Hydrosphere UK Ltd Complete Products & Services Catalogue

data buoy platforms 

moorings 

navigation buoys 

mooring buoys 

the UK’s leading supplier of aids to navigation 

hydrosphere 

company profile 

ISO 9001:2008 certified world-leading manufacturers 

complete AtoN solutionS IALA and GLA compliant 18 year’s industry experience 

coverage across the UK and Ireland 

Hydrosphere UK Ltd 

mission statement 

“To be the preferred supplier of reliable, efficient and cost-effective Aids to Navigation, 

for the benefit of industry authorities and the safety of all mariners.”

leading supplier of aids to navigation 

Founded in 1994, Hydrosphere is firmly established as the UK and Ireland’s leading supplier of aids to 

navigation, providing high quality, reliable and cost-effective solutions to the marine industry. 

We represent world-leading innovators in the production of navigation lights, navigation buoys, data buoy 

platforms, moorings and mooring buoys. In addition, we manufacture and design ancillary equipment including 

power supplies, monitoring and control systems, and masts, and back this up with a full installation and 

maintenance service. 

our products: 

» AIS type 1 and type 3 

transponders 

» Bespoke products 

» Chains and shackles 

» Control systems 

» Data buoy platforms 

» Fog signals and visibility 

detectors 

» GPS synchronisation of 

lights and signals 

» Installation, maintenance, 

repair & removal 

» Mains power supplies with 

or without backup 

» Mooring buoys 

» Moorings 

» Navigation buoys 

» Navigation lights 

» Obstruction lights 

» Racons 

» Radar target enhancers 

» Remote monitoring 

systems by GSM 

or satellite 

» Signage 

» Sonar transponders 

» Standalone solar power 

supplies with or without 

backup 

» System design, configuration 

& documentation 

our partners 

Mobilis 

For over 20 years Mobilis has been 

supplying the marine industry with 

robust, IALA compliant and cost-effective 

navigation buoys, mooring buoys and 

zone marking buoys. Leading the field, 

Mobilis products are renowned for their 

longevity, strength and adaptability, and 

are constructed from environmentally 

friendly materials. 

Carmanah/Sabik 

Bringing together two world-leading 

innovators in marine technology 

Carmanah/Sabik provide everything from 

self contained, solar powered navigation 

lights, to explosion-proof LED beacons, 

fog signals and monitoring devices. 

Vega Industries Ltd 

Vega provides an extensive range of 

high-performance, self contained lights 

and LED beacons with up to 30NM range, 

as well as precision sector and PEL lights, 

LED leading lights, and rotating beacons 

for lighthouses. 

Carlier Chaines SAS 

Carlier Chaines SAS has been 

manufacturing quality chains and 

equipment for marine, offshore, lifting 

and industrial applications since 1930. 

Every chain link is individually tested and, 

where required, certified by Lloyds or 

Bureaux Veritas.

trusted by the industry 

Our products and services are used by all of the UK 

Lighthouse Authorities and most major ports and harbours 

across the UK and Ireland, as well as offshore oil and 

gas companies, offshore renewable energy sites, the 

MOD, marinas, sailing clubs, aquaculture sites, research 

institutes and universities, and yacht clubs. 

All the products that we distribute are fully compliant with 

IALA and GLA guidelines and recommendations. 

dedicated technical sales team 

some of our 

customers 

005 

Our Technical Sales team covers the whole of the UK and Ireland with 

specific Sales Managers dedicated to particular areas of the country. 

We are always happy to make a visit to your site to get a better 

understanding of your requirements and to offer advice on the most 

cost-effective and efficient solutions. 

in-house design & engineering 

We have an in-house team of skilled engineers who can design and build 

systems for any bespoke application. We are also happy to carry out full 

installation and maintenance services on all of our products and systems. 

large stock holding 

Our large stock holding of products at our warehouse in Hampshire 

enables us to respond immediately to your emergency or last-minute 

orders. This is backed up with regular shipments from all of our overseas 

manufacturers, meaning we can typically ship products within 24 hours 

of your order being placed. 

commitment to quality 

We, along with our partners, are dedicated to ensuring that all our 

products and services fully meet the requirements of both our customers 

and the marine industry authorities. All design, supply, installation and 

maintenance activities are completed under our ISO 9001:2008 certification. 

We work together with all of our customers to maintain this policy and 

continually strive to enhance the products and services we offer. 

The Bristol Port Company 

Port of London Authority 

Clydeport Ltd 

Environment Agency 

Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm 

Met Office 

Duchy of Cornwall Oyster Farm 

SeaGen – Marine Current Turbines Ltd 

University of Southampton 

SCIRA Offshore Energy 

Orkney Islands Council 

Gareloch Support Services (Plant) Ltd 

CEFAS 

Fugro Seacore 

Lancaster Port Commission 

Northern Lighthouse Board 

SMRU Ltd 

Scottish Water 

Shetland Islands Council 

River Hamble Harbour Authority 

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar 

Trinity House 

Commissioners of Irish Lights 

Associated British Ports (ABP) 

Milford Haven Port Authority 

OSIL 

Peel Ports Group 

Fred. Olsen 

Dwr Cymru Cyf 

Wells Harbour Commissioners 

Isle of Man Government 

Centrica Plc 

EMU Limited 

Red7Marine Limited 

Kingston Marine Services 

GPS Marine Contractors Ltd 

Hydrosphere UK Ltd 

For more information on any of our products and services please contact us. 

We are proud to be an accredited ISO 9001:2008 company and a member of numerous 

maritime professional and trade organisations including UKHMA, RIN and RenewableUK. 

Compliant with all IALA 

recommendations. 

Commercial 

Member 

005 

Science Technology 

Practice 

Word mark based on GillSans Light typeface 

Pantone 187 C

contact us 

Units C & D, West End Centre 

Colthouse Lane, Upper Froyle 

Hampshire, GU34 4JR 

tel: +44 (0)1420 520374 

fax: +44 (0)1420 520373 

email: sales@hydrosphere.co.uk 

www.hydrosphere.co.uk 

For customers in the North of England and Scotland 

you can get in touch via our Scottish Office: 

Fife Renewables Innovation Centre 

Ajax Way, Methil Docks Business Park 

Methil, Fife, KY8 3RS 

tel: +44 (0)1333 422000 

fax: +44 (0)1420 520373 


moorings 


navigation lights 

mooring buoys 

installation 


aquaculture | marinas & sailing clubs | ports & harbours | offshore renewable energy | oil & gas 

t: +44 (0)1420 520374 www.hydrosphere.co.uk e: sales@hydrosphere.co.uk 

E&OE Hyd_UK_V.2.00_Sep_12


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


renewable energy 

PRODUCT SUMMARY 

navigation lights navigation buoys moorings remote monitoring systems 

· interface to SCADA fog signals AIS obstruction lights mains & solar power supplies 

· gps synchronisation radar target enhancers sonar transponders 

· installation & maintenance system design, configuration & documentation 

renewable energy

world-leading renewable energy solutions 

Hydrosphere is the UK’s leading supplier of all aids to navigation equipment for offshore renewable energy 

sites. We have over 18 years of experience in providing solutions ranging from single LED beacons to entire 

wind farm systems including: temporary solar lights, navigation buoys, navigation lights for fixed and floating 

structures, foghorns, remote monitoring, and data buoy platforms. Our customers include offshore wind, 

wave and tidal energy developers as well as Trinity House, Commissioners of Irish Lights, the Northern 

Lighthouse Board, and all major ports and harbours in the UK and Ireland. 

construction phase 

self contained LED navigation lights 

Solar-powered marine LED navigation lights for use on fixed and floating structures. All lights are able to exhibit all standard IALA flash characters. 

2NM lights for marking monopiles 

6NM beacons for temporary marking 

of larger structures 

Vega VLB-2 

Carmanah M650 

Sabik SC 155 

Vega VLB-36 XL PP 


We are the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for worldleading 

Mobilis buoys suitable for marking offshore wind farm, 

wave, tidal and current sites. All buoys are compliant with IALA 

recommendations and have options for remote monitoring with 

alarms via GSM or satellite. 

Mobilis buoys 

The Mobilis modular JET range of 

buoys range from 3.0m – 2.4m 

hull diameter and are suitable for 

offshore and deep water locations 

where a large, highly visible 

navigation buoy is required. 

moorings 

The mooring is an integral part of the system that will affect the performance and reliability of the buoy. 

On problematic locations we recommend a detailed mooring study be carried out to maximise reliability and 

minimise future maintenance costs. 

electronic aids to navigation 

sonar transponders AIS racon 

Sabik Sonar Transponder 

Kanaton AIS Transponder 

Type 1 and Type 3 

HEKLEO-SX

permanent marking 

signage 

Maintenance-free, night-time ID marking 

with illumination of up to 10cd/m2. 

fog signals and detectors 

Visibility detectors and 2.0NM to 0.5NM compact, omnidirectional foghorns emitting a 360 degree beam of sound. 

All designed for offshore use. 

Sabik IMS-650 

Sabik SFD 7100 

Fog detector 

Sabik FW 6 Fog Signal 

Sabik FW 1 Fog Signal 

LED lights 

5NM and 15NM marine lanterns for use on offshore wind farms and MET 

masts with optional GPS synchronisation. 

monitoring and control 

Remote monitoring systems by GSM or satellite for monitoring and controlling a set of fixed 

AtoN including: navigation lights, obstruction lights, fog signals, AIS, racons, signage, sonar 

transponders, two-way communication and GPS. 

Sabik LED 155 Sabik LED 350 

Sabik NavAid Controller Interface to SCADA 

renewable energy 

System design, configuration and documentation 

All design, configuration, documentation, supply, installation, 

maintenance and removal of products is available. 

electronic aids to navigation 

traffic surveillance 

systems 

radar target 

enhancers 

The products illustrated in this product summary 

are a sample of the range and variations available. 

All products can be tailored to meet site-specific 

requirements regarding colour, shape, navigation 

lights, radar reflectors, solar power supplies, 

monitoring systems, and moorings. 

Please contact us and we will be happy to guide 

you to the best specification for your requirements. 

Compliant with all IALA recommendations. 

Commercial 

Member 

005 

Sabik TSS 

EchoMax 

Active X and XS 


Practice

our customers 

Greater Gabbard 

Sheringham Shoal 

Walney 

North Hoyle 

Scroby Sands 

Kentish Flats 

Burbo Bank 

Robin Rigg 

Lincs 

Strangford Lough 

Pelamis Wave Power Ltd. 

SeaGen 

Fred. Olsen 

Image courtesy of Marine Current Turbines Ltd. 

the right solution for the job 

To make sure you get the right product for your requirements consider all the factors that will affect the visibility 

and stability of the aid including: depth of water; sea conditions and current; lighting and range of light required; 

shape and topmarks; and focal plane. 

about Hydrosphere 

Hydrosphere is the UK’s leading supplier of aids to navigation and has been providing cost-effective solutions to the 

marine industry for more than 18 years. We offer a wide range of navigation and mooring buoys, LED navigation 

lights, sector lights, rotating beacons, leading lights, jetty masts, beach and zone marking products and associated 

moorings. Rental, installation and maintenance services are also available for all our products and systems. 

For more information please contact us. 


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 




E&OE Ren_Ene_V.2.00_Sep_12


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


oil & gas 


NAVIGATION LIGHTS NAVIGATION BUOYS MOORINGS REMOTE MONITORING SYSTEMS 

FOG SIGNALS AIS OBSTRUCTION LIGHTS MAINS & SOLAR POWER SUPPLIES 

INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE SYSTEM DESIGN, CONFIGURATION & DOCUMENTATION 

oil & gas 

Image by Andrew Schmidt

world-leading solutions for offshore oil & gas 

Hydrosphere is the UK’s leading supplier of aids to navigation offering hazardous area-approved marking for 

offshore oil and gas sites. We have over 18 years of experience in providing low-maintenance, high-quality 

equipment including navigation buoys, navigation lights for fixed and floating structures, fog signals, data 

buoy platforms, and remote monitoring either by GSM, satellite or AIS. Our customers include offshore oil 

and gas energy developers as well as all of the UK Lighthouse Authorities and major ports and harbours in 

the UK and Ireland. 

self contained LED navigation lights 

Solar-powered marine LED navigation lights for use on fixed and floating structures. All lights are able to exhibit all standard IALA flash characters. 

2NM range 

6NM range 

Vega VLB-2 

Carmanah M650 

Sabik SC 155 

Vega VLB-36 XL PP 

LED ATEX lights 

Explosion-proof marine LED lights suitable for ATEX sites zones 1 + 2 

with up to 12.5NM range at 0.74T. Non-ATEX versions also available. 

power systems 

Solar power and battery modules for hazardous areas, 

designed to operate in the harshest conditions. 

Sabik LED 155 EX 

Sabik LED 350 EX 

STSM 85 EX 

Solar Module 

SBE 130 EX Battery Box 


We offer a range of world-leading Mobilis buoys 

suitable for offshore applications. All buoys are 

compliant with IALA recommendations and have 

options for remote monitoring with alarms via 

GSM or satellite. 

Mobilis buoys 

The Mobilis modular JET buoys range from 

3.0m – 2.4m hull diameter and are suitable 

for offshore and deep water locations where 

a large, highly visible navigation buoy is 

required. 

moorings 

The mooring is an integral part of the system that will affect the performance and 

reliability of the buoy. On problematic locations we recommend a detailed mooring 

study be carried out to maximise reliability and minimise future maintenance costs.

fog signals & detectors 

Visibility detectors and 2.0NM to 0.5NM compact, omnidirectional foghorns emitting sound through 360°. All designed for offshore installation. 

Sabik SFD 7100 EX SFH 1 EX Fog Signal SFH 6 EX Fog Signal 

AIS 

Automated Identification System for broadcasting 

position, identity and navigation status. 

racon 

S- and X-band frequency agile racon. 

support structures 

A custom-built, self contained AtoN system for 

use with solar and battery power options. 

Kanaton AIS Transponder 

Type 1 and Type 3 

monitoring and control 

HEKLEO-SX 

Remote monitoring systems by GSM or satellite for monitoring and 

controlling a set of fixed AtoN including: navigation lights, obstruction 

lights, fog signals, AIS, racons, signage, sonar transponders, two-way 

communication and GPS 

System design, configuration and documentation 

All design, configuration, documentation, supply, installation, 

maintenance and removal of products is available. 

oil & gas 

The products illustrated in this summary are a 

sample of the range and variations available. 

All products can be tailored to meet site-specific 

requirements regarding colour, shape, navigation 

lights, solar power supplies, monitoring systems, 

and moorings. 

Please contact us and we will be happy to guide you 

to the best specification for your requirements. 

Sabik NavAid 

Controller 

Interface to SCADA 


Commercial 

Member 

005 


Practice

some of our customers 

Trinity House 

Oikos Storage Ltd 

Shell UK Oil Products Ltd 

Veritas DGC Ltd 

Northern Lighthouse Board 

Commissioners of Irish Lights 

Fawley Power Station 

Fugro Seacore 

Reflex Marine 

Peel Ports Group 

Ocean Power Umbilical 

CB&I 

Associated British Ports (ABP) 

Kingsnorth Power Station 

Image by Andrew Schmidt 

the right solution for the job 

To make sure you get the right system for your requirements consider all the factors that will affect the visibility and 

stability of the Navaid including: depth of water; sea conditions and current; environment lighting and range of light 

required; and focal plane. 








moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 




E&OE Oil_Gas_V.2.00_Nov_12


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


aquaculture 


robust and reliable solutions solar power supplies HDPE mounting plates 

self contained lights for sites and barges marker posts for cages 

radar reflectors IALA compliant buoys with topmarks 

aquaculture

world-leading aquaculture solutions 

As the UK’s leading supplier of aids to navigation, Hydrosphere have been providing robust and 

reliable aquaculture solutions to the marine industry for over 18 years. We provide a range of worldleading 

navigation lights and buoys for marking sites, as well as radar reflectors and mooring buoys. 

In addition, Hydrosphere design and manufacture ancillary equipment including: solar and mains 

power supplies, monitoring and control systems, masts and moorings, and back these up with a full 

installation and maintenance service. 


A range of solar powered, marine LED navigation lights for use on fixed and floating structures. 

All lights are able to exhibit all IALA flash characters. 

features: 

• Self contained for single 

compact package 

• High performance precision 

optics 

• Cost-effective and easy 

to install 

M650 

Supersedes the M601 with enhanced 

range capability and replaceable 

battery pack. Used on aquaculture 

sites worldwide for over 10 years. 

Has a range of up to 2NM at 0.74T 

and over 200 different flash patterns. 

Now with optional GPS synchronisation. 

VLB-2 

An easy-to-program, high capacity 

marine beacon with up to 2NM 

performance at 0.74T and long-lasting 

battery. Available in red, green, white, 

yellow and blue, and compliant with 

IALA chromaticity requirements. 

VLB-67 

A high-energy efficient beacon 

designed for applications requiring a 

2 to 4NM range at 0.74T. Available as 

standalone, self contained and large 

self contained models, with optional 

GPS synchronisation and leading, 

range, and wreck options. 

• Low power consumption 

for long-lasting, consistent 

operation 

• Widespread application 

• Low maintenance 


A choice of 1.2m diameter buoys designed to comply with NLB and CIL recommendations and 

suitable for various locations from inshore mussel farms to offshore deepwater finfish sites. 

features: 

• Moulded polyethylene 

flotation with UV stabilisation 

equivalent to 15 year’s life 

• Suitable for a range of self 

contained solar lights and 

radar reflectors 

• Designed for ease of 

installation / maintenance 

M 1200 

T 1200 

moorings and shackles 

A lightweight, multipurpose buoy. 

Particularly suited for channel marking 

of smaller harbours, fish farms, outfalls 

and as special marks for marking 

underwater scientific instrumentation. 

The steel keel hull gives good stability 

in tidal flows and is available in several 

different configurations depending on 

site conditions. 

A medium-buoyancy, tailtube buoy 

with an integral daymark shape 

containing an internal radar reflector. 

Highly suited for use in coastal locations 

where conditions may be too extreme 

for a small, skirted buoy. A short 

galvanised steel tailtube and adjustable 

ballast weights provide a stable platform 

for a small self contained solar 

powered light. 

The mooring is an integral part of the 

system that will affect the performance 

and reliability of the buoy. 

On problematic locations we 

recommend a detailed mooring study 

be carried out to maximise reliability 

and minimise future maintenance costs. 

A range of chain and shackle supplies 

are available. 

• Modular system to reduce 

spares holding 

• M 1200 available with 

standard, upright storage, 

low draft and high current 

keel options

adar reflectors 

A range of active-passive radar reflectors and target enhancers for marine use. 

ECHOMAX 230 

Midi Basemount 

Suitable for navigation buoys and displacement hulls 

with speeds up to 15 knots. Features four integrally 

moulded fixing points for stability and reliability. 

ECHOMAX 305 FPMS 

High response radar reflector particularly suitable for 

navigation buoys. Built with a robust 3mm thick case 

with a flat top and base with customised fittings 

at either end. 

Active-X Band and XS Dual Band 

Radar Target Enhancers 

Receives a signal from transmitting radar, amplifies it 

and returns a stronger signal to help alert oncoming 

vessels of its position. 

marker posts and crosses 

The M650, VLB-2 and VLB-67 can be easily fixed onto a 2.4m 

tall marker post mounted to a fish cage. 

HDPE mounting plate 

Designed for rail, pole and wall mounting including aquaculture farms, 

masts and poles, and wind farm harbour walls. 

Available with 3 sizes of St Andrew’s Cross topmark or with a Herikon 

Polyurethane topmark. 

Available as standard or with U bolts, nuts and washers to suit either 

50mm or 76mm diameter tubing. 

aquaculture 

barge light 

M650 navigation light with optional sector plate 

for Port, Starboard and Stern lighting. 

The products illustrated in this summary are a 

sample of the range and variations available. 

All aquaculture solutions can be tailored to 

meet user requirements. Please contact us 

and we will be happy to guide you to the best 

specification for your need. 


Commercial 

Member 

M650 

Available in Green (Starboard), Red (Port) and White (Stern). 

005 


Practice

specifications and applications 


Light 

Max Night Range 

(NM at 0.74T) 

Solar Powered Input Power 12v dc 

Input Power 

110-240v ac 

Optional 

Synchronisation 

Buoy/Cage 

Barge 

Vega VLB-2 2 √ √ √ 

Carmanah M650 2 √ √ √ √ 

Vega VLB-67 4 √ √ √ √ √ √ 


Buoy 

Diameter m 

Mass Kg 

Max Ballast Kg 

Max Kg 

Gross 

Buoyancy Kg 

Reserve 

Buoyancy Kg 

Inshore 

Estuary 

Coastal 

Focal Plane m 

Chain mm 

Sinker Kg 

T 1200 1.2 100 50 150 835 610 √ √ √ 1.5 10 - 20 1000 - 1500 

M 1200 1.2 85 N/A 85 380 295 √ √ 1.5 10 - 20 500 - 1000 

the right product for the job 

To make sure you get the right solution for your requirements consider all the factors that will affect the visibility and 

stability of the mark including: depth of water; sea conditions and current; lighting and range of light required; shape 

and topmarks; and focal plane. 








moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 




E&OE Aqu_V.2.00_Jul_12


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


installation & 

maintenance services 

a complete, compliant solution 

Following a detailed discussion to establish the most effective 

system for your requirement, Hydrosphere are able to deliver a 

complete Aids to Navigation solution from initial design and supply 

of the aid, right through to deployment and ongoing maintenance. 

Where necessary, this can include a detailed site study for 

problematic locations and the construction of bespoke products at 

our warehouse for unique applications. All of our solutions are fully 

compliant with IALA recommendations. 

delivery, deployment and installation 

We can test and install your Aid to Navigation for you to ensure it 

is safely and effectively deployed. We have deployed buoys and 

lights for a number of ports, harbours and renewable wind farms 

including: ABP, Grimsby, Argyle and Bute Council, Blackwall East 

Estates, British Waterways, Canterbury City Council, Centric 

Renewable Energy, Shoreham Harbour, Newhaven Harbour, Port of 

London, Poole Harbour Commissioning, Sovereign Harbour, Fowey 

Harbours, Sheringham Shoal and Greater Gabbard. 

installation & maintenance 

maintenance and servicing 

Even with long-lasting applications, regular maintenance checks 

can greatly prolong the service of your Aid to Navigation, power 

supply and ancillary equipment. We offer a choice of scheduled 

and ad-hoc maintenance services carried out by qualified engineers 

for all fixed and floating applications. 

In addition, we have a team of engineers on hand to respond 

to emergency repairs, buoy and beacon casualties, or simply to 

support maintenance, replacement and removal work. 


t: +44 (0)1420 520374 www.hydrosphere.co.uk e: sales@hydrosphere.co.uk

installation & 

maintenance services 

a full installation and maintenance 

service can include: 

» Lifting of all buoys and moorings, including sinker, to deck 

» Cleaning and high-pressure water jetting 

» Cleaning and inspection of lights to ensure 

correct operation 

» Inspection of power supply 

» Inspection of topmarks 

» Inspection of moorings and lifting eyes 

» Inspection of shackles and bridle 

» Deployment of buoy in assigned position with 

confirmation of correct positioning within 5m using DGPS 

» Monthly reports with daily records obtained from 

automatic monitoring systems if mounted on the buoys 





moorings. Rental, installation and maintenance services are available for all our products and systems. 


data buoy platforms | moorings | navigation buoys | navigation lights | mooring buoys | installation 

t: +44 (0)1420 520374 


e: sales@hydrosphere.co.uk 


Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE Ins_Mai_V.2.00_Jul_2012 


Pantone 187 C 


Practice 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Hydrosphere Rentals Ltd 

As the UK’s leading supplier of aids to navigation, Hydrosphere Rentals Ltd provides 

high quality and cost-effective lights, buoys, chains and sinkers for rental. 


Hydrosphere Rentals Ltd offers a range of marine navigation lights 

to rent for use on a variety of navigation buoys and data buoy 

platforms. Representing world-renowned innovators in marine 

technology – Vega, Carmanah and Sabik – Hydrosphere provides high 

performance, standalone and self contained solar powered LED lights 

that range from 1-5NM. 

All lights are able to exhibit all standard IALA flash characters. 

buoys 

Hydrosphere is the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for worldleading 

buoy manufacturer Mobilis. We offer a range of navigation 

buoys and data buoy platforms to rent in a variety of sizes and 

configurations, from 3.0m to 1.2m hull diameter. 

All Mobilis buoys have a unique modular design and are constructed 

from UV stabilised medium density polyethylene (MDPE), making them 

easy to transport and greatly reducing the need for maintenance, 

inspection and spares holding for longer periods of rental. 

© UK Met Office 


sinkers & chains 

Robust, cast-iron sinkers weighing from 500Kg to 5 tons and a 

selection of chains, swivels and shackles are available to suit all 

our products for rent. We will be happy to guide you on the right 

solution for your specification. 


t: +44 (0)1420 520374 www.hydrosphererentals.co.uk e: sales@hydrosphererentals.co.uk


specifications & applications 

buoys 

Buoy Dia. m Mass Kg Max Ballast Kg Max Kg 

JET 9000 QI 

HV-PF4 

JET 7000 QI 

HV-PF3 

JET 2500 Q 

PF2.5 

JET 2000 J 

PF2.5 

Gross 

Buoyancy Kg 

Reserve 

Buoyancy Kg 

Inshore Estuary Coastal Offshore Chain mm Sinker Kg 

3.0 2100 500 2600 9000 6400 √ √ √ √ 30 - 38 3000 + 

2.6 1750 500 2250 7000 4750 √ √ √ √ 30 - 38 3000 + 

1.9 750 200 950 2500 1550 √ √ √ √ 20 - 25 2000 - 3000 

1.9 650 160 810 2000 1190 √ √ √ 20 - 25 2000 - 3000 

T 1200 1.2 100 50 150 835 610 √ √ √ 10 - 20 1000 - 1500 

DB 8000 3.0 2140 - - 8000 - √ 30 - 38 3000 + 

DB 2000 1.9 910 - - 2000 - √ √ √ 20 - 25 2000 - 3000 

DB 650 1.2 135 - - 650 - √ √ 10 - 20 1000 - 1500 


Light 

Max Range 

(NM at 0.74T) 

Solar Powered 

Input Power 

12v dc 

Optional 


All-round 

Suitable Buoy 

Vega VLB-2 2 √ √ √ T 1200, DB 650 

Carmanah M650 2 √ √ √ T 1200, DB 650 

Vega VLB-67 SS 4 √ √ √ JET 2500, JET 2000, DB 2000 

Vega VLB-36 SA 6 √ √ √ JET 9000, JET 7000, DB 8000 

Vega VLB-36 XL 6 √ √ √ JET 9000, JET 7000, DB 8000 

chains 

38mm - suitable for the 

JET 9000, JET 7000 and DB 8000 

26mm - suitable for the 

JET 2500, JET 2000 and DB 2000 

16mm - suitable for the T 1200 

and DB 650 

All chains are available in lengths 

of approximately 27m. 

Guidelines only. See individual product datasheets for full specifications. 

the right navigation aid for the job 

To make sure you get the right solution for your requirements consider all of the factors that will affect the visibility 

and stability of the aid including: the depth of water; sea conditions and current; lighting and range of light required; 

shape and topmarks; and focal plane. 


Hydrosphere is the UK’s leading supplier of aids to navigation and has been providing cost-effective solutions to the marine 

industry for more than 18 years. We offer a wide range of navigation and mooring buoys, LED navigation lights, sector lights, 

rotating beacons, leading lights, jetty masts, beach and zone marking products and associated moorings. Rental, installation and 

maintenance services are also available for all our products and systems. 



t: +44 (0)1420 520374 

www.hydrosphererentals.co.uk 

e: sales@hydrosphererentals.co.uk 


Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE Hyd_Ren_ V.2.00_Nov_12 


Pantone 187 C 


Practice 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 




Lateral Cardinal Special Mark Isolated Danger 

Safe Water Wreck Inshore Estuary Offshore 

High Current Spar Beach Markers 

navigation buoys

world-leading navigation buoys 

Hydrosphere is the UK’s leading supplier of aids to navigation and the exclusive UK and Ireland 

distributor for world-leading buoy manufacturer Mobilis. A comprehensive range of Mobilis buoys are 

available across a variety of sizes and configurations, from 3m to 0.4m hull diameter. 

3m diameter range 

Available as Intermediate Tailtube (QI), Long Tailtube (QL), or Skirted (J) 

2.6m diameter range 

Available as Intermediate Tailtube (QI), Long Tailtube (QL), or Skirted (J) 

JET 9000 JET 9000 JET 8000 J 

JET 7000 

JET 7000 

JET 5700 J 


Available with Intermediate Tailtube (QI), Long Tailtube (QL), 

Flat Bottom (FB), or Skirted (J) 

2m diameter range 

Available with Tailtube (Q), Flat Bottom (FB), or Skirted (J) 

JET 5000 

JET 5000 JET 4000 J 

JET 2500 FB JET 2500 

JET 2000 J 

buoy configurations 

A range of modular towers are available for optional daymarks. For larger buoys the high visibility (HV) towers provide a visual 

shape with ample space for solar panels and batteries where longer range lights or additional electronic systems are required. 

Cardinal Lateral 

Special Mark 

Safe Water 

Isolated Danger Wreck


Available with Tailtube (Q) or Flat Bottom (FB) 


Available with standard, upright storage, low draft, 

and high current keel options 

AQ 1500 BC 1242 FB 1242 

T 1200 

M 1200 M 1200 

other markers 

Top mark with 

radar reflector 

Self contained light 

Top mark support 

Safety ring 

Aluminium tower 

spar buoys 

trackless 

zone marking 

Non-slip deck 

Mooring point 

Galvanised steel 

central structure 

Lifting points 

Anode 

Float 


Mooring point 

adaptable 

• Exchangeable interfaces 

• Multiple sizes and heights 

• Variable buoyancy 

and weight 

• Commonality of parts 

durable 

• Galvanised steel 

central structure 

• Moulded polyethylene 

flotation with UV 

stabilisation equivalent to 

15 year’s life 

• Appearance easily 

maintained through 

pressure washing 

lightweight 

• Easy to assemble 

• Quick to deploy 

• Cost-effective to repair 

and maintain 

• 2-3 times lighter than steel 

safe 

• Self-contained waterproof 

compartments 

• Individually replaceable 

parts 

• Non-slip area and 

foot lock 

Ballast weight 

Shackle 

The buoys illustrated in this product summary are a 

sample of the range and variations available. All buoys 

can be tailored to meet user requirements regarding 

colour, shape, navigation lights, radar reflectors, solar 

power supplies, monitoring systems, and moorings. 

Full installation and maintenance services are available. 


Commercial 

Member 

005 


Practice


Buoy Dia. m Mass Kg Max Ballast Kg Max Kg 

Gross 

Buoyancy Kg 

Reserve 

Buoyancy Kg 

Inshore Estuary Coastal Offshore Chain mm Sinker Kg 

JET 9000 QI /QL 3.0 2100 500 2600 9000 6400 √ √ √ √ 30 - 38 3000 + 

JET 8000 J 3.0 2000 400 2400 8000 5600 √ √ √ √ 30 - 38 3000 + 

JET 7000 QI /QL 2.6 1750 500 2250 7000 4750 √ √ √ √ 30 - 38 3000 + 

JET 5700 J 2.6 2000 400 2400 5700 3300 √ √ √ √ 30 - 38 3000 + 

JET 5000 QI / QL 2.4 1450 400 1850 5000 3150 √ √ √ √ 25 - 32 3000 + 

JET 5000 FB 2.4 1260 250 1510 5000 3490 √ √ √ 25 - 32 3000 + 

JET 4000 J 2.4 1250 400 1650 4000 2350 √ √ √ 25 - 32 3000 + 

JET 2500 Q 1.9 750 200 950 2500 1550 √ √ √ √ 20 - 25 2000 - 3000 

JET 2500 FB 1.9 750 N/A 750 2500 1750 √ √ √ 20 - 25 2000 - 3000 

JET 2000 J 1.9 650 160 810 2000 1190 √ √ √ 20 - 25 2000 - 3000 

AQ 1500 1.24 500 150 650 1500 850 √ √ √ 16 - 25 1000 - 2000 

BC 1242 1.24 380 100 480 900 420 √ √ √ 16 - 25 1000 - 2000 

FB 1242 1.24 270 N/A 270 900 630 √ √ √ 16 - 25 1000 - 2000 

T 1200 1.2 100 50 150 835 610 √ √ √ 10 - 20 1000 - 1500 

M 1200 1.2 85 N/A 85 380 295 √ √ 10 - 20 500 - 1000 

SP 1200 1.2 500 600 1100 2500 1400 √ √ √ √ 20 - 25 Site dependent 

SP 900 0.9 270 400 670 1700 1030 √ √ √ 16 - 25 Site dependent 

SP 630 0.63 200 120 320 420 100 √ √ 16 - 25 Site dependent 

ES 1700 0.4 31 N/A 31 234 203 √ √ √ 8 - 16 150 + 

ES 450 0.45 46 35 81 235 119 √ √ 14 - 20 Site dependent 

Trackless 0.9 x 2.0 65 N/A 65 √ √ 8 - 16 1000 + 


the right buoy for the job 

To make sure you get the right buoy for your 

requirements consider all the factors that will affect the 

visibility and stability of the mark including: depth of 

water; sea conditions and current; lighting and range of 

light required; shape and topmarks; and focal plane. 

mooring tips: 

The mooring is an integral part of the system that will 

affect the performance and reliability of the buoy. 

