Need to replace my bow Port and Stbd. Lens need help

[babycakes]

Faithful, I need to replace the round red and green lens in the bow chock on my 31, the height needs to be 1 11/16" high and a diameter of 1 3/4". Been working on the girl for just about six years and this is holding me up from going in, Annapolis Marine police are real strict.. Thanks for the help.. Dave

[Kevin]

Danny at High Tide Marine has them. They are 30 each. They are made by perko.

[babycakes]

I was not sure where to go but now I do, thanks again...

[John Jackson]

If you need a lense for a stock bow chock, you can make one out of plastic lense material from another light. By cutting old lenses from a larger light and heating them up to shape them, the very talented man at my yard made new ones for me. We "glued" them in with clear silicone sealant and the light has worked great for three years now. I had the chock rechromed, put in new lights, and it came out factory new.

[babycakes]

It looks like that's the route I'm going to take, Dannys
At High Tide are way to small in diameter and the hieght doesn't
Come close so thanks a bunch for the help. Dave

[Preston Burrows]

Prior to getting new lenses last year from Danny at High Tide Marine, I too had used replacement lenses made out of another lights lenses which were large enough to work with.......which worked fine until I found out original new lenses could still be purchased..............

Danny's lenses are exact O.E.M. replacements for the original 'Bertram style' bow chock lights...............in speaking to Danny after receiving the new lenses he told me Perko had made the bow chock lights,lenses and light bulb bases as the O.E.M. to Bertram [which is why the new replacement lenses from him were in Perko boxes complete with Perko part numbers and their manufacturing codes stamped on the boxes.......I had called him after receiving the new lenses complete with that information surprised and curious as to the Perko information and surprised further that Perko were the O.E.M...........until I realized it made sense that Perko were the supplier seeing as they and Bertram were both Miami,Florida based........Danny had Perko do a special run of replacement lenses for him........]

Dave:your dimensions given for the light lenses sound right for the O.E.M. lenses and I'm surprised you say that Danny's lenses are too small.......are you sure you have the original 'Bertram style' bow chock light ?

[babycakes]

Absolutely, my 31 is the third Bertram re-build I
Have completed, even the lens that was originally in mine
For the stbd side was actually BLUE!! And with cut out
Gasket material for the top and bottom it was swimmin all around
In its socket I am going to retrofit one from another style
Which will work better so as there will be more room in the rear part which is
Not visible , and the height is is perfect so it will not need any caulking
Compound. Thanks, Dave

[Kevin]

I did have to use several layers of gasket on mine too! I also stuck LED inside the lenses. I have been happy with the results.

[bob lico]

kevin i did the same with mine. i just wanted to compare notes.did you use the " clusted type led" and then changed to a s.s bayonet base socket for the new lamp? i have changed all my navigation lights to 100,000 hour led`s .i found it very diffecult to locate the s.s/ led anchor light that i placed on the top of the cactus that has a common mount with gps.

[Mikey]

Kevin, Dave
Since you guys have done the hard work of running all of this down and experimenting to get it to work would you share with the Faithful?
I need to do this as well and am not anxious to reinvent the wheel. What are the socket and light manufacturers and part numbers. Where did you get same? Either of you have pictures? Curious why Dave's lenses didn't work and Kevin's did.
Thanks

[Kevin]

Well after a couple of years with out nav lights I finally got tired of looking for a way to rig this....... so I made my own. I think Rude Goldberg is the expression that would define it.

I purchased the lenses (perko) from Danny. Looked identical to the original. I experimented with some LED lights you buy at Worst Marine. They have a small section of interior/exterior lights that are pre wired. I do not know the model number but it is a cluster of between 4 or 6 lights in one little case. I think they are actaully designed to illuminated cockpit deck or something of the sort. I cut my own rubber gaskets, which were aperently thinner than the originals, so I just cut more of them. With the tops of the chok romoved just slid wires through the bottom of the gutted bow chok and secured properly into the anchor forepeak. I do have a pulpit. There are no receptacles or sockets of any kind. I did have the boat out a few weeks ago at night the lights were bright enough that I could see then from the bridge. Two days ago I had the boat out during the day and it was 20-25knots. Green water over the bow a few times. I have not checked to see if they still work. I will report back in a bit with the results. I need to take a breather from the madness here anyways............I am getting married to the Bride officially today.

