly, support is also taken quite seriously. Kudos to all!... Best, Andrew J. Ritchie 05–11–04

My FirstStar Mk III anchor light was waiting for me, as promised, when I got to my marina on the evening before my recent sailing vacation. I installed it in the morning before setting off. While I was originally looking solely for a photocell to activate my anchor light, there's no question that the low current draw of the LED cluster is equally important (any deflection of my voltmeter is nearly imperceptible... a far cry from the standard incandescent bulb). Finally, the distinctive hue of the light allowed me to drive the dinghy straight to my boat on our first evening at anchor, picking her out of the hundreds in the Great Salt Pond on Block Island, sparing my girlfriend the previous year's Easter Egg hunt ("I think we were just on the other side of that ketch... uh, wrong again...") Thanks for a great product and speedy service, Alex Millerand, s/v Vitesse 08–6–04

One of the BEST INVESTMENTS we made. We anchor out most nights and this LED anchor light comes on and goes off automatically. It’s draws almost nothing and is quite visible. I actually disabled the indicator light in the cabin because it drew more than the light itself. This light was expensive, 155.00, but I feel worth it in energy saved and the good feeling of knowing the boat will be illuminated when you’ll be out past sunset. I also installed a Davis LED in the cockpit and leave it on most of the time, which really illuminates the area without drawing a thing. We rely solely on solar and wind so every amp matters! s/v OHANA 08–20–04