On problematic locations we recommend a detailed 

mooring study be carried out to maximise reliability 









moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 




E&OE Nav_Buo_V.2.00_Aug_12


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Mobilis JET 9000 QI/QL 

& JET 8000 J 

3m diameter navigation buoys 

The JET 9000 and JET 8000, with 3.0m diameter 

hulls providing up to 9000Kg of buoyancy, are the 

largest buoys in the JET series. They are suitable for 

use in offshore and deepwater locations where a 

highly visible navigation buoy is required. 

Built as an alternative to GLA Class 1 or 2 steel buoys with respect 

to visibility, focal height and sea-keeping qualities, the buoy has 

longer maintenance intervals, is much lighter and easier to handle, 

and can therefore be maintained using smaller vessels. 

The JET 9000 is available with intermediate tailtube (QI) and long 

tailtube (QL) options and the JET 8000 is skirted (J). The tailtube 

options provide a high focal plane of up to 6m whilst the skirted 

version can achieve heights of 4m. 

The buoys are all constructed around a galvanised steel central 

structure and use 4 medium density polyethylene (MDPE) hull 

floats, with marine grade aluminium tower and topmark assemblies. 

The buoys’ modular design allows for commonality of parts, 

thereby reducing maintenance, inspection, replacement and spares 

holding costs. 


features: 

• UV stabilised MDPE 

components – retains colour 

within IALA guidelines for 

more than 15 years 

• Focal height of up to 6m 

• Modular system - reduces 


• Multiple mooring configurations 

including high current capability 

• Interchangeable parts 

• Built-in safety features such 

as hand-holds, ladders and 

non-slip deck 

• Open tower structure 

provides easy and safe 

access for maintenance 


Cardinal 

Lateral 

Special Mark 

Safe Water Isolated Danger 




& JET 8000 J 


JET 9000 QL 

(with high visibility tower) 

JET 9000 QI 

construction 

Central Structure 


Hull 

MDPE (4 float sections) 

Tower, Topmark & Radar Reflector Marine grade aluminium 

Daymark 

MDPE 

physical JET 9000 JET 8000 

6475 

Diameter m 3.0 3.0 

Mass Kg 2100 2000 

Max Ballast Kg 500 400 

Max Kg 2600 2400 

Gross Buoyancy Kg 9000 8000 

Reserve Buoyancy Kg 6400 5600 

Focal Plane m Up to 6m Up to 4.3m 

Draft m 

QI QL 

3.0 5.1 

1.6 

Overall Height m (exc. topmark) 9.5 11.5 6.0 

application 

10496 

2888 

JET 8000 J 

Ø3000 

1153 

Inshore 

Estuary 

Coastal 

Offshore 

√ 

√ 

√ 

√ 

5952 

4325 

mooring 

Type 

Single Point / Bridle 

Chain mm 30 - 38 

Sinker Kg 3000 + 

1595 

1037 

Ø3000 







mooring tips: 













t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE JET_9000_V.2.00_Jul_12 


Pantone 187 C 


Practice 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 



& JET 5700 J 

2.6m diameter navigation buoys 

The JET 7000 and JET 5700 are the second largest 

buoys in the JET series with 2.6m diameter hulls 

providing up to 7000Kg of buoyancy. They are 

suitable for use in offshore, deepwater and river 

locations where high visibility is required. 

The JET 7000 is available with intermediate tailtube (QI) and long 

tailtube (QL) options and the JET 5700 is skirted (J). The tailtube 

options provide a high focal plane of up to 6m whilst the skirted 

buoy has a focal height of up to 4m. 

All JET 7000 and JET 5700 buoys are constructed around a 

galvanised steel central structure and use medium density 

polyethylene (MDPE) hull floats. Tower and topmark assemblies are 

made from marine grade aluminium. The buoys’ modular design 

allows for commonality of parts, thereby reducing maintenance, 

inspection, replacement and spares holding costs. The result is a 

buoy that has longer maintenance intervals, can be maintained 

using small vessels, and therefore offers a convenient, lightweight 

alternative to traditional GLA Class 2 steel buoys. 


features: 





• High size to weight ratio 





• Wide range of navigation 

lights accepted 

• Suitable for radar reflectors 

and racon 


as non-slip deck 

• Can be tailored to meet 

individual requirements for 

navigation lights, solar panels 

and battery configurations 


Cardinal 

Lateral 

Special Mark 





& JET 5700 J 


JET 7000 QL 

JET 7000 QI 

construction 


Hull 

Tower, Topmark & Radar Reflector 

Daymark 



Marine grade aluminium 

MDPE 

6370 

physical JET 7000 JET 5700 

10514 


Mass Kg 1750 2000 


Max Kg 2250 2400 



Focal Plane m 

QI QL 

6.0 6.4 

4.0 

Draft m 3.0 5.1 1.7 

Overall Height m (exc. topmark) 9.0 11.5 7.0 

application 

2996 

Ø2600 

JET 5700 J 

1029 

Inshore 

Estuary 

Coastal 

Offshore 

√ 

√ 

√ 

√ 

7095 

4260 

mooring 

909 

Type 




1687 

Ø2600 







mooring tips: 













t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE JET_7000_V.2.00_Jul_12 


Pantone 187 C 


Practice 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Mobilis JET 5000 QI/QL/FB 

& JET 4000 J 

2.4m diameter navigation buoys 

The JET 5000 and JET 4000 are the third largest 

buoys in the JET series with a 2.4m diameter hull 

that provides up to 5000Kg of buoyancy. They are 

suitable for use in offshore, deepwater and large 

river applications where high visibility is required. 

The JET 5000 is available with intermediate tailtube (QI), long tailtube 

(QL) or flat bottom (FB) options and the JET 4000 is skirted (J). 

The tailtube options provide a high focal plane whilst the flat bottom 

is suitable for use in shallow and fast water, particularly where there 

is a risk of grounding. 

The buoys are constructed around a galvanised steel central 

structure with marine grade aluminium tower and topmark 

assemblies and medium density polyethylene (MDPE) hull floats. 

The buoys’ modular design allows for commonality of parts to reduce 

maintenance, inspection, replacement and spares holding costs. 

The buoys are also much lighter and therefore easier to handle than 

traditional GLA Class 2 steel buoys, and they can be maintained 

using smaller vessels. 


features: 


components - retains colour 

for more than 15 years 



• Highly stable with focal plane 

of up to 6m 






and racon 

• Flat bottom option for shallow 

water applications 


as a non-slip deck 


Cardinal 

Lateral 

Special Mark 




Mobilis JET 5000 QI/QL/FB 

& JET 4000 J 


construction 

JET 5000 QL 

JET 5000 QI 

(with high visibility tower) 



Hull 


Tower / Daymark 


Topmark & Radar Reflector 


physical 5000 QI/QL 5000 FB 4000 J 

Diameter m 2.4 2.4 2.4 

Mass Kg 1450 1260 1250 

Max Ballast Kg 400 250 400 

Max Kg 1850 1510 1650 

Gross Buoyancy Kg 5000 5000 4000 

Reserve Buoyancy Kg 3150 3490 2350 

Max Focal Plane m 

QI QL 

5.0 6.0 

3.4 3.2 

Draft m 2.6 4.5 1.0 1.3 

Overall Height m 

(exc. topmark) 

8.9 11.7 5.5 5.6 

application 

7273 

4470 

6145 

849 

Ø2400 

JET 4000 J 

7173 

3000 

Ø2400 

JET 5000 FB 

1480 

850 

2102 

Inshore 

Estuary 

Coastal 

Offshore 

mooring 

Type 




√ 

√ 

√ 

√ (QI and QL) 

5665 

1345 3198 

Ø2400 

854 

5507 

990 3395 

Ø2400 

990 







mooring tips: 













t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE JET_5000_V.2.00_Jul_12 


Pantone 187 C 


Practice 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Mobilis JET 2500 Q 

& JET 2500 FB 

2m diameter navigation buoys 

The JET 2500 is a medium-size buoy with a 1.85m 

diameter hull that provides 2500Kg of buoyancy. 

It is particularly suitable for use in nearshore locations 

where high visibility is required. 

The buoy comes in two configurations: the JET 2500 Q, which has 

a short tailtube, and the JET 2500 FB, which has a flat bottom. 

The JET 2500 Q can achieve a focal height of up to 3m and 

provides a very stable platform in deep water and in difficult 

locations, such as where the bottom shelves. The JET 2500 FB 

has a focal height of 2.5m and is used in shallow water where there 

is a likelihood of grounding. 

The JET 2500 buoys are constructed around a galvanised steel 

central structure with 2 medium density polyethylene (MDPE) 

hull float sections, and tower and topmark assemblies made 

from marine grade aluminium. The modular design allows for 

commonality of parts, therefore reducing maintenance, inspection, 

replacement and spares holding costs. The buoys can be 

raised by any single lifting eye and can be maintained using small 

vessels making them a cost-effective and lightweight alternative to 

traditional GLA Class 3,4 and 5 steel buoys. 


features: 







• Multiple mooring 

configurations including high 

current capability 

• Selection of daymark 

assemblies accepted 




• Can be tailored to meet the 

individual requirements for 

navigation lights, solar panels 

and battery 

Special Mark 

Cardinal 

Safe Water 

Lateral 

Isolated Danger 



Mobilis JET 2500 Q 

& JET 2500 FB 


JET 2500 Q 

construction 



Hull 




Marine grade aluminium or MDPE 


6920 

3080 

physical 2500 Q 2500 FB 


Mass Kg 750 750 

Max Ballast Kg 200 N/A 

Max Kg 950 750 



Focal Plane m Up to 3.0 2.5 

Draft m 2.4 0.6 

Overall Height m 6.3 4.0 

1200 

Ø1850 

Ø273 

2300 

application 

Inshore 

√ 

JET 2500 FB 

Estuary 

√ 

Coastal 

Offshore 

√ 

√ (Q version only) 

4020 

2469 

mooring 

Type 

Single Point 


Sinker Kg 2000 - 3000 

608 

990 

Ø1850 







mooring tips: 













t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE JET_2500_V.2.00_Jul_12 



Practice 

Pantone 187 C 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Mobilis JET 2000 J 

2m diameter navigation buoy 

The JET 2000 J is a medium-size buoy suitable for 

use in nearshore locations where a highly visible 

navigation buoy is required. 

The 1.9m diameter hull provides 2000Kg of buoyancy. It is 

constructed using two medium density polyethylene (MDPE) hull 

sections that surround a galvanised steel central structure, with a 

skirted base. This provides a very strong yet lightweight buoy that 

is easily handled by small craft and is an excellent alternative to 

traditional GLA Class 3, 4 and 5 steel buoys. 

The modular design allows for sharing of parts with other buoys in 

the JET range so that a wide variety of daymarks, topmarks and 

navigation lights can be accommodated. Maintenance, inspection, 

replacement and spare holding costs are also greatly reduced. 

The JET 2000 J is available as Cardinal, Lateral, Isolated Danger, 

Safe Water or Special Mark configurations and can be tailored to 

meet the individual requirements for navigation lights, solar panels 

and battery configurations. 


features: 


construction (does not 

require painting) 



• Multiple mooring 

configurations including high 

current capability 



• Lightweight alternative to GLA 

Class 3, 4 and 5 steel buoys 

• Selection of daymark 

assemblies accepted 





Cardinal 

Lateral 

Special Mark 




Mobilis JET 2000 J 


construction 



Hull 

Tower 



1601 

Daymark 

MDPE 


physical 


690 

Diameter m 1.9 

Mass Kg 650 

Max Ballast Kg 160 

Max Kg 810 

Gross Buoyancy Kg 2000 

Reserve Buoyancy Kg 1190 

Focal Plane m 2.5 

Draft m 0.8 

Overall Height m 4.0 

application 

1050 1100 

722 

1205 

4647 

Inshore 

Estuary 

Coastal 

Offshore 

mooring 

Type 



Sinker Kg 2000 - 3000 

√ 

√ 

√ 

Ø630 

Ø1900 

2030 


mooring tips: 


















t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE JET_2000_V.2.00_Jul_12 



Practice 

Pantone 187 C 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Mobilis AQ 1500 

& BC 1242 

1.24m diameter tailtube navigation buoys 

The BC 1242 and AQ 1500 are small diameter 

buoys with a generous focal height achieved by a 

tailtube assembly. 

AQ 1500 BC 1242 

The tailtube allows the buoys to remain upright in extreme weather 

conditions, as well as providing excellent anti-heel properties. 

The BC 1242 has a focal height of 2m, whilst the AQ 1500 can reach 

a focal height of up to 2.5m. The buoys are generally used in estuary, 

nearshore and inshore applications where high visibility is a major 

requirement. 

Each model is constructed around a central galvanised steel hull 

structure with rotationally moulded medium density polyethylene 

(MDPE) floats. This results in very strong yet lightweight buoys, 

which can be easily handled by small craft and can be laid down 

on their sides by maintenance crew when working on deck. 

Both the BC 1242 and the AQ 1500 are suitable for a self contained 

light such as the Carmanah M650 or M702, or the Vega VLB-67. 

The AQ 1500 also has a tower that can fit traditional solar panels / 

battery assembly to power a navigation light. 


The buoys’ modular design allows for commonality of parts, reducing 

maintenance, inspection, replacement and spares holding costs. 

features: 







• Wide range of self contained 

solar lights accepted 

• Modular solar panel frames 

(AQ 1500) and self contained 

lights allow easy maintenance 

• Extremely robust and stable 


• Designed for ease of 

maintenance 

Special Mark 


Cardinal 

Safe Water 

Lateral 


(AQ 1500 only) 



Mobilis AQ 1500 

& BC 1242 


AQ 1500 

construction 



Hull 


MDPE (AQ 1500 has 4 float sections, 

BC 1242 has 2 float sections) 


2369 

Topmark 


physical AQ 1500 BC 1242 

5702 

900 


Mass Kg 500 380 


Max Kg 650 480 



Focal Plane m 2.5 2.0 

Draft m 2.2 1.3 

Overall Height m (exc. topmark) 5.4 - 5.7 3.3 

application 

BC 1242 

2210 

Ø1240 

Inshore 

Estuary 

√ 

√ 

1984 

Coastal 

Offshore 

√ 

3329 

500 

mooring 

Type 

Single Point 


Sinker Kg 1000 - 2000 

1310 

Ø1240 







mooring tips: 













t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE AQ_1500_V.2.00_Jul_2012 



Practice 

Pantone 187 C 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Mobilis FB 1241 

& FB 1242 

1.24m diameter flat bottom navigation buoys 

The FB 1241 and FB 1242 are robust, mediumsized 

buoys with patented, flat steel bottoms 

making them ideal for strong tidal flows. 

The flat bottom construction helps keep the buoy upright on low 

and drying tide conditions, protects the PE hull assembly should 

the buoy take the ground and provides a stable focal plane in 

shallow waters where there is little mooring weight. 

The buoys are constructed around a central galvanised steel core 

structure and use common hull floats manufactured from UV 

stabilised medium density polyethylene (MDPE). The FB 1241 is 

fitted with conical floats providing 600Kg of buoyancy, whilst the 

cylindrical floats of the FB 1242 provide 900Kg of buoyancy. 

A variety of daymark assemblies are available. Please contact us for 

more information. 

The buoys’ modular design allows for commonality of parts to 

reduce maintenance, inspection, replacement, and sparesholding 

costs. The buoys also weigh less than a comparable steel 

model making them easier to handle and enabling them to be 

maintained using smaller vessels. 


features: 

• Extremely stable - highly suited 

for use in strong tidal flows 

• Available in Lateral, Cardinal, 

Isolated Danger and Special 

Mark configurations 




• Single point mooring 



• Patented, robust steel bottom 




Cardinal 

Special Mark 

Lateral 




Mobilis FB 1241 

& FB 1242 


FB 1241 FB 1242 

construction 


Hull 

Daymark 



Marine grade aluminium or HDPE 

physical 


Mass Kg 270 


N/A 

Max Kg 270 

Gross Buoyancy Kg FB 1241: 600 / FB 1242: 900 


Focal Plane m Up to 2.0 

Draft m 0.6 

Overall Height m (exc. topmark) Up to 2.6 

application 

Inshore 

Estuary 

√ 

√ 

2684 

2074 

2655 

1980 

Coastal 

√ 

Offshore 

570 

570 

mooring 

Type 

Single Point 


Sinker Kg 1000 - 2000 

575 

605 

Ø1240 

Ø1240 







mooring tips: 













t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE FB_1241_V.2.00_Jul_12 



Practice 

Pantone 187 C 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Mobilis T 1200 

1.2m diameter navigation buoy 

The T 1200 is a small/medium sized tailtube buoy 

with a 1.2m diameter hull. It comes complete with 

an integral daymark shape containing an internal 

radar reflector. 

The buoy is suitable for use in river and coastal locations and where 

conditions may be too extreme for a small, skirted buoy. A short 

galvanised steel tailtube combined with adjustable ballast weights 

provides a stable platform for a small, self contained solar powered 

light, while the shaped hull and daymark floats provide a generous 

amount of buoyancy and a large visible surface area. As with other 

buoys in the range the floats are rotationally moulded medium 

density polyethylene (MDPE), which is UV stabilised to retain its 

colour within IALA guidelines for in excess of 15 years. 

The buoys can be lifted from the eye on the top allowing them to 

be quickly deployed. Mooring is from either the side or bottom of 

the tailtube. 

Available with conical, cylindrical and spherical daymark shapes 

with topmarks available for Cardinal, Lateral and Special Marks. 


features: 

• Simple, robust construction 

• Short tailtube for 

good stability 

• Internal radar reflector 

• Easily accessible lifting eye 

• Adjustable ballast weights 

• UV stabilised MDPE - 

does not require painting 

• Suitable for small solar 

powered lights 

• Easily named 

• Cardinal, Lateral and Special 

Mark configurations 


Cardinal 

Lateral 

Special Mark 



Mobilis T 1200 


construction 


Hull / Daymark 

Topmark (optional) 

physical 





Mass Kg 100 


Max Kg 150 




Draft m 1.1 

Overall Height m 2.2 - 2.9 

2766 

1454 

Ø1200 

Ø152 

995 995 

application 

1689 

1689 

Inshore 

√ 

Estuary 

Coastal 

√ 

√ 

2760 

2760 

Offshore 

mooring 

Type 

Single Point 

1071 

1071 


Sinker Kg 1000 - 1500 

Ø1200 

Ø1200 







mooring tips: 













t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE T_1200_V.2.00_Jul_12 



Practice 

Pantone 187 C 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Mobilis M 1200 

1.2m diameter navigation buoy 

The M 1200 is a low-cost, lightweight, multipurpose, 

small buoy with a 1.2m diameter hull and a focal 

height of 1.5m. 

The buoy is particularly suited for channel marking of smaller 

harbours, fish farms, outfalls, and for use as a Special Mark for 

marking underwater scientific instrumentation. 

Weighing approximately 85Kg, the buoy can be easily deployed 

using a small craft. It is made up of two self-coloured, medium 

density polyethylene (MDPE) floats, which are bolted together 

through a central flat steel keel plate. Daymarks are also 

manufactured from MDPE and are bolted to the top face of the hull 

floats. Mobilis MDPE floats are UV stabilised to retain colour within 

IALA guidelines for in excess of 15 years. 

The buoy’s robust construction gives good stability in tidal flows 

and comes available with upright storage, low draft and high 

current keel options. 

The M 1200 is available as Lateral, Cardinal, Isolated Danger or 

Special Mark configurations and is ideal for fitting a Carmanah 

M650 self contained navigation light. 


features: 

• Extremely low maintenance 



• Available with standard, 

upright storage, low draft and 

high current keel options 

• UV stabilised MDPE hull 

(does not require painting) 





• Lateral, Cardinal, Isolated 

Danger and Special Mark 

configurations 


Cardinal 

Special Mark 

Lateral 




Mobilis M 1200 


construction 


Hull 

Daymark 

Marine grade painted steel plate 


MDPE 

physical 


Mass Kg 85 


N/A 

Max Kg 85 




Draft m 0.6 

Overall Height m (exc. topmark) 2.2 

643 1592 

Ø1200 

1095 

Low draft keel 

2305 

362 

application 

Inshore 

√ 

617 

Estuary 

Coastal 

Offshore 

√ 

1233 

Upright storage keel 

mooring 

Type 

Single Point 


Sinker Kg 500 - 1000 

1015 

High current keel 

407 


mooring tips: 


















t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE M_1200_V.2.00_Jul_12 



Practice 

Pantone 187 C 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Mobilis ES 450 

spar buoy 

The Mobilis ES 450 is a lightweight, low cost, spar 

buoy suitable for use in nearshore and river locations 

where a buoy with a low waterplane area is required. 

The rotationally moulded spar is made from high density 

polyethylene (HDPE) giving the buoy a very strong but lightweight 

structure that enables it to be handled by small craft without the 

use of lifting equipment. 

Due to its low mass its mooring and sinker weights can be light, 

making this spar buoy particularly suitable for seasonal or shortterm 

deployment. 

The ES 450 is available as a green conical model for Starboard 

Lateral marking or in a red cylindrical model for Port Lateral marks. 

The buoy can also be fitted with light mountings for the Carmanah 

M650 or Vega VLB-2 navigation lights, which will provide a visible 

range of up to 2 miles, and a typical focal plane of 1.3m. 


features: 

• Available as Port and 

Starboard Lateral mark 


• UV stabilised HDPE 

construction - retains colour 



• Virtually no maintenance 

• Lightweight moorings and 

sinkers 

• Suitable for 2NM self 

contained light 

• Easy to deploy 

• Highly suitable for seasonal or 

short-term use 

• Built-in radar reflector 


Lateral 





Lifting point 

construction 

Light: M650 

Lifting point SWL 3.5T 

galvanised steel 

Hull 

HDPE 

physical 


Max Kg 81 

Mass Kg 46 





Draft m 1.0 


PE float 

Reflective strip 3M 

Radar reflector 

marine grade aluminium 

application 

Inshore 

Estuary 

Coastal 

Offshore 

√ 

√ 

Mooring point 

PE float 

mooring 

Type 

Single point synthetic/light chain 


Sinker Kg 

Site dependent 

Ballast 35Kg 

Mooring point 

Ballast 35Kg 







mooring tips: 













t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE ES_450_V.2.00_Dec_12 



Practice 

Pantone 187 C 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 



spar buoy 

The ES 1700 is a lightweight, cost-effective, spar 

buoy suitable for use in nearshore locations where a 

buoy with a low waterplane area is required. 

The rotationally moulded spar is made from medium density 

polyethylene (MDPE) giving the buoy a very strong but lightweight 

structure that enables it to be handled by small craft without the 

use of lifting equipment. 

Due to its low mass, mooring and sinker weights can be light, 

making the spar buoy particularly suitable for seasonal or shortterm 

deployment. 

Topmarks are available for use as Cardinal and Special Marks, 

or with plates for use as racing marks. The buoy can also be fitted 

with light mountings for the Carmanah M650 series lights, which 

will provide a visible range of up to 3 miles, and a typical focal plane 

of 1.1m (or up to 2m with a topmark). 


features: 





• Virtually no maintenance 

• Lightweight moorings and 

sinkers 

• Suitable for a 2NM self 

contained light 


• Selection of topmark 

assemblies available 

• Highly suitable for seasonal or 

short-term use 


Cardinal 

Special Mark 





construction 



MDPE 


physical 


Mass Kg 31 


N/A 

Max Kg 31 




Draft m 2.4 


4420 

1950 

application 

3470 

Inshore 

Estuary 

Coastal 

Offshore 

√ 

√ 

√ 

2400 

mooring 

Type 

Single Point synthetic/light chain 









mooring tips: 













t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE ES_1700_V.2.00_Jul_12 



Practice 

Pantone 187 C 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Mobilis Trackless 

marker buoy 

The Trackless unit is a cost-effective, streamlined 

platform designed to minimise the heeling problems 

associated with strong tidal flow. The carefully 

designed combination of hull and rudder plate 

attains superior stability and six times less drag than 

a conventional buoy of similar size. 

The 0.9m wide and 2.0m long hull will accept the same daymark 

and topmark sections as the M 1200 buoy and can easily be fitted 

with a small self contained light, such as the Carmanah M650. 

Manufactured using rotationally moulded medium density 

polyethylene (MDPE), the buoy’s simple construction is low 

maintenance and extremely lightweight. It is therefore easy to 

handle and can be maintained using small vessels. The buoy can 

be deployed using the three lifting eyes and the design of the hull/ 

rudder will allow maintenance crew to lay the buoy on its side when 

working on deck. 


features: 





• Single point mooring 

configuration 




• Careful design attains low 

drag and superior stability 

qualities 


• Modular system reduces 



Cardinal 

Special Mark 

Lateral 




Mobilis Trackless 


construction 



Foam filled MDPE 


physical 

Length m 2.0 

Width m 0.9 

Mass Kg 65 


N/A 

Max Kg 65 


Draft m 0.5 

application 

900 

River 

Inshore 

Estuary 

Coastal 

Max. Current 

mooring 

√ 

√ 

√ 

Up to 10 Knots 

Ø600 

Type 

Single Point synthetic/light chain 



2000 







mooring tips: 













t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE Tra_V.2.00_Aug_12 



Practice 

Pantone 187 C 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Topmarks and 


Hydrosphere offer a variety of topmarks and radar 

reflectors designed to be mounted on buoys and 

fixed structures. A range of sizes and configurations 

are available to suit all applications. 

Marine grade aluminium topmark radar reflectors 

These marine grade aluminium topmarks double up as radar reflectors 

and are recommended for most applications. Available as cylindrical, 

conical, spherical, special mark, isolated danger and cardinal 

configurations and in small, medium and large sizes they are particularly 

suited for the Mobilis JET navigation buoys and data buoy platforms. 

Polyethylene topmarks with internal radar reflector 

These light, compact topmarks are suitable for smaller buoys that 

cannot carry a larger radar reflector or topmark. The topmark is 

constructed from polyethylene with an internally fitted marine grade 

aluminium radar reflector. 

Herikon polyurethane topmarks 

These large flexible plastic topmarks are used for large buoys that 

need to withstand the most harsh marine environments. 

Polyethylene fish farm crosses 

Available in small and large these polyethylene topmarks are designed 

for fish farms posts and buoys. An aluminium radar reflector can be 

mounted on the top along with a self contained navigation light. 

Marine grade aluminium radar reflectors 

For small buoys that already have a shaped hull / daymark floats a 

marine grade aluminium radar reflector can be mounted with a 

polyethylene topmark. 

For more bespoke applications please contact us. 


features: 

• Marine grade aluminium radar 

reflector top marks 

• Polyethylene topmarks with 

and without internal radar 

reflectors 

• Flexible polyurethane topmarks 

for extreme sea conditions 

• All topmarks / radar reflectors 

are suitable for fixed structures 

• Suitable for cylindrical, 

conical, spherical, special 

mark, isolated danger and 

cardinal configurations buoy 


• Available in small, medium 

and large 



Ø 

4 

8 

Ø 

66 

Ø 

50 

Ø 

20 

560 

600 

20 

20 

4 

8 

Ø 

Ø 66 

Ø 

Ø 50 

600 

20 

20 

700 

8 

8 

8 

8 

Topmarks and 


Mobilis large topmark radar reflectors 

R300 

R350 

860 

860 

710 

800 

120 

1710 

500 

1400 

1710 

1100 

200 600 

600 

700 

700 

800 

600 

All of the above models are also available in small and medium sizes 

Mobilis radar reflectors 

600 

910 

786 

400 

300 

535 

400 

400 

300 

300 

600 

600 

600 

600 

473 

407 

600 

762 

491 

600 

699 

332 

400 

485 

268 

246 

300 

324 

470 

311 

A 

80 

553 

700 

A 

100 

Herikon polyurethane topmarks 

500 

180 

475 

A 

705 

Ø 42 

Ø 58 

470 

A 

80 

A 

Ø 50 

Ø 66 

700 

A 

100 

705 

180 

66 

50 

700 

475 

66 

50 

500 

4 

8 

20 

560 

600 

20 

20 

20 

20 

A 

Ø 42 

Ø 58 

4 

8 

600 

A 

Ø 50 

Ø 66 








t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE Top_Mar_V.2.00_Mar_2013 



Practice 

Pantone 187 C 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 




Aquaculture Atex Bridges Buoys Custom 

Fixed structures Harbours Leading Lights Lighthouses 

Masts Pontoons Ports Rivers sector 

navigation lights

world-leading navigation lights 

Hydrosphere is the UK’s leading supplier of aids to navigation, providing an extensive range of 

innovative, reliable marine navigation lights for use on fixed and floating applications. 

Representing internationally renowned manufacturers, Hydrosphere has delivered solutions for all 

of the UK’s Lighthouse Authorities; major ports and harbours; marinas; universities and research 

institutes; aquaculture sites; and offshore oil, gas and renewable energy industries. 

self contained LED lights 

Programmable LED lights comprising solar panels, battery, battery housing, regulator, electronic controls 

and light source in a single compact package. 

VLB-2 

M650 

VLB-67 

M702 

VLB-36 

LED beacons 

A low-maintenance solution compared to conventional filament lamps. All-round for fixed and floating structures, 

leading lights, bridge beacons or traffic signals. 

VLB-67 

VLB-36 

VLB-44 

VLL-43 

VRL-74 

VRL-91 

sector 

wide 

A cost effective solution where precise navigation is required and traditional leading marks are impractical. 

Can be configured for day and night operation. 

Precision 

VSL-73 

VSL-73 

VLS-46 

PEL-6

jetty masts & power systems 

Folding and fixed masts specifically designed for mounting navigation lights along with a complete range 

of power supplies, including: solar panels, wind generators, regulators, batteries, mains power supplies 

and enclosures. 

solar powered sector lights jetty mast with LED lights traffic light systems 

wreck lights 

Wreck marking versions of the VLB-36 and VLB-67 are 

available and conform with IALA Recommendation O-133. 

lighthouse & rotating beacons 

An intense, focused light source designed to replace 

traditional lighthouse filament lights. 

light tube 

For illuminating fixed structures more 

efficiently than traditional floodlights. 

VLB-36 wreck VLB-67 wreck 

VRB-25 

ATEX 

Explosion-proof marine LED lights suitable for ATEX sites zones 1 + 2. 

VLB-92 

LT-1000 

All lights can be tailored to meet user 

requirements regarding mains or solar 

power supplies, flasher and synchronisation 

modules, GPS receivers, mounting brackets, 

and programmers. Full design, installation, 

commissioning, and maintenance services are 

also available. 


LED 155 EX 

LED 350 EX 

The selection of lights illustrated in this product 

summary is only a sample of the range and 

variations available. Please contact us and 

we will be happy to guide you to the best 

specification for your requirement. 

