HID Boat Spotlights Versus Halogen Boat Spotlights
For sheer power and intensity, it is difficult to overcome an HID focus for your boat. Typically, containing xenon bulbs or metal halide, HID spotlights produce extreme light beams of intensity and brightness that no other form of lighting can match. If you're not sure what an HID focus is, they're the same thing you've seen at carnivals and fairs to paint bright spots moving in the sky that help mark the location so visitors can easily find them from far away. Smaller versions designed for boats don't produce as much power, but decent units can easily create beams of light that can reach more than half a mile long.
While it is true that the use of spotlights on ships is limited, this in no way reduces the need to install the most powerful unit possible. Sure it can't be the Spotlight while it's in place, except in some circumstances, such as when channel markers are checked, but if a serious emergency arises or you are asked to help another navigator in distress at night, you will certainly be very tense. You installed a powerful drive.
The use of Spotlight is also not limited to emergencies or navigation. For example, many sailors enjoy anchoring near small isolated islands and enjoy finding new places to host parties on the coast where they and their guests can spend time outside and enjoy a simple night out with friends. Now, while finding these new locations is usually a lot of fun, if you're going to do it at night, a spotlight is almost invaluable. A good focus will allow you to check for debris in the water, obstacles like fallen trees and submerged rocks, and locate the safest route to anchor near the shore.
The choice of a focus depends on many factors, but for the most part, an HID focus for boats that is powerful, easy to handle and able to withstand constant exposure to the corrosive marine environment usually meets basic needs. Smaller boats can usually settle for a handheld focus that is rechargeable, or can simply be plugged into a cigarette lighter socket or directly connected to a battery using clamps. Moderately sized cruisers and pleasure craft generally get more benefits from permanently mounted HID spotlights that are connected to the main electrical system and ready to run at the push of a button. For the ultimate in focus convenience, many navigators opt for fully remote-controlled spotlights that can be operated more than 100 feet from the boat using a handheld controller or run from inside the cab using a board-mounted controller. In either case, a remote control focus is excellent because it allows you to stay inside the cab and maintain control of the boat while also using the focus to scan the surrounding area. This is an even greater advantage when the weather is bad and the last thing you want to do is stand outside on the deck with a spotlight in the rain.
HID spotlights are preferable to general spotlights, such as hand-held halogen versions normally found in hardware stores for various reasons. While some halogen bulbs have decent potency, the beam they produce is usually yellowish. Halogen bulbs are known for short run times and consume a set of batteries or deplete charging fairly quickly, often in less than an hour. HID bulbs in comparison produce a much whiter light, without any of the typical yellowing of a halogen spotlight. HID projectors are also much more efficient, producing much more light with less power. This means that an HID focus will run much longer on a single charge or with a set of batteries before needing replenishment. Halogen bulbs are also quite fragile because the bulb itself is a simple wire filament design.
When this wire filament bulb heats up, the filament becomes sensitive to vibrations and impacts that can cause it to break if the focus is pushed or dropped. HID bulbs, however, have no filament. With HID bulbs, electricity is used to create an arc inside the lamp, which then ignites gases and salts inside the bulb. These ignited materials create an intensely bright plasma that radiates a light that is directed and focused by the focus lens, resulting in a bright white light beam. Since there is no filament breaking, HID can withstand a higher degree of vibration and abuse that could cause failure in a halogen unit.
Although HID bulbs offer a higher degree of performance over halogen units, they have some differences to consider. HID lamps work similarly to fluorescent lights, meaning they require a ballast to light the lamp and maintain a constant current flow to the bulb. This ballast adds a little more weight and cost. However, this is generally compensated with the longer operating life of HID compared to a halogen lamp. While a halogen has no ballast, it will only work at best around 500-800 hours before it is burned. However, an HID lamp can run up to 10,000 hours before requiring replacement, making it more cost-effective in the long run, not to mention being more reliable.
HID spotlights can also become quite hot during operation. Particularly with hand versions, it is best to be careful when operating the unit and never touch the lens until you have had enough time to cool down or an unpleasant burn may occur. This is not a big problem with the permanently mounted Spotlight, as there will generally not be much direct handling of the entire unit. Finally, HID bulbs take between 30 and 60 seconds to reach the maximum intensity. This healing period usually still allows a decent beam of light until the full output is reached, but you will only get a 60-80% output until then.