[Kevin]

Still works!

[bob lico]

all of those led lights you may need are on e-bay .like kevin said you can also buy 1 piece with wire leds out bottom.seal with silicon and your in business.

[Mikey]

Kevin, Thanks.
Married!?!? Hope it's the right one.
As I'm making my way to the aisle for the fourth time my father tells me, "you can marry more money in five minutes than you can make in a lifetime."
Fine time for fatherly advise.
Hope she's the right one. I finally go it right.

[babycakes]

I will send you a picture of my lens problem from my cell if u want to see it first hand.
Send me your # to my e-mail @ davedecker@hotmail.com

[Preston Burrows]

With my bow light I use Cole Hersee double contact bayonet sockets [brass bodies] p/n 26100BP or Perko p/n 0052DP,one each side for the red and green lights.......these sockets have an outside diameter of 11/16".............for the actual bulbs I use either # 90 = 7 1/2 watt, # 1004 = 12 watt or # 1142 = 17 watt bulbs..........all available at most marine hardware stores,even here......

I believe Bertram's original bulb sockets were Perko p/n 0134 [brass body] or similar,basically a double contact bayonet socket with a flat circular disc as its base,all as one assembly......................the original gaskets I assume were Perko O.E.M. in keeping with their being the O.E.M. for the bow lights..........or proprietary whomever otherwise if not Bertram custom!

The bulb sockets fit snugly in the holes at each side of the bow lights base,the original light sockets and bases etc gone before my stewardship.

I should have mentioned in my earlier post that in order to seal my bow light and keep it watertight ,as well as to fit the recently new light lenses, I build up a ring of clear silicone between the top of the light lenses and the cover of the bow light so as to act as a watertight gasket/fill in the ~ 1/4" gap in between the tops and sides of the lenses.................

The light lenses,original and the replacement O.E.M., are 1 3/8" high x 1 3/8" inside dimensioned................this narrows choices for the use of LED replacement bulbs with my double contact bayonet sockets - and I have not yet found an LED bulb that will simply 'drop in' dimension wise [all are too high]nor have I found pre-wired / pigtail type LED lights or an LED assembly that I can replace the bayonet sockets with entirely next time they fail...........usually they last 3 years so hopefully by 2011 I will have sourced them!.................................

Kevin:Congratulations!

Bob:What light did you use for your anchor light?I had been looking at Attwoods all around LED lights,apparently they have a 'universal' style albeit not in a stainless steel housing.

[bob lico]

preston sometimes this site really throws me for a loop. you have to be completly open minded that people are set in there ways.i take effort and time to make a post and you are the only one to respond ,it sort of takes the heart out of taking a photo,post it,and then do a write up.my little brain cannot for the life of me figure out why someone would not covert to led lights .i don`t understand unless you want to use 80% more power and you enjoy taking apart the bow chock replacing that 26.00 bulb from worst marine every 2 years knowing damm well any filament bulb will self destruck due to vibrasion. a led has no filament and last 100,000 hours ---------what not to love!!!
e-bay has both the anchor light (stern light) and a led lamp for the bow chock just the lamp is item 140317623480 for those of you that are interested you can buy a bayonet base in ss with two prewired leds extening from bottom push thru existing hole in bottom of casting put a wand of GE tube clear silicon and insert socket.use same to seal lense .good for 5 generations of stewardship!!! i can`t belive you would not use a led anchor light fishing at night. visable for 3 miles some are 2 miles,they draw nothing and can be left on all night.mine is all 316 stainless,led, all around.JUST trying to spread safety to my brothers.