• High performance 

precision optics 

• Standalone LED beacons 

providing a rugged and 

efficient solution 

• Self contained lights for a 

single compact package 

• Cost-effective and easy 

to maintain 


for long lasting, consistent 

operation 

• Web-based calculators 

to help ensure optimum 

performance 

• Able to exhibit all standard 

IALA flash characters 


Commercial 

Member 

005 


Practice


Light 

Max Night Range 

(NM at 0.74T) 

Max Day Range 

(NM at 0.74T) 

Solar Powered 

Input Power 

12v dc 

Input Power 

110-240v ac 

Optional 


All-round 

Sector - Wide 

Sector - Precision 

Leading / Range 

Obstruction 

Object / ID 

Marking 

Buoy 

Fixed Platform 

Lighthouse 

Wreck 

ATEX Zones 1+2 

Vega VLB-2 2 √ √ √ √ √ 

Camarnah M650 2 √ √ √ √ √ 

Vega VLB-67 4 √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ 

Carmanah M702 3 √ √ √ √ √ 

Vega VLB-36 6 √ √ √ √ √ √ √ 

Vega VLB-36 - 

Wreck Marking 

4 √ √ √ √ 

Vega VLB-36 - Obstruction 4.5 √ √ √ √ √ 

Vega VLB-44 12 1.3 √ √ √ √ √ √ √ 

Vega VLL-43 11 0.7 √ √ √ √ 

Vega VLB-92 Omni-Mega 18 3.4 24v √ √ √ √ 

Vega VLS-46 12 0.8 √ √ √ √ 

Vega VSL-73 10 0.6 √ √ √ √ √ √ 

Vega VRL-74 30+ 6 √ √ √ √ √ 

Vega VRL-91 Uni Mega 30+ 6 √ √ √ √ √ 

Vega PEL - 3 19 3 √ √ √ √ 

Vega PEL - 6 24 5.5 12/24v √ √ √ 

Vega VRB-25 22 4.4 √ √ Rotating √ √ 

Sabik LT 1000 2 12/24v √ √ √ 

Sabik LED 155 Ex and 

LDR 155 Ex 

8 0.3 √ √ √ √ √ 

Sabik LED 350 Ex 12.5 1 √ √ √ √ √ 


the right light for the job 

To make sure you get the right light for your requirements 

consider the following: the light’s purpose and location; 

the range needed; the light’s colour; the flash character; 

and the power supply available. 

tips: 

The output required approximately doubles for each 

additional mile of visibility. Always consider the lighting 

of the site itself; a navigation light viewed against a 

background of shore-based lights will seriously affect a 

mariner’s ability to detect the aid, so the output will need 

to be increased. 








moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 




E&OE Nav_Lig_V.2.00_Jul_12

guides the way 

VEGA LIGHTS 

MARINE AIDS-TO-NAVIGATION 

HIGH-PERFORMANCE VISUAL SIGNAL LIGHTS

PEL-3 & PEL-6 

PRECISION SECTOR LIGHT 

A PEL Sector Light displays a different colour when viewed from different angles at 

sea. With optional oscillating boundary, the signal alternates between two colours in 

proportion to the distance across the sector. 

PEL Sector Lights indicate the precise vessel position in confi ned waterways. They are 

used in situations where extreme accuracy is required, or where only a single station 

is possible for a lead light. Range up to 6NM by day and 24NM by night from a PEL-6; 

horizontal divergence from 3.5° to 20°. PEL-6 is designed primarily for day and night 

use, and PEL-3 for night use. 

VRB-25 

MARINE ROTATING BEACON 

The VRB-25 provides a range of up to 22NM with a 100W halogen lamp in a six place 

lampchanger. It was designed to meet a United States Coast Guard specifi cation for 

an accurate and reliable rotating beacon. 

The three key reasons for the success of this rotating beacon are the precision optics, 

the reliable rotating mechanism and the low power required for rotation. This beacon 

can operate in remote unattended sites with maintenance no more than once a year. 

No weather protection is required. 

VEGA LED PRODUCTS 

Vega LED lights are a family of products sharing common features and functionality. 

Programmable features include: 

• Automatic Schmidt-Clausen intensity correction to • Programmable flash characters plus one 

maintain the effective intensity for shorter flashes. custom character 

• Normal, sleep, transport and test modes • Optional security codes 

• Programmable battery low voltage cut out level • Synchronization control including master/ 

• Multiple day/night transition options 

slave and sync delay 

• Separate day and night intensity settings • Multiple effective intensity settings 

Setup of the LED products is done using an infra red (TVIR) programmer. Newer 

products have bidirectional IRDA (Prog-01) allowing setup to be done using a computer. 

The Prog-01 allows all the configuration parameters of the beacon to be viewed and 

programmed at once. Settings can be saved and be re-used in other beacons. 

All products have wire synchronization either as standard or as a factory option on self 

contained beacons. The sync wire allows the synchronization of the flash character and 

the day/night transition. All products are available in red, green, white, yellow, and blue. 

VLS-46 

LED SECTOR PROJECTOR 

This high-resolution sector light is powered by LEDs, and uses a separate projector 

for each colour. Two models are available with a horizontal beam angle of 5° or 10°. 

The beam angle inside each projector is user-adjustable in the horizontal plane 

from 100% to 10% of the maximum beam angle. Base plate allows for accurate 

adjustment of the projectors so that colour boundaries are correctly aligned. 

Typical boundary resolution of 3 minutes of arc. Optional internal GPS synchronisation. 

VRL-91 UNI-MEGA 

HIGH POWER LED RANGE LIGHT 

The VRL-91 Uni-Mega is intended for applications requiring very high intensity 

directional lights. A single white lens can produce 500,000 candela. Depending on the 

number of lenses used, day range up to and exceeding 10NM is possible at 0.74T; 

night range exceeding 26NM. 

The construction of the VRL-91 is a vertical array containing the number of light 

elements required for the specifi c application. The construction provides a large heat 

sink to control the operating temperatures of the LEDs. 

VRL-74 

LED RANGE LIGHT 

The VRL-74 is intended for applications requiring a high intensity range light. A single 

3-degree lens can produce up to 80,000 candela in white. Multiple light sources are 

used to provide the required range and divergence. Spreader lenses available to widen 

beam width. The VRL-74 is available in 3 designs: Mini-array, Mini-tile, and Mini-solo. 

PEL-3 & PEL-6 

Up to 6NM by day & 24NM by night at 0.74 T 

Horizontal divergence from 3.5° to 20° 

VRB-25 

6 or 8 Panels Lighthouse Beacon 

Up to 22NM at 0.74T 

Vega TVIR 

Remote Programmer 

IRDA Prog-01 

Computer IRDA Programming Kit 

VSL-46 

0.8NM to 12NM at 0.74T 

5° or 10° horizontal angle 


4.5-10NM day range & over 30NM night range @ 0.74T 

3 ° vertical & horizontal divergence 

VRL-74 

Day range up to 7NM at 0.74T 

Mini-array, Mini-tile, Mini-solo

VLL-43 

LED LINEAR LEAD LIGHT 

A powerful and versatile uni-directional lantern ideal for marking short ranges, 

bridges or obstacles. It can be stacked end-to-end to give an extended line source 

and increased intensity and range. It is fully sealed, robust constructed plastic 

enclosure, and an aluminium heat sink. A single VLL-43 can range up to 0.75NM by 

day and 11NM by night at 0.74T. 

VSL-73 

ALL AROUND LED SECTOR LIGHT 

The VSL-73 Sector Light is designed for omni-directional applications where precision 

sectoring is required. The VSL-73 provides a LED alternative for shadow casting 

sector lights using incandescent lamps. 

The VSL-73 unit can be confi gured for multiple colours and sector angles. 

Construction is based on a 6 layer high intensity LED core. Each layer consists of 4 

lenses or quadrants. Range is from 5-10NM at 0.74T. Colour change within 0.3°. 

VLL-43 

0.75NM day range & 

11NM night range at 0.74T 

VSL-73 

5-10NM at 0.74T 

0.5U-3U; 5° vertical divergence 

LED MARINE BEACON SELECTOR 

Select the correct beacon to use for a specifi c range from the adjacent table. 

VLB-92 OMNI-MEGA 

LONG RANGE LED MARINE BEACON 

The VLB-92 Omni-Mega Long Range Beacon is intended for applications requiring 

very high intensity and range.It contains all the programmable features that are 

normally found in Vega marine beacons. 

NM 

20 

19 

18 

17 

16 

15 

14 

13 

12 

11 

10 

9 

8 

7 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

VLB-2 

VLB-42 


16-20NM at 0.74T 

VLB-92 

VLB-67 

VLB-44 

Multi-tiers 

VLB-36 

VLB-44 

VRL-74 

BEACON 

The VLB-92 Omni-Mega LED Beacon is Vega’s long range LED beacon capable of 

a range between 15NM to 20NM at 0.74T or 23NM to 30NM at 0.85T. This is a 

modular beacon with each layer holding 12 LED sources. The size of the Omni-Mega 

will depend on range, colour, and fl ash character. Maximum size is 6 tiers in 2 units. 

VLB-44 

LED MARINE BEACON 

The VLB-44 is Vega’s high range LED beacon – covering 6 to 14NM at 0.74T. 

Multiple units can provide a range of up to 16NM. Built from marine-grade 

aluminium, the VLB-44 provides good heat-sinking for the LEDs with high strength 

and impact resistance. 

The beacon is available with 3 different vertical divergences of 2.5°, 5° and 10°. This 

allows the VLB-44 to be used on buoys as well as fi xed and lighthouse applications. 

The VLB-44 is available from 1 to 8 tiers depending on the range required. 

VLB-44 TRAFFIC LIGHT 


The VLB-44 Traffi c Light is designed for use in harbour traffi c light systems with day 

range up to 1NM. It is constructed with differing vertical divergent lenses to match 

day range requirement to the tower height. Allows remote selection of multiple fl ash 

characters and intensity. 

VLB-36 

LED MARINE BEACON & OBSTACLE LIGHT 

The VLB-36 is Vega’s medium range LED beacon covering 4-7NM at 0.74T. The 

beacon is available as a standalone unit or as a complete self contained beacon with 

solar panels and battery. There are 3 different solar/battery options available to enable 

the VLB-36 to be used for different geographical location, range, fl ash character, 

and duty cycle. The standard VLB-36 beacon is available with a 7° and 10° vertical 

divergence. Web based selection tool available. Variants of the VLB-36 design include: 

• A wreck light to IALA recommendation O-133 range 4NM at 0.74T 

• An obstacle light that meets ICAO aviation type A & B requirements. It is also 

useful as a bridge marking light. 

VLB-44 

6-14NM at 0.74 T 

Options of 2.5°, 5° or 10° Vertical Divergence 

1-8 tiers 

VLB-44 TRAFFIC LIGHT 

Day range up to 1NM at 0.74T 

Lens combination of asymmetrical 

2.5°, 5° or 10° 

VLB-36 

Standalone, Self Contained, Emergency Wreck 

Marking Beacon & Obstacle Lights; 4-7NM at 0.74T 

Options of 7° or 10° Vertical Divergence

VLB-67 


The VLB-67 is Vega’s low range LED beacon with a vertical divergence of better than 

7°. The beacon is available as a standalone beacon or as a complete self contained 

unit with solar panel and battery. Two sizes of solar/battery packs are available. The 

large unit allows the VLB-67 to be used at higher latitudes or with longer duty cycles. 

Range from 3-5NM at 0.74T. Web based selection tool available. 

Optional internal GPS synchronisation. Optional sync wire and charging plug on 

Self Contained unit. Optional data port (RS-232 or RS-485). Bidirectional IRDA 

programming. Optional alarm/monitor wire. Standalone version has space to fit AC to 

DC power converter. 

VLB-2 


The VLB-2 is a short range 1-2NM LED marine beacon, with added solar and battery 

capacity to operate at high latitude, higher duty cycle and with high autonomy. 

Programming uses TVIR programmer or computer with IRDA interface. Web based 

VLB-67 

Standalone & Self Contained 

3-5NM at 0.74T 

VLB-2 

Standalone & Self Contained 

1-2NM at 0.74T 

power converter. Self Contained unit has 3.2W of solar panels. 

Optional internal GPS synchronisation. Optional sync wire and charging plug on Self 

Contained unit. 

VSU-29 

GPS SYNC UNIT 

VSU-29 

Includes 1.5m cable and mounting bracket; 

Mounting option for a Vega VLB-44 Beacon 

includes the mounting ring 

of navigation lights. The sync unit generates both positive and negative transition 

sync signals which allow it to be used with both Vega beacons and those from other 

manufacturers. A sync delay of 0.9-9.9 seconds can be programmed if required. 

directly on the Vega VLB-44 Beacons. 

VEGAWEB 

MONITORING SYSTEM 

VegaWeb is designed to provide a plug and play monitoring solution for both Vega and 

other manufacturers navigation lights. Vegaweb is a internet based monitoring system 

and data is communicated using GSM cellular networks or via Satellite. 

VegaWeb 

Two models of Vegaweb are available. The Mini VegaWeb is designed for use with LED 

beacons. The Large VegaWeb is designed for use with PEL Sector lights or rotating 

beacons or other applications requiring a higher amount of digital or analogue interface. 

Mini 

VegaWeb 

Current Transducer 

Large VegaWeb 

VPR-39 

POWER SUPPLY 

When used with mains power Vega strongly recommends the use of the VPR-39 

weather proof switch-mode power supply (12V & 24V). This has no inductance, and 

will not generate large voltage spikes when lamps fail or when exposed to inrush 

current on startup. 

VPR-39 

Power Supply 

Head Office 

Units C&D, West End Centre 

Colthouse Lane, Upper Froyle, 

Hampshire, GU34 4JR, 

Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 

sales@hydrosphere.co.uk 


Scottish Office 


Ajax Way, Methil 

Fife KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 

Released on 13 March 2013 


Veg.Lig_V.2.00_Mar_13


VLB-2 


SHORT RANGE BEACON 1-2NM AT 0.74T / 1-2.25NM AT 0.85T 

Standalone Beacon 

Self Contained Beacon 

* 3.2 Watt solar panel 

* 9 or 18 Ah battery 

The VLB-2 is a high capacity marine beacon 

designed to provide 2NM performance and long 

battery autonomy in high latitude applications. 

The Self Contained unit can be supplied with 

1 x 9AH battery for standard applications or 

2 x 9AH batteries for extended autonomy. 

A product selector is available for the VLB-2 

beacon on the Vega website under the Calculators 

Menu. The selector program will show what 

will work for the VLB-2 at a particular location. 

The VLB-2 beacon forms part of the Vega LED 

marine beacon family and is designed for 

applications requiring a 1 to 2NM range at 0.74T. 

The beacon is available in 5 colours: red, green, 

white, yellow and blue. All colours meet the IALA 

chromaticity requirements. 

The low energy need reduces the solar panel 

and battery requirements in the overall design. 

Vertical divergence of the lens at 50% of the peak 

intensity is better than 7º. 

The VLB-2 LED beacon is available in 3 models: 

Model 

Solar Battery 

SA: Standalone 

N/A N/A 

SS: Self Contained (standard capacity) 3.2W 9AH 

ES: Self Contained (extended capacity) 3.2W 18AH 

The second 9AH battery in the ES model 

increases the level of battery autonomy. 

These are additional options that can be included 

at time of order: 

• GPS synchronisation 

• External charging plug and hardwired sync wire 

for Self Contained model (hardwired sync is 

standard on Standalone model). 

The design life of the VLB-2 LED beacon is 12 

years. Features include: 

• 3 or 4-hole mounting on a 150mm PCD 

• Waterproof to IP68 

• The ability to replace batteries on the Self 

Contained units. 

The 9AH battery is a long life GEL lead acid 

capable of charging down to -20º Celsius. 

The base contains a waterproof cavity that can be 

used to extend the functionality of the beacon. On 

of a power supply to create a mains powered 

beacon (Base will take a Traco AC/DC converter, 

component part # TMS 15105F or TMS 10105F) 

EASY PROGRAMMING 

There are two methods of programming the 

VLB-2 LED marine beacon: 

1. Using the Vega TVIR programmer (Remote-02). 

This allows the beacon to be programmed one 

feature at a time. Settings are confirmed by flashing 

the programming code back to the user. 

2. Using a computer and the IRDA interface (Prog-01). 

This allows all the settings to be displayed on a 

screen and downloaded or retrieved in a single action. 

The VLB-2 LED marine beacon supports the standard 

features found on Vega marine LED beacons. 

• Multiple effective intensity settings equivalent to 

0.25NM increments 

• Day/night transition level settings 

• 246 flash characters 

• One programmable custom character 

• Synchronisation control including master/slave 

options and sync delay 

• Programmable sleep and test modes 

• Programmable transport mode so that the VLB-2 

can be programmed before deployment 

• Calendar control allowing the beacon to be turned 

off for winter. 

• Low battery voltage cut out 

• Control of the IRDA for computer programming 

• Optional security codes 

• Read battery voltage 

• Serial number, LED type etc. are stored in beacon. 

structures in USCG 8th District under CFR 33 Part 67. 

USCG compliant under CFR 33 Part 66 for 1 and 2 mile private 

navigation aids.

Wind 

140Kt 

SPECIFICATIONS 

Ice Loading 22kg/m² 

Optical Performance 

Shock/Vibration 75g shock in all directions; 

Candela Red Green White Yellow Blue 

5g vibration in all directions 

Peak 10.9 22.6 20.0 9.1 4.6 

Material for Beacon 

Lens 

Moulded acrylic (PMMA) 

Effective 5.0 5.0 5.0 2.4 2.4 Bird Spike Stainless steel centre spike 

• Vertical divergence at 50% intensity better than 7° 

Material for Solar Power Pack and Base 

• Colours meet IALA chromaticity requirements 

Body 

UV stabilised transparent Nylon 

• LEDs temperature monitored for control intensity 

Base UV stabilised Nylon with 30% 

• Automatic Schmidt-Clausen intensity correction 

VLB-2 VERTICAL PROFILE 

7 

Top Cap UV stabilised ASA 

Sealing O-ring 

Mounting 3 or 4-hole on 150mm PCD 

Service Life 12 years excluding battery 

6 

Warranty 1 year. Refer to Vega 

5 

warranty conditions 

4 

Intensity (cd) 

3 

2 

1 

0 

-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

Angle (degree) 

Red Green White Yellow Blue 

Electrical Performance 

Standalone Voltage 3.5-16VDC 

Self Contained Voltage 3.5-5.5VDC 

Reverse Polarity Protected 

Gel Battery 

9Ah or 18Ah (2x9Ah) 

Battery Life 

6 years expected 

Charging 

Stops at -20°C 

Solar Panels 

Mono-crystalline 

Solar Panel Orientation Vertical; 4 panels 

90° in azimuth 

mA Red Green White Yellow Blue 

1NM 10 9 9 9 20 

2NM 29 23 24 - - 

Peak CD 

on Flash 57 84 80 57 79 

Character 

• Night off Current 0.09mA 

• Day Current 0.18mA 

• For specific current usage refer to the 

product manual or Vega website 

• GPS Current 

Average current when operating is 0.7mA 

60mA when acquiring signal. 0mA when not 

acquiring signal. Nominally acquires for 14 

seconds every 20 minutes. 

Environmental 

Temperature -30° to +50° Celsius 

Cooling Convection 

Pressure 

Equalisation Membrane in solar body 

Salt 

Continuous exposure saltwater 

and spray 

Standards 

EMI/EMC 

EN55015:2006 +A1:2007,+A2:2009 

radiated and conducted emissions; 

EN61000-4-2:2008 Electrostatic 

Discharge; Immunity Level 4 

(10KV air 6KV contact) 

EN61000-4-3:2006 +A1:2007, 

+A2:2010 Radiation Immunity 

Class 1 (10V/m) 

EN61000-4-5:2005 Class 3 

Surge Immunity, 0.5KV lead to lead 

EN61000-4-6:2008 conducted 

susceptibility 

EN61547:2009 FCC Part 15 

Optical Test IALA Recommendation E-122 

(2001) and E-200-3 Part 3 (2008) 

Colour IALA Recommendation 

E-200-1 Part 1 

Daylight IALA Recommendation 1038 

Power 

Supply 

IEC60945 Section 7 normal and 

peak voltage, and reverse polarity 

protection 

Ingress & 

Immersion IP68 1.5m depth immersion 

for 1 hour 

Shock 

Vibration 

Hail 

MIL-STD-202G Method 213B Cond H 

MIL-STD-202G Method 204D Cond B 

N/A. Solar panels are internal to body 

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHTS 


150 

269 

Self Contained Beacon 

150 

118 

88 

182 

SA 

Weight = 0.3kg 

Ship = 0.5kg 

182 

SS 


Ship = 1.9kg 

ES 


Ship = 3.0kg 

PARTS FOR ORDERING 

DESCRIPTION 

VLB-2 LED Marine Beacon 

• External charge and sync wire on SS and ES Self Contained models 

• Replacement battery 

• Battery holder to convert from 1 to 2 batteries 

• Sync Signal Converter (receive only) 

• Vega TVIR Programmer 

• Computer Programmer 

CODE 

VLB-2-c07-YY 

add “-CP/SW” 

EBAT-HZY4-9 

VLB-2-K01 

136-600 

Remote-02 

Prog-01 

Note: c is colour (G, R, W, Y, B), YY is size: SA (Standalone), SS (Standard 9AH Battery Solar Capacity), 

ES (Extended 18AH Battery Solar Capacity). 

361 

210 

179 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 






Fife, KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 


VLB_2_V.2.00_Nov_12


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Carmanah M650 

self contained solar navigation light 

The Carmanah M650 is an advanced, self contained 

solar LED light suitable for a range of AtoN applications. 

It can be used for marina, port and hazard marking 

on both fixed and floating structures including: 

navigation buoys, piles, aquaculture markers, data 

buoy platforms, mooring buoys and jetty masts. 

The M650 updates the highly successful Carmanah 601 with 

enhanced range capability and a replaceable battery pack, 

extending the light’s service life beyond five years. In addition, the 

microprocessor Energy Management System (EMS) monitors and 

adapts the light to environmental conditions for consistent operation 

and long life. All of the light’s components are incorporated within a 

compact, self contained unit, making it easy to install and maintain. 

The Carmanah M650 is the first solar product to incorporate 

intelligent deployment location settings that allow it to be tuned 

to its location to optimise performance and protect it from 

improper configuration. The light is now also available with a GPS 

synchronised flash option. 


features: 

• Designed and tested to the 

highest industrial standards 

• Replaceable and recyclable 

battery pack 

• Up to 37 cd effective intensity 

and 2 NM visibility in the UK 

• 256+ flash patterns 

(including steady ‘On’) 

• Intelligent deployment location 

settings- protects against 

improper configuration 

• Three programming options 

including USB 

• Same mounting as 

Carmanah 601 

• Lightweight 

• Bird deterrent included 

• Suitable for navigation buoys, 

piles, aquaculture markers, 

research buoys, mooring 

buoys and jetty masts. 

• Optional GPS 

synchronised flash 



Carmanah M650 

6.93 

176mm 

6.65" 

170mm 

specifications 

optical 

Flash Codes Available 

256 user-selectable characters 

Nominal Range in UK NM Up to 2 (dependant on duty cycle) 

Horizontal Divergence 360° 

Vertical Divergence > 8° 

Chromaticity of Output 

Meets IALA recommendation 

E-200-1, 12/2008 

physical 

Dimensions mm (Height x Base) 

170 x176 dia. 

Mass Kg 1.58 

Mounting Holes 

3 no. 7mm dia. on 150mm pod 

Waterproof 

IP68 

Construction 

UV stabilised polycarbonate/ 

co-polymer body and lens 

Bird Spike 

Included 

electrical 

Programming 

Battery 

GPS Synchronisation 

accessories 

IR remote, push button or USB 

Replaceable, sealed dry cell 

Optional 

Programmer 

IR custom programmer 

Software Kit 

Allows USB connection and 

two-way communication with unit 

Battery Charger 

Mains power 

Sector Plates 112.5° | 135° | 225° 

Bolt Kit 

Optional 

Security Bolt Kit 

Optional 

REF 

4.43" 

113mm 

side view 

6.93 

176mm 

REF 

5.11" 

130mm 

photometric performance 

Candela 

0.45" 

11mm 

5.91" 

150mm 

BOLT 

CIRCLE 

6.65" 

170mm 

0.28" 3X 

7mm 

top view 

REF 

4.43" 

113mm 

REF 

5.11" 

130mm 

0 

-8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Vertical Angle 

Note: Peak IALA intensity dependent on location. Plot based on equatorial location of 12-hour 

1 Transmissivity of 0.74. 

65 

60 

55 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

White 

Yellow 

Green 

Red 

Blue 

0.45" 

11mm 

5.91" 

150mm 

BOLT 

CIRCLE 

0.28" 3X 

7mm 

the right light for the job 

To make sure you get the right light for 

your requirements consider the following: 

the light’s purpose and location; the 

range needed; the light’s colour; the flash 

character; and the power supply available. 

tips: 

The output required approximately doubles for each additional mile 

of visibility. Always consider the lighting of the site itself; a navigation 

light viewed against a background of shore-based lights will 

seriously affect a mariner’s ability to detect the aid, so the output 

will need to be increased. 








t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE M650_V.2.00_Aug_2012 


Pantone 187 C 


Practice 

Pantone 166 C


VLB-67 


SHORT RANGE BEACON 2-5NM AT 0.74T / 2.25-6NM AT 0.85T 


Standard Self Contained Beacon 

* 7.2 Watt solar panel 

* 12 Ah long life battery 

Large Self Contained Beacon 

* 16 Watt solar panel 

* 12 or 24 Ah long life battery

VLB-67 LED MARINE BEACON 

The VLB-67 beacon forms part of the 

Vega LED marine beacon family and is 

designed for applications required a 2 

to 5NM range at 0.74T.The beacon is 

available in 5 colours: red, green, white, 

yellow and blue. All colours meet the 

IALA chromaticity requirements. 

The VLB-67 LED beacon is available in 

3 models: 

• Standalone for use with an external 

power supply 

• Self Contained with solar power 

• Large Self Contained for high latitude 

or high duty applications 

Model Solar W Battery AH 

Standalone N/A N/A 

Self Contained 7.2 12 

Large Self Contained 16 12 or 24 

The use of high effi cient optics and 

electronics has resulted in a high energy 

effi cient beacon. The low energy need 

reduces the solar panel and battery 

requirements in the overall design. 

Vertical divergence of the lens at 50% of 

the peak intensity is better than 7o. 

The VLB-67 LED beacon is a feature rich 

product that has been designed to provide 

fl exibility in the use of the product. 

There are additional options that can be 

included at that time of order. 

• RS-232 or RS-485 Data Port 

• GPS synchronisation 

• Hard wire synchronisation for 

Self Contained unit (standard on 

Standalone unit) 

• Hard wire synchronisation converter 

(to work with positive transition 

sync signals) 

• Alarm/monitor wire (beacon healthy) 

• External charging plug 

The design life of the VLB-67 LED 

beacon is 12 years. Features include: 

• 3 or 4-hole mounting on a 200 PCD 

• Waterproof body to IP68 

• Ability to replace batteries on the 

Self Contained units 

The base of the VLB-67 beacon contains 

a waterproof cavity that can be used to 

extend the functionality of the beacon. 

On the Standalone unit this space may 

be used for the fi tting of a power supply 

to create a mains powered lantern (Base 

will take a Traco AC/DC converter, RS 

component part # RS 3221840). 

The Self Contained unit has been sized 

to allow the VLB-67 LED beacon to be 

used over a wide range of locations and 

applications. 

For applications that need a bit more 

solar and battery capability the Large Self 

Contained unit is available. This option 

allows the beacon to be used in high 

latitude and high duty applications. 

The Self Contained unit uses a long 

life GEL lead acid battery capable of 

being charged down to a temperature 

of -20° Celsius. 

Vega provides a web based VLB-67 

selection calculator allowing customers 

to confi rm to beacons suitability at a 

• particular location 

• range 

• colour, and 

• flash character 

The calculator can be found at 

www.solar.vega.co.nz/vlb67calc.aspx 


There are two methods of programming 

the VLB-67 LED marine beacon: 

1. Using the Vega TVIR programmer 

(Remote-02). This allows the beacon to 

be programmed one feature at a time. 

The VLB-67 confirms the settings by 

flashing the programming code back 

to the user. 

2. Using a computer and the IRDA 

interface (Prog-01). This allows all the 

VLB-67 settings can be displayed on a 

screen and downloaded or retrieved in 

a single action. 

The VLB-67 LED marine beacon supports 

the standard features found on Vega 

marine LED beacons. 

• Automatic Schmidt-Clausen 

intensity correction for short flashes 

• Multiple effective intensity settings 


• Programmable flash characters 


• Synchronisation control including 

master/slave options and sync delay 


• Programmable transport mode so 

that the VLB-67 can be 

programmed before deployment 

• Programmable low battery voltage 

cut out. 

• Program control of the IRDA and 

RS-232 data port. 

MONITORING 

Monitoring of the VLB-67 LED beacon 

can be provided in a number of ways: 

1. Using the Vega Mini VegaWeb 

internet monitoring unit. 

2. Utilising the factory data port option. 

This can be RS-232 or RS-485. 

3. Using the alarm/monitor 

connection option. 




Peak 140 129 150 94 45 

Effective 77 77 77 77 25 

• Vertical divergence at 50% intensity 

better than 7° 

• Colours meet IALA chromaticity 

requirements 

• LEDs monitored for excess 

temperature 

• Automatic Schmidt-Clausen intensity 

correction 


Battery Voltage 12VDC 

Operating Voltage 9 to 18VDC 

Haze Solar Gel Battery 12Ah or 24Ah 

(2x12Ah) 

Battery Life 

6 years expected 

Charging 

Stops at -20°C 

Solar Panels Mono-crystalline 

Solar Panel Orientation Vertical; 4 panels 

90° in azimuth 

Current for fi xed character: 


3NM 25 20 25 40 110 

4NM 65 50 60 90 N/A 

Peak CD 155 160 125 250 N/A 

• Night off Current 2.5mA 

(4.5mA with GPS) 

• Day Current 0.3mA 

• For specific current usage refer to the 

product manual or Vega website 

• The GPS sync options requires 

10mA for 2 minutes every 20 minutes 

(1mA average)

Program Capability 

• 246 flash characters 

• 1 custom character 

• Battery low voltage cut off 

• Day/night transition level 


• Master/slave sync options 

• Sync delay 0.1 to 9.9 seconds 

• Storage, test, or normal operation 

• Transport modes for automatic installation 

• Control of IRDA and RS-232 Data Ports 

• Optional security codes 

• Read battery voltage 

• Serial number, LED type etc. are stored in beacon 

Environmental 

Temperature 

Intrusion 

-30° to +50° Celsius 

IP 68, 1 Hour immersion in 1.5 metres 

of water 

Convection 

Cooling 

Pressure 

Equalisation 

Salt 

Wind 

Ice Loading 

Shock/Vibration 75g shock in all directions; 

5g vibration in all directions 

Membrane in solar body 

Continuous exposure saltwater and spray 

140Kt 

25kg/m² 


Lens 

Moulded acrylic (PMMA) 

Sealing Lens glued in position 

Bird Spikes Plastic centre spike, 4 x stainless outer spikes 

Material for Solar Power Pack and Base 

Body and Base Injection moulded UV stabilised Nylon 6/6 

with 30% glass fi bre. 

Top Cap moulded UV stabilised ASA. 


Weight & 

Dimensions See drawings 

Mounting 3 or 4-hole on 200mm PCD 

Service Life 12 years excluding battery 

Warranty 1 year. Refer Vega warranty conditions. 

Standards 

EMI/EMC 

Optical Test 

EN55015:2006 radiated and 

conducted emissions 

EN61000-4-2:2001 Electrostatic Discharge 

Immunity Level 4 

EN61000-4-3:2002 Radiation Immunity Class 1 

EN61000-4-5:1995 Class 3 Surge Immunity, 

0.5KV lead to lead 

FCC 47 CFR Section 15 Class A 

IALA Recommendation E-122(2001) 

and E-200-3 Part 3 (2008) 

Colour IALA Recommendation E-200-1 Part 1 


Power Supply IEC60945 Section 7 normal and peak voltage, 

and reverse polarity protection 

Ingress IP68 to EN60529 

Shock MIL-STD-202G Method 213B Cond H 

Vibration MIL-STD-202G Method 204D Cond B 

Immersion MIL-STD-202G Method 104A Cond B 

withstands immersion to 1m depth 

VLB-67 VERTICAL PROFILE 

140 

120 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

-7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

YELLOW BLUE GREEN RED WHITE 

Approved for use as Class B & C lights for artifi cial island and structures in USCG 8th District under 

CFR 33 Part 67. USCG compliant under CFR 33 Part 66 for 3 and 5 mile private navigation aids.

