Attwood LightArmor 42" Masthead / Anchor Light - PowerBase

The Attwood LightArmor 42-inch Masthead / Anchor Light is the all-around white LED light required at the top of the masthead pole on power-driven vessels up to 65.4 feet (20 meters) per USCG and COLREGs navigation light requirements. It's a dual-purpose fixture - both the all-around anchor light (white light shown 360 degrees when at anchor) AND the masthead light (forward-facing white light shown when underway under power).

What this light does in navigation terms. Two distinct requirements roll into one fixture: (1) Anchor light - any vessel at anchor outside a designated anchorage area must show an all-around white light visible 360 degrees, positioned where it's visible from any direction. This warns approaching vessels that you're stationary. Required at sundown to sunrise whenever you're anchored. (2) Masthead light - power-driven vessels underway at night must show a forward-facing white light positioned above the deck. The LightArmor's all-around design satisfies both requirements with a single fixture - turn on the light, you've satisfied either anchor or underway requirement depending on what you're doing.

Size class - up to 65.4 feet (20 meters). The 42-inch pole length and 3 NM visibility rating are sized specifically for power-driven vessels in the 26-65 ft range. Smaller vessels (under 26 ft) can use shorter poles with 2 NM visibility. Larger vessels (over 65 ft) require taller poles with 5 NM visibility. The 42-inch length gets the light high enough above the typical 26-65 ft boat's superstructure (T-tops, hardtops, antennas) to provide unobstructed 360-degree visibility - the critical requirement for anchor light effectiveness. If the light is obstructed by your hardtop or radar arch, approaching vessels can't see you - the whole point of the light is defeated.

LED vs legacy incandescent. The LightArmor LED design replaces the legacy incandescent or festoon bulb assemblies of older masthead lights with modern long-life LED illumination. Practical benefits over incandescent: (1) 50,000 hours of rated LED service life - typically the practical lifetime of the fixture, you'll never replace the LED. Incandescent bulbs need replacement every 500-1,500 hours and they always fail at the worst time. (2) Shock-proof construction with no filament to break - vibration from the engine, hull pounding in rough water, hitting waves, all the normal abuses of marine service don't affect LEDs the way they kill incandescent filaments. (3) Lower power draw - the LightArmor pulls roughly 1 amp at 12V vs 2-3 amps for typical incandescent masthead lights. Meaningful difference for overnight anchor light operation on house battery. (4) Brighter and whiter light output - LEDs emit pure white at the appropriate color temperature for nav lights.

Three nautical mile visibility - what it means. The 3 NM rating is the minimum required visibility distance at night for power-driven vessels in the 12-50 meter (39-164 ft) size range under USCG and COLREGs. Practical impact: another vessel approaching at typical 15-20 knot night cruising speed sees your anchor light from 3 nautical miles away, giving them roughly 9-12 minutes to identify, evaluate, and adjust course before passing you. That's adequate response time for normal night navigation - more than enough to avoid collision. The 3 NM is a minimum. actual visibility on a clear night with no light pollution is typically 4-6 NM with the LightArmor's LED output.

Construction - shock / corrosion / waterproof. The LightArmor lens housing and electronics are sealed against salt spray, rain, humidity, and the constant condensation cycling of marine environments. The pole itself is anodized aluminum for corrosion resistance. The electrical contact at the base of the pole (where it inserts into the PowerBase) is the standard Attwood marine contact pattern with corrosion-resistant brass / stainless components. Permanent mast-top exposure to weather is the design environment - the LightArmor handles it for the LED's full rated service life.

CRITICAL: PowerBase is sold separately and required. This is the most important thing to know before purchase. The 42-inch LightArmor pole assembly is designed for use ONLY with the Attwood PowerBase (MPN 6100-LT-7), which is the deck-mounted electrical and mechanical interface that the pole inserts into. The PowerBase provides: the 12V power connection (running from the boat's electrical system to the LED at the top of the pole), the mechanical lock that holds the pole securely in the deployed position even in rough water, and the snap-in / snap-out mechanism for quick deployment and stowing. The pole itself has no integral mounting or wiring - it's useless without the PowerBase. Verify you have a PowerBase installed (or that you're ordering one) before buying the pole. Mounting a different brand's base or trying to wire the pole directly doesn't work - the contact pattern and dimensions are Attwood-specific.

Stowed vs deployed operation. Standard configuration: install the PowerBase permanently on a suitable location at the boat (top of the cabin, on the radar arch, on the masthead - somewhere with unobstructed 360-degree visibility), leave the LightArmor pole stowed in a rack or compartment when not needed (underway during daylight, or when at the dock with shore-power lighting providing the visibility), insert the pole into the PowerBase when required (at anchor at night, underway at night under power). The snap-in lock takes 2-3 seconds to deploy and another 2-3 seconds to stow - faster than walking back to the helm to turn on the light.

Install of the PowerBase (when you order one). The PowerBase mounts to the deck or top of the boat using four stainless screws (use proper backing under thin deck materials). Two-wire 12V connection (positive and negative) from the boat's electrical system through an appropriately-sized fuse (5A is the standard recommendation). Position the PowerBase where the inserted pole will have unobstructed 360-degree visibility - the most common mistakes are mounting in a position where the hardtop or radar arch blocks part of the view, defeating the all-around requirement.

What you need to operate the light. (1) The pole assembly (this product). (2) The PowerBase (sold separately - MPN 6100-LT-7). (3) Wiring from the boat's 12V electrical system through a 5A fuse to the PowerBase. (4) A panel switch at the helm to turn the light on and off (most boats wire this through the standard nav-light switch panel). (5) Mounting hardware for the PowerBase install. The pole comes with the LED already installed and the contact pattern matched to the PowerBase. No assembly required beyond installing the PowerBase.

Warranty. Attwood standard limited warranty applies to the LightArmor product line. Save the receipt and the original packaging. Warranty service runs through Attwood's authorized service network and dealer channel. Most field failures Attwood sees in the LightArmor line are install-related to the PowerBase wiring (loose connections, undersized wire, no fuse) rather than pole or LED defects - the LED itself almost never fails before reaching end-of-life service hours. Plan for routine cleaning of the contact pattern at the base of the pole (a quick wipe with electrical contact cleaner every season prevents corrosion-induced flickering).