In general, HID ship bulbs simply outperform normal incandescent and halogen bulbs in almost all performance measures. By producing beams of light that are more than half a mile long and energy-efficient, they provide a bright light source that is ideal for marine environments where emergencies, convenience, and safety dictate the need for energy without much compromise.
While it is true that the use of spotlights on ships is limited, this in no way reduces the need to install the most powerful unit possible. Sure it can't be the Spotlight while it's in place, except in some circumstances, such as when channel markers are checked, but if a serious emergency arises or you are asked to help another navigator in distress at night, you will certainly be very tense. You installed a powerful drive.
The use of Spotlight is also not limited to emergencies or navigation. For example, many sailors enjoy anchoring near small isolated islands and enjoy finding new places to host parties on the coast where they and their guests can spend time outside and enjoy a simple night out with friends. Now, while finding these new locations is usually a lot of fun, if you're going to do it at night, a spotlight is almost invaluable. A good focus will allow you to check for debris in the water, obstacles like fallen trees and submerged rocks, and locate the safest route to anchor near the shore.
The choice of a focus depends on many factors, but for the most part, an HID focus for boats that is powerful, easy to handle and able to withstand constant exposure to the corrosive marine environment usually meets basic needs. Smaller boats can usually settle for a handheld focus that is rechargeable, or can simply be plugged into a cigarette lighter socket or directly connected to a battery using clamps. Moderately sized cruisers and pleasure craft generally get more benefits from permanently mounted HID spotlights that are connected to the main electrical system and ready to run at the push of a button. For the ultimate in focus convenience, many navigators opt for fully remote-controlled spotlights that can be operated more than 100 feet from the boat using a handheld controller or run from inside the cab using a board-mounted controller. In either case, a remote control focus is excellent because it allows you to stay inside the cab and maintain control of the boat while also using the focus to scan the surrounding area. This is an even greater advantage when the weather is bad and the last thing you want to do is stand outside on the deck with a spotlight in the rain.
HID spotlights are preferable to general spotlights, such as hand-held halogen versions normally found in hardware stores for various reasons. While some halogen bulbs have decent potency, the beam they produce is usually yellowish. Halogen bulbs are known for short run times and consume a set of batteries or deplete charging fairly quickly, often in less than an hour. HID bulbs in comparison produce a much whiter light, without any of the typical yellowing of a halogen spotlight. HID projectors are also much more efficient, producing much more light with less power. This means that an HID focus will run much longer on a single charge or with a set of batteries before needing replenishment. Halogen bulbs are also quite fragile because the bulb itself is a simple wire filament design.
When this wire filament bulb heats up, the filament becomes sensitive to vibrations and impacts that can cause it to break if the focus is pushed or dropped. HID bulbs, however, have no filament. With HID bulbs, electricity is used to create an arc inside the lamp, which then ignites gases and salts inside the bulb. These ignited materials create an intensely bright plasma that radiates a light that is directed and focused by the focus lens, resulting in a bright white light beam. Since there is no filament breaking, HID can withstand a higher degree of vibration and abuse that could cause failure in a halogen unit.
Although HID bulbs offer a higher degree of performance over halogen units, they have some differences to consider. HID lamps work similarly to fluorescent lights, meaning they require a ballast to light the lamp and maintain a constant current flow to the bulb. This ballast adds a little more weight and cost. However, this is generally compensated with the longer operating life of HID compared to a halogen lamp. While a halogen has no ballast, it will only work at best around 500-800 hours before it is burned. However, an HID lamp can run up to 10,000 hours before requiring replacement, making it more cost-effective in the long run, not to mention being more reliable.
HID spotlights can also become quite hot during operation. Particularly with hand versions, it is best to be careful when operating the unit and never touch the lens until you have had enough time to cool down or an unpleasant burn may occur. This is not a big problem with the permanently mounted Spotlight, as there will generally not be much direct handling of the entire unit. Finally, HID bulbs take between 30 and 60 seconds to reach the maximum intensity. This healing period usually still allows a decent beam of light until the full output is reached, but you will only get a 60-80% output until then.
In general, HID ship bulbs simply outperform normal incandescent and halogen bulbs in almost all performance measures. By producing beams of light that are more than half a mile long and energy-efficient, they provide a bright light source that is ideal for marine environments where emergencies, convenience, and safety dictate the need for energy without much compromise.
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