DIMENSIONS 

Weight = 1kg 

Ship = 1.5kg 


LS1 Weight = 6.5kg 

Ship = 7.5kg 

LS2 Weight = 10kg 

Ship = 11kg 

Large Self Contained Beacon 

Weight = 6kg 

Ship = 7kg 

Standard Self Contained Beacon 


DESCRIPTION 

CODE 

VLB-67 LED Marine Beacon 

VLB-67-C07-YY 

• Optional GPS sync 

add “-GS” 

• Data port, Alarm/Monitor, and Sync Wire Option 

add “-DP/AL/SW” 

• Charging Plug and Sync wire for self contained SS and LS 

add “-CP/SW” 

• Replacement battery 

EBAT-VGA-SL12-12U 

• Sync Signal Converter (receive only) 167-600 

• IR Programmer 

Remote-02 


Prog-01 

Note: C is colour (G, R, W, Y, B), YY is size: SA (Standalone), SS (Standard Solar), LS1 (Large Solar Single 12AH Battery), LS2 (Large Solar Two 12AH Battery) 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 






Fife, KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 


VLB-67_V.2.01_Apr_13 

3


VLB-36 


SELF CONTAINED BEACON 

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AS HIGH AS: 

90 candela per watt at 5NM 

4.0NM to 7.0NM at 0.74T 

Options of 7° or 10° Vertical 

Divergence


The VLB-36 Self Contained Beacon 

forms part of the Vega LED marine 

beacon family. It is available with two 

vertical divergence options: 7° and 

10°. The unique optical system utilises 

an acrylic lens to maximise the light 

capture from the LEDs. The LEDs 

are precisely graded and placed to 

produce a light beam with minimum 

variation in intensity. 

The beacon is available in 5 colours, 

red, green, white, yellow and blue (on 

request). All colours meet the IALA 

chromaticity recommendation. 

The VLB-36 optics have been 

maximised for buoy applications by 

shaping the optical performance 

for higher output across the vertical 

divergence of the beacon. 


electronics has resulted in energy 

effi ciency as high as 90 Candela per 

Watt at 5NM. The low energy need 

reduce the solar panel and battery 

requirements in the overall design. 

All VLB-36 beacons are tested in the 

Vega zero range light tunnel prior to 

shipment to ensure the light output 

meets the required specifi cation. 

The Solar Charger with its 3 side 

pyramid shapes has 3 solar panels. 

Three different sizes of solar boxes 

are available to accommodate 

various range, latitude, and duty 

cycle requirements. 

SOLAR 

BATTERY 

Small 7.8W 12Ah 

Medium 15W 12/18/35Ah 

XLarge 30W 12/18/35Ah 

BATTERY IS NOT INCLUDED (must be ordered 

separately). The battery sizes that can fit in each size 

unit are indicated. 

The Solar Charger contains a 

microprocessor based charge controller 

to manage the charge rate to the battery 

depending on the ambient temperature 

and battery voltage. 

The base of the solar pack contains 

threaded inserts to take 3 M12 bolts. 

These are located on a 200mm PCD. 

An adapter plate is available where 

4-hole mounting is required. 

The selection of the correct Solar Charger 

unit depends on 

• The available solar energy at the location 

• The energy needed for the flash character 

• The range of the light 

A selection tool is available on the 

“Calculators” section of the website 

www.vega.co.nz 


Programming of the VLB-36 could not be 

easier. There are up to 15 programmable 

effective intensity settings. Once set 

the VLB-36 provides automatic Schmitt 

Clausen correction to increase intensity 

for the fl ash character and maintain the 

effective range of the light. The output 

intensity cannot exceed the maximum 

candela output of the beacon. 

Programming is done using the Vega 

TVIR programmer. 

Additional options include: 

• Internal GPS sync to allow the 

VLB-36 to synchronise with other 

marine lanterns. 

• VegaWeb web or SMS based 

monitoring system interface. 

• 4 Hole mounting plate. 

• Battery if required to be supplied by Vega. 



VD Candela Red Green White Yellow Blue 

7° 

10° 

Peak 410 320 520 330 100 

Effective 240 240 290 290 66 

Peak 310 220 300 190 40 

Effective 161 150 161 150 29 

Functionality 

• Up to fifteen effective intensity settings 

matching common range requirements. 

• Automatic Schmitt Clausen intensity 

correction up to the maximum intensity 

available. 


requirement. 

• Candela output reduces at higher 

temperatures. 

• Vertical divergence 7° or 10° measured 

at 50% of peak intensity. 

• 246 standard flash characters and one 

programmable custom character. 

• 20 factory set custom characters. 

• Calibrated lux measurement with nine 

levels to determine day/night transition. 

IALA recommendation included. 

• Has the ability with the factory fitted 

GPS option to synchronize flash 

character with other lights plus sync 

delay of up to 9.9 seconds.

• Programmable low voltage cutoff threshold. 

• Programmable storage mode. 

• Optional security code for programming. 

Electrical 

Battery Voltage 

12VDC 

Operating Voltage 9 to 18 VDC 

Battery Type 

Powersonic AGM or Haze Solar GEL 

Battery charger Charge current stops at -20° C 

Expected battery life 6 years 

Solar Panels 

Mono-crystalline 

Solar panel orientation 80° to horizontal, 120° in azimuth 

Typical Current for fi xed character at 7°: 

Candela Red (mA) Green (mA) White (mA) Yellow (mA) Blue (mA) 

77 CD (5NM) 120 100 70 100 

230 

(@4.5NM) 

Peak CD 840 910 740 820 540 

Night off current 4mA 

Day current 

0.5mA 

Standards 

EMI/EMC EN55015 radiated and conducted emissions, 


Immunity, 

EN61000-4-3 Radiation Immunity, 

EN61000-4-5:1995 Class 3 Surge Immunity 

Optical IALA recommendation E-122(2001) 

Colour IALA recommendation E-200-1 part 1 

Daylight IALA recommendation 1038 

Power supply IEC60945 section 7 normal and peak 

voltage, and reverse polarity protection 


Humidity MIL-STD-202F Method 103B CondB 

Shock 

MIL-STD-202F Method 213B CondH 

Vibration MIL-STD-202 Method 204 CondB 

Salt air/sea water IEC60945 section 8.12 

Immersion MIL-STD-202F Method 104B CondB, 

1m depth 

Hail and Ice IEC61215 

BATTERIES 

Powersonic 

Haze 

12Ah PS-12120 HZY-SL-12-12 

18Ah PS-12180 HZY-SL-12-18 

35Ah PS-12350 HZY-SL-12-33 

Mechanical & Environment 


Intrusion rating IP 68, 2 hours immersion in 1 metre 

of water 

Cooling Convection only 

Pressure Membrane in solar body 

Salt 

Continuous exposure saltwater and spray 

Wind 

Withstand winds to 140kt 

Ice loading 22Kg/square metre 

Shock/Vibration Shock 75G horizontal and 35G vertical 

5G vibration 

EMI Interference Withstands 200V/m 1 to 12 GHz, 10V/m 

0.1 to 1 GHz (without GPS) withstands 

25kV static discharge 

Material for Becaon 

Lens 

Acrylic 

Housing Anodised marine grade aluminium base, 

ABS plastic top 

Sealing Sikafl ex on lens 

Bird Spikes Plastic spike, stainless steel optional 

Material for Solar Power Pack 

Body 

Vacuum formed UV stabilised ASA plastic, 

316 stainless steel base plate within base, 

316 stainless connection clamps 

Sealing Sikafl ex in base and O-rings elsewhere 

Weight 

Without battery: small 4.5kg, 

Medium 5.4kg, (V)Large 7.3kg 


Mounting 3-hole on 200mm PCD using M12 bolts, 

4-hole adapter plate optional 

Focal Plane Above base: Small 235mm, Medium 

314mm, (V)Large 473mm 

Service Life 12 years 

Warranty 1 year. Refer Vega warranty conditions. 

Approved for use as Class A, B, and C lights for artifi cial island and 

structures in USCG 8th District under CFR 33 Part 67.

DIMENSIONS 

BASE 

440 

380 

235 

180 

440 

SMALL SIZE 

Overall height 380 mm 

Focal plane height 235 mm 

Total weight 8.4 kg 

Battery weight 3.9 kg (12Ah) 

Battery dimensions 151 x 98 x 100 mm high 

Battery capacity 12 Amp-hrs @12Vdc 

Connection type F2 Faston 0.25 inch 

Solar panel size 240 mm wide x 110 mm high 

Solar panel output 2.6 Watts each panel 

Total solar 7.8 Watts 

463 

314 

180 

MEDIUM SIZE 







Connection type F2 Faston 0.25 inch 


Solar panel output 5 Watts each panel 

Total solar 15 watts 

615 

473 

440 

180 

X-LARGE SIZES 







Connection type nut and bolt 


Solar panel output X-large 10 Watts each panel 

Total solar 30 Watts 


DESCRIPTION 

VLB-36 (small powerpack 7.8W) 

CODE 

VLB-36-CDD-Sm-By 

VLB-36 (medium powerpack 15W) 

VLB-36-CDD-Md-By 

VLB-36 (extra-large powerpack 30W) 

VLB-36-CDD-Xl-By 

VLB-36 Lantern Base Adapter 4 hole (adds 60 mm height) 

136-045-BA4H 

Note: C is colour (G, R, W, Y, B), DD is vertical divergence (07 or 10) 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 






Fife, KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 


VLB_36SC_V.200_Sep_12


VLB-36 


STANDALONE & EMERGENCY WRECK MARKING BEACON 


ENERGY EFFICIENCY AS HIGH AS: 

90 candela per watt at 5NM 

4NM to 7.0NM at 0.74T 

Options of 7° or 10° Vertical Divergence 

Emergency Wreck Marking Beacon


The VLB-36 Beacon forms part of the 

Vega LED marine beacon family. It is 

available with two vertical divergence 

options of 7° and 10°. The unique 

optical system utilises an acrylic lens 

to maximise the light capture from the 

LEDs. The LEDs are precisely graded 

and placed to produce a light beam 

with minimum variation in intensity. 

The beacon is available in 5 colours: 

red, green, white, yellow and blue (on 

request). All colours meet the IALA 


The VLB-36 optics have been 

maximised for buoy applications by 

shaping the optical performance 

for higher output across the vertical 

divergence of the beacon. 


electronics has resulted in energy 

effi ciency as high as 90 candela per watt 

at 5NM. The low energy need reduce 

the solar panel and battery requirements 

for a stand alone application. 





The VLB-36 beacon comes with a fl ush 

mounting marine grade aluminium 

heat sink containing an O-ring seal. 

This beacon can be used in this form 

where suitable mounting is available. 

Attachment is achieved using six M4 

bolts into the base of the beacon. 

An optional 3 or 4-hole, 200mm PCD 

mounting base is available if required. 


Programming of the VLB-36 could not be 

easier. There are up to 15 programmable 

effective intensity settings. Once set the 

VLB-36 provides automatic Schmidt- 

Clausen correction to increase intensity 

for the fl ash character and maintain the 

effective range of the light. The output 

intensity cannot exceed the maximum 

candela output of the beacon. 


IR programmer. 


• Mounting adapter providing 3 or 4 

point mounting with the holes located 

on a 200mm circle. 

• A solar battery charger that fits into the 

mounting base and controls battery 

charging from up to 4 solar panels. 

• Internal GPS synch to allow the 

VLB-36 to synchronise with other 

marine lanterns. Must be factory fitted. 

• External GPS sync using the Vega 

VSU-29 GPS Sync Unit. 


monitoring system interface. 



VD Candela Red Green White Yellow Blue 

7° 

10° 

Peak 410 320 520 330 116 

Effective 240 240 290 290 66 

Peak 310 220 300 190 40 

Effective 161 150 161 150 29 

Functionality 

• Up to fifteen effective intensity 

settings matching common 

range requirements 


correction up to the maximum 

intensity available 


requirement 

• Vertical divergence of 7° or 10° 

measured at 50% of peak intensity 

• 246 standard flash characters and 

one programmable custom character 

• 20 factory set custom characters 

• Calibrated Lux measurement with 

nine levels to determine day/night 

transition. IALA recommendation 

included. 

• Hard wire sync with sync delay of 

up to 9.9 seconds 

• Has the ability with the factory fitted 

GPS sync option to synchronise flash 

character with other lights using a 

GPS synch, plus synch delay of 

up to 9.9 seconds 

• Programmable low voltage 

cutout threshold 

• Programmable storage mode 

• Optional security code for programming 

Electrical 

Voltage 

Operating Voltage 

Protection 

12VDC 

9 to 18VDC 

Reverse Polarity

Approved for use as Class A, B, and C lights for artifi cial island and 

structures in USCG 8th District under CFR 33 Part 67. 

Typical Current for fi xed character at 7°: 

Candela Red (mA) Green (mA) White (mA) Yellow (mA) Blue (mA) 

77 CD (5NM) 120 100 70 100 320 (@4.5NM) 

Peak CD 840 910 740 820 540 

Night off Current 

Day Current 

4mA 

0.5mA 

Emergency Wreck Marking Beacon meets IALA 

recommendation O-133 (December 2005). Optional solar 

regulator and GPS fl ash synchronisation unit. 

Range 4NM at 0.74T. 

Vertical Divergence 7° at 50% intensity. 

Character 

Voltage 

Currents 

Standby 

Blu 1.0s + 0.5s + Y 1.0s + 0.5s = 3s 

12VDC 

102mA average 

0.5mA 

• For on currents at other intensity settings refer to Appendix 

A of product manual. 

• The GPS module needs 10mA when acquiring satellite 

information. Acquisition normally takes 2 minutes. 

Factory setting 3 times per hour. 

• VegaWeb Current requirement depends on the frequency 

monitoring occurs. 

Refer to VegaWeb technical information. 

Optional Solar Charger 

Input Voltage 12 to 18 Volts 

Solar Panels Up to 4 panels Max 15W/panel 

Battery Type Lead GEL/AGM 

Battery/Load Current Max 4 Amps 

Charge Control Reduces charging current at 0° and 

stops charging at -20°Celsius 



Intrusion rating IP 68, 2 Hours immersion in 1 metre 

of water 

Cooling 

Convection only 

Pressure 

Equalisation Fully sealed 

Salt 


and spray 

Wind 


Ice loading 

22kg/square metre 

Shock/Vibration Shock 75G horizontal and 35G Vertical 

5G Vibration 

EMI Interference Withstands 200V/m 1 to 12 GHz, 10V/m 

0.1 to 1 Ghz (without GPS) Withstands 



Lens 

Housing 

Sealing 

Focal Plane 

Dimensions 

Bird Spikes 

Weight 

Mounting 

Material for Optional Base 

Body 

Dimensions 

Mounting 

Service Life 

Warranty 

Standards 

EMI/EMC 

Acrylic 

Anodised marine grade aluminium base, 

ASA plastic top 

Sikafl ex on lens O’ring in base 

86mm above base 

See drawings 

Stainless steel 

1 kg 

6 holes on 100mm circumference using 

4mm bolts 

Injection moulded UV resistant ASA plastic 

See drawings 

M12 clearance (13.5mm) hole on 200mm PCD 

allows for 3 or 4 holes mounting 

12 years 

1 year. Refer Vega warranty conditions. 

EN55015 radiated and conducted emissions, 

EN61000-4-2:1995 Electrostatic 

Discharge Immunity, 

EN61000-4-3 Radiation Immunity, 



Optical 

Colour IALA Recommendation E-200-1 part 1 


Power supply IEC60945 section 7 normal and peak voltage, 




Shock 





1m depth 

Hail and Ice IEC61215

DIMENSIONS 

Stand Alone Beacon 

Emergency Wreck 

Marking Beacon 


DESCRIPTION 

CODE 

VLB-36 Beacon only, IR programmer required 

136-010-CDD 

VLB-36 Beacon Plastic Base Mount, 3+4 hole base 

VLB-36-CDD 

VLB-36 Wreck Beacon, 3+4 hole base with 200mm PCD 

VLB-36-WRECK 

• with solar regulator 

VLB-36-CDD-SR 

• with Internal GPS sync option 

VLB-36-CDD-GS 

• with solar regulator & GPS option 

VLB-36-CDD-SR-GS 

VLB-36 solar regulator (Max 5 Amp from 4 solar panels) 

Sync signal inverter 

136-210 

136-600 

Note: C is colour (G, R, W, Y, B), DD is vertical divergence (07 or 10) 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 






Fife, KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 

sales@hydrosphere.co.uk


VLB-44 


MEDIUM RANGE BEACON 6-14NM (1-8 TIERS) 

6NM to 14NM at 0.74T 

Options of 2.5°, 5° or 10° Vertical Divergence


The VLB-44 Beacon forms part of the 

Vega LED marine beacon family. The use 

of high effi cient optics and electronics 

has resulted in energy effi ciency as high 

as 175 Candela per Watt (depending on 

vertical divergence). 

The low energy needs reduce the solar 

panel and battery requirements in a 

standalone application. 

The Beacon comes in 3 models 

with different vertical divergence to 

cover applications from buoy to fi xed 

installations. 

• VLB-44 10 degree for buoys 

• VLB-44 5 degree for land/pole use 

• VLB-44 2.5 degree for lighthouse 

The VLB-44 beacon is available from 

one to eight tiers and can be sized to 

the range of a particular application. 

Multiple units can be used to extend 

the range to 16NM. Each tier uses 

approximately 10 Watts of energy. The 

available colours are: red, green, white, 

yellow and blue. All colours meet the 

IALA chromaticity recommendation. 

The unique optical system utilises 

an acrylic lens to maximise the light 

capture from the LEDs. The LEDs are 

precisely graded and placed to produce 

a light beam with minimum variation 

in intensity. A switch mode regulator 

maintains the light output of the LEDs 

independent of input voltage and 

temperature. 

All VLB-44 Beacons are tested in the 




Programming of the VLB-44 could 

not be easier. Each beacon has up to 

15 programmable effective intensity 

options. Where fl ash characters are used 

automatic Schmidt-Clausen correction 

occurs to increase the peak intensity 

to maintain the effective range of the 

beacon. The output intensity cannot 

exceed the maximum intensity of the 

tier/colour combination. 

Programming is done using Vega 

IR programmer. 


• External GPS sync using the Vega 

VSU-29 unit. 


monitoring system. 



The maximum Candela from a single tier 

VLB-44 is as follows: 

VD Red Green White Yellow Blue 

10° 670 440 520 380 90 

5° 1040 720 1060 590 - 

2.5° 1810 1510 1740 1084 - 

Use multi-tier units (2-8 tiers) or multiple 

units to increase candela and range. 

Functionality 

• Up to fifteen effective intensity settings 

for every tier/colour combination. 


correction up to the maximum intensity 

of the tier/colour combination 

• Colours meet the IALA chromaticity 

requirement 

• Candela output reduces at higher 

temperatures 

• Vertical Divergence Options of 2.5°, 

5° and 10° 

• 246 standard flash characters and one 

programmable custom character 

• 20 factory set custom flash characters 

• Flash synch delay from master up to 

9.9 seconds 

• Nine Lux levels to determine day/night 

transition, IALA recommendation included 

• With hard wire sync can operate as a 

master or slave 

• Sync delay up to 9.9 seconds 

• Programmable low voltage cutout 

threshold 

• Programmable storage and test mode 


• Features are programmable using Vega 

IR programmer 

• Light output based at the 10% 

Percentile (IALA E-122) 

• Horizontal tolerance in the focal plane 

+/-15% from the mean. 

Optics 

Light Source 

Lens 

Construction 

Rated Intensity 

Horizontal Fan 

High-Intensity 

Light-Emitting Diodes, 

exact number varies 

with colour and model 

Acrylic, UV-protected 

Measured at the 

10% percentile in 

accordance with IALA 

recommendations 

360° fan beam, 

tolerance ±15% mean 

Vertical 

Divergence 

2.5° ±1.25° at 50% peak 

and ± 3° at 10% peak 

5° ±2.5° at 50% peak 

and ±5° at 10% peak 

10° ±5° at 50% and 

±10° at 10% peak 

Colours Available red, green, white, 

yellow (blue on request) 

Chromaticity All meet IALA 

recommendations for 

signal colours 

Service Life Greater than 10 years 

depending on fl ash 

character and duty cycle 

External Inputs 


Electronics 

Power Control 

Photocell 

Light Output 


Reverse Polarity 

Negative going pulse 

at start of character, 

programmable delay 

Continuous, based 

on intensity and 

temperature 

Internal with 9 selectable 

threshold levels for 

day/night transition 

Output maintained 

by micro processor 

control from -30°C 

to +60°, output 

reduces above 60°C 

Wired sync standard, 

delay up to 9.9s in 

0.1s step 

Internally protected 

against reverse 

polarity connection 

Power Requirements 

Input Voltage Nominal 12VDC 

Maximum Ratings 11-18V from 

regulated DC supply. 

Transient protection 

built in 

Power 

Typically a maximum 

of 10W/tier at 12VDC 

Quiescent 0.5mA daytime, 

Current 4mA for night “off” 

segments; For the on 

currents at various 

intensity settings refer 

to Appendix A of the 

product manual. 

Enclosure 

Material 

Paint Finish 

DT 5008 Marine 

Grade Aluminium, 

anodised to 25μm 

Epoxy primer, 2-pot 

polyurethane gloss 

on exterior

Bird Spikes 

Sealing 


Sikafl ex sealant on lens, 

O-rings on metal parts 

Environmental 

Vibration MIL-STD-202G Method 

204D, Cond B 

1G (5Hz to 40.8Hz, xyz 

axis, 1 octave/min) 

5G (40.85Hz to 2000Hz, 

xyz axis, 1 octave/min) 

Tested at -20°C 

Shock MIL-STD-202G Method 

213B, Cond H 

75G, xyz axis 

Tested at -20°C 

Immersion MIL-STD-202G Method 

104A, Cond A 

IP68, 1.5m for 60 minutes 

Electrical 

47 CFR FCC Part 15 Subpart B: 2009; 

EN 55015:2006+A2:2009 (Disturbance 

voltages); EN 61547:1995+A1:2000 

(Radiated disturbance 30MHz to 300MHz) 

IEC 61000-4-2: 2008, Level 3 

(Electrostatic discharge immunity); 

IEC 61000-4-3: 2006+A1:2007, 3V/m 

(Radiated, radio frequency, EF immunity); 

IEC 61000-4-5: 2005 (Surge immunity) 

Temperature 

Tested -30°C to +50°C. Output reduces at 

high temperatures to protect LEDs 

Salt 

Rated for continuous 

exposure to salt water 

and spray 

Wind Rated to withstand winds 

to 100+kt 

Cooling Natural radiation only 

Ice 

22kg/m2 

Weight 

3.5kg single tier, 9.4kg for 6 tier and 

15kg for 8 tier beacon 

Warranty 1 year. Refer Vega 

warranty conditions 

DIMENSIONS 

Label Description 

A Height (see table) 

B Photocell & program window 

3 mounting bushes Ø15 hole on 

C 

200PCD 

D Cable gland (M20 or M16) 

5˚ & 10˚ Version 

No 

of 

Tiers 

Height 

(mm) 

Focal 

height 

(mm) 

Bare 

weight 

(kg) 

Shipping 

Volume 

(M 3 ) 

Shipping 

Weight 

(kg) 

1 111 80 3.7 0.011 4.5 

2 151 100 5.8 0.031 11 

3 191 120 7.9 0.031 13 

4 231 140 10 0.031 15.5 

5 271 160 12.1 0.031 17.5 

6 311 180 14.2 0.041 20 

7 351 200 16.3 0.041 22 

8 391 220 18.4 0.041 24 

2.5˚ Version 

No 

of 

Tiers 

Height 

(mm) 

Focal 

height 

(mm) 

Bare 

weight 

(kg) 

Shipping 

Volume 

(M 3 ) 

Shipping 

Weight 

(kg) 

1 111 80 4.2 0.041 10 

2 151 100 6.7 0.041 12 

3 191 120 9.3 0.041 15 

4 231 140 11.8 0.041 17 

5 271 160 14.4 0.041 20 

6 311 180 16.9 0.056 22 

7 351 200 19.5 0.056 25 

8 391 220 22 0.056 27.5 

Built of marine grade aluminium alloy 

the VLB-44 beacon provides good 

heat sinking for the high-powered 

LEDs, as well as having high strength 

and impact resistance. Various 

mounting options are available 

including 3-hole and 4-hole. 


DESCRIPTION 

VLB-44 LED BEACON (2.5°, 5°, 10°) 

CODE 

VLB-44-ccc-v-tT-hH 

Note: v = vertical divergence, options are 2.5, 5, and 10 degree. 

ccc = beacon colour, options are red, grn, wht, and yel. (blue available on request) 

t = number of tiers, options are 1 to 8. 

h = number of mounting holes, options are 3 or 4. 

For example: To order a VLB-44, 5° vertical divergence, white, 4 tier, 3 hole base the order code 

would be: VLB-44-WHT-5-4T-3H

Notes: • To select how many tiers are required 

(1) Use table with required vertical divergence 2.5, 5, or 10 degree; (2) For required range at 0.74T or 0.85T select the minimum number of tiers using the Effective Candela; 

(3) Check if more tiers are required for particular flash character by: 

(a) Calculating Schmidt-Clausen factor: (flash on period + 0.2) / flash on period; (b) Multiply the candela shown for the range by the SC factor; (c) Using the calculated candela check number of tiers required from the Max Candela column. 

• Refer to product manual for programmable effective candela settings. 

Example: Want red 2.5 degree 10NM light at 0.74T with 0.2s flash 

(1) On range basis 2 tier unit required; (2) SC factor = (0.2+0.2)/0.2 = 2; (3) Requried candela is 1393 x 2 = 2786cd. 2 tier unit could do application. 

Effective Candela 

Max Candela 


Max Candela 


Max Candela 

6 

150 

8 

7.5 

9 

6 

150 

7 

277 

8.5 

8 

9.5 

6.5 

205 

8.5 

10 

9 

6.5 

205 

7.5 

369 

1T 

10.5 

7 

277 

9 

9.5 

7 

277 

1T 

8 

488 

11 

1T 

9.5 

10 

7.5 

369 

1T 

1T 

10.5 

10 

8.5 

641 

1T 

11.5 

7.5 

369 

1T 

12 

8 

488 

1T 

11 

1T 

10.5 

1T 

1T 

8 

488 

2T 

9 

835 

12.5 

1T 

11 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 


11.5 

1T 

1T 

8.5 

641 

1T 

2T 

13 

1T 

2T 

12 

11.5 

9.5 

1082 

1T 

8.5 

641 

1T 

2T 

1T 

2T 

3T 

13.5 

9 

835 

2T 

12 

12.5 

2T 

2T 

14 

9 

835 

10 

1393 

1T 

13 

2T 

12.5 

1T 

9.5 

1T 

14.5 

1082 

3T 

3T 

3T 

4T 

2T 

2T 

2T 

13.5 

2T 

13 

1T 

10.5 

1786 

2T 

1T 

3T 

9.5 

1082 

15 

3T 

5T 

3T 

13.5 

14 

10 

1393 

3T 

4T 

2T 

2T 

15.5 

2T 

4T 

4T 

3T 

2T 

14.5 

10 

1393 

6T 

14 

11 

2278 

2T 

4T 

16 

10.5 

1786 

3T 

3T 

5T 

3T 

4T 

5T 

5T 

7T 

4T 

14.5 

15 

3T 

2T 

11.5 

2894 

3T 

16.5 

2T 

4T 

3T 

6T 

10.5 

1786 

5T 

6T 

4T 

8T 

15 

2T 

15.5 

3T 

5T 

3T 

5T 

17 

11 

2278 

4T 

6T 

7T 

3T 

4T 

5T 

7T 

4T 

16 

15.5 

12 

3664 

4T 

2T 

3T 

6T 

11 

2278 

6T 

4T 

5T 

8T 

6T 

17.5 

7T 


8T 

11.5 

2894 

5T 

3T 

6T 

4T 

16.5 

16 

2T 

4T 

5T 

4T 

18 

3T 

5T 

7T 

17 

12.5 

4621 

3T 

5T 

4T 

5T 

7T 

11.5 

8T 

7T 

4T 

6T 

8T 

7T 

2894 

5T 

16.5 

7T 

8T 

18.5 

12 

3664 

6T 

8T 

5T 

6T 

8T 

6T 

4T 

17.5 

5T 

17 

6T 

6T 

3T 

5T 

5T 

8T 

19 

7T 

4T 

7T 

13 

5810 

3T 

12 

3664 

17.5 

6T 

18 

7T 

6T 

6T 

4T 

6T 

7T 

6T 

19.5 

12.5 

4621 

8T 

7T 

5T 

8T 

18 

18.5 

5T 

8T 

7T 

13.5 

7284 

8T 

4T 

7T 

7T 

12.5 

4621 

7T 

8T 

4T 

7T 

20 

6T 

18.5 

19 

8T 

5T 

20.5 

13 

5810 

8T 

8T 

8T 

6T 

7T 

19.5 

14 

9106 

5T 

8T 

5T 

6T 

21 

7T 

13.5 

7284 

7T 

8T 

20 

0.74T 

NM Candela 

0.85T 

NM 

6T 

6T 

21.5 

14.5 

11355 

8T 

7T 

8T 

22 

7T 

14 

8922 

22.5 

0.85T 

NM 

15 

14126 

8T 

8T 

23 

0.74T 

NM Candela 


Fife Renewables 16 Cromarty Innovation Campus, Centre 

Ajax Rosyth Way, Europark, Methil 

Fife, KY8 KY11 3RS 2WX 

Tel: Tel: 01333 01383422000 

419096 


Fax: 01420 520373 

jeff.gibson@hydrosphere.co.uk 

0.74T 

NM Candela 

0.85T 

NM 

VLB-44/2.5˚ NIGHT RANGE 

BEACON SELECTOR 

VLB-44/5˚ NIGHT RANGE 


VLB-44/10˚ NIGHT RANGE 


VLB_44_V.2.00_Feb_13


VLL-43 

LED LINEAR LEAD LIGHT 

UP TO 11NM NIGHT AT 0.74T 

The VLL-43 Linear Lead Light forms 

part of the Vega LED marine light family. 

The optical system utilises an acrylic 

lens to capture and project the light from 

the high-powered LEDs. The LEDs are 

precisely graded and placed to produce 

a light beam with minimum variation 

in intensity. The lead light is available 

in 5 colours, red, green, white, yellow, 

and blue. 

Any number of these lights can be used to 

achieve the desired range. Each unit has 

its own control board and can be operated 

individually allowing each unit to have 

synch delay. 

Programming of the VLL-43 could not 

be easier. Once set the VLL-43 provides 

automatic Schmidt-Clausen correction for 

intensity and maintain the effective range 

of the light. The peak output intensity 

cannot exceed the maximum output of 

the light. 

Other programmable features include: 

• One programmable custom character. 

• Up to 20 factory set customer characters. 

• Wired synch with options of master/slave. 

• Synch delay from 0.1 to 9.9 seconds 

• Battery low voltage cut off. 

• Optional PIN code for programming. 

Programming uses the Vega IR programmer. 


• External GPS synch using the Vega 

VSU-29 unit. 

• VegaWeb monitoring using the Mini 

VegaWeb unit. 

THE BEAM OF THE LIGHT HAS 

A HORIZONTAL DIVERGENCE 

OF 8.5 DEGREES AT 50% AND 

15 DEGREES AT 10% OF THE 

PEAK INTENSITY 

USE MULTIPLE UNITS TO 

OBTAIN DESIRED RANGE 

0.75NM day and 11NM night at 0.74T 

for single white or green unit 

• Separate intensity settings for day 

and night. 

• Nine night/day transition settings. 

• Up to 246 standard flash characters.



Night off Current 4.0mA 

Max 

Peak 

900 760 700 860 640 Service Life 10 years 

Warranty 1 year. Refer Vega 

Max 

Effective 580 490 420 550 410 warranty conditions. 

Max Peak / Effective Candela (CD) Day Current 

0.5mA 

Red Green White Yellow Blue • For on currents at lower intensity 

Max 

settings refer to VLL-43 product 

Peak 

1740 2900 3110 1120 630 

manual 

Max 

Effective 

1390 2360 2360 959 496 • For VSU-29 GPS sync unit current, 

refer to VSU-29 manual 

• Horizontal divergence of 8.5° at 50% 

• For VegaWeb monitoring unit currents, 

and 15° at 10% of the peak intensity. 

refer to VegaWeb product manual. 

• Up to 15 effective intensity settings 

matching common range 


requirements. 



Intrusion rating IP 68 

correction up to the maximum peak 


intensity available. 

Sealing Fully sealed 


Salt 

Continuous exposure 

requirement. 

salt water and spray 

• Nine levels to determine day/night 

Wind 

Withstand winds 


to 140Kt 

included. 

