Navigation Lights

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Anonymous (not verified)
Navigation Lights
I used some of the Joubert okume plywood I had leftover to make a combination stern light/solar panel mount: [img]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4420819709_a95b9acab9_b.jpg[/img] The stern light is a Hella LED, as are the port/starboard lights. The ball at the top of the mount is part of the mounting system for a 25" square solar panel that will keep the battery charged. Now, the fun part, I have to run the wiring system and mount the battery. [img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2749/4420819759_6f8c7cda2e_b.jpg[/img] [img]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4420819805_256dd9ceae_b.jpg[/img] I put a tenon on the vertical piece, and mortised the horizontal piece. Then I epoxied and glassed the assembly, with a fillet w/glass tape on the side that is against the aluminum tube. I discovered that finding the right radius ss u-bolts with the leg length needed is not easy, btw.
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Navigation Lights
Kim, you may have problems with the whole assembly rotating on the beam once the solar panel is mounted. Perhaps some rubber strapping wrapped around the beam under the U-bolts might help. Or perhaps a hole bored in the beam with a screw thru one of the two plates to act as a key in the hole.
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Navigation Lights
Hi Tex, I did the mock-up on an actual piece of the tube in my shop, with the rubber and longer u-bolts. The longer u-bolts were unfortunately a larger radius, which put the threaded ends 3" apart: the tube is 2 1/4". These more correctly sized u-bolts leave no room for the rubber sheet. I did actually mount the solar panel after tightening the assembly while it was in the shop, and I couldn't get it to rotate. The tube on the boat, with it's somewhat oxidized surface, provides a textured surface against the bolts, so they get a better grip. If in spite of this, if there is rotation, the "set-screw" idea may come into play. I am not happy about holes in the beam near its center though. It is quite a thick wall, 5/16", so a properly sized set-screw hole may not affect it. I do sit on the beam sometimes, and have my boarding ladder rigged to it. . .We shall see!
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Navigation Lights
G'day Kim, I don't think a small hole in the beam would matter. The beam is not structural anyway. I have thought of another reason for rubber strapping under the u-bolts: to prevent galvanic corrosion. Don't be mislead by your trials in the workshop. Huey's a lot stronger than you are. ;)
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Navigation Lights
Of that, there is no doubt! ;) [quote="Tex McGowan"]G'day Kim, Don't be mislead by your trials in the workshop. Huey's a lot stronger than you are. ;)[/quote]
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Navigation Lights
Nice idea kwhitmyre! Now you have a navigation lights for your boat. That looks great by the way. I would be writing an [url=http://www.essaybank.com/][color=#000000]example essay UK[/color][/url] about this.