Spotlight mounted on roof

[Cape Codder]

Many of the 28TE's I see have the white Jabsco remote spotlight mounted on the roof.
I have purchased one of these lights, and plan on installing as one of my first projects this spring.

My question: Is you spotlight mounted on the roof IN FRONT OF THE WINDSHIELD, or is yours mounted above the helm area BEHIND THE WINDSHIELD?
Does it matter?
If it's too far back, will the angle prevent the forward beam from lighting up bouys?

I am assuming that the roof has space between the top surface, and the "ceiling" inside the helm to run the wires.
Any insight into the proper mounting would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

[chiefrcd]

Hey Bob, do a search here and you'll find a whole long post on spotlights. I'll add my 2 cents again here. I have the same light you are describing and I hate it. Number one, I can't seem to use the remote control to find anything out on the water. I'm fine in the marina area, but once out on open water unless I happen to "accidently" find a buoy or marker I can't put the light on it. Second is the reflection off the bow deck. Terrible reflection prevents me from seeing much of anything. I've seen people who have mounted their lights on star board between the fron bow pulpit and they have eliminated the reflection issue. My light is mounted up on the very front of the pilot house. I ran a government marine patrol for a few years and I've been boating since 1981 and I'll tell you, I prefer to use and I carry two hand held lights, one is a 150,000CP waterproof dive light and the other is a 3.5 million CP Boats US light. I can put a hand held right on the money each time....as opposed to hunting and pecking with my remote light. I can also use it around the dock and if necessary abandon ship with my lights....they just make more sense to me than fighting the fixed mounted light. Just my 2 cents worth.

[furball]

I haven't used a roof mounted remote but I have read the posts regarding reflection off the railings. Why not mount the light on the center line of the roof, far enough back from the leading edge of the roof to block direct light on the rails? I'm guessing 2-3 ft back depending on how tall the mount. That's what I was thinking of trying anyway.
John

[RobS]

Here's mine, As this boat is new to me I only used it once coming down the canal to help locate the reflective buoys. I do remember it lighting up the bow area very bright but don't have enough time on it yet to really comment on how well it works, or doesn't. I do a lot of anchoring for diving, wreck fishing and beaching so although it may be better on the pulpit I wonder how in the way it would be for me. Plus I hate anything obstructing my view, I'm a stickler for a clean windshield and clear line of site. Here's a boat I looked at that has it mounted up on the rail at the pulpit.

[RicM]

I wonder if anyone has experimented with placement of the light. These simple spots have a "hot spot" where the beam is focused, it's the extraneous un-directed light that hits the fore deck, lighting it and ruining your night vision. By moving the light towards the stern while observing the pattern ( at night ) you should find a place where the roof blocks the light from hitting the foredeck, but the hot spot is still focused forward 20-50 yards where one would be looking for a nav aid.
A more expensive alternative ( and this is a boating forum, right?) is two companies have night vision cameras that could be mounted and fed into a display.

[mhanna]

My old boat had a pulpit mounted spot/flood and it worked for me and there was little chance of reflection. When I got the 28, I though of putting on a light (look back at threads here). I decided to go with a handheld spot for awhile and used it on the roof where i may have put a remote. Yes it had alot of reflections, and as chief has pointed out many times trying to get the joystick to point the light while moving can be challenging.
I also put my inflatable on the roof and bungee it down, I could not do that if there were a device sticking out in the middle, just a thought before you drill holes.


Matt

[elad9000]

I mounted a flood light, not a spot light, just forward of the windshield. Had it more forward but the glare on the foredeck made night vision impossible. Played around with the location until the shadow from the roof just shielded the deck.

The concentrated beam of a spot light is just too narrow to see anything at night unless you know where what you are looking for is. The flood light brightens up everything in a 160 degree arc ahead of you. And, the flood light is only $75.

[Pitou]

There is defineately a knack to running these Jabsco spotlights. The 1st season it took a while, so I purchased a handheld. Holding it out the sliding window got old fast. Over a little more time and alot of night runs the fine balance of running the control and not getting that blinding reflection off the foredeck was mastered, but still that occassional reflection off the pulpit rail splashes back. I have had thoughts of posting the light with a short 12 inch mast, but not on the short list. As the light gets higher the further back it should go. The rail mount Rob shows looks good, but I'm with him ...... I hate to obstruct my view ..... dilema, dilema!

As far as installation : there is plenty of room to run wire and cable through the inner and outer roof. The wiper, dome light in the wheel house and my spotlight wires run through it. Just use a snake and a pull string. The access is through the removable piece of marine lumber behind the pilot seat sliding window. As previously mentioned I'd keep the light behind the front window too prevent excessive wash of the flood over the deck. I am headed down to the boat yard today to plug-in to charge the batteries and I'll try to crawl forward between the shrink wrap and pilot house and get a set-back measurement for the unit.

For what it's worth ...... Okay, back from the boat and a quick addition : the front base of the spot is set-back 19 1/4 inches from the edge of the most forward point of the roof.

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[Cape Codder]

Thanks everyone for such great information.
I'll continue to do some more research too.

If mounted on the roof, it needs to mounted further back than I originally thought. The glare off the deck makes the whole notion of the spotllight less desirable.
I have no intention of using the spotlight under cruising conditions, but more for entering the harbor at night and getting to the mooring.


Thanks again.

[SpaceCoaster]

Has anyone thought or had experience with one of those manual lights? The type that would have a handle on the inside of the pilothouse so you could manually point the light where you wanted it to shine? That seems like it would solve some of the issues with pointing it in the right direction.

Two things come to mind as potential problems...

a. In picturing the pilothouse in my head I'm wondering if it would not sit forward enough on the roof to shine properly and still be reachable from the captain's seat.

b. I don't think you can control the pitch of the light so if you're on plane it might be pointing to high and not shine on the horizon. It might be fine while at slow speeds.

Just wondering.

Jorge

[d-jmeyer]

I just read an article in PassageMaker about safety . . . with this interesting info:

"Most serious emergencies occur at night.. . . . . permanently fixed lights don't always illuminate what you need to see . . . . . for this reason . . .reliable handheld lights on board is critical...."

We have a roof-mounted spotlight, but I want to be sure we also have an ignition-proof handheld light available. This article recommends the Pelican's SabreLite 2010 Recoil LED. Haven't looked into that yet. Anyone have one?

[FIVEPLAY]

My experience with permanently mounted remotely operated lights has not been good. When they work properly it is difficult to locate the bouys in a timely manner. Loss of night vision always seemed to be a problem. Perhaps I didn't use it enough to get the knack of proper operation.

Also, although mine was newly installed it became tempermental very quickly and would not always rotate through its intended arc. Perhaps I didn't use it enough to get the knack of proper operation. In any event I use the handheld out the window and would recommend at least having one on board.