• Hard wire flash sync with delay Material for Lantern: 

capability from 0.1s to 9.9s 

Lens 

Optical grade acrylic 

• Tested in the Vega zero range 

Housing Anodised marine 

light tunnel. 

grade aluminium 

Electrical 

heat sink, and high 

impact ASA plastic 

Battery Voltage 12VDC 

Sealing O-rings 

Operating Voltage 9 to 18VDC 

Bird Spikes None 

Typical Current at Max Peak / Effective Weight 

1.3Kg 

Candela (mA): 


Red Green White Yellow Blue Mounting 4 holes 6mm diameter 


DIMENSIONS 

INTENSITY PROFILES 

Yellow 

Green 

Angle (°) 

Blue 

Red 

White 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 






Fife, KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 


VLL_43_V.2.00_Oct_09



HIGH POWER LED RANGE LIGHT 

RANGE DIVERGENCE FLEXIBILITY 

VRL-91 Uni-Mega

VRL-91 UNI-MEGA HIGH POWER LED RANGE LIGHT 

The VRL-91 Uni-Mega high power LED 

range light forms part of the Vega LED 

marine beacon family and is intended 

for applications requiring very high 

intensity. A single white Uni-Mega 

lens using a single LED produces an 

intensity of 400,000 candela on a 

vertical and horizontal divergence of 3 

degrees. This is a day range over 5NM 

with a background light level of 10,000 

candela/m 2 (bright sky next to the sun). 

The VRL-91 Uni-Mega incorporates 

a modular design to allow the range 

light to be confi gured for a particular 

application. The main variants are 

the range required and the horizontal 

divergence (50% of peak intensity). The 

Uni-Mega incorporates the latest in LED 

lens technology. Multiple light sources 

are used to provide the necessary range 

and horizontal divergence. 

The construction of the VRL-91 is a 

vertical array containing the number of 

light elements required for the specifi c 

application. The lenses are mounted on 

a large heat sink to control the operating 

temperatures of the LEDs. Multiple 

arrays can be mounted parallel to each 

other for increased intensity or horizontal 

divergence. 

For lower range applications a spreader 

lens can be fi tted to each Uni-Mega lens 

to increase the horizontal divergence. 

Because of the modularity of the Uni- 

Mega lens array, the control electronics 

is supplied in a separate cabinet. The 

central control electronics provides a 

single point of programming, monitoring, 

and fault control. By having the control 

electronics close to the optical array any 

volt drop between the controller and the 

LEDs can be minimised. 

To achieve suffi cient intensity down turn 

for night operation, some LEDs may be 

turned off at night. 

The VRL-91 Uni-Mega range light is 

tested in the Vega zero range light tunnel 

prior to shipment to ensure the light 

output meets the required specifi cations. 

Standard colours are white, red, and 

green. For other colours please refer to 

Vega. All colours meet IALA chromaticity 

requirements. 

The VRL-91 Uni-Mega contains all the 

programmable features that are normally 

found in Vega marine beacons. 

PERFORMANCE AT 

A GLANCE (Depending On 

Configuration) 

• Day range is depended on the number 

of lenses used. Greater than 10NM is 

possible at a transmissivity of 0.74T 

• Night range of over 30NM at a 

transmissivity of 0.74T 

• Vertical divergence of 3° at 50% of the 

peak intensity level 

• Horizontal divergence depends on 

configuration (minimum is 3°) 

• Lower range applications incorporates 

a spreader lens 

INSTALLING THE 


The Uni-Mega high power LED range light 

mounts on a vertical surface and must be 

supported top and bottom. 

Do not restrict airfl ow across the heat sink. 

Any horizontal and adjustment needs to 

be provided on the mounting surface. 

OPERATION OF THE 


The VRL-91 Uni-Mega is programmed 

as a single unit regardless on how many 

arrays are used in a particular application. 

The operation of each array is monitored 

and options are provided on how the Uni- 

Mega should behave should any problem 

be detected. The normal fault condition 

will shut down all arrays, however, a “Best 

Effort” options will allow the unaffected 

arrays to continue to work on a fault 

condition. Operation with “Best Effort” 

would see the range light still operating 

with a lower intensity output. 

Additional Options 

• RS232 or RS485 Data Port 

• GPS Synchronization using the 

VSU-29 GPS Sync Unit 

• Alarm / Monitor output 

• ON / OFF control input 

• ON output 



the VRL-91 Uni-Mega high power LED 

range light: 

1. Using the Vega IR programmer 

(Remote-02). This allows the Uni- 

Mega to be programmed one feature 

at a time. The VRL-91 Uni-Mega 

confirms the settings by flashing the 

programming code back to the user. 

2. Using a computer with the IRDA or 

RS232 data ports. 

3. The VRL-91 Uni-Mega supports the 

standard features found on Vega 





for both day and night operation 







• Programmable low voltage cut out 

• Program control of the RS-232 

data port. 

• Program control on how the 

VRL-91 Uni-Mega responds to 

a unit failure 

• Optional security code 

• Read supply voltage 

• Serial number, LED type etc, 

are stored in the range light 

MONITORING 

Monitoring of the VRL-91 Uni-Mega 






3. Using the alarm/monitor connection.

INFORMATION REQUIRED 

FOR A VRL-91 UNI-MEGA 

1. Range for both day and night operation 

2. Colour 

3. Flash character, including flash period and duty cycle 

4. Horizontal divergence at 50% of peak intensity 



• Peak intensity depends on the number of arrays used, 

flash character, and duty cycle 

• Vertical divergence at 50% of peak intensity better than 

3 degrees 

• LEDs monitored for excess temperature 

• Individual arrays monitored 

• Automatic Schmidt-Clausen intensity correction for 

flash character 

• Colours meet IALA chromaticity requirement 


• Supply Voltage 24VDC 

• Operating Voltage 18 to 30VDC 

• Night on / average current depends on number of arrays, 

range of the range light, flash character, and duty cycle 

• Day current 50mA 

• For specific current usage refer to Vega with application details 

• Digital inputs – compatible with 12V and 24V operation 

• Digital outputs – solid state relay type with one side connected 

to battery negative 

• Sync outputs – compatible with 12V and 24V sync sources, 

positive to negative transition 

Environmental 

Temperature 

Intrusion 

-30° to 50° Celsius 

IP67 

Cooling 

Convection cooling heat sink 

Pressure 

Equalisation fully sealed 

Salt 

Continuous exposure to saltwater and spray 

Wind 

100Kt 

Ice Loading 20kg/m2 

Shock / Vibration Shock 10g in 3 axes; vibration 2g 

Material for Sector Light 

Lenses 

Heatsink 

Frame 

Lens Covers 

Sealing 

Bird Spikes 

Mounting 

Weight & 

Dimensions 

Service Life 

Warranty 

Standards 

EMI/EMC 

Optical Test 

Machined cast acrylic 

DT 5008 Marine Grade Aluminium, 

anodized to 25μm 

316 stainless steel 


O-ring 


Mounts on vertical surface 

See drawings 

12 years 

1 year. Refer to Vega warranty conditions 










and E-200-3 Part 3 (2008) 






Shock 



VRL-91 Uni-Mega Red Optical Pro les 

200.0 

180.0 

Horizontal Pro le 

Vertical Pro le 

160.0 

140.0 

120.0 

Intensity (kcd) 

100.0 

80.0 

60.0 

40.0 

20.0 

0.0 

-4.0 -3.5 -3.0 -2.5 -2.0 -1.5 -1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 

Angle (degrees)

DIMENSIONS (EXAMPLE OF 30 LENSES ARRAY) 

1334 

800 

240 

1240 

427 

800 

200 

282 

326 


DESCRIPTION 

VRL-91 Uni-Mega high power LED range light 

• Sync signal inverter module 



CODE 

VRL-91-U 

136-600 

Remote-02 

Prog-03 

Note: Where U is the number of lenses required. 

Information required with order is (1) Day and night range at specified transmittivity; (2) Colour; (3) Flash character; (4) Horizontal divergence at 50% 

of peak intensity. 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 






Fife, KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 


VRL_91_V.2.00_May_11


VLS-46 

LED SECTOR PROJECTOR 

PRECISION LED SECTOR LIGHTS 

Options of 5° or 10° horizontal angle 

Up to 0.8NM by day and 12NM by night at 0.74T

VLS-46 LED SECTOR PROJECTOR 

5 DEGREE LED PROJECTOR 

10 DEGREE LED PROJECTOR 

The VLS-46 forms part of the Vega 

sector light family. It utilises a highpowered 

LED light source for energy 

effi ciency and is available in red, 

green, yellow and white. Two horizontal 

subtense models are available, 5 degree 

and 10 degree. The sector angle is 

adjustable to suit specifi c requirements 

down to 10% of the available subtense. 

The VLS-46 was originally designed 

to be used as a set of three lanterns, 

red-white-green, to mark entry through 

a channel or into a port. However any 

multiple of VLS-46 projectors can be 

mounted together to handle a variety of 

navigation tasks including. 

• Single sector applications to mark 

danger areas or vessel turning points. 

• Lane separation for 2-way traffic. 

• Parallel channel marking. 

• A 2-station range system. 

• Marking a marine reserve or boundary. 

With the 5-degree horizontal subtense 

the VLS-46 is capable of providing a day 

range of up to 0.8NM and a night range 

of up to 11.6NM. For ranges above these 

refer to Vega PEL3 or PEL6 sector lights. 


• Factory fitted internal GPS sync to 

allow the VLS-46 system to synchronise 

with other marine lanterns. The GPS 

module is only fitted to one of a set at 

lanterns. The others sync through hard 

wire connection to the unit having the 

GPS unit fitted. 

• VegaWeb web based monitoring 

system. 

• Mounting plates for the number of 

VLS-46 projectors required. 

• External GPS sync using VSU-29 GPS 

sync pulse unit. 

Vega has gone to great lengths to make 

the VLS-46 a fl exible navigation tool. Not 

only is the individual subtense adjustable, 

the projectors can be adjusted on the 

base plate to align the sector and the 

boundaries between individual units. 

The mounting utilises a beam crossover 

concept in order to produce a more 

compact arrangement. Pre-alignment 

for the application is done at the factory 

from information supplied by the 

customer. 

The electronic controller allows each 

projector to operate independently or to 

work in unison with a master projector. 

For example each projector can have 

a different fl ash character, intensity, or 

synch delay. One lantern can act as 

master and provides the synch pulse 

signal. The controller provides: 

• Nine on/off daylight settings. 

• Up to 246 standard flash characters, 

plus one additional programmable 

custom character. 

• Up to 20 factory set custom 

characters. 

The VLS-46 projector and base 

plate are made from marine 

grade aluminium and have an 

anodised fi nish. 

The electronics are located at 

the end of the projector in an 

impact resistant modifi ed xylex 

housing. 

The VLS-46 is fully sealed to 

IP67.

• Separate day and night intensity 

settings. 

• Up to fifteen intensity level settings 

for both day and night. 

• Sync delay of up to 9.9 seconds. 

Programming is done using the Vega IR 

programmer. 


OPTICAL PERFORMANCE 

Up to 0.8NM by day, 12NM at night. 

Max candela 

VD Red Green White 

5° 4520 4750 5350 

10° 760 680 970 

• High intensity LED light source. 


requirement. 

• Vertical divergence ±1.5° at 100% 

and ±2.0° at 80% of peak intensity 

for 5 degree projector. 

Vertical divergence ±3.0° at 100% 

and ±4.0° at 80% of peak intensity 

for 10° projectors. 


settings matching common range 

requirements. 

• Separate day and night intensity 

settings. 

• 246 standard flash characters 

and one programmable custom 

character. 

• Has the ability with GPS option fitted 

to synchronize flash character with 

other lights plus synch delay of up to 

9.9 seconds. 

• 20 factory set custom flash characters. 

• Automatic Schmitt Clausen correction 

for flash characters to increase the light 

intensity and maintain the effective 

range. The maximum intensity of the 

projector cannot be exceeded. 

• Flash synch delay of up to 9.9 seconds. 

• Nine Lux level settings to determine 

day/night. transitions. IALA 

recommendation included. 

• With sync wires connected all projectors 

will switch the day/night transition within 

15-20 seconds of each other. 

• Features programmable using IR 

programmer. 

• Yellow colour available on request. 

• Programmable low voltage cutout. 


• Optical security mode for programming. 

Electrical 

Design Voltage 

Input Voltage 

Protection for 

Current at Max Candela: 

12VDC 

10-18VDC 

Reverse polarity 

VD Red Green White 

5° 370mA 420mA 420mA 

10° 350mA 500mA 460mA 

Active off current 

Standby Current 

Synch input /output 

4mA 

0.5mA (in day mode) 

Ground pulse, 

10ms wide at 

start of character 

• For current at lower intensity settings 

refer to Appendix A of Product Manual. 

• The optional GPS module fits into 

one lantern which becomes the master 

lantern. The GPS module needs 10mA 

when acquiring satellite information. 

Acquisition normally takes 2 minutes. 

Factory setting for acquisition is 3 

times per hour. 

• Current requirement for the Vegaweb 

monitoring unit depends on the 

frequency monitoring occurs. Refer to 

VegaWeb technical information. 

Mechanical and Environment 


Intrusion rating IP 67 


Salt 

Continuous exposure 

salt water and spray 

Wind 

withstand winds to 

100kt 

Material 

Lenses 

Housing 

Dimensions 

Focal Plane 

Service Life 

Warranty 

Acrylic and glass 

Anodised marine 

grade aluminium with 

impact resistant 

acrylic back cover 

See drawings 


10 years 

1 year. Refer Vega 

warranty conditions.

DIMENSIONS 

Single Projector 5 Degree 

Length 

433mm with front foot 

5 Degree 

Height 

Width 

Height of beam centre 

Weight 

150mm 

113mm 

90mm 

1.6 kg 

Single Projector 10 Degree 

Length 

Height 

Width 

Height of beam centre 

Weight 

298mm with front foot 

150mm 

113mm 

90mm 

1.3 kg 

10 Degree 


DESCRIPTION 

VLS-46 5 degree LED projector 

VLS-46 10 degree LED projector 

Note: CCC is colour (RED, GRN, WHT) 

CODE 

VLS-46-CCC-5 

VLS-46-CCC-10 

5 Degree 10 Degree 

Base for 2 projectors 



146-082 

146-083 

146-084 

146-086 

146-087 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 






Fife, KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 



VSL-73 PRECISION ALL 

AROUND LED SECTOR LIGHT 

AVAILABLE FROM 4 TO 12NM RANGE AT 0.74T 

Sub unit 

VSL-73 Sub unit model 

3 units 

VSL-73 3 units model

VSL-73 ALL AROUND LED SECTOR LIGHT 

The VSL-73 Sector Light forms part of 

the Vega LED marine beacon family 

and is designed for omni-directional 

applications where precision sectoring 

is required. The VSL-73 provides a LED 

alternative for shadow casting sector 

lights using incandescent lamps. The 

VSL-73 can be used for sector light 

applications ranging from 4NM to 10NM 

with a normal visibility of 12NM (0.74T). 

Each VSL-73 is customized for the 

particular application taking into account 

the required range, colours, and sector 

angles. Mechanically the VSL-73 is 

available in any combination of subunit 

(half unit) and full unit up to a maximum 

of a 3 unit high version. A full unit 

consists of 6-lens layers that can be the 

same or made up from different colours. 

A full unit in one colour will typically 

have a range of 10NM at 0.74T. 

The sector angles are created using 

a mask fi tted inside the outer acrylic 

wall. This provides a beacon that is 

suitable for outside use (IP67) and is 

easy to install and align. The customer 

is provided a base mounting drawing 

detailing the mounting relative to true 

north. A rotational adjustment of ±5° is 

provided on the VSL-73 for on site sector 

alignment. 

To maximize energy effi ciency only the 

LEDs required for the sectoring are 

used. This reduces the cost for any solar 

powered applications. 




requirements. 

PERFORMANCE AT A 

GLANCE 

• Range of between 4 and 12NM at a 


• Vertical divergence of 5° to the 50% 

intensity level 

• Sector angles from 2 to 360 degrees 

• Angle of uncertainty better than 0.5° 

colour to colour and better than 1° at 

sector edge 

REPLACING A SHADOW 

CASTING SECTOR LIGHT 

A typical shadow casting sector light has 

a larger range for white than for the green 

or red sectors. For example 5NM white 

and 3NM red, this is due to the lower 

transmissivity of the colour fi lters. When 

changing to a VSL-73 LED Sector Light 

each colour is provided by separate LEDs, 

this provides the option to 

1. Leave the range of the colours the same 

2. Decrease the white range to the same 

as the colours 

3. Increase the colour range to the same 

as the white sector 

Most shadows casting sector lights are 

sized for the range of the colour sector. 

Reducing the white range to be the same 

as the coloured sectors will provide the 

most cost effective solution when using 

the VSL-73 LED sector light. 

INSTALLING THE VSL-73 

LED SECTOR LIGHT 

Each VSL-73 is supplied with a base 

mounting drawing indicating the position 

of true north. The mounting for the sector 

light needs to be prepared to match the 

correct orientation. Once mounted the 

VSL-73 has an adjustment of ±5° to allow 

for fi nal alignment. 

OPERATION OF THE VSL-73 

LED SECTOR LIGHT 

A VSL-73 is programmed as a single unit 

regardless of how many sub and full units 

are used in the sector light. 

The operation of each sector is monitored 

and various options are provided on 

how the light should behave should any 

problem be detected with a sector. One 

option, for example, is to shut down all 

sectors should any sector of the light fail. 

The VSL-73 is supplied with a RS232 

or 422, and IRDA data port, an 

alarm/monitor wire, and hardwired 

synchronising. 


• GPS Synchronization using the VSU- 

29 GPS Sync Unit 



the VSL-73 LED Sector Light: 

1. Using the Vega TVIR programmer 

(Remote-02). This allows the beacon 

to be programmed one feature at a 

time. The VSL-73 LED Sector Light 



2. Using a computer and the IRDA 


VSL-73 LED Sector Light settings to 

be displayed on a screen and downloaded 

or retrieved in a single action. 

3. The VSL-73 LED Sector Light supports 












• Programmable low battery voltage 

cut out 

• Program control of the IRDA and 

RS-232 data port. 

• Individual control of each sector colour 

• Program control on how VSL-73 

responds to sector failure 




are stored in sector light 

MONITORING 

Monitoring of the VSL-73 LED Sector 

Light can be provided in a number 

of ways: 





3. Using the alarm/monitor 

connection option.


FOR A VSL-73 

1. Range requirement for each sector colour 

2. Sector colours and angles (as seen from seawards) 

3. Flash character 



• Peak intensity depends on the required range. Can supply 

lights in 3-colour combinations from 4 to 12NM at 0.74T 

• Vertical divergence at 50% intensity better than 5° 

• LED’s monitored for excess temperature 

• Sector operation monitored 






• Operating Voltage 9 to 18VDC 

• Night on / average depends on range, colours, and sector 

angles. Examples of average night current: 

1) 5NM Red and White, Fl 2sec (0.5on), Red 016-067, 

White 067-151, Red 151-227, 0.18A average / 0.5A 

peak @ 25° C 

2) 9NM White and 3NM Red, Fl 2sec (0.5on), Red 033-213, 

White 213-033, 0.7A average / 2.5A peak @ 25° C 

3) 10NM White and 7NM Red, Fl 3sec (0.5on), Red 211- 

259, White 259-211, 1.04A average / 5.9A peak @ 25° C 

• Day current 20mA per unit or subunit 

• For specific current usage refer to Vega with Sector Light details 

Environmental 

Temperature 

Intrusion 

Cooling 

-30° to 50° Celsius 

IP67 

Uses heat pipe to conduct LED heat to heat sink 

Pressure 


Salt 


Wind 

90Kt 



Material for Sector Light 

Lenses 

Outer Cylinder 

Sector Mask 

Metal Parts 

Paint 

Sealing 

Bird Spikes 

Mounting 

Weight & 

Dimensions 

Service Life 

Warranty 

Standards 

EMI/EMC 

Optical Test 


Acrylic 

PETG (painted) 

DT 5008 Marine Grade Aluminium, 


Epoxy primer, 2-pot polyurethane gloss 

on exterior 

O-ring 

25 stainless steel rods on top of assembly 

3 or 4 holes on 200mm PCD 

See drawings 

12 years 

1 year. Refer to Vega warranty conditions 










and E-200-3 Part 3 (2008) 






Shock 


Vibration MIL-STD-202G Method 204D Cond B

DIMENSIONS 

Table of Weight 

Number of Units 

Weight 

(Kg) 

Shipping 

Weight (Kg) 

Shipping 

Dimension (mm) 

Sub unit (0.5) 15.7 25 425 x 425 x 470 

Full unit (1.0) 17.5 30 425 x 425 x 580 

1.5 units 29 50.5 425 x 425 x 1050 

2 units 31 58.5 425 x 425 x 1160 

2.5 units 42.25 80 425 x 425 x 1630 

3 units 44 88 425 x 425 x 1740 


DESCRIPTION 

VSL-73 All Around LED Sector Light 

• Optional Data Port – add “DP” to product code 

• Optional Monitor/Alarm – add “AL” to product code 

• IR Programmer 


CODE 

VSL-73-XX 

Remote-02 

Prog-02 

Note: XX is number of units 05 to 30. Other information noted will be: (1) Range of each colour; (2) Sector angle of each colour; (3) LED requirement for each lens layer. 

Price will depend on the number of subunits, units used and number of LEDs. 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 






Fife KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 



PEL SECTOR LIGHTS 

PRECISION SIGNALS FOR 

GUIDANCE OF SHIPS 

UP TO 6NM BY DAY & 24NM BY NIGHT AT 0.74T 

PEL-3 & PEL-6 

Horizontal divergence from 3.5° to 20°

ABOUT SECTOR LIGHTS 

PEL Sector Lights display a different 

colour when viewed from different angles 

at sea. Very sharp colour boundaries – a 

complete colour change typically occurs 

within 1 minute of arc. With optional 

oscillating boundary, the signal alternates 

between two colours in proportion to the 

distance across the sector. PEL Sector 

Lights indicate the precise vessel position 

in confi ned waterways. They are used 

in situations where extreme accuracy is 

required, or where only a single station is 

possible. Each light is custom-confi gured 

for its site. Range up to 6NM by day 

from PEL-6. 

Defi nition of a Sector Light 

A Sector Light is a single light which 

shows a different colour when viewed 

from different directions. The colour of 

the light provides directional information 

to the mariner. The letters “PEL” stand 

for Physics and Engineering Laboratory 

of the New Zealand government research 

facility where the fi rst PEL light was 

designed. 

Benefi ts of PEL Sector Lights include 

ease of location, energy effi ciency, and 

cost savings. PEL Lights only require a 

single station for direction-indicating, 

saving on the costs of a rear light, 

including site access, power supply and 

structures. 

PEL Sector Lights have been applied to 

a wide range of uses. Although mainly 

used as single-station leads, they have 

been used to mark anchorages, turning 

basins, fi shing zones, hazardous reefs, 

national boundaries and prohibited 

areas. 

Sector Light Vocabulary 

Total Subtense 

Total subtense is the total projected angle 

in the horizontal plane. The basic light 

beam is circular in cross-section, and is 

masked down to a rectangle as shown 

fi gure 1 & 2. 

Vertical Divergence 

Vertical divergence is the total projected 

angle in the vertical plane. Stated vertical 

divergence applies across the full width 

of the beam of the PEL Light. This is 

always less than the horizontal subtense 

of the light due to the way the circular 

beam is masked. 

Boundary Resolution 

On the boundary between a white and a 

coloured sector (eg red) there is a small 

transition angle within which the colour is 

neither completely white nor completely 

red. Boundary resolution is the smallest 

angle over which a complete colour 

change occurs. 

Sector Accuracy 

Due to manufacturing tolerances on 

lenses, fi lter glasses and lens-mounting 

systems, the actual location of a sector 

boundary may be displaced a small 

amount from the intended place. 

Accuracy is the maximum angle between 

intended and actual location. 

Intensity and Range 

Intensity is the amount of light energy 

emitted from a light in a given direction, 

and is measured in candela. Increased 

intensity gives increased viewing range, 

but typically, range also depends on 

atmospheric transmissivity and level of 

background lighting. 

Oscillating Boundary 

An optional accessory to the PEL 

Sector Light which generates up to four 

additional sectors without using additional 

colours (only red, white and green). Refer 

to Oscillating Boundary section. 

Facts about Colour Integrity 

White and red are both satisfactory 

colours for use in navigation beacons. 

If a third colour is required, care must 

be taken to ensure that the chosen 

colour and fi lter material will maintain 

a consistent appearance in adverse 

weather conditions. 

Yellow is not a suitable colour because 

it cannot be distinguished from white, 

especially with fi lament lamps used at 

low voltage. 

Fog can be a problem with coloured 

beacons, because fog scatters light of 

shorter wavelength (blue) more than 

of longer wavelength (red). When a 

yellow, green or blue beacon is viewed 

through fog, if there is a signifi cant red 

component in the light, then red may 

be the main colour that is seen. This 

phenomenon has caused accidents at 

sea. Purple-coloured beacons should 

also be avoided. 

Despite the above, green remains the 

most suitable third colour. There are 

many blue and blue-green fi lter glasses 

and plastics which also freely transmit 

some red light. Great care is required in 

the selection of fi lter glass for blue-green 

sectors to ensure that no red light is 

transmitted. The use of colours other than 

red, white and green is not recommended 

2

for sectored navigation lights. If more than 

three sectors are required, the Oscillating 

Boundary option should be used, rather 

than additional colours. 

Projected beam without 

filter assembly in place 

Cross-section of 

Projected beam 

Facts about Boundary Resolution 

As the mariner traverses from one sector 

to an adjacent one, the colour change 

must be abrupt. A vague boundary may 

not give useful information, because it 

requires a subjective assessment 

of colour saturation. The PEL Sector Light, 

with its very sharp boundaries, gives 

precise “digital” information rather than 

a more vague “analogue” type. Where a 

“proportional” form of signal is required, 

the Oscillating Boundary system does this 

by having the signal alternate between 

two colours on a 3-second cycle. 

Modern optical systems as used in the 

PEL Sector Light are so precise that there 

is no signifi cant zone of uncertainty at 

all. A complete colour change will occur 

typically within one minute of arc – a 

lateral distance of only 2.7 metres at a 

distance of 5NM. 

Moving towards a PEL Sector Light at 

night, with the bridge in darkness, it not 

unusual to have the bridge back wall 

illuminated in two different colours and 

the sudden change in colour at the 

boundary clearly displayed by a vertical 

line up the bulkhead. 

How Sectors are Created 

Shadow Method 

A coloured sector can be generated 

by placing a piece of coloured glass or 

acrylic against the lantern house glazing, 

or against the beacon itself. This casts a 

coloured “shadow” out over the water. 

See Figure 3. 

The shadow method is adequate if sharp 

sector boundaries are not required. A 

signifi cant “zone of uncertainty” appears 

between adjacent sectors. Within this 

transition zone (which may be 1-2° wide) 

the beacon will show ambiguous colour, 

and intensity may also vary. The sector 

boundary moves if the lamp fi lament is 

moved (even very slightly), as it might 

when a lamp is replaced. Filament 

position always varies between lamps. 

This method of creating sectors is not 

suitable for indicating a precise direction. 

Projection Method 

PEL Sector Lights use a “projection” 

method. This works the same way as a 

slide or movie projector, but focused at 

infi nity. Vertical strips of coloured fi lter 

glass, optically ground and highly 

Lamp 

Red Filter 

polished on their edges to fi t closely 

together, are used as the “slide” or 

“fi lm” to divide the beam into its 

different sectors. 

The condenser system collects light 

radiating from the lamp and spreads it 

uniformly across the coloured fi lter. 

Lamps which project light mostly in two 

opposing directions give better energy 

effi ciency in this type of optic (eg “M” 

series halogen lamps). 

Total 

Subtense 

Plan View 

Chart Entry 

Red Shadow (sector) 

An image of the exit surface of the fi lter 

(right side on diagram) is projected out 

to infi nity. Sector boundaries may appear 

blurred within the fi rst few hundred metres 

as they are out of focus, but will be very 

sharp at working distances. Small changes 

in lamp fi lament position may cause minor 

changes in intensity within the beam, 

Zone of Uncertainly 

Vertical 

Divergence 

Subtense 

but will have absolutely no effect on the 

boundary positions, which are fi xed by the 

projection lens system. 

The projection lens (sometimes called 

objective lens) and fi lter assembly together 

determine the total subtense of the PEL 

Light. Different objective systems are 

used to obtain all the different subtenses 

with optimal effi ciency. Generally, smaller 

subtenses require larger projection lenses 

and longer barrel lengths. 

The optical system in PEL Sector Lights 

produces very uniform intensity (before 

colouring) in all viewing directions. 

Boundary resolution and accuracy of 

sector boundary placement can both 

be as precise as 1 minute of arc. 

See Figure 4. 

R 

W 

G 

Figure 1 

Figure 2 

Figure 3 

3

Condenser 

Night Filter 

Colour and Neutral Density Filters 

Colour Filters 

A PEL Sector Light uses colour to convey 

information to the mariner about his 

angular position relative to the light. The 

process of “colouring” a beam involves 

fi ltering out many colours and only 

allowing the desired colour to pass. 

If the fi lter does not block off enough 

undesired colours (wavelengths), there 

can be problems with the light appearing 

to change colour in fog. If the selection of 

wavelengths that is passed is too narrow, 

the light will not be intense enough. 

In Vega’s experience, the optimum 

transmission in coloured fi lters is 

about 25%. Vega uses SCHOTT optical 

glass for fi lters – OG 590 for red (27% 

transmission), and BG23 for blue-green 

(24% transmission). BG23 transmits 

almost no red or purple light. 

Neutral Density Filter in White Sector 

In a sector light having red, white and 

green sectors, the central white sector 

is about 4 times more intense than the 

colour sectors. 

When there is little or no background 

lighting, it is recommended that a 50% 

neutral-density fi lter is used for white. 

Although this makes the white sector 

twice the intensity of the coloured, the 

eye perceives the same intensities in all 

three sectors. The 50% White Filter will 

reduce the intensity but not change 

the colour. 

With a moderate or high level of 

background lighting at night, a clear fi lter 

glass is used in the white sector. Because 

background lighting at night is mostly 

white in colour, this gives comparable 

conspicuity within all three sectors. 

Night Filters 

When a sector light is used for both 

day and night operation, the intensity 

for night viewing must be reduced to 

between 1% and 20% of the daylight 

intensity for equivalent conspicuity. This 

Coloured Filter 

Projection Lens 

is more than can be achieved by voltage 

reduction at the lamp alone, without 

having the fi lament turn orange, and 

without interrupting the halogen cycle 

on tungsten-halogen lamps. 

At night in the PEL-6 Sector Light, a 

neutral-density Night Filter is automatically 

inserted into the beam to achieve this 

reduction. Night Filters can be made 

to any transmission value down to 5%. 

Voltage reduction at the lamp can also 

be used to reduce intensity down to 20% 

of peak output. These two reduction 

methods are multiplied together to 

calculate the resulting intensity as a 

percentage of peak intensity (eg 5% x 

20% = 1%). 

Anti-Refl ection Coatings 

Anti-refl ection coatings increase light 

transmission through a lens or fi lter. 

PEL Sector Lights typically have 10 

optical surfaces, so this becomes a useful 

improvement. All PEL-6 Lights have 

anti-refl ection coatings on all surfaces 

except those exposed to the lamp and 

the exterior. These coatings are easily 

damaged by cleaning, and when damaged 

are worse than no coating at all. Coatings 

are only applied to PEL-3 lights where 

extra performance is required. 

Masking of Stray Light 

At least 0.5% of light is scattered by the 

last lens surface (more if it is not clean), 

and becomes stray light. This can be 

signifi cant, especially in PEL-6 Lights of 

5° subtense or less. An observer could 

think he is inside the beam when he is 

not. PEL-3 lights of small subtense are 

masked with a barrel extension. This is 

not practical with the larger apertures of 

PEL-6 lights. Panels can be placed some 

distance out in front of the light (like horse 

blinkers). 

Lamps Used in PEL Sector Lights 

Figure 4 

M-Series Lamps 

PEL Sector Lights use an optical 

condenser system to capture light from 

the lamp. The condenser system picks 

up light from within two opposing 120° 

cones. Lamps which emit light mostly 

in two directions show signifi cantly 

greater effi ciency in this type of optic. 

The use of lamps with fl at fi laments (eg. 

M-series) produces 41% more intensity 

than standard marine lamps with vertical 

fi laments. Notwithstanding the above, 

PEL-3 lights are fi tted with standard 

marine lamps with prefocus candelabra 

bases if the required size of lamp is not 

available in the M-series. 

The PEL Sector Light is limited by the 

physical size of the lamp fi lament. 

Compact fi laments are preferred, 

because the larger the fi lament the larger 

the rest of the optic must be to capture 

and use the available light. This is why 

fi tting a larger lamp than the 250 Watt 

M36 lamp will not necessarily increase 

intensity, especially if the extra output has 

been achieved by enlarging the fi lament. 

A larger optical system would also be 

required, and the resultant Sector Light 

would be much more expensive. 

