I have to ask - Probably been covered but....

Ok, I had LED strip lights installed on the bow of my boat. Bought some 'cheaper' ones.....red/green
Seems got what I paid for and many are now not working.
So, my question: Are these now declared 'illegal' in place of the standard bow mounted pole light?
I would like to have them replaced with a better grade LED strip, they are surely brighter in every way
Appreciate all/any information
thanks in advance
God Bless (us all)
Lee

I've used cheap led strips on the outside of the boat before and they lasted a couple of years and still worked when I sold the boat. Make sure they are the waterproof lights and you seal the ends. I haven't seen an LED navigation strip thread in a while. Basically, yes they are considered illegal because you aren't going to find any coast guard approved and then there is a mounting issue so that they are visible to required degrees on the boat and not more. Probably no way to really mount them easily because of different angles on each boat.

Now that I have installed an ulterra, my light really isn't tall enough to be visible at the proper angles. I'm considering putting the strips on my boat for safety reasons.

If you splice into & leave the pole socket still in working order, & keep poles in the boat, it might save you a ticket. I fished a small club tournament on Bob Sandlin a couple years ago. While we were all sitting in the cove waiting to take off, Mr Game warden idled up & asked how many with the LED navigation lights STILL had operational pole lights in our boats. All of us but one did. He told us to put them in & idle by him. We did. That one boat got a ticket for improper/non Coast Guard approved navigational lighting. The ONLY time ive personally seen it occur. But the way we rigged & keeping pole lights in the boat saved 17 of us the same ticket. Just an FYI

Hey Lee...legal navigation lights have to meet specific US Coast Guard requirements and be certified to USCG specifications. It's not a cheap or easy process to get USCG certification so most light-salesmen don't bother with it. The Talon lights have the same USCG testing requirements.

"Marine Safety Alert

The U.S. Coast Guard is concerned about the sale and availability of unapproved recreational and commercial vessel navigation lights. Purchasers of such lighting should be aware replacement lighting may be improper for its application due to the failure by manufacturers to meet technical certification requirements. Furthermore, technical advances in marine lighting, such as the use of Light Emitting Diodes (LEOs), rope lighting, underwater lighting, and other various types of decorative lighting, may violate navigation light provisions of the Nautical Rules of the Road."

https://www.boatingmag.com/led-navigation-lights-marine-safety-alert#page-2

I ended up putting Attwood lights on my boat. Make sure you've done everything possible to meed the angles the coast guard requres then drill the holes and mount them.

Attwood LED Vertical Sidelight 2-NM Low Profile Red/Green Pr #3572-1
https://www.firstchoicemarine.com/p-1420...green-pr-3572-1

I have the same issue with my Terronova/360....haven’t found a front light tall enough yet...hey, the leds are wonderful on my boat, legal or not...they are much safer than what is legal...plus, with the green led lights on, at night you can see me across any lake I am on...I love the safety issue...legal or not does not matter to me, I use them...

Thanks all. Completely agree, I saw others on the lake the how highly visible they were so, I had these put on. My bad in choosing a lesser quality LED strip light set. They worked but, only for 1 season.
Love the LED visibility safety. Had a USCG light mounted on my Talon, it is easy and GREAT.
So, as everything is in place and yes, the pole light is still hooked up if I were to put it in the designed socket but I much prefer the brightness and visibility of the LED red/green strips.
Cal mounted them for me, so I KNOW they are put up and done right. Meet all the degree of visibility requirements so, hopefully now its just a matter of cut, splice and mount new LED strips.
Don't think I'll go with anything 'inexpensive' this time. The old adage of 'you get what you pay for'....
thanks for the feedback, knew I couldn't still be the only one who loves the way they work and the convince of just flipping a switch to something that is already and always mounted and ready.
Many thanks again for the feedback
God Bless (us all)
Lee

This one will clear my terrova, almost 17"long

https://www.firstchoicemarine.com/p-57735-seasense-stow-away-bow-light-chrome-no-base-50023884.aspx

Currently, I am aware of only one set of USCG approved LED running lights. I enclosed the link below.


https://store.marinebeam.com/uscg-1nm-led-navigation-running-red-green-port-starboard-pair/

Thanks, have not seen these.....
God Bless (us all)

Many Many Many folks who install the rub rail LEDs will tell you they are Coast Guard approved or will say the Coast Guard doesn't care. Well it's not the Coast Guard who will be writing you a ticket!! However rare the occurrence may be, it's still an offense that they can and will write on occasion!

I use to be a DOT officer/inspector and saw every cool truck light show you can imagine. "Additional" or "Auxiliary" lights are allowed but they cannot take away from light spacing or color requirements. The offense usually occurs at the top of the cab where lights are run in a solid row all the way across (all of you have seen this). Book says one on each side as far apart as practicable and 3 in the center equally spaced on the same line (49 CFR 393.11). Placing more than these 5 lights up there is illegal but "Rarely" will an officer write it up.

I mention this because any group of people who have something that has some type of state or federal requirement will always do what they want to look "Cool" or different regardless of existing regulation or law! Staying legal weather it be your car, truck, boat, or whatever is easy. Just use common sense and educate yourself on what the law says and not what some wanna be officer or lawyer says!!! Rant Over!!! LOL