I've seen the light - Imtra Gibraltar PowerLED

For a sailboat from the late 1980's, we think s/v Bearly-A-Wake still shows and performs very well. This is partly due to the builder (Catalina Yachts) choosing mostly quality fittings, and largely due to regular maintenance and upgrades. One of the original fittings that still functions just fine, but actually is showing some age is the plastic light fixture in the head. The plastic casing is turning yellow and the incandescent bulbs inside are the last remaining non-LEDs in the cabin. Time for an upgrade!

Out with the old...

I recently removed the old plastic fixture and replaced it with Imtra's Gilbraltar PowerLED dome light. I chose the warm white with red bi-color model, so it has an on/off toggle that can switch between white light and red for times when we'll want to keep our night vision intact. Also note, this fixture has double gaskets for splash protection, so you could potentially install one in the cockpit too. Hopefully those gaskets will never get tested in our head, but you never know what's flying about when you go below in snotty weather.

The first thing I noticed when removing the Gibraltar from the packaging is the polished stainless bezel and solid glass frosted lens that give this fixture a heft that's lacking in the all-plastic fixture I replaced. It looks both classy and durable, but time will have to tell.

...In with the new.

Are your pupils dilated?

Installation was simple. Just use the paper template provided by Imtra to choose an appropriate mounting location and drill the two 3/8" clearance holes for the casing nuts, splice the red and black lead wires to the feeds, and secure the fixture with the three provided screws. This particular model is flush mounted (except for the clearance holes) and comes with a soft rubber/foam gasket to help create a seal. In addition to the red positive lead and black negative lead, there is also a white (+) dimmer lead and a grey (-) dimmer lead. Since I won't be using mine on a dimmer, I didn't connect these two wires, but the option is there for those want to be able to dim the light.

I'm very happy with the new, clean look and the brighter (equal to 25W halogen) lighting in the head. I'm also pleased to now feature a cabin with all LED lighting, which will hopefully save us power and maintenance. So is there a downside to this upgrade? Only if you're on a tight budget because the Gibraltar will set you back $229 USD, though a similar G4 halogen model is available for $79 USD. Kind of makes you wish these fixtures came standard from the factory.

Want more info about these fixtures? Practical Sailor recently bestowed an Editor's Choice award to the Gibraltar PowerLED (May/June 2014).

For the specs nerds:
Warm white (2850K) / Red Bi-Color
Power Consumption: 5.5W
Voltage: 10-30VDC
Dimmer Interface: Pulse Width Modulation
Dimmensions: Trim ring = 6.5" diameter, Height = 1.42"


>> Find SFLF's other sailing gear reviews here. <<

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Top 10 Favorite Affordable Bluewater Sailboats

Image
I've always said that my favorite boat is whichever one I currently own. Being able to call it "mine" makes it my favorite by default. My first boat was a $400 derelict that I loved (still love) deeply. And she loved me back. However, that doesn't mean there aren't other boats I love that I'd like to call "mine" someday. The following is my personal ranking of my favorite affordable (available for ~$50k) sailboats. I've rather arbitrarily set the price limit around $50k and called it "affordable" in hopes that one day one of these boats might fit my budget and help my family and I to sail far and live free. Also note that other than the top 3, these rankings change in my head almost daily and I really struggled to narrow the list down to just 10.   As you peruse my list, you'll notice that they're all bluewater cruisers . You won't find any modern designs, fin keels, spade rudders, sugar scoop transoms, carbo...
Read more

Go Small and Go Now! 5 Pocket Cruisers to Take you Anywhere

Image
"Go small, go simple, go now!" -Lin & Larry Pardey Iconic cruisers Lin and Larry Pardey are well-known among cruising enthusiasts for the above statement. Can it really be that easy? Grab yourself a small boat, outfit it properly but simply for offshore work, and get going while your dream and your body is still alive! Lin and Larry not only made the statement, they lived it. If you're looking to do the same, maybe some of the micro- or pocket-cruisers I've listed below can serve as your "go small" portion of the equation. Going small and choosing one of these or several other pocket cruisers will lead to trade-offs. Of course first and foremost you'll be giving up length, both on deck and at the waterline. This often leads to less storage space, less weight capacity, and slower sailing. But the upside is presumably less maintenance (less paint, less wood, fewer systems) and more affordable expenses. For example, replacing the s...
Read more

Escape to the Sea: How to get from the Great Lakes to the Caribbean

Image
Let's say winter's chill was something you could no longer take as a Great Lakes sailor. Or perhaps you just want to extend your sailing season beyond the boundaries of summer. What options do you have?  You could just opt for a bareboat charter somewhere in the Caribbean and consider the itch scratched. But then you'd miss out on all the adventure of moving a boat between the Great Lakes and the Caribbean. And you wouldn't be sailing  your  boat. I'm here to convince you that the best option is to sail your own boat south. What follows is an overview of the route you could take to get you and your boat to warmer water and weather from the Great Lakes. Route 1: St. Lawrence Seaway (including Lake Champlain shortcut) You're adventurous if you choose this route. From most starting locations in the Great Lakes, you'll also be seeing the most scenery and passing the ...
Read more