Flashing Constraints with M-Series Lamps 

M-series lamps are ideal for achieving 

high energy effi ciencies in a PEL Sector 

Light. However, the compact, low-voltage 

fi lament has some operational constraints 

which must be addressed. The fi laments 

have very low resistance when cold, 

and very high in-rush currents are 

experienced every time the lamp is 

turned on. The current can be well over 

15 times the steady state current (over 

150 Amps for M-28 and M-36 lamps). 

Lampchangers and fl ashers must be 

designed to carry this current. The 

CALC-2001 controller limits inrush 

current to less than 100 Amps. 

M-series lamps require time to warm 

up and cool down, as they exhibit 

considerable thermal inertia due to the 

mass of metal in the fi lament. This limits 

the minimum on and off-times to: 

M32 12V, 50 Watts 1.0 sec 

M28 12V, 100 Watts 1.5 sec 

M36 24V, 250 Watts 2.0 sec 

Intensity/Time graph of M36 lamp with ISO 4s (2 sec ON, 

2 sec OFF) flash character imposed 

Figure 5 

4

The effective intensity of a lamp fl ashed 

by switching on and off, with an onperiod 

of T secs duration, is proportional 

to T/(T+0.2). If the range is barely 

adequate then long on-times should be 

used. See Figure 5. 

Lamp Life and Voltage Control 

Virtually all PEL Sector Lights are 

powered by batteries, and this is the 

recommended approach. Batteries can 

be charged by mains charger, or by solar 

panels. The voltage from the batteries 

will frequently exceed the rated voltage 

of the lamp. Applying such a voltage 

signifi cantly reduces lamp life from their 

rated 2000 hours. 

To prevent inadvertent lamp life 

reduction the CALC controller used on 

all PEL Sector Lights applies pulse-width 

modulation to lamp power, reducing the 

DC-rms power as necessary to ensure 

that the rated power of the lamp is never 

exceeded. When pulse-width modulation 

is active, the voltage measured at the 

lamp by a multi-meter will not be an 

accurate representation of the rms 

voltage. Meters measuring AC-rms 

voltage are not effective – an oscilloscope 

must be used to obtain an accurate 

reading. 

Power Supplies 

Voltage Spikes 

Mains-powered battery chargers and 

other mains-driven power supplies must 

be free of voltage spikes. Power supplies 

with high internal inductance present a 

problem when used to drive low-voltage 

lighted aids to navigation. 

When a lamp fails at the end of its life, 

this will often occur during the current 

inrush at startup. The sudden drop in 

current from a very high value (150 

Amps) to zero can induce large transient 

voltages (100-200 Volts) if there is any 

inductance in the supply circuit. This 

will damage controllers which are only 

designed to withstand voltages of 

the order of 40 Volts. 

Inductive Elements 

Older power supplies were built with 

inductive elements (chokes) which 

worked in conjunction with a capacitive 

element to smooth the pulsed DC after 

rectifi cation. These inductors store 

a large amount of energy in normal 

operation, and this energy generates the 

damaging voltage spikes. 

Battery Protection 

When initially installed and connected 

to a continuous battery charger, new 

batteries may have suffi cient capacity 

to absorb spikes, and they do not reach 

the Sector Light electronics. However, 

as batteries deteriorate over time this 

capability reduces, and spike damage to 

electronic equipment may start occurring. 

SMR Power Supplies Only 

Power supplies with high internal 

inductance are not suitable for use with 

neither PEL Sector Lights nor other lowvoltage 

lights. Switch-mode regulated 

battery chargers of good quality are 

recommended. Use the Vega VPR-39 

weatherproof switch-mode power supply 

if in doubt. 

Achieving Maximum Service Life 

Life Expectancy 

Many PEL Sector Lights around the 

world have been in service for more than 

20 years. Vega routinely refurbishes 

PEL Sector Lights back to new condition, 

which includes repolishing and recoating 

the optics, upgrading the electronics and 

repainting the exterior, for a fraction of 

the cost of a new light. 

Protection Against Moisture Ingress 

Users can enhance the life and 

performance of PEL Sector Lights by 

preventing ingress of moisture. This 

occurs whenever the light is opened for 

servicing, as it is otherwise completely 

sealed (each light holds 4 psi without 

leakage as a factory test). 

For longevity each light is best installed 

within a shelter, with just the barrel 

protruding. This reduces temperature 

changes imposed on the light from 

outside, and reduces bird fouling. 

Packs of properly-dried silica gel should 

always be left in the lampchanger area of 

each light between servicing, to absorb 

moisture introduced with each opening. 

Internal inspections should be no more 

frequent than six monthly, with twelve 

months being the normal. 

Routine Servicing 

Ensure lights are properly resealed after 

closing. Always inspect the condition 

and cleanliness of the O-ring seal and 

mating surface. 

Choosing a Sector Light 

Choice of Different Sizes 

Each marine port and harbour is unique, 

so a fl exible system is required. The 

PEL Light offers a range of subtenses 

and intensities to accommodate the 

constraints of each site. PEL Sector 

Lights make very effi cient use of solar 

power on remote sites. 

When a signal is required both day and 

night it is convenient if a single light can 

perform both functions. A light needs to 

be up to 5,000 times more intense 

during the day compared to night. The 

PEL-6 Sector Light has been designed for 

day & night operation. 

Two Models: PEL-3 and PEL-6 

There are two models of PEL Sector 

Light, PEL-3 and the PEL-6. Both 

are available in a range of standard 

subtenses, from 3.5° to 20°. The PEL-3 

is designed for night use, and uses lamps 

up to 100 Watts. Small prefocused lamps 

down to 10 Watts can be used where less 

intensity is acceptable and limited energy 

is available. The PEL-6 has much larger 

optics and is designed to meet the need 

for a day & night sector light. It carries 

a 250 Watt lamp, and automatically 

reduces intensity at night by two methods 

used together: night fi lter insertion and 

lamp voltage reduction. 

Balancing Intensity Against Subtense 

For a given lamp size in a PEL Sector 

Light, the wider the beam the less the 

intensity. An increase in horizontal 

subtense also gives an increase in 

vertical divergence, because the optics 

are circular (except with anamorphic 

models). Doubling the subtense will 

drop intensity to one-quarter (following 

the inverse-square law). The narrowest 

subtense that will meet the requirement 

should be used. If greater subtense or 

intensity is required, consider multiple 

lights or special anamorphic versions 

which spread light horizontally but 

keep the same vertical divergence. 

Choosing Individual Sector Angles 

For a leading line, one approach is to 

select a control point, like a harbour 

entrance. Consider the widest vessel 

passing the control point, and decide the 

width (in metres) of each sector at that 

point. The central white sector should 

be quite narrow – it is not marking the 

edges, but an acceptable deviation from 

the centre line before a colour change 

is seen. Use the tangent function to 

calculate individual sector angles. 

Night Intensity Reduction (Day & Night 

Lights) With all PEL Sector Lights, 

there are 6 options for lamp voltage at 

night, given that voltage during the day 

is 100%: 

5

5. Oscillating Boundary Option: Yes or No 

This option is used in critical applications 

where early warning of deviation from a 

central line is required. On solar-powered 

sites it may be less attractive because 

long lamp on-periods are required for its 

effective operation. Refer to Oscillating 

Boundary. 

6. Determine Individual Sector Angles 

Each sector light is individually 

confi gured for its end use. For most 

applications red, white and green colours 

are chosen. The sector sizes are always 

specifi ed reading from left to right when 

looking towards the light from on board 

the vessel. 

7. Check Vertical Divergence 

Sketch a vertical profi le through the light 

and viewing area. Check that mariners 

on highest and lowest vessels at closest 

and most distant points all fall within the 

vertical divergence of the light. 

Dixon Cove (16°20’N, 86°29’W) – Roatan is one of the Honduras Bay Islands in the Caribbean Sea. 

A PEL-3-3.5D, solar powered with on-demand switching via VHF marine radio has been deployed in 

the Dixon Cove Harbour of Roatan Island. 

Night Step PEL-3 Volts PEL-6 Volts Average Current Night Intensity 

1 12.0 24.0 100% 100% 

2 11.0 22.0 88% 75% 

3 10.3 20.5 80% 60% 

4 9.0 18.0 65% 40% 

5 7.2 14.4 47% 20% 

6 6.0 12.0 36% 10% 

PEL-6 lights have the night intensity 

further reduced by insertion of a Night 

Filter with a transmission between 5% 

and 50%. Where lamp voltage reduction 

and a night fi lter are used together, the 

fi nal transmission is the product of the 

two values. 

Example: 

• 60% of peak intensity from lamp 

voltage reduction 

• 5% transmission through night filter 

(when inserted) 

• Night intensity = 60% x 5% = 3% 

of day intensity 

Specifi cation Sequence 

1. Night Only or Day & Night 

The fi rst decision is whether a night-only 

signal is required, or a day and night 

signal. Generally, use a PEL-3 for night 

only, or a PEL-6 for day & night. For very 

short distances a PEL-3 can be used in 

daylight, but night dimming is only by 

voltage reduction. 

2. Determine Required Intensity 

This depends on the range required 

and the conditions under which viewing 

occurs (transmissivity of atmosphere, 

level of background lighting). Use IALA 

Recommendations for guidance, or 

contact Vega for assistance. 

3. Choose Total Subtense 

There is a tradeoff between subtense and 

intensity – the greater the subtense the 

less the intensity (for a given lamp). Refer 

to PEL-3 and PEL-6 tables for intensities. 

4. Choose Lamp Size 

For the PEL-3 the maximum size lamp 

is 100 Watts. The M28 100W lamp gives 

best performance, but smaller lamps are 

adequate for lower intensities. Refer to 

table of lamp performance for PEL-3 

Lights. For the PEL-6 the M36 250 Watt 

lamp (24 Volts) is standard, but smaller 

lamps can be accommodated. 

8. Specify Flash Character 

Each PEL Sector Light uses a CALC-2001 

controller, which has 256 fl ash codes. 

Certain lamps have minimum on and 

off-times. For Oscillating Boundary (OB) 

use a fi xed character, or one with at least 

8 seconds on-time to allow at least two 

full OB cycles. 

9. Specify Night Intensity Reduction 

(if applicable) 

When the PEL Light is used day and 

night, intensity reduction is required at 

night. Night intensity is a percentage of 

day intensity. Lamp voltage reduction 

value can be adjusted in the fi eld, but 

changing the Night Filter transmission 

requires a new fi lter. 

10. Reduced Intensity in White Sector: 

Yes or No 

Intensity in the white sector can be 

reduced to 50% using a ND fi lter to 

match the apparent intensities in the 

coloured sectors. 

11. Anti-Refl ection Coatings (PEL-3) 

These give up to 35% extra intensity in 

critical applications. 

12. Connections to Other Devices 

Synchronisation to other lights, 

monitoring interfaces, remote on-off 

or intensity control. 

6

PEL-3 SECTOR LIGHTS 

• Invented in New Zealand by Norman 

Rumsey, acclaimed international 

optical designer and astronomer. 

• Modern optical design techniques 

and minimisation of optical 

aberrations achieve very sharp sector 

boundaries. 

• Up to 19NM range at night (coloured 

sectors, 3.5° subtense, 100 Watt 

TH lamp, anti-reflection coatings). 

• Great configuration flexibility – each 

light is customised to suit the exact 

requirements of the end user. 

• Wide choice of subtenses, individual 

sector angles, lamp types and sizes, 

flash characters and operating 

modes. 

• Designed for use in rugged marine 

environments without further 

protection. Sealed enclosure, built 

from gunmetal (marine-grade 

bronze) and stainless steel. 

• Energy efficient – each optical 

system makes best use of energy 

available from the lamp. 

• Suitable for solar power – operates 

from 12VDC. Light can be flashed 

to reduce power consumption. 

• Uniform intensity from one side of 

the beam to the other – intensity 

does not reduce due to movement 

off axis. 

• Delivered fully tested and ready 

to operate, complete with Vega 

6-position lampchanger and 

CALC-2001 controller. 

• Long service life – many PEL-3 

Sector Lights have been in 

continuous service for over 20 years. 

French Guiana – PEL-3 

• Can be interfaced to remote switching and monitoring equipment – interfaces 

are available. Optical isolation recommended when connecting to other 

electrical equipment. 

7


DIMENSIONS 

Light Source 

Lamp Mounting 

Primary 

Refl ector 

Filament lamp, 

max 110 Watt 

tungsten halogen 

Bi-pin (M-series 

lamps), or prefocus 

candelabra 

First-surface spherical, 

aluminium coated 

Condenser Type Two element 

(spherical+aspheric), 

120° pickup 

Lampchanger Vega VLC-152A 

(bi-pin), VLC-150 

(pre-focus) 

Power Supply 12-16VDC, battery 

fl oat (mains or solar) 

Anti-Refl ection 

Coatings 

Non-standard on 

PEL-3, available as 

an option 

Flash Characters Fixed +255 

characters, 

user-selectable 

Flasher/Controller CALC-2001 

computer-assisted 

light controller 

Lamp Power 

Regulation 

Construction 

Materials 

Exterior fi nish 

Pulse-widthmodulation 

regulates 

power to lamp 

Gunmetal, stainless 

steel, copper tube 

Epoxy primersurfacer, 

2-pot 


PEL-3-3.5D 

377 

PEL-3-5D 

PEL-3-7D 

PEL-3-10D 

PEL-3-15D 

255 

993 

90 

1263 

1611 

1100 

2002 

153 

PEL-3-3.5D 

Mounting Layout 

140 

390 

140 

144 

525 

45 

65 

308 

370 

Scale 1:20 

710 

PEL-3-20D 

209 

474 

789 

70 

141 

124 

124 

Pivot ±5˚ horizontal 

PEL-3-5 /10 /15 /20D 

Mounting Hole Layout 

Rear Can slides 

back 390 mm and 

hinges down for 

servicing access 

Longitudinal Section of PEL-3 20D Sector Light 

8

PEL-3 Peak Intensities in White, Red and Green Sectors 

PEL-3 Total Subtense Colour 3.5° 5.0° 7.0° 10° 15° 20° 

M28 

12V 100W TH 

(Coated Optics) 

M28 

12V 100W TH 

M32 

12V 50W TH 

NAL 86 100W 

PF Halogen 

NAL 85 75W 

PF Halogen 

NAL 84 50W 

PF Halogen 

NAL 83 35W 

PF Halogen 

NAL 82 20W 

PF Halogen 

NAL 81 10W 

PF Halogen 

W 301,674 147,868 75,489 37,038 16,514 9,330 

R 81,452 39,924 20,382 10,000 4,459 2,519 

G 72,402 35,488 18,117 8,889 3,963 2,239 

W 220,430 108,045 55,159 27,063 12,066 6,817 

R 59,516 29,172 14,893 7,307 3,258 1,841 

G 52,903 25,931 13,238 6,495 2,896 1,636 

W 78,069 38,266 19,536 9,585 4,274 2,415 

R 21,079 10,332 5,275 2,588 1,154 652 

G 18,737 9,184 4,689 2,300 1,026 580 

W 149,819 73,435 37,490 18,393 8,201 4,633 

R 40,451 19,827 10,122 4,966 2,214 1,251 

G 35,957 17,624 8,998 4,414 1,968 1,112 

W 87,937 43,103 22,004 10,796 4,813 2,719 

R 23,743 11,638 5,941 2,915 1,300 734 

G 21,105 10,345 5,281 2,591 1,155 653 

W 65,139 31,928 16,300 7,997 3,565 2,014 

R 17,588 8,621 4,401 2,159 963 544 

G 15,633 7,663 3,912 1,919 856 483 

W 42,340 20,754 10,595 5,198 2,318 1,310 

R 11,432 5,604 2,861 1,403 626 354 

G 10,162 4,981 2,543 1,248 556 314 

W 22,799 11,175 5,705 2,799 1,248 705 

R 6,156 3,017 1,540 756 337 190 

G 5,472 2,682 1,369 672 300 169 

W 9,771 4,789 2,445 1,200 535 302 

R 2,638 1,293 660 324 144 82 

G 2,345 1,149 587 288 128 73 

Vertical Divergence 2.0° 3.0° 3.4° 4.3° 5.0° 5.6° 

Boundary Resolution

PEL-6 SECTOR LIGHTS 

• Up to 6 nautical miles range in 

daylight (coloured sectors, 3.5° 

subtense, 250 Watt TH lamp, 

favourable background). 

• Over 21 nautical miles range at night 

in coloured sectors, up to 25NM in 

white sector (3.5° subtense). 

• Automatic intensity reduction at 

night using lamp voltage reduction 

combined with insertion of neutral 

density filter. 

• Boundary definition and sector 

accuracy typically better than one 

minute of arc (for subtenses less 

than 20°). 

• Optional Oscillating Boundary 

provides up to four extra sectors and 

proportional indication of 

lateral changes. 

• Colour integrity – selection of correct 

colour filters ensures that sectors 

are recognised correctly in all types 

of weather. 

• Rugged construction and sealing – 

proven life exceeds 20 years in typical 

harsh marine environment. 

Longitudinal Section of PEL-6 15D Sector Light 

10

MANUFACTURED BY 

VEGA INDUSTRIES LTD 

http://www.vega.co.nz 

SERIAL No: 6-XXX 

PEL-6 

SECTORED 

NAVIGATION 

LIGHT 


Light Source 

Lampchanger 

Power Supply 

Anti-Refl ection 

Coatings 

Sector Angles 

Oscillating 

Boundary 

Night Intensity 

Reduction 

M36 250 Watt 

tungsten-halogen 

lamp 

Vega 6-position, 

VLC-152A 

(bi-pin mounting) 

24-28VDC, battery 

fl oat (mains or solar) 

Standard on all 

PEL-6 Sector Lights 

Individual sectors 

custom-made for 

each light 

Factory-fi tted 

option for PEL-6 

Sector Lights 

Night Filter + Lamp 

Voltage Reduction 

combined 

Flash Characters Fixed +255 characters, 

user-selectable 

Flasher/Controller CALC-2001 

computer-assisted 

light controller 

Lamp Power 

Regulation 

Construction 

Materials 

Exterior fi nish 

Pulse-width 

modulation regulates 

power to lamp 

Gunmetal, stainless 

steel, copper tube 

Epoxy primer 

surfacer, 2-pot 


Measurement of Intensity 

When checking the intensity of PEL 

Sector Lights the measuring distance 

must be suffi cient to ensure that the light 

source behaves as a point source, and 

the inverse-square law applies. One way 

to check this is to take several readings 

at slightly different distances. When 

accurately done, the source intensity will 

be independent of measuring distance. 

For practical measurements it is 

acceptable to work close to the limit of 

the photometer’s sensitivity. This could 

be more than 100 metres for some PEL-6 

Sector Lights. Distances less than this will 

give false readings on the low side. An 

alternative method is to use a calibrated 

zero-range photometric facility, which 

simulates performance of the light at 

considerable distances (in far fi eld). 

DIMENSIONS 

PEL-6-3.5D 

483 

495 

PEL-6-5D 

483 

495 

PEL-6-7.5D 

255 

1929 

Left-to-Right Sequence of Sectors 

Some PEL Sector Lights laterally invert 

the sector array out in front of the light. 

The left-to-right sequence of the sectors 

as they appear looking into the barrel 

will not necessarily be the way they 

are projected. Always check sector 

orientation from a distance. 

Focus at Infi nity 

PEL Sector Lights are normally focused 

at infi nity. This gives sharp sector 

boundaries at normal viewing distances. 

Within the fi rst few hundred metres the 

sector boundaries will appear blurred. 

90 

483 486 

Clearance to remove 

Rear Can For servicing 

495 

495 

PEL-6-15D 

975 

1288 

483 260 

1100 

PEL-6 

Mounting Layout 

1893 

1209 

1398 

495 714 

PEL-6-10D 

483 486 

480 

793 

1100 

218 

230 

495 

144 

PEL-6-20D 

872 

Non-Compliant M36 Lamps 

The original M36 lamp is ideally suited 

to the PEL-6 Sector Light. Some lamps 

now sold as M36 do not comply with the 

original specifi cation regarding lamp life, 

fi lament centre height, and pin diameter 

tolerance. These lamps must not be 

used in PEL Lights, as they run at higher 

temperatures, are prone to explode, and 

can crack lenses with excessive heat. 

For PEL-6 lights that are fl ashed, Vega 

recommends the use of Bailey M36 

lamps, which have reinforced fi lament 

support wires. Other lamps may not give 

the rated service life. If in doubt, source 

replacement lamps from Vega. 

45 

350 

65 

483 155 

230 

240 

nominal 

Scale 1:20 

377 

275 

275 

420 

11

PEL-6 Peak Intensities in White, Red and Green Sectors 

PEL-6 Total Subtense Colour 3.5° 5.0° 7.5° 10° 15° 20° 

M36 Lamp 

24V 250W TH 

Full Intensity 

M36 Lamp 


Reduced to 1% 

M36 Lamp 


Reduced to 2% 

M36 Lamp 


Reduced to 5% 

M36 Lamp 


Reduced to 10% 

M36 Lamp 



M36 Lamp 



M28 Lamp 

12V 100W TH 

Full Intensity 

W 726,532 356,116 158,273 89,199 39,770 22,470 

R 196,164 96,151 42,733 24,084 10,738 6,067 

G 174,368 85,468 37,985 21,408 9,545 5,393 

W 7,265 3,561 1,582 892 398 225 

R 1,962 962 427 241 107 61 

G 1,744 855 380 214 95 54 

W 14,531 7,122 3,164 1,784 795 449 

R 3,923 1,923 854 482 215 121 

G 3,487 1,709 759 428 191 108 

W 36,327 17,806 7,910 4,460 1,989 1,124 

R 9,808 4,808 2,136 1,204 537 303 

G 8,718 4,273 1,898 1,070 477 270 

W 72,653 35,612 15,820 8,920 3,977 2,247 

R 19,616 9,615 4,271 2,408 1,074 607 

G 17,437 8,547 3,797 2,141 954 539 

W 145,306 71,223 31,640 17,840 7,954 4,494 

R 39,233 19,230 8,542 4,817 2,148 1,213 

G 34,874 17,094 7,593 4,282 1,909 1,079 

W 363,266 178,058 79,100 44,600 19,885 11,235 

R 98,082 48,076 21,357 12,042 5,369 3,033 

G 87,184 42,734 18,984 10,704 4,772 2,696 

W 301,674 147,868 65,719 37,038 16,514 9,330 

R 81,452 39,924 17,744 10,000 4,459 2,519 

G 72,402 35,488 15,772 8,889 3,963 2,239 

Vertical Divergence 2.1° 3.0° 3.9° 4.3° 5.0° 5.6° 

Boundary Resolution

OSCILLATING BOUNDARY AND SECTOR ANGLES 


Defi nition 

Oscillating Boundary is a factory-fi tted 

option for any PEL Light. It provides up 

to four additional sectors without any 

new colours, and proportional indication 

of lateral movement within a sector. The 

Oscillating Boundary is best appreciated 

using a moving model, as shown on the 

Vega website, www.vega.co.nz. 

Benefi t 

The Oscillating Boundary provides early 

warning of deviation from the centre 

line, and enables extremely precise 

navigation. It is ideal for use by large 

ships moving in very narrow channels, 

especially when there is adverse wind 

or tide. 

Maximum Range Required 

Distance to Control Point 

Largest 

Vessel at 

Edge of 

Channel 

Section Through Control Point 

Fl R 3s R Alt R/W W Alt G/W G Fl G 3s 

Fl G 

G 

Alt G/ W 

W 

Alt R/W 

R 

Fl R 

Figure 6 

Signal Format 

In the oscillating sector the colour 

oscillates between the colours of the 

sectors on either side. A complete 

oscillation occurs every 3 seconds. The 

oscillation is seen by an observer within 

the sector as an abrupt change 

of colour from red to white (for example), 

and back to red. The period of time that 

one colour is ivisible (relative to the other 

colour) is a measure of the closeness of 

the fi xed sector of that colour. 

The signal is easily and intuitively 

grasped by the mariner. A longer red 

fl ash and a shorter white fl ash means 

that the mariner is closer to the red 

sector, and vice versa. Judging the 

proportion of time in which each 

colour is displayed is quite 

straightforward, and the cycle 

repeats every three seconds. 

The Oscillating Boundary signal does not 

change when viewed through binoculars. 

It is a time-based digital signal, rather 

than one based on relative lateral 

displacement. 

Flash Character 

It is recommended that a PEL Light with 

Oscillating Boundary does not have any 

fl ashing character imposed on the lamp, 

as this combination could be confusing. 

A character with a longer on-period 

(for example, 8.0 seconds) could be 

tolerated, followed by a brief off-period. 

This character would help to confi rm the 

light identity to a mariner when holding 

position in the white sector, especially if 

there was signifi cant background lighting 

at night. 

Maximum Size of Individual Sectors 

There is no restriction on size of fi xed 

To calculate sector angles: 

A1° = atan(W1/C) 

A2° = atan(W2/C) 

A° = A 2° - A1° 

A1° 

A2° 

Distance to control point = C 

sectors. The maximum width of an 

oscillating sector is limited to 20% of total 

subtense, and all oscillating sectors must 

be the same size. 

A° 

By placing the outer fl ashing sectors 

outside the total subtense of the light, 

they are masked out and not seen. Partial 

masking is also possible. See Figure 6. 

Determining Individual Sector Angles 

Largest Vessel at Control Point 

The control point is any convenient point 

at which the required width of each sector 

is established. This could be a restricted 

part of the approach, such as the heads at 

the harbour entrance or the entrance to a 

narrow channel. 

At the control point consider the largest 

vessel on the extreme edge of its safe 

manoeuvring area. Take the centre-line 

of the vessel at this point, and set the 

outer edge of the oscillating sector. Refer 

to example above. When the mariner 

encounters the fi xed red or green sectors 

(while standing at the centre of the vessel) 

he has reached the limit of his safe 

manoeuvring space. 

Narrow Centre Sector 

At the centre, allow the smallest practical 

white sector. Half the width of the largest 

W1 

distance to centre = W 2 

centre line of channel 

Figure 7 

vessel when at the control point is a useful 

starting value. This format gives a very 

early indication of any deviation from the 

central sector, as the mariner sees a fl ash 

of red or green depending on whether the 

vessel has moved left or right. 

Flashing Sectors 

With the Oscillating Boundary system 

there is the option to use part or all of 

the two outside fl ashing sectors. 

Converting Lateral Distances to Angles 

Use the arc-tangent function to convert 

measurements of distance from the 

centreline and distance to control point 

into angles in degrees. See Figure 7. 

Sector Light Alignment 

When selecting individual sector angles, 

it is a good idea to place one sector edge 

across a defi ned location, preferably one 

that can be reached by land. An observer 

at this location can easily check the 

alignment of the entire light from time 

to time. 

Specifying Sector Angles 

When specifying individual sector angles, 

always list by colour and size (in degrees), 

working from left to right as viewed from 

the position of the vessel, looking towards 

the light. 

13

INSTALLATION GUIDE 

Installation of PEL Sector Lights 

Location of Tower 

The tower can be located at any 

convenient place on the extended 

centreline of the required track. Moving 

the tower back from the point of closest 

approach can help to reduce the 

unhelpful effect of the beam becoming 

narrower and more intense at the point 

closest to the light. Other considerations 

are ease of site access for maintenance, 

security against unauthorised access, 

availability of existing structure, and level 

of background lighting in the viewing 

direction (considering day and night 

separately). 

Height of Tower 

The best elevation for the PEL Light is 

at the same height as the bridge of the 

largest vessel. This enables the PEL 

Sector Light to be set horizontal. Check 

for adequate vertical divergence. The 

Sector Light must be visible from all the 

required positions. The barrel can be 

inclined or declined a few degrees if 

necessary. The barrel is exactly parallel 

to the centreline of the beam. 

Outside in All Weathers 

The PEL Light is designed to operate 

outside in all climates so no further 

protection is necessary. If installed inside 

a lighthouse or other building avoid 

having the beam pass through a glass 

window. This will reduce the intensity 

of the beam and could reduce the 

boundary sharpness. Allow the barrel 

to protrude and seal around it with a 

fl exible membrane. 

Safe Access for Servicing 

The PEL Light is best mounted on a stable 

plate 1000 mm above the fl oor of the 

servicing platform. The technician needs 

to check the alignment of each lamp 

whenever the light is serviced, so safe and 

comfortable access is essential. The Rear 

Can needs to be removed to gain access 

– the PEL-3 can hinges down, and the 

PEL-6 can slides back on rails for removal. 

The front lens of the light must be easily 

accessable for inspection and cleaning, as 

dirt and grime on this lens will cause the 

light output to deteriorate. 

Design of Mounting Plate 

PEL-3 Lights (except the 3.5D size) have 

a triangular mounting plate as in photo 

below left. The PEL-3-3.5D and all PEL-6 

lights have two mounting feet to support 

the weight of the barrel. Refer to the PEL- 

6 dimension drawings for more detail. 

Unless the holes in the platform can be 

aligned very accurately they should not 

be drilled until the PEL Light is positioned 

and aligned. Some fi ne adjustment 

(azimuth and elevation) is available in the 

PEL Sector Light mounting. 

The beam would easily pass over the top 

of the safety railing. 

Operating from Commercial Power 

When an alternating-current (commercial 

or mains power) source is used, it 

is strongly recommended that the 

commercial power cable is continued right 

to the top of the tower. This is better than 

terminating at the base of the tower and 

running 12Vdc or 24Vdc cables up the 

tower, for the following reasons: 

• no significant voltage drop in 

the cables 

• avoids introducing “inductance” 

into the low-voltage circuit 

• reduces susceptibility to 

lightning damage 

In addition, it is strongly recommended 

that a battery is inserted between the 

power converter and the PEL Sector Light 

to provide a measure of autonomy in 

the event of a power failure, and further 

insulate the PEL Light from mains voltage 

spikes. It is well worth making provision 

for lifting batteries up to the platform. 

Cable lengths between power converter, 

battery and PEL Light should be kept as 

short as possible – ideally less than 1m. 

Vega VPR-39 Power Supply 

This is a weatherproof switch-mode 

power converter suitable for PEL Sector 

Lights operated from commercial power. 

It accepts 110Vac or 240Vac input, and 

can be set to 13.8Vdc or 27.6Vdc output. 

The VPR-39 can be used to power the 

PEL Light directly or it can be used as a 

charger when a battery is fi tted. 

1263 

Space to slide back 

and lower Rear Can 

for service access 

PEL-3-7D 

Space to access front 

lens for cleaning 

Safety Railing 

1000 mm high 

209 

Pedestal for PEL-3 Light: 

1000 mm high with 

top plate 300 mm square 

Scale 1:20 

300 

floor of platform 

775 

885 

Servicing platform 1660 mm long for this light 

14

CALC-2001 & LOGIC INVERTER 

The CALC-2001 is a multi-purpose 

microprocessor-based controller, and is 

fi eld programmable. With other plug-in 

devices it provides all the functionality 

required by sector lights and other 

fl ashed beacons. 

Lamp switching is via two 40Amp 

TOP FET’s in parallel. This generous 

over-rating ensures a low voltage drop 

and looks after the high inrush current on 

lamp start up. TOP FET’s provide faster 

short-circuit and over-voltage protection. 

Pulse width modulation is used to control 

lamp voltage. 

A Switch Mode Regulator of 1A capacity 

provides a constant 12Vdc output 

independent of the input (step up and 

step down) for driving the oscillating 

boundary, night fi lter, cooling fan, and 

other devices. 

User-Selectable Programs are accessed 

via four hex switches located under a 

screw-in plug. Two hex switches select 

any of the 256 available fl ash characters. 

The third (user) selects the operating 

mode (day/night, day only, or night only), 

and selects sync if required. The fourth 

switch is for selecting one of the fi ve 

voltage reduction steps for night time use, 

and works for either the 12 or 24V input. 

Photocell sensitivity is adjusted via two 

DIP switches mounted beside the hex 

switches. There are four different settings 

for the light level at which switching 

occurs. Photocell hysteresis is fi xed by a 

resistor. 

Synchronizing multiple lights is available 

within one of the user programs. The 

signal is carried by a cable between the 

lights. The distance between synchronised 

lights should not exceed standard RS232 

parameters. Type 1 sync allows any 

or all lights to operate together. Type 2 

sync requires a return sync pulse from 

a second light, otherwise the light is 

disabled. 

Logic Inverters control 4-phase stepper 

motors used to drive oscillating boundary 

and night fi lters. They also provide the 

logic for night fi lter placement. 

Lamp Inhibit allows an external signal 

to switch off the lamp. This is useful for 

remote control of the lamp to save power. 

