rgano
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2007
- Messages
- 4,996
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- FROLIC
- Vessel Make
- Mainship 30 Pilot II since 2015. GB-42 1986-2015. Former Unlimited Tonnage Master
Having lighted dozens and dozens of the USCG required flares on recreational boats, most expired, some not, I became aware that if you want three of them that will work, yu had better have six. The dripping slag on those things is not compatible with anything inflatable. So I was happy to relieve myself of their presence on my boat when the SOS light became a legal alternate. Today I performed a routine test of my "Weems and Plath" SOS light only to find the brass spring at the bottom of the tube containing 3 Coppertop C batteries had its contact point with the brass strip running the tube's length corroded. The batteries were all reading 1.7 Volts with an expiration date far in the future, but all brass parts were black, not showing any lumpy corrosion except at the one cited connection between spring and strip. Weems and Plath website does not show this light as a product. Ordered a "Sirius" SOS light on Amazon, and it arrived with all parts identical to the "Weems and Plath" junk. I sprayed corrosion block into the bore of the battery compartment and put the batteries in, but this item will be frequently inspected for integrity and performance.