[AndreF]

Bob,
I always enjoy and learn something from your posts, keep the faith. I'm sure at least one other person does too.
The chocks are great and I have three. but the one on my boat isn't hooked up. In my opinion , on the Mississippi River, those bow lights are too low. I, and UV, have large separate lights on out bridges, up high, big and bright.
Thought I was going to have a CG boarding story tonite, but they let us go. Turning 2700 rpm 6BTA's 21x22 4 blade nibrals - light boat.

[bob lico]

andre thank you for the vote of confidents. i sure you understand the feeling of going out of your way to give someone another alternative and then get blow off for your efforts. i am more and more open minded like scot telling me he needs a bow rail because he goed out on the bow while at sea.could have knock me over but i understand .i upgraded to master of steam 100 ton lic. there were umteen questions on the mississippi river . major differances and you just have to sit back and realize you guys are going around bends in the river on the BLIND yes i would raise the nav. lights also. as to 2700 rpm on 21/22 4 blade that is great .you are dial in any changes now would be in cup to take advantage of the cummin torque . not the 250 hp, it is that 480 lbs of torque that can be played with. bad habit going off on a tangent lets get back to led lights.use it on every light on the boat !!!

[Tony Meola]

Bob

I have not had a chance to look at the site for a few days. I just got done with a long weekend the was made up of my 40th high school reunion. So I did not see your post. But as Andre said, your posts are always helpfull even if no one says anything.

So here is my question, did you get the stainless sockets on ebay also and has anyone looked at Dell City for LED's and sockets?

[In Memory Walter K]

Looked up that number on Ebay and it couldn't be found on Ebay. Did I get that number wrong?

[bob lico]

tony i can always count on you for a comeback .i was not aware of dell city but i am sure there are others out there that also make ss bayonet sockets. my son just ordered 70 step lites for a mansion on the water and they come with ss bayonet sockets with a copper back box they use xelogen bulbs . something new last 5000 hours and puts out 31/2 times the light of a conventional bulb at just slightly more wattage then led.the idea here is to do it once and seal the the chock , never to be opened (like a time capsule).

[bob lico]

waterk i check it again item 140317623480 . 3.5 watts led cost 9.99 and 1.99 shipping to long island. there are 3 other sites selling same led and 394 led lights for every application.if you hit www. affordablelighting.com there are the xelogen and krypton bulbs. also you can replace cabin overhead lamps (two) with medium base socket " a " - lamp at 12 volt for 1.99 or with self ballasting florescent or led . many options all i know is that i have received vhf chatter in the canyon from a boat remarking on the brightness of that led on top of my "little boat" ha, ha

[AndreF]

Bob,
Like what cup do you think? I idle at 5 knots now and in no wakes have to bump out of gear. Wouldn't that make it worse?

[In Memory Walter K]

Andre- As I understand it, cupping works at the top end of the rpm scale. Adding pitch pushes you faster even at the lowest of rpm's. Cupping does not until you're at much higher rpms. Out our way where slow trolling is important, cupping is a real consideration. It ranges from a slight feathering of your prop edge to extreme cupping. Bob Lico is our resident expert on the subject and I am sure will chime in with the specifics of how much cupping equals an inch of pitch. Your local prop shop might be able to give you numbers for your specific props. I assume the objective would be to slow you down a bit at idle.

[Rawleigh]

I have bee trying to find a replacement for the bulb in the original Bertram anchor light with the glass lens. The glass lens has a small internal diameter and is fairly short. A few years ago I tried to find one, and actually bought one off of Ebay, but it was too large. I would like to keep the original light fixture and lens if possible.

At the time I looked, there were not many LED lights in the right sizes for the original Bertram nav light fittings that shined to the side. Most shined out the end. It sounds like it is time to revisit the situation! Keep the good ideas coming. Thanks!