CALC- 2001 

Temperature Range -40°C to 90°C 

Housing type 

Microprocessor type 

Clock speed 

Quiescent Current (total) 

Address method 

O-ring Sealed 

MC68HCO5C8 

Plug in 

2.4576 MHz 

65 mA 

Hex Sw x 4 SS 

pot 

Voltage range 

10 - 28VDC, 

Output switching devices 

2 x 40 Amp TOP 

FET’s 

Resistive switching load 

Input protection 

Motor drive output 

S.M.R. protection 

Softstart, Current 

limit 

Softstart, R.P.P & 

S.S.P 

Regulator type, 

S.M.R. 

3 amp fuse, R.P.P 

147 

75 

S.M.R. load max. 

1 amp 

P.W.M. 12V & 24V ±1% 

Rochfort Instrumentation Made in NZ 

Serial No 3 2 1 SERIES 

INVERTER LOGIC 

12VDC 

146 

46 

53.6 

INVERTER LOGIC 

12VDC 

Logic Inverter 

Switching I.C. 

Oscillating boundary 

Intensity fi lter 

SAA1027 

200mA (approx) 

200mA 

(intermittent) 

Serial No 3 2 1 SERIES 

Rochfort Instrumentation Made in NZ 

PEL Fan 

120mA 

75 40 

CALC- 2001 

68.3 

Inverter 

Range 

2.5sec - 4.5sec 

cycle 

15

LAMPCHANGERS FOR PEL SECTOR LIGHTS 

Vega High-Wattage Lampchangers 

• current rating 10.5Amps continuous 

• lamp power up to 24Vdc, 250W 

• lamp turret machined from solid brass 

• excellent heat sinking 

• high-temperature mica insulation 

• silver alloy electrical contacts 

• soft stop to prevent filament damage 

• reliable and precise indexing 

mechanism 

• optional alarm contact on 

5th/6th position 

• dual mounting system on all bases 

Vega VLC-150 Lampchanger 

The VLC-150 lampchanger is standard 

equipment on PEL-3 Sector Lights 

when supplied with pre-focus lamps. 

It is designed to fi t within the condenser 

system of PEL Sector Lights, hence the 

wide gap between turret and escapement 

mechanism. Other types of lampchanger 

would interfere with the mirror. 

The VLC-150 accepts six marine 

pre-focus lamps up to 110 Watts 

(12Vdc, 10.5Amps). Failure of a lamp 

is remotely detected and a 60 degree 

turret rotation is actuated by a linear 

solenoid and driven by a stainless-steel 

coil spring. The Vega soft-stop system 

is included. When the last lamp comes 

into use, an optional alarm output signal 

is available. 

Vega VLC-152AR Lampchanger 

The VLC-152AR lampchanger is 

standard equipment on PEL-3 and PEL-6 

Sector Lights when supplied with bi-pin 

tungsten halogen lamps. It is designed 

to fi t within the condenser system of 

PEL Sector Lights, as the VLC-150 above. 

The VLC-152AR accepts six lamps up to 

250 Watts (24Vdc, 10.5 Amps). Failure 

of a lamp is remotely detected and a 60 

degree turret rotation is actuated by a 

linear solenoid and driven by a stainless 

steel coil spring. The Vega soft-stop 

system is included. 

The VLC-152AR is fi tted with springloaded 

collets which ensure the lamp pins 

are gripped tightly and with minimum 

resistance. It is recommended that lamp 

pins are cleaned with very fi ne sandpaper 

before insertion. A special hand tool for 

opening the collets is stowed on the side 

of the lampchanger, and is unscrewed for 

use during relamping. A cylindrical “sight 

gauge” is stowed in the same place, 

and is slipped over each lamp after 

insertion to check for correct positioning of 

the fi lament. 

The silver plating on the collets has been 

replaced with a rhodium-plated surface 

to prevent “welding” of the tungsten lamp 

pins into the collets when the lamps 

were fl ashed. 

VLC-152BR lampchanger 

The optional VLC-152 BR lampchanger, 

available to special order, can include 

isolated monitoring contacts on an 

extended shaft. These lamp monitoring 

contacts can be fi tted to turret positions 

5 and 6 to give a closed contact indication 

for a remote monitoring system. 

16

SINGLE PEL SECTOR LIGHT APPLICATIONS 

Mark a Leading Line 

This is the most common application for a sector light. The 

light can be mounted at any elevation on the desired track, 

preferably above street-level background lighting, and in 

a secure location. There is complete fl exibility regarding 

individual sectors, and sectors need not be symmetrical. For 

extra intensity use two lights mounted one above the other. 

For very long and narrow channels refer to Parallel Channel 

example, as two lights arranged in this way may be required 

to give adequate sensitivity at full range. 

Supplement a Flashing Beacon (Wellington, NZ) 

A small fl ashing beacon (with shadow-type fi lters) projects 

light through a large angle, and a PEL Light supplements the 

beacon in the direction of interest, by increasing intensity 

and sharpening the sector boundaries to defi ne the safe 

passage. The harbour entrance has many rocky shoals, and 

accurate directional guidance is necessary. In the sector in 

which it is visible, the PEL light overpowers the signal from 

the fl ashing beacon. Both lights have CALC-2000 controllers 

and fl ash in sync. 

Flinders Island 

Somes 

Island 

Wellington Harbour 

Great Dog 

Franklin Sound 

Two PEL-6-5D SectorLights 

One PEL-3-10D Sector Light 

One Flashing Beacon 


Mark a Fishing Zone or Marine Reserve 

In this example a single line is drawn out perpendicular to the 

coast, with a different colour each side of the line. A narrow 

subtense produces greater intensity, but viewing angle is 

reduced. A PEL-6 light is used, so the signal can be read 

both day and night. The light is fl ashed to conserve energy, 

as the installation is on a remote piece of coast, and must be 

solar powered. The on-period of 2 seconds is the minimum 

that can be used with the 250 Watt lamp to allow time for the 

lamp to achieve full brilliance. 

Mark a River Crossing (USA) 

Vessels cross from one side to the other as deep water 

follows the outside of bends. Crossings move during 

fl oods, and aids often need to be realigned. Rear towers 

for transit lights are expensive, especially if they need to be 

moved from time to time. A PEL light can be located on the 

riverbank, and rotated or repositioned with relative ease. A 

PEL-3-3.5D light with automatic night dimming (and coated 

optics to extract maximum energy) provides day+night use 

over 1-2NM in several solar-powered installations. 

Marine Reserve 

Crossing 

Non Reserve Area 


One PEL-3-3.5D Sector Light 

(with coated optics) 

17

MULTIPLE PEL SECTOR LIGHT APPLICATIONS 

Provide Extra Subtense (Red Sea) 

One PEL-6-20D light and two PEL-6 lights with 10.75° subtense 

are mounted on a single station and project a total subtense 

of 41°. An overlap of 0.25° between lights ensures the full 

sector is covered. A wider coverage is achieved than could 

be provided with a single light, and vertical divergence is less. 

The relationship between subtense, intensity and colour fi lter 

transmission is used to good effect – the intensity from the 

10.75° lights (in coloured sectors) is about the same as the 

20° light (in white sector). 

Mark a Restricted Area 

Two or more lights can be used to provide a fi x over a 

restricted area. The lights are read as a pair (or group), and 

may also be fl ashed in sync to aid identifi cation. The area 

defi ned by the lights may be quite irregular. Sectors can 

be any size and in any sequence, limited only by the total 

subtense of the light. Restrictions can be to keep vessels 

inside (anchoring area, turning basin) or exclude entry 

(no-anchoring zone, hidden shoal or other danger area). 

Floating buoys may not be required. 

Red Sea 

Shoal 

Projected Display 

8˚ 25˚ 8˚ 


Two PEL-3-10.75D Sector Lights 

Two PEL-3-15D Sector Lights 

Mark a Parallel Channel 

The channel can also be convergent or divergent, and the 

same lights used by a dredge. Each light has two sectors, 

and the lights are read as a pair, perhaps fl ashing in sync. 

An oscillating sector on the inside of each boundary is possible. 

This example is used when the taper shape of a single sector 

is too much compromise. The advantage of this method over 

leading lights is that both sector lights only require the intensity 

of a front lead, and that even at great viewing distances the 

sensitivity is not reduced. 

Mark an Undersea Pipeline (Taranaki, NZ) 

Two wide-angle anamorphic PEL Sector Lights are used 

to defi ne a no-trawling corridor between an offshore oil 

production platform and the shore station. This is to protect 

the underwater pipeline connecting the two. The restricted 

area is defi ned when both lights are red. In this case the 

lights are not synchronised, but have different characters, 

and because the background is unlit farmland, relatively low 

intensities are adequate. Marker boards are used to defi ne 

the corridor during the day. 

Position 

A 

B 

C 

Signal 

Production Station 

A 

B 

C 

Pipeline 

Converging Beam 

Two PEL-6-5D Sector Lights 

Position 

A 

B 

C 

A B C 

Signal 

Platform 22.54NM 

Two 150 Anamorphic 

PEL Sector Lights 

18

OSCILLATING BOUNDARY APPLICATIONS 

Mark a A Turning Track (Tory Channel, NZ) 

Cook Strait, between the two islands of New Zealand, is 

a very rough stretch of water with strong tidal rips, and is 

exposed to strong winds. A regular inter-island rail ferry must 

initiate a turn from inside the sound to exit through an unlit 

narrow passage, while remaining clear of rocks on each side 

of the channel. The PEL Sector Light fi tted with oscillating 

boundary provides the pilot of the relatively cumbersome 

ferry with a progression of distinct sectors to turn through as 

he emerges into the strait. 

Multi-Leg Entrance into a Harbour (Lyttleton, NZ) 

A 10° PEL Sector Light with oscillating boundary provides the 

main lead into this harbour. The oscillating boundary system 

makes it easier to maintain the correct track, by giving early 

warning of lateral deviation. Once within the inner harbour, 

a second PEL Light (of 5 degrees total subtense for greater 

intensity) is used to mark a narrow dredged channel. This 

simple system of two PEL Sector Lights replaced a more 

complicated and costly arrangement of shore-based lights 

and fl oating buoys. 

Marlborough Sounds 

Lyttleton Harbour 

Cook Strait 




Diffi cult Turn Onto Narrow Track (all 7 sectors used) 

Adverse wind and current makes turning large vessels 

diffi cult. Speed is required to maintain steerage, and extra 

information is needed to execute the turn safely. The use of all 

seven possible sectors in a PEL Sector Light gives the mariner 

the best information. Flashing red on fi rst encounter initiates 

the start of the turn. The transition to steady red occurs halfway 

through the turn, the alternating red/white sector is next 

traversed, and fi nal alignment is gradually achieved within the 

narrow white sector. 

Turning Circle (Mermaid Sound) 

Two PEL Sector Lights are located at a petroleum terminal, 

and the lights are enclosed in fl ameproof enclosures. The 

restricted area of the turning basin is defi ned by these sector 

lights. Each white and alternating sector is 100 metres wide 

at the centre of the basin. The oscillating boundary gives a 

clear indication of progress around the turning track in either 

direction, assisting the tanker to arrive at the jetty in the 

correct position. This system is simpler, more reliable and less 

costly to maintain than a buoyage system. 

Fl G 

G 

Ship's Signal 

Position Displayed 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

Jetty 

Star Rock 

Turning Basin 

C 

E 

D 

B 

A 

Alt G/ W 

W 

Alt R/W 

R 

Fl R 

Cooling Water 

Intake 

One PEL-6-20 Sector Light 

Two PEL Lights with 


19

(42°7’N, Head 8°51’W) Office – Bayona, Galicia, Spain, Autoridad Portuaria de Vigo, built 2007, PEL-3 5°. Purpose built Scottish lighthouse Office especially for the Vega 


Fife shermen. Renewables Innovation Centre 




Fife, KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01420 520374 

Tel: 01333 422000 

Fax: 01420 520373 




PEL_Sec_V.2.00_Nov_12


VRL-74 

LED RANGE LIGHT 

RANGE AND DIVERGENCE FLEXIBILITY 

VRL-74 LED Range Light: Mini Solo 

VRL-74 LED Range Light: Mini Array 

VRL-74 LED Range Light: Mini Tile

VRL-74 LED RANGE LIGHT 

The VRL-74 has a single LED operating 

through a high power optical grade 

acrylic lens having a 3° divergence 

on the horizontal and vertical plane. 

Divergence is defi ned as the angle 

where the intensity is at 50% of the 

centre intensity of the lens. Profi le of 

the VRL-74 lens shows a wide angle of 

centre intensity and a sharp cut of at 

higher angles. 

High intensity makes the VRL-74 lens 

suitable for use as a lead or range light. 

The sharp cut off at the higher angles 

allows the lens to be used for high 

range sector light applications with the 

angle of uncertainty between colours of 

approximately 0.5°. 

The versatility of the VRL-74 lens 

has provided three distinct product 

groupings: 

1. The Mini Array is the standard 

product offering of the VRL-74 

and consists of mounted lenses 

on a vertical plane. The product 

is available from 1 to 6 lenses 

depending on the requirement for 

intensity and divergence. The Mini 

Array application is intended for 

range or lead lights. 

2. The Mini Solo product consists 

of single VRL-74 lenses that 

are arranged to meet a specific 

application requirement. As such 

the product is customised to the 

application. The Mini Solo product 

is used where wider divergence is 

required compared to the Mini Array 

including high range multicolour 

sector lights. The Mini Solo is also 

used to configure signals such as 

arrows or crosses to indicate safe 

navigation channels. 

3. The Mini Tile product is a larger form 

of the Mini Array and contains a 

higher number of VRL-74 lenses. This 

is provided where higher intensity 

range or lead lights are required. The 

Mini Tile layout is customised to each 

application. 

The maximum intensity and current at 

12VDC for a fi xed character using the 

standard VRL-74 3° lens is as follows: 

Colour 

Max Intensity 

Candela x1000 

Current mA 

@ 12VDC 

White 80 450 

Red 22.1 115 

Green 37.5 390 

Yellow 8.5 65 

Blue 13.6 345 

Spreader Lenses can be fi tted over the 

VRL-74 Lens to increase either or both the 

vertical and horizontal divergence. The 

spreader lenses are available in standard 

formats, however with the fl exibility of 3 

dimensional machining custom spreaders 

can be made for any application. 

Spreader 

code 

Horizontal 

divergence 

when fitted 

Vertical 

divergence 

when fitted 

Intensity 

multiplier 

21 6 3 2 

22 6 6 4 

31 9 3 3 

32 9 6 6 

33 9 9 9 

41 12 3 4 

42 12 6 8 

43 12 9 12 

51 15 3 5 

52 15 6 10 

53 15 9 15 

61 18 3 6 

62 18 6 12 

63 18 9 18 

When a spreader lens is fi tted, the multiplier 

of the spreader reduces the intensity of the 

assembly. The intensity with a spreader lens 

fi tted is the intensity of the base VRL-74 

lens divided by the multiplier. 

Spreader lenses can be rotated by 90° to 

provide greater fl exibility of horizontal and 

vertical divergence. 


Vega has a questionnaire available to 

assist with the collection of the necessary 

information to defi ne the requirements 

of a Range Light or other form of VRL-74 

application. A copy of this can be obtained 

by contacting sales@vega.co.nz 

The required information includes 

1. Range required for both day and night 

2. Flash character and colour 

3. Horizontal and vertical divergence required 

4. Details of the application including 

channel length and width 

5. Details of size of vessels using the light 

VRL-74 MINI ARRAY 

The Mini Array is available in 6 formats from 

1 to 6 lenses. 

Spreader lenses can be added to increase 

the vertical and horizontal divergence of the 

light. It is possible to use different spreader 

lenses in order to provide the best outcome 

for an application such as fi lling in the 

intensity at the near end of a channel. This 

an area that may not be illuminated using 

normal range lights due to the narrowing of 

the beam closer to the light. 

The maximum intensity without spreader 

lenses fi tted is as follows. 

Lenses White Red 

CD 

x1000 

mA 

CD 

x1000 

mA 

1 80 450 22.1 115 

2 160 900 44.2 230 

3 240 1350 66.3 345 

4 320 1800 88.4 460 

5 400 2250 110.5 575 

6 480 2700 132.6 690 

Lenses Green Yellow Blue 

CD 

x1000 mA CD 

x1000 mA 

x1000 CD 1 37.5 390 8.5 65 13.6 345 

2 75.4 780 TBA TBA 27.6 685 

3 113.1 1170 TBA TBA 40.8 1030 

4 150.8 1560 TBA TBA 54.5 1375 

5 188.3 1950 TBA TBA 68.1 1720 

6 226.2 2340 TBA TBA 81.6 2060 

Where spreaders are fitted the intensity 

will be reduced by the spreader multiplier. 

Note that spreader lenses are different 

for each colour and cannot be swapped 

between colours. 

Operation of the Mini Array 

The Mini Array is programmed as a 

single unit and can operate day only, day 

and night, or night only. Day and night 

intensity is separately programmable. 

The minimum night intensity is 

approximately 3% of the maximum 

intensity of the VRL-74 Mini Array 

assembly. The controller for the lights is 

part of the integrated assembly. 

The VRL-74 Mini Array contains the 


found in Vega Beacons. 

Mounting of the Mini Array 

Horizontal mounting is the standard 

option however vertical mounting is 

available if advised at time of order. 

The Mini Array is adjustable in both the 

horizontal and vertical planes for fi nal 

alignment to the navigation channel. 

Alignment tools are available as an option 

should precise alignment be required. 

These consist of either a gun sight or 

a telescopic sight mount (Vega does 

not supply the telescopic sight). These 

alignment tools are detachable and one can 

be used to align many Mini Array units. 


• Internal GPS for pulse synchronisation 

with other lights 

• Alarm/Monitor Output


The VRL-74 supports the standard features found on Vega 


• Automatic Schmidt-Clausen intensity correction for short flashes 

• Multiple effective intensity settings for both day and night operation 




• Synchronisation control including master/slave options and 

sync delay 




• Serial number, LED type etc, are stored in the range light 

Programming is done using the Vega TVIR Programmer 

(Remote-02). This allows the range light to be programmed 

one feature at a time. The VRL-74 will confi rm the settings by 

fl ashing the programming code back to the user. 

Monitoring 

Monitoring of the VRL-74 LED Range Light can be provided 

in a number of ways: 

1. Using the Vega Mini VegaWeb internet monitoring unit. 

2. Using the optional alarm/monitor connection. 

FEATURE DIFFERENCES FOR THE 

MINI SOLO AND MINI TILE PRODUCTS 

For product with more than 10 VRL-74 Lenses 

• Data port options for programming and monitoring 

• Night turn down ratio of up to 500:1 from the maximum intensity 

• No internal GPS sync option. GPS sync provided using the 

VSU-29 GPS sync unit 

• Program control on how VRL-74 responds to unit failure 

• Controller is a stand alone unit and not integral with the lens 

assembly 

SPECIFICATIONS VRL-74 MINI ARRAY 


• Peak intensity depends on the number of lenses used, 

flash character, and duty cycle 

• 3° Vertical and horizontal divergence at 50% of centre 

intensity for base VRL-74 lense 

• Divergence can be expanded using spreader lenses 

• LEDs monitored for excess temperature 






• Operating Voltage 9-18VDC 

• Night on / average current depends on number of lenses, 

intensity setting, flash character, and duty cycle 

• Flash off current 4mA per 2 optics 

• Beacon off current 0.5mA per 2 optics 

• For specific current usage refer to Vega with application details 

• Sync outputs – compatible with 12V sync sources, positive to 

negative transition 

Environmental 

Temperature -30° to 50° Celsius 

Intrusion IP67 

Cooling 

Convection cooling heat sink 

Pressure 


Salt 


Wind 

100Kt 



Material for VRL-74 Mini Array 

Lenses 


Heatsink/Frame DT 5008 marine grade aluminium, 



Bird Spikes 316 stainless steel 

Mounting Mounts on horizontal surface, vertical mount 

option available 

Weight & 


Service Life 12 years 

Warranty 1 year. Refer to Vega warranty conditions 

Standards 

EMI/EMC 

Optical Test 










and E-200-3 Part 3 (2008) 






Shock 



VRL-74 Range Light Optical Profi les

DIMENSIONS (MINI-ARRAY) 

280.9 

187.8 

456.0 

187.8 

200.0 

UNIT MASS: 3.6 KG 

200.0 


281.6 

187.8 

280.9 

187.8 

280.9 

187.8 

200.0 

UNTI MASS: 4.1 KG 

13.5 

THRU ALL 

200.0 

13.5 

THRU ALL 

200.0 


UNTT MASS: 6.3 KG 

PARTS FOR ORDERING VRL-74 MINI ARRAY 

DESCRIPTION 

CODE 

VRL-74 LED range light 

VRL-74-COL-XYZ 

• Sync signal inverter module 136-600 


Remote-02 

• Gun sight alignment tool 174-041 

• Telescopic sight mount 174-040 

Note: COL: Colour (WHT, RED, GRN, YEL, BLU) 

X: Number of lenses 

YZ: Spreader code where Y is horizontal and Z is vertical divergence multipier (YZ=11 for 3° lens with no spreader) 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 






Fife, KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 


VRL-74_V.2.01.Apr_13


VLB-36 

LED OBSTACLE LIGHT 

MEETS REQUIREMENTS OF TYPE B ICAO OBSTACLE LIGHTS 

CAN BE USED IN MARINE APPLICATION 

Where wide asymmetrical vertical diversion 

is required such as for bridge marking. 

SOLAR POWER BODIES 

Available with VPP-66 Solar Power Pack 

3 different sizes.

VLB-36 LED OBSTACLE LIGHT 

The obstacle light is an extension 

of the Vega VLB-36 LED Beacon 

range for applications where a wide 

asymmetrical vertical profi le is 

required. This profi le meets the 

requirements of the International Civil 

Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for 

Type A and Type B obstacle lights. 

• Beacon spread at 50% peak intensity 

is 10°. 

• Peak intensity at 8° above horizontal. 

• Has minimum intensity of 32 Candela 

required for Type B obstacle light at 

6° and 10° above the horizontal. 

• Has conspicuity between 0 and 50° 

above the horizontal. 

The VLB-36 Obstacle Light has marine 

applications where an asymmetrical 

vertical profi le would be useful in 

marking bridges and other hazards. 

In these applications, the VLB-36 

Obstacle Light can be mounted upside 

down to beam the light downwards 

from the horizontal. 

The obstacle light is available in 5 

colours: red, green, white, yellow, and 

blue. Red would be used for aviation 

applications. All colours meet IALA 





meets the required specifi cations. 

The VLB-36 beacon comes with a fl ush 

mounting marine grade aluminium heat 

sink containing an O-ring seal. This form 

can be used where a suitable mounting 

is available. 

Optional mounting options include: 

• A 3 or 4-hole 200mm PCD 

mounting base. 

• One of 3 different sized solar power 

packs. Suitability of the solar power 

packs depends on the available 

solar radiation where the beacon 

will be used. 

Solar pack options 

SIZE 

SOLAR 

PANEL 

(W) 

BATTERY 

(Ah) 

AUTONOMY 

ICAO TYPE B 

OBSTACLE 

LIGHTS* 

Small 7.8 12 5.5 days 

Medium 15 12/18/35 8.3 days 

XLarge 30 12/18/35 16.1 days 

* Based on 12-hour night. 


The performance of the VLB-36 Obstacle 

Light is programmable and allows the 

unit to be set up for specifi c applications. 

The programmable functions include: 

• Up to 15 intensity settings matching 

common range requirements 

• Up to 246 different flash characters 

and one custom character. A fixed 

character is used for aviation obstacle 

lights. There is automatic Schmidt- 

Clausen intensity correction for each 

flash character. 

• Nine day/night transition settings 


IR Programmer. 

Additional Options: 

• Internal GPS synchronization to allow 

the VLB-36 to synchronize with other 

beacons 

• VegaWeb or SMS based monitoring 



At +6° and 10° from horizontal 


Peak 100 80 80 90 22 

Effective 66 54 54 54 15 


settings matching common range 

requirements 


correction up to the maximum 

intensity available 


requirement 

• Peak intensity at 8° above horizontal 

• Vertical divergence 10° measured at 

50% of peak intensity 

• 246 standard flash characters and 

one programmable custom character 

• 20 factory set custom characters 

• Calibrated Lux measurement with 

nine levels to determine day/night 


included. 


80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

VLB-36 Obstacle Light Vertical Profiles @ 50% of max LED current 

20 

10 

0 

-5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 

Degree 

Yellow314 Red115 Green211 White411 Blue511

• Hard wire sync with sync delay of up to 9.9 seconds 

• Has the ability with GPS sync option fitted to synchronise 

flash character with other lights using a GPS sync, plus 

sync delay of up to 9.9 seconds 

• Programmable low voltage cutout threshold 



Electrical 

Voltage 

Operating Voltage 

Protection 

12VDC 

9 to 18VDC 

Reverse Polarity 

Current for fi xed character: 


3NM 80 60 90 80 320 

4NM 210 200 250 220 - 

4.5NM 310 320 360 320 - 

Type B ICAO 170 150 190 180 - 

Peak CD 770 620 580 600 560 

Night off Current 4mA 

Day Current 

0.5mA 

• For on currents at other intensity settings refer to 

Appendix A of the product manual. 

• The GPS module needs 10mA when acquiring satellite 

information. Acquisition normally takes 2 minutes. 

Factory setting 3 times per hour. 

• VegaWeb Current requirement depends on the frequency 

monitoring occurs. 

Refer to VegaWeb technical information. 



Intrusion rating IP 68, 2 Hours immersion in 1 metre 

of water 


Pressure 

Equalisation Fully sealed 

Salt 


and spray 

Wind 


Ice loading 22kg/square metre 

Shock/Vibration 

Shock 75G horizontal and 35G Vertical 

5G Vibration 

EMI Interference Withstands 200V/m 1 to 12GHz, 10V/m 

0.1 to 1 GHz (without GPS) Withstands 



Lens 

Housing 

Sealing 

Focal Plane 

Dimensions 

Bird Spikes 

Weight 

Mounting 

Material for Optional Base 

Body 

Dimensions 

Mounting 

Service Life 

Warranty 

Standards 

EMI/EMC 

Acrylic 

Anodised marine grade aluminium base, 

ASA plastic top 

Sikafl ex on lens O-ring in base 


See drawings 


1kg 

6 holes on 100mm circumference using 

4mm bolts 

Injection moulded UV resistant ASA plastic 

See drawings 

M12 clearance (13.5mm) hole on 200mm PCD 

allows for 3 or 4 holes mounting 

12 years 

1 year. Refer Vega warranty conditions. 

EN55015 radiated and conducted emissions, 


Immunity, EN61000-4-3 Radiation Immunity, 



Optical 

Colour IALA Recommendation E-200-1 part 1 


Power supply IEC60945 section 7 normal and peak voltage, 




Shock 





1m depth 

Hail and Ice IEC61215

DIMENSIONS 


DESCRIPTION 

VLB-36 Obstacle Light only 

VLB-36 Obstacle Light 

• with plastic base mount 

• with small solar body 

• with medium solar body 

• with x-large solar body 

For internal GPS add GS to part number 

IR Programmer 

CODE 

136-010-OBC 

VLB-36-OBC 

VLB-36-OBC-SM-BY 

VLB-36-OBC-MD-BY 

VLB-36-OBC-XL-BY 

-GS 

Remote-02 

Note: C is colour (G, R, W, Y, B) 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 






Fife, KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 


VLB_360B_V.2.00_Sep_12



LONG RANGE LED BEACON 

AVAILABLE FROM 15 TO 20NM RANGE AT 0.74T 

VLB-92 Omni-Mega 

15-20NM range LED beacon

VLB-92 OMNI-MEGA LONG RANGE LED BEACON 

The VLB-92 Omni-Mega Long Range 

Beacon forms part of the Vega LED 

marine beacons family and is intended 

for applications requiring very high 

intensity and range. Depending on the 

confi guration, the Omni-Mega beacon 

can handle range from 15NM to 20NM 

at a transmissivity of 0.74T or 23NM to 

30NM at a transmissivity of 0.85T. 

The VLB-92 Omni-Mega provides 

outstanding heat sink performance to 

handle the heat dissipation from the 

high power LED light sources used in the 

Omni-Mega beacon. The building block 

of the VLB-92 Omni-Mega is a threelens 

unit, complete with heat sinks. 

Up to three of these units can be used 

to obtain the required range and fl ash 

character of the application. 

The VLB-92 Omni-Mega incorporates 

a very high power LED light source and 

high effi ciency optics in order to achieve 

the level of candela output required 

for these long range marine beacons. 

Each lens layer of the Omni-Mega 

beacon incorporates 12 LED sources. 

The vertical divergence at 50% of peak 

intensity is 3 degrees. 

The VLB-92 Omni-Mega Beacons are 

tested in the Vega zero range light tunnel 

prior to shipment to ensure the light 

output meets the required specifi cations. 




requirements. 

The VLB-92 Omni-Mega contains all the 


found in Vega marine beacons. 

PERFORMANCE 

AT A GLANCE 

• Range of between 15 and 20NM at a 


• Range of between 23NM and 30NM at 

a transmissivity of 0.85T 

• Vertical divergence of 3° to the 50% 

intensity level 

INSTALLING THE 


LONG RANGE BEACON 

The Omni-Mega Long Range Beacon 

has a 3 or 4-hole mounting base with the 

holes located on a 200mm PCD. With 

the narrow divergence of 3 degrees it is 

essential that the beacon is mounted on a 

horizontal surface. 

OPERATION OF THE 


LONG RANGE BEACON 

The VLB-92 Omni-Mega is programmed 

as a single unit regardless of how many 

units are used in a particular application. 

The operation of each unit is monitored 

and options are provided on how the 

beacon should behave should any 

problem be detected. The normal 

fault condition will shut down all units, 

however, a “Best Effort” option will allow 

the unaffected units to continue to work 

on a fault condition. Operation with 

“Best Effort” would see the beacon still 

operating with lower output intensity. 

Additional Features 

• RS232 or RS485 Data Port 

• IRDA Data Port 

• GPS Synchronization using the 

VSU-29 GPS Sync Unit 

• Beacon Alarm output 

• Force ON & Force OFF control inputs 

• Beacon LEDs On output 

• Output for AIS message 21 connections 



the VLB-92 Omni-Mega Long Range 

LED Beacon: 

1) Using the Vega IR programmer 

(Remote-02). This allows the beacon 

to be programmed one feature at 

a time. The VLB-92 Omni-Mega 



2) Using a computer and the IRDA 


VLB-92 Omni-Mega settings to be 

displayed on a computer screen and 

downloaded or retrieved in a single action. 

3) The VLB-92 Omni-Mega supports 






• Multiple Day/night transition level 

settings 



• Hard wire synchronisation 





• Program control of the RS-232 and 

IRDA data port. 

• Program control how VLB-92 

Omni-Mega responds to a unit failure 




are stored in the beacon 

MONITORING 

Monitoring of the VLB-92 Omni-Mega 


1) Using the Vega Mini VegaWeb 


2) Utilising the RS-232 or IRDA data port 

3) Using the hard wire connections. 

4) Using hard wire outputs for 

conncections to AIS units for 

message 21 


FOR A VLB-92 OMNI-MEGA 

1) Range 

2) Colour 

3) Flash character, including flash period 

and duty cycle


Optical 

Light Source 

Colours Available 

Intensity 

High-Intensity Light-Emitting Diodes 

Operating temperature controlled to 

protect LEDs 

Red, Green, White 

IALA Recommendation E-200-1 part1 

See Appendix B 

IALA Recommandation E-122(2001) 

& E-200-3 Part 3 (2008) 

Effective Intensity Settings Multiple levels for both day and 

night operation 

Peak Intensity 

Automatic Schmidt Clausen correction 

up to beacon max intensity 

Flash Characters 256 standard characters plus one 

custom character; 20 factory set 

custom characters if required 

Vertical Divergence ±1.5°, measured at 50%, ±3.0°, 

measured at approximately 10% of 

peak intensity 

Chromaticity Co-ordinates Red 0.68

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHTS 

200 

15 

461 

Mounting Base 

460 

602 

997 

1140 

65.0 

2 TIER 

MASS APPROX = 37kg 

3 TIER 


5 TIER 


6 TIER 


NOTES: BIRD SPIKES ADD 120mm TO TOP OF BEACON 


DESCRIPTION 

VLB-92 Omni-Mega Long Range LED Beacon 

• Colour 

• Range 

• Flash Character 

Sync signal inverter module 

TVIR Programmer 

Computer Programmer 

Note: U is the number of units required; T is the total number of lenses. Price will depend on the number 

of subunits, units used and number of LEDs. 

