Gregoryulrich
Member III
Christian what's the power draw on the Vesper?
Navigation light relocation
- Thread starter Gregoryulrich
- Start date
Rated at 3 watts. That converts to .25 amp hours at 12 volts. My battery monitor reports the reality at about .4 AH, which probably includes the 12v antenna splitter. The Vesper is my largest power draw, about 10 AH per 24 hrs.
The Vesper advertising material claims all the others are in the 8 watt consumption range.
I forgot to mention in the message above that I keep it set to Display GPS: the screen constantly shows lat and long, heading and speed. One glance and you know everything.
If a target appears, it automatically switches to target mode.
The Vesper advertising material claims all the others are in the 8 watt consumption range.
I forgot to mention in the message above that I keep it set to Display GPS: the screen constantly shows lat and long, heading and speed. One glance and you know everything.
If a target appears, it automatically switches to target mode.
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Gregoryulrich
Member III
Is it the Watchmate 850?
That's right. Here are typical screens:
Also, Greg, as was suggested, if you felt like it you could go back to your first post and change the title to include AIS as well as nav lights ("Go Advanced"). Helps with search function.
Also, Greg, as was suggested, if you felt like it you could go back to your first post and change the title to include AIS as well as nav lights ("Go Advanced"). Helps with search function.
supersailor
Contributing Partner
Reflectors
Mark,
I am currently using a unit similar to the Ecomaster reflector shown in the study. On my old boat I used a unit that looked like the Octahedral reflector. Loren could tell you the effectiveness of the Ecomaster type unit as he got radar readings last year with the reflector up and down. I am considering a pair of the Mobri tube type reflectors mounted below the upper spreaders. As to the two current units, I haven't been run over in 40 years.
Port Angeles is an incredibly busy hub. The pilots for Puget Sound are picked up here. The ocean capable ferry Coho is based here. Large ship repairs are done. Submarines with escorts pass by along with Cruisers, Destroyers, etc. The 50 meter Westports are also built here. The Border patrol and DEA also home port here with their 1200hp 26 footers. For a berg of 19,000 people, we have a bustling waterfront. In the years I have sailed here, the big guys have not been a problem. In foggy times, I've had them call from 3 miles out asking my intentions. They do travel in designated lanes. None of these are our primary problem. Our true problem is our idiotic anglers. Not our Commercial fishermen, the recreational ones. Many are slipping out of the harbor with a fishing pole as their safety equipment. They leave in dense fog with no fog horn, no reflector, no life jackets, no flares with not the slightest thought that they may die out there! I came back from Poulsbo to Port Angeles last year, about a 60 mile run in 100 to 200 foot visibility. I saw many anglers (tracking them at 2-3 knots). Very hard to spot on the radar. The smaller glass skiffs don't reflect much. I went through two cans of propellant for the horn on the trip and never once got a reply even though some passed quite close. One I was tracking was doing 2.3kn then 2.5kn then 27kn for about a mile and then back to 2.5. An obvious salmon angler. The radar return was strong so I assume a larger boat that was carrying radar. Even so, his visibility was no more than 150 feet. Scary!
When crossing the straights, I normally set my radar at 6 miles and when close in at 3 miles with frequent reductions to 1/2 mile to pick up the little guys. The big guys are very nervous at 3 miles, hence the 6 miles. Going further out misses the little guys littering the area. I am using a Raymarine Digital radar coupled with a Raymarine E-90. The combo is quite good at picking up almost anything. 60 miles of staring at the screen does tend to make one a little cross eyed, though.
For those who are comfortable with professional crews doing the right thing, we North Westerners remember that last year that a Puget Sound ferry ran over a 26' sailboat under sail in broad daylight in 6 knot winds in clear conditions. The Skipper was breaking in a new helmslady. He ordered a turn to port to clear the sailboat. She turned to starboard, realized her mistake and turned to port right over the top of the sailboat which promptly sank. At least they stopped and picked up the skipper. Two things here. The skipper, in my estimation, waited too long to order the course correction then he failed to notice that the wheel was being turned in the wrong direction. This was a professional crew.
Mark,
I am currently using a unit similar to the Ecomaster reflector shown in the study. On my old boat I used a unit that looked like the Octahedral reflector. Loren could tell you the effectiveness of the Ecomaster type unit as he got radar readings last year with the reflector up and down. I am considering a pair of the Mobri tube type reflectors mounted below the upper spreaders. As to the two current units, I haven't been run over in 40 years.
Port Angeles is an incredibly busy hub. The pilots for Puget Sound are picked up here. The ocean capable ferry Coho is based here. Large ship repairs are done. Submarines with escorts pass by along with Cruisers, Destroyers, etc. The 50 meter Westports are also built here. The Border patrol and DEA also home port here with their 1200hp 26 footers. For a berg of 19,000 people, we have a bustling waterfront. In the years I have sailed here, the big guys have not been a problem. In foggy times, I've had them call from 3 miles out asking my intentions. They do travel in designated lanes. None of these are our primary problem. Our true problem is our idiotic anglers. Not our Commercial fishermen, the recreational ones. Many are slipping out of the harbor with a fishing pole as their safety equipment. They leave in dense fog with no fog horn, no reflector, no life jackets, no flares with not the slightest thought that they may die out there! I came back from Poulsbo to Port Angeles last year, about a 60 mile run in 100 to 200 foot visibility. I saw many anglers (tracking them at 2-3 knots). Very hard to spot on the radar. The smaller glass skiffs don't reflect much. I went through two cans of propellant for the horn on the trip and never once got a reply even though some passed quite close. One I was tracking was doing 2.3kn then 2.5kn then 27kn for about a mile and then back to 2.5. An obvious salmon angler. The radar return was strong so I assume a larger boat that was carrying radar. Even so, his visibility was no more than 150 feet. Scary!
When crossing the straights, I normally set my radar at 6 miles and when close in at 3 miles with frequent reductions to 1/2 mile to pick up the little guys. The big guys are very nervous at 3 miles, hence the 6 miles. Going further out misses the little guys littering the area. I am using a Raymarine Digital radar coupled with a Raymarine E-90. The combo is quite good at picking up almost anything. 60 miles of staring at the screen does tend to make one a little cross eyed, though.
For those who are comfortable with professional crews doing the right thing, we North Westerners remember that last year that a Puget Sound ferry ran over a 26' sailboat under sail in broad daylight in 6 knot winds in clear conditions. The Skipper was breaking in a new helmslady. He ordered a turn to port to clear the sailboat. She turned to starboard, realized her mistake and turned to port right over the top of the sailboat which promptly sank. At least they stopped and picked up the skipper. Two things here. The skipper, in my estimation, waited too long to order the course correction then he failed to notice that the wheel was being turned in the wrong direction. This was a professional crew.
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Vessel Traffic Service - VTS?
In some ports and busy areas VTS is available for commercial shipping. Just listening to the correct frequency can help you identify possible traffic when you are familiar with the area. Puget Sound is VHF Channel 14 in the south portion and Channel 5 up at Admiralty Inlet and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
In low visibility weather conditions we monitor, using a priority scan feature or a handheld. In foggy conditions we contact them on the appropriate frequency just to let them know we are there and let them know what direction we are going, especially if we are near or crossing traffic lanes. They generally appreciate it even though contact with pleasure boats is optional and time permitting.
We have even contacted them in perfect weather when the big boat traffic was doing weird things. That day a freighter used the southbound lanes to go north as we were about to cross. We noticed the move and contacted VTS. The move had been cleared with VTS and we had a nice bridge-to-bridge chat with the pilot to straighten out everyone's intentions. Worked out great.
In some ports and busy areas VTS is available for commercial shipping. Just listening to the correct frequency can help you identify possible traffic when you are familiar with the area. Puget Sound is VHF Channel 14 in the south portion and Channel 5 up at Admiralty Inlet and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
In low visibility weather conditions we monitor, using a priority scan feature or a handheld. In foggy conditions we contact them on the appropriate frequency just to let them know we are there and let them know what direction we are going, especially if we are near or crossing traffic lanes. They generally appreciate it even though contact with pleasure boats is optional and time permitting.
We have even contacted them in perfect weather when the big boat traffic was doing weird things. That day a freighter used the southbound lanes to go north as we were about to cross. We noticed the move and contacted VTS. The move had been cleared with VTS and we had a nice bridge-to-bridge chat with the pilot to straighten out everyone's intentions. Worked out great.
supersailor
Contributing Partner
Vts
You are absolutely right about VTS. I keep my VHF prioritized on Ch5 and Ch16. VTS is extremely helpful and they much prefer that you call and find out what's going on rather than being rammed by one of the behemoths out there. I have also called them as I was leaving the Port Angeles Breakwater in foggy weather and they have put a track on me crossing the Straights and informed all shipping of my presence, course and speed. Most comforting.
You are absolutely right about VTS. I keep my VHF prioritized on Ch5 and Ch16. VTS is extremely helpful and they much prefer that you call and find out what's going on rather than being rammed by one of the behemoths out there. I have also called them as I was leaving the Port Angeles Breakwater in foggy weather and they have put a track on me crossing the Straights and informed all shipping of my presence, course and speed. Most comforting.
I was looking at my bow and stern lights and considering just swapping out the bulbs with LED. My bow light is a Hella Marine bi-color. It does not seem totally water tight, and neither does my stern light. I'm a little concerned about the salt water damaging the on board circuitry of the LED bulbs. Does anybody know how these bulbs hold up when exposed to salt water?
mark
I can't answer the question, but I have concluded that the bicolor and the stern light are periodic maintenance items, maybe twice a year. They come apart quite readily, and mine are usually full of salt. I grease the membrane, wipe the terminals, and rebend the cheap little copper terminal holders.
My old incandescent running lights were very unreliable, and it turned out to be just the inevitable corrosion of exposed electrics.
Probably not nearly an issue on a lake.
My old incandescent running lights were very unreliable, and it turned out to be just the inevitable corrosion of exposed electrics.
Probably not nearly an issue on a lake.
What type of fixtures do you have? It sounds like yours at least have some sort of rubber seal? Mine do not appear to have any type of seal to keep the saltwater out.
Mark
I think they're Aqua Signal Series 25. Replaceable $25 shelf item from WM. As I recall there's a sort of O-ring is a grove, but any sort of goop or gasket would do the same.