CODE 

VLB-92-UT 

167-295 

Remote-02 

Prog-03 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 






Fife, KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 


VLB_92_V.2.00_Jul_12


VRB-25 

MARINE ROTATING BEACON 

6 OR 8 PANELS LIGHTHOUSE BEACON

VRB-25 MARINE ROTATING BEACON 

The VRB-25 is a powerful, reliable and 

compact marine rotating beacon suitable 

for ranges from 15 to 22 nautical miles. 

Six or eight equally-spaced fresnel 

lenses rotate around a stationary lamp 

of up to 100 Watts, generating six or 

eight discrete pencil beams. Individual 

beams can be coloured or blanked off 

to generate grouped characters. 

Powerful Optics 

The heart of the VRB-25 is a highperformance 

acrylic fresnel lens 

designed by Vega to maximise the 

useful output from industry-standard 

pre focused tungsten-halogen marine 

signal lamps. Lenses are held on all 

edges in an accurately-machined cage 

to ensure precision alignment. 

All six beams are consistent in peak 

intensity to within 5% of the average. 

Every beacon is individually tested 

for peak and effective intensities, the 

consistency of intensity between beams, 

and rotational speed. Factory tests are 

performed in a computer-controlled 

zero-range photometric facility. 

Reliable Mechanicals 

The lens carousel is rotated by a 

direct-drive electronically-commutated 

brushless pancake motor of 280mm 

diameter,designed by Vega specially for 

the VRB-25. This motor provides plenty 

of torque while consuming only 1-2 

watts of energy. Two large, heavy-duty, 

fully-sealed ball races (packed with 

low-temperature grease) are the 

only moving parts, and these can be 

expected to operate for at least 20 years 

without attention. 

Intelligent Electronics 

A versatile micro-processor based 

electronic controller is housed in a 

metal capsule sealed with O’rings. This 

controls the lampchanger, solar switch 

and motor drive. One of the 248 speeds 

from 0.5-15.9 rpm can be selected by 

adjusting two hex switches. The speed 

will be maintained to within ±2%. External 

monitoring functions are available, and the 

VRB-25 interfaces readily to the VegaWeb 

monitoring system. 

To ensure maximum lamp life, consistent 

output intensity and minimum energy 

consumption, the lamp voltage is 

regulated using Pulse-Width-Modulation. 

Even if the input voltage ranges from 

11-20 Volts (as in an unregulated solarpowered 

installation) the RMS voltage at 

the lamp will never exceed 12VDC. 

High-Wattage Lampchanger 

The VRB-25 is equipped with a 6-position 

VLC-153 lampchanger. Vega has been 

building lampchangers for lamps up to 

250 Watts for 20 years and the VLC-153 

is one of the latest design. 

EASY MAINTENANCE 

A small removable hatch gives instant 

access for lamp replacement. 

The electronics module can be removed 

from the base by sliding two latches. 

All external fasteners are captive. 

The entire Glazing Assembly lifts off 

after twisting eight latches. 

Lenses and glazing are made of acrylic 

and have a rated life of 5-7 years. 

Secure Latches 

The VRB-25 is supplied with captive 

latches. These latches do not require 

special tools for their operation. 

If secured access to the beacon is 

required, special forms of latches are 

available that will require special tools 

to operate. The use of these latches can 

be suffi cient to discourage unauthorised 

personnel from opening the beacon. 


Optics 

Lenses 

Colours 

Service Life 

Motor Drive 

Type 

Current Drain 

Rotation 

Speeds 

Six or eight, optical 

grade acrylic, 178.5mm 

focal length 

Clear, Red (32%T), 

Green(34%T), 

Blanking Panel (0%T) 

Approximately 7 years 

30-pole brushless 

three-phase direct drive 

90mA continuous 

typical at 1 rpm 

248 user-selectable 

speeds in range 

0.5 to 15.9 rpm

Mfg by Vega Industries Ltd 

H eriot D riv e , P orirua , N Z 

C o n tra c t N o D T C G 2 3 -9 3 -C -E 4 3 0 1 2 

Speed Control 

Speed Variation 

Bearings 

PID Controller, optical feed-back 

with 1200 pulses/rotation 

Less than 2% variation. 

Automatic torque compensation 

Two deep groove sealed ball races, 

62mm diameter 

DIMENSIONS 

Electronics 

Power Supply 

Controller 

Lamp Voltage 

Current 

Lamps 

Lampchanger 

Photocell 

Monitoring 

Nominal 12VDC, 11-30 VDC 

acceptable 

Vega CALC-20B (motor driver, 

lamp changer controller) 

Regulated to a maximum of 

12V rms by PWM 

125mA for CALC-20B 

12VDC pre focused vertical fi lament 

to 100W 

Vega VLC-153 automatic 6-position, 

escapement type 

Built in, sensor compatible with 

USCG Type LDR 

Fixed duration contact-closure twice 

per rotatation 

Top View 

ø485mm 

1033mm 

Environmental 

Temperature 

Salt 

Humidity 

Wind 

Cooling 

Rated for continuous operation -35°C 

to +60°C ambient 

Rated for continuous exposure to salt air 

and sea water spray 

Rated for humidity 0-100%, driving rain 

at 45° from vertical 

Rated to withstand winds to 100kt 

Natural radiation only, no cooling fan 

or ventilation required 

Side View 

411mm 

CALC-20 

V R B -2 5 

670mm 

Materials 

Base 

Glazing 

Glazing life 

Paint Finish 

DT 5008 grade Aluminium, 

anodised to 25 microns 

Optical grade acrylic 

Approximately 7 years 

Epoxy primer, 2-pot polyurethane gloss 

paint on exterior metal surfaces 

Bottom View 

Breather 

200mm (7-7/8") PCD

INTENSITY RANGES 

nge at T=0.85 (Nm) 20 

25 

27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 

35 36 

nge at T=0.74 (Nm) 

14 16 17 18 19 20 21 

22 

23 

fective Intensity 

(kcd) 

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 

100 W NAL-86 

4 

2.5 2 

1.67 

1.33 

1 

0.67 0.5 rpm 

75 W NAL-85 

50 W NAL-84 

35 W NAL-83 

4 

4 

4 2.5 2 1.67 1.33 1 

0.67 

2 1.33 1 0.67 

0.5 rpm 

2 1.33 1 0.67 

0.5 rpm 

0.5 rpm 

20 W NAL-82 

4 2 1 0.67 

0.5 rpm 

10 W NAL-81 

4 2 

1 

0.5 rpm 

nge at T=0.85 (Nm) 20 

25 

27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 

35 36 

nge at T=0.74 (Nm) 

14 16 17 18 19 20 21 

22 

23 

fective Intensity 

(kcd) 

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 

3.0A C C-8 

4 

2 

1 

0.5 rpm 

1.9A C C-8 

1.0A C C-8 

4 

4 

2 

2 

1 

1 

0.5 rpm 

0.5 rpm 

3.05A C -8 

2.03A C -8 

1.15A C -8 

4 2 1 0.5 rpm 

4 2 1 0.5 rpm 

4 2 1 0.5 rpm 


DESCRIPTION 

VRB-25 6 Panel (International version) 

VRB-25 8 Panel (International version) 

VRB-25 6 Panel (USCG without Lampchanger) 

Secure Clamps, Add 

Specify colour of lenses, specify quantity of blank panels if required 

CODE 

VRB-25-6P-int 

VRB-25-8P-int 

VRB-25-6P-US 

Add “-SEC” to code 

Add note to order 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 






Fife, KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 


VRB_25_V.2.00_Nov_09


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Hydrosphere 

traffic light systems 

Hydrosphere is able to supply a range of LED lights 

that are suitable for use as port traffic signals based 

on IALA recommendation E-111 for the control of 

traffic movements in ports and port approaches. 

Choosing a suitable light depends on a number of factors, such as 

the required day and night ranges and the field of view. In addition, 

signals can be ‘all round’ when intended for all vessels simultaneously 

or ‘directional’ where messages will not be the same in every direction. 

For this reason a port may require one or multiple sets of lights. 

To control these lights Hydrosphere supply an electronic control 

system, custom designed for each installation. This can handle 

complete or restricted light combinations over one or more sets of 

lights. Light repeaters are included to verify correct operation of 

remote lights. The system utilises a 240v a.c. power supply with 

optional 24hr battery backup. 

The control system communicates with a lamp control unit at each 

light signal site. Remote sites can be connected by cable, up to 

1000m in length, or a radio connection can be used for distances 

up to 10Km. 

At each light signal site the lamp control unit drives the lights and 

output can be monitored and fed back to the main control system. 

Lights can be powered with a mains power supply situated on the 

site with optional battery backup available. Alternatively, solar 

power can be used depending on which lights are employed. 


features: 

• A wide range of LED lights 

• Complete or restricted 

light combinations 

• Custom designed electronic 

control system 

• Cable or radio communication 

with remote sites 

• One or multiple light signal sites 

• Mains power with battery 

back-up option 

• Solar power option available 

depending on lights required 

• IALA Recommendation 

E-111 compliant 




traffic light systems 


control system 

» Custom designed enclosure, normally to at 

least IP66 

» Complete or restricted light combinations 

» Light repeaters to verify correct operation of 

remote lamps 

» 240v a.c. power supply 

» Optional 24hr battery backup 

» Indication of mains failure at remote sites where 

battery backup option has been specified 

» Indication of battery status where battery backup 

option has been specified 

communication 

Wired 

» Industry standard CAN bus communication 

» Up to 1000m cable length, shielded twisted 

pair cable 

Radio 

» Up to 10Km using licensed, Satel radio equipment. 

Subject to site survey 

» Up to 4Km using licence-free, Satel radio 

equipment. Subject to site survey 

» Either dual Single Point-to-Point or PC controlled 

Master-to-Multiple Remote Stations 

» Alarm indication of a failed radio link 

lamp control units (for remote sites) 

» Single or multiple light systems for any installation 

» Each output monitors lamp function 

when selected 

» Optional 24hr battery backup 

» Optional solar power supply depending on 

lights required 

environmental 

» All assemblies normally rated at IP66 

» Operating temperature range: -10°C to +70°C 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

Light combinations to comply with 

IALA Recommendation E-111 

(amber may be shown with states 3 & 6) 

1 Exemption. Vessels outside the main 

navigation channel may ignore the main signal. 

2 Emergency. All vessels to stop or divert 

according to instructions. 

3 All vessels stop. 

4 Vessels may proceed. One-way traffic. 

5 Vessels may proceed. Two-way traffic. 

6 Vessels may proceed when instructed to do so. 

tips for choosing lights 

The output required approximately doubles for each additional mile of visibility. Always consider the lighting of the site 

itself; a navigation light viewed against a background of shore-based lights will seriously affect a mariner’s ability to 

detect the aid, so the output will need to be increased. 








t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE Tra_Lig_V.2.00_Jan_2013 


Pantone 187 C 


Practice 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 




Robust construction Modular design 3.0m - 1.2m diameter hulls 

Interchangeable components Easy to transport Modular solar power systems 

Single or multi-point moorings Through-hull access Highly stable in operation 


Image courtesy of J.R Ryan Marine Institute 

Image courtesy of Mobilis 

Image courtesy of UK Met Office

world-leading data buoy platforms 

For over 18 years, Hydrosphere and Mobilis have been designing, manufacturing and supplying data buoy platforms to oil 

and gas companies, survey organisations, research institutes and universities both across the UK and Worldwide. 

Mobilis data buoy platforms range five basic models from a 3m to 1.2m hull diameter. A modular design means they can be 

tailored to customer requirements and work can be carried out on components individually during assembly. The result is a 

range of flexible platforms that can be utilised across a variety of applications whilst remaining easy to handle and transport. 

large buoy platforms - DB 8000 

For deepwater applications or higher equipment payloads. 

800 

800 

3260 

Draught 2030 

1710 

2296 

Freeboard 1029 

Focal plane 4000 

7083 

722 

DB 8000 

ø 914 

ø 3000 

large buoy platforms - DB 5700 

For deepwater applications or higher equipment payloads. 

2660 

7285 

The DB 8000 and DB 5700 

share the same steel structure and 

range of towers but utilise different 

size floats. 

1685 

ø 900 

The large towers allow 

instrumentation to be placed in 

a protected position that is safe 

from damage during deployment 

and recovery. Internal access 

to the towers for engineering 

personnel is possible via lockable 

doors. 

DB 5700 

ø 2600 

modular 

solar power 

supplies 

battery box 

sensor mounting 

tubes 

non-skid deck 

power 

management

All Mobilis data buoys comprise a robust central steel structure with through-hull access for underwater instrumentation 

and cabling. Buoyancy is provided by multiple-section rotationally moulded polyethylene (PE) floats, which are bolted 

around the structure. 

A range of towers are available depending upon focal heights, payloads, and power requirements. Towers are manufactured 

from marine grade aluminium and can be fitted with a large range of battery housings, solar panels, sensor rings and topmarks. 

Replaceable structures can be held where a buoy requires to be quickly redeployed with a different equipment configuration. 

medium buoy platforms - DB 2000 

For shallower locations with medium equipment payloads. 

Image courtesy of 

713 

DB 2000 

Focal plane 2483 

Draught 1365 

Freeboard 535 

ø 630 

ø 1900 

1050 

1105 

2030 

3848 

The DB 2000 is based on the 

highly successful JET 2000 J 

navigation buoy. As with the 

DB 2000 it has a steel central 

core and can be fitted with a 

variety of daymarks depending 

on payload and power 

requirements. The most popular 

daymark is the 1m hexagonal 

tower, which provides internal 

space for instrumentation and 

batteries and a large external 

area for the mounting of solar 

panels. 

small buoy platforms – DB 650, DB 500 

For shallow locations and small/light equipment payloads. 

790 

ø 1200 

1700 

The DB 650 and DB 500 

platforms are compact units 

that can be easily transported. 

As with the larger buoys there 

is through-hull access for 

underwater instrumentation. 

The buoys can be supplied 

as hull-only assemblies for 

customers to fit their own towers. 

Alternatively, Hydrosphere can 

supply a variety of towers to suit 

individual requirements. 


DB 650 DB 500 

The data buoy platforms illustrated in this product 

summary are a sample of the range and variations 

available. All data buoy platforms can be tailored to 

meet user requirements regarding shape, navigation 

lights, radar reflectors, solar power supplies, 

monitoring systems, and moorings. Full installation 

and maintenance services are available. 


Commercial 

Member 

005 


Practice


DB 8000 DB 5700 DB 2000 DB 650 DB 500 

Exploded view of an EOS data buoy 

Diameter m 3.0 2.6 1.9 1.2 1.2 

Gross Buoyancy Kg 8000 5700 2000 650 500 

Mass Kg 2140 2100 910 135 90 

Focal Plane m 4.0 4.0 2.4 2.0 1.8 


Self Contained 

Light 

Aluminium Topmark 

Radar Reflector 

Aluminium 

Marine Grade 

Mast 

Antenna Support 

Tropical Roof 

typical two-point mooring 

with sub-surface floats 

Safety Bow 

Pulley 

Solar Panels 

85w 

Access Door 

Handrail 

Sensor Access 

Rotomoulded 

Mass Tinted UV15 

Polyethylene Float 

Battery Box 

Batteries 

PE Tube 

Galvanised Structure 

Sacrificial Anode 

Adjustable Ballast 

the right data buoy for the job 

To make sure you get the right data buoy for your requirements consider all the factors that will affect the visibility 

of the mark by day and by night including: depth of water; sea conditions and current; lighting and range of light 

required; shape and topmarks; and Plan : A_COMM_mooring focal plane. 

line DB8000 ss1000_01r0 Rev. - 

MOBILIS - BP 49000 -13792 Aix-en-Provence cedex 3- France - Tel.: +33 (0)4 42371500 Fax: +33 (0)4 42371501 

www.mobilis-sa.com E-mail: mobilis@mobilis-sa.com 

Images specifications et dimensions non-contractuelles / Images and specifications for information only 


Crée le 16/05/2012 

Par : flanoux 

REF ED 

IT10 02 







moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 




E&OE Dat_Buo_V.2.00_Sep_12


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


mooring buoys 


Port, coastal and deep sea applications Rotationally moulded MDPE floats 

Galvanised steel central structure Safe working loads up to 300 tonnes 

4.0m - 1.2m diameter Up to 17000Kg buoyancy Multiple mooring options 

mooring buoys

world-leading mooring buoys 

Hydrosphere is the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for world-leading Mobilis buoys. Since 1990, Mobilis has been 

designing and manufacturing versatile mooring buoys suitable for applications ranging from harbours and rivers to deep 

sea conditions. 

The Mobilis AMR series of mooring buoys are available in nine different size models from 4.0m to 1.24m diameter and are 

suitable for a complete range of boats from harbour launches to super tankers. 

large mooring buoys 4.0m-2.4m diameter (300T-50T safe working load) 

Suitable for most applications from ports to deep sea locations. Float sizes range from 4.0m to 2.4m diameter, providing up to 17000Kg gross buoyancy. 

5270 

2560 

2710 

1174 

Ø4000 

Ø3000 

AMR 17000 

AMR 9000 

4127 

1844 2283 

1085 

3590 

4066 

1689 2377 

1000 

3189 

4160 

1514 2272 

1115 

3403 

Ø2400 

Ø2600 

AMR 7000 

AMR 5000 

mooring point options 

Four mooring options are available: 

a quick-release hook, shackle, static ‘T’, 

or D link. We will be happy to advise on the 

most suitable mooring option for your buoy. 

Please contact us for more information. 

quick-release 

hook 

shackle static ‘T’ D link

The buoys are constructed using rotationally moulded medium density polyethylene (MDPE) float sections, with a galvanised 

steel central structure providing a strong, lightweight buoy capable of supporting substantial loads. The MDPE absorbs minor 

impacts without damage to the buoy or vessel. 

The buoys’ modular design means they can be tailored to customer requirements, are easy to transport, and can have work 

carried out on components individually during assembly. 

medium mooring buoys 1.85m-1.24m diameter (60T-20T safe working load) 

Suitable for most ports and coastal locations. The larger 1.85m diameter floats form the hull for the AMR 2500 while the cylindrical 

or conical 1.24m floats are used for the smaller models. 

3761 

1915 1846 

624 

3027 

2898 

1023 1875 

1365 

Ø1850 

AMR 2500 AMR 2000 

2898 

1278 1620 

1110 

2090 

840 1250 

Ø1240 

650 

1750 

815 

685 

A 

515 

1500 

mooring buoys 

A 

AMR 1500 

AMR 1000 

AMR 600 

The mooring buoys illustrated in this product 

summary are a sample of the range and variations 

available. All buoys can be tailored to meet user 

requirements regarding size, buoyancy, mooring 

attachments and weight. Full installation and 

maintenance services are also available. 

Contact us for more information. 


Commercial 

Member 

005 


Practice


Buoy 

Gross 

Buoyancy Kg 

Diameter m 

Height m 

Weight (with 

shackles) Kg 

Safe Working 

Load Tonnes 

Draft m 

Max Current 

Knots 

Deep Sea 

Coastal 

Estuary 

Ports 

Rivers 

AMR 17000 - 300T 17000 4.0 5.3 6000 300 2.6 14 √ √ √ √ √ 

AMR 17000 - 200T 17000 4.0 5.1 4000 200 2.3 14 √ √ √ √ √ 

AMR 9000 - 150T 9000 3.0 4.1 2000 150 1.8 11 √ √ √ √ √ 

AMR 9000 - 85T / 70T 9000 3.0 4.1 2000 85 / 70 1.8 11 √ √ √ √ √ 

AMR 7000 7000 2.6 4.0 1700 70 / 50 1.8 11 √ √ √ √ √ 

AMR 5000 5000 2.4 4.0 1500 70 / 50 1.8 11 √ √ √ √ √ 

AMR 2500 2500 1.85 3.5 950 60 / 20 1.9 11 √ √ √ √ 

AMR 2000 2000 1.24 2.9 300 12 1.2 11 √ √ √ √ 

AMR 1500 1500 1.24 2.9 280 12 1.2 11 √ √ √ 

AMR 1000 900 1.24 2.0 250 12 0.9 11 √ √ √ 

AMR 600 - Cone down 600 1.24 2.1 185 12 0.7 8 √ √ √ 

AMR 600 - Cone up 600 1.24 1.5 185 12 0.6 8 √ √ √ 


the right mooring buoy for the job 

The mooring buoy, chain and sinker / anchor should be considered a complete system; we can offer a mooring 

and buoy design service to ensure the correct buoy and mooring are supplied. 








moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 




E&OE Moo_Buo_V.2.00_Aug_12


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Mobilis AMR 17000-5000 

4.0m-2.4m diameter mooring buoys 

The AMR series of mooring buoys are suitable for 

most applications from harbour and coastal 

locations to deep sea conditions. 

The buoy hulls are made up of four or eight rotationally moulded, 

medium density polyethylene (MDPE) float sections, combined with 

a galvanised steel central structure. This creates a strong, 

lightweight buoy capable of supporting substantial loads. The use 

of polyethylene for the hulls allows the buoys to absorb minor 

impacts without damage to the buoy or vessel. 

Floats are available in four sizes ranging from 4.0m to 2.4m 

diameter and providing up to 17000Kg of gross buoyancy. Whilst 

normally supplied as white or yellow, other colours are available if 

required. The buoys’ modular design allows for commonality of 

parts, thereby reducing maintenance, inspection, replacement and 

spares holding costs. 

The AMR 9000, 7000 and 5000 buoys have a selection of possible 

mooring attachments: a quick-release hook, shackle, static ’T’, or 

D link. The AMR 17000 is available with either the quick-release 

hook or shackle options. 

mooring configurations 

mooring buoys 

features: 

quick-release hook 

shackle 

• Suitable for port, coastal and 

deep sea applications 

• Safe working loads of up to 

300 tonnes 





• Galvanised steel central 

structure 



• Multiple mooring attachments 

• Up to 4.0m diameter 

• Up to 17000Kg gross 

buoyancy 

static ‘T’ 

(not available for AMR 17000) 

D link 

(not available for AMR 17000) 





AMR 17000 

with shackle 

AMR 9000 

with quick-release hook 

construction 

AMR 

17000 

AMR 

9000 

AMR 

7000 

AMR 

5000 


Hull 

physical 


MDPE (4 or 8 float sections) 

Diameter m 4.0 3.0 2.6 2.4 

Height m 5.3 4.1 4.0 4.0 

Weight Kg 

(inc. shackles) 

6000 / 4000 2000 1700 1500 

5101 

2814 

2287 

1278 

4700 

4160 

1514 2272 

Ø3000 

1115 

3403 

Safe Working Load 

Tonnes 

300 / 200 150 / 85 / 70 70 / 50 70 / 50 

Ø4000 

Draft m 2.6 / 2.3 1.8 1.8 1.8 

Max Current Knots 14 11 11 11 

Gross Buoyancy Kg 17000 9000 7000 5000 

AMR 7000 

with static ‘T’ 

AMR 5000 

with D link 

mooring 

Quick-Release Hook √ √ √ √ 

Shackle √ √ √ √ 

Static ‘T’ √ √ √ 

D Link √ √ √ 

application 

Deep Sea √ √ √ √ 

Estuary √ √ √ √ 

Coastal √ √ √ √ 

Ports √ √ √ √ 

Rivers √ √ √ √ 

4127 

1844 2283 

Ø2600 

1085 

3590 

4066 

1689 2377 

Ø2400 

1000 

3189 











t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE AMR_17000_V.2.00_Oct_2012 



Practice 

Pantone 187 C 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 



1.85m-1.24m diameter mooring buoys 

The mid-range AMR series of mooring buoys are 

suitable for the majority of harbour and coastal 

applications. 

The buoy hulls are made up of two or four rotationally moulded, 

medium density polyethylene (MDPE) float sections, combined 

with a galvanised steel central structure. This creates a strong, 

lightweight buoy capable of supporting substantial loads. 

The use of polyethylene for the hulls allows the buoys to absorb 

minor impacts without damage to the buoy or vessel. 

Two float sizes are available for the medium-sized range. The larger 

1.85m diameter floats form the hull of the AMR 2500 and provide 

2500Kg gross buoyancy. The cylindrical or conical 1.24m floats are 

used for the other smaller models. The buoys’ modular design allows 

for commonality of parts, thereby reducing maintenance, inspection, 

replacement and spares holding costs. The buoys are supplied in white 

or yellow as standard. However, other colours are available if required. 

A selection of possible mooring point options are available. All of 

the buoys are available with a D link and static ‘T’ attachments, 

whilst the AMR 2500 is also available with quick-release hook and 

shackle options. 

mooring configurations 

mooring buoys 

features: 

quick-release hook 

(available for AMR 2500 only) 

shackle 

(available for AMR 2500 only) 

• Suitable for marina, port and 

coastal applications 

• Safe working loads of up to 

60 tonnes 





• Galvanised steel central 

structure 



• Multiple mooring attachments 

• Up to 1.85m diameter 

• Up to 2500Kg gross 

buoyancy 

static ‘T’ 

D link 





AMR 2500 

with shackle 

AMR 2000 

with D link 

construction 

AMR 

2500 

AMR 

2000 

AMR 

1500 

AMR 

1000 

AMR 

600 


Hull 

physical 


MDPE (2 or 4 float sections) 

Diameter m 1.85 1.24 1.24 1.24 1.24 

Height m 3.5 2.9 2.9 2.0 2.1 / 1.5 

Weight Kg 

(inc. shackles) 

950 300 280 250 185 

3761 

1915 1846 

624 

3027 

2665 

Safe Working Load 

Tonnes 

60 / 20 12 12 12 12 

Ø1850 

Ø1240 

Draft m 1.9 1.2 1.2 0.9 0.7 / 0.6 

Max Current Knots 11 11 11 8 8 

Gross Buoyancy Kg 2500 2000 1500 900 600 

mooring 

AMR 1500 

with D link 

AMR 1000 

with static ‘T’ 

AMR 600 

with D link 

Quick-release Hook 

√ 

Shackle 

√ 

Static ‘T’ √ √ √ √ √ 

D Link √ √ √ √ √ 

application 

Deep Sea 

Estuary √ √ √ √ √ 

Coastal √ √ 

Ports √ √ √ √ √ 

Rivers √ √ √ √ √ 

2898 

1278 1620 

1110 

2090 

840 1250 

Ø1240 

650 

1750 

2078 

815 

1263 

Ø1240 

305 

1650 











t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE AMR_2500_V.2.00_Oct_2012 



Practice 

Pantone 187 C 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Mobilis zone marking buoys 

& signage 

Hydrosphere offers a range of small buoys and 

floats manufactured by Mobilis that are designed for 

beach and protected area marking. 

Managed zone marking and well-marked shore areas can 

significantly increase user enjoyment and safety - reducing 

potential user conflict and increasing physical protection through 

clear indication of usage, restrictions and hazards. 

Mobilis zone marking buoys are available in cylindrical, conical or 

spherical shape and are constructed from rigid, high density 

polyethylene plastic (HDPE) with optional internal foam. 

800mm and 600mm buoys are available to fit with a range of 

self contained solar powered lights, signs or topmarks. 

Alternatively, Hydrosphere offer tailor-made signs for more 

bespoke applications. 

Please contact us for more information on the full range and 

variations of buoys and signs available. 


features: 

• Highly visible 

• Optional foam-filled 

HDPE construction 

• Extremely durable - 

buoys retain colour within 

IALA guidelines for more 

than 15 years 

• Cylindrical, conical and 

spherical shape options 

• Suitable to fit lights, 

topmarks and signs 

• 800mm - 400mm diameter 

• Intermediate line floats 

• Available in a variety 

of colours 


Special Mark 

Lateral 



Mobilis zone marking 

buoys & signage 


construction 

Body 

Supple PE, HDPE or foamed HDPE 

Signage 

HDPE 

conical-truncated 

(D 800) 

Ø200 

flat bottom, cylindrical 

(FB 800) 

Flat bottom models 

available for both 800mm 

and 600mm buoys. 

spherical 

(D 800) 

Ø200 

physical 

520 

R350 

Cylindrical D 400 D 600 FB 600 D 800 FB 800 

Empty Weight Kg 2.5 7 7 12 12 

Foamed Weight Kg 4 13 13 21.5 21.5 

Gross Kg* 11.8 40.5 19.8 129 89 

Useable Kg (Empty) 9.3 33.5 12.8 117 77 

Useable Kg (Foamed) 7.8 27.5 6.8 107.5 67.5 

Spherical 

Empty Weight Kg 2.5 7 7 12 12 

Foamed Weight Kg 4 13 13 21.5 21.5 

Buoyancy 

1055 

600 455 

800 

965 

275 690 

800 

1145 

600 545 

800 

Gross Kg* 11.8 40.5 19.8 129 89 

Useable Kg (Empty) 9.3 33.5 12.8 117 77 

Useable Kg (Foamed) 7.8 27.5 6.8 107.5 67.5 

Conical - Truncated 

Empty Weight Kg n/a 7 7 15 15 

Foamed Weight Kg n/a 13 13 21.5 21.5 

Gross Kg* n/a 40.5 19.8 132 92 

Useable Kg (Empty) n/a 33.5 12.8 117 77 

Useable Kg (Foamed) n/a 27.5 6.8 110.5 67.5 

Buoyancy 

Buoyancy 

arnite kit 

The mooring eye is 

protected with a pinched 

tube or alternatively, can be 

furnished with an Arnite 

kit for extra protection. 

pinched tube 

2 wear-resistant 

ARNITE rings 

application 

Beach √ √ √ √ √ 

Estuary √ √ √ √ √ 

Coastal √ √ √ √ √ 

River √ √ √ √ √ 

mooring 

Type 

Single point synthetic / Light chain 


Sinker Kg 150 

*Gross Buoyancy is calculated from the designed waterline level. 





water; sea conditions and current; lighting and range 

of light required; shape and topmarks; and focal plane. 








t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE Zon_Mar_V.2.00_Oct_12 



Practice 

Pantone 187 C 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 



chains & moorings 

Hydrosphere supplies complete mooring systems 

from cast-iron sinkers to chains, swivels and 

shackles, all of which are available to purchase 

or to rent. 

High quality long-link chains are available from 60mm-6mm 

diameter. Constructed from highly resistant manganese alloyed 

steel, the chains offer a good compromise between price, 

weight and resistance. The inside width of the chain link allows 

fitting of shackles without the need for special end links. Every 

chain link is individually tested and, where required, certified by 

Lloyds or Bureaux Veritas. Swivel forerunners are available to fit 

all available chain sizes. 

Hydrosphere also offer a selection of anchor shackles – used to 

join the swivel end of the chain cable to the main anchor shackle – 

as well as buoy shackles designed for long-term mooring of 

marker and mooring buoys. The large external conical pin of the 

buoy shackle makes for easy handling and inspection with a 

strong diameter and ‘T’ form. All shackles are specifically 

designed to offer an extremely high resistance to wear and 

corrosion in harsh sea conditions, with a reinforced body and 

axle forged from the same manganese alloy steel material. 


Cast-iron sinker weights are available from 5 tons to 500Kg. 

features: 

• 60mm-6mm nominal 

diameter chains 

• Individually tested chain links 

• Manganese alloyed steel 

chains and swivels 

• Certified by Lloyds and 

Bureau Veritas where required 

• 5 ton – 500Kg sinkers 

• Easy to handle and inspect 





long-link chains 

60mm - 6mm 

FDS special 

marking buoys 

shackle 

40mm - 16mm 

anchor shackle 

100mm - 14mm 

(enables a chain cable 

with a swivel to be 

connected to an anchor) 

swivel forerunners 

Suitable for 

66mm - 16mm chains 

sinkers 

5 tons - 500Kg 

the right mooring solution for the job 

The mooring buoy, chain and sinker / anchor should be considered a complete system; we can offer a mooring and 

buoy design service to ensure the correct buoy and mooring are supplied. 








t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE Cha_Moo_V.2.00_Jan_2013 


Pantone 187 C 


Practice 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


jetty masts & lights 


IMO & IALA COMPLIANT ROBUST & LOW MAINTENANCE 

SELF CONTAINED LED LIGHTS STANDARD & BESPOKE DESIGNS UP TO 10NM RANGE 

MAINS & SOLAR POWER OPTIONAL BATTERY BACKUP 

masts & towers

world-leading jetty mast lighting systems 

Hydrosphere is the UK’s leading supplier of aids to navigation, providing high quality, reliable and costeffective 

solutions to the marine industry. We supply a range of jetty mast systems for lighting the extremities 

of a jetty as well as marking entrances to harbours, marinas and other navigation channels. All products 

conform to IMO regulations and IALA recommendations. 

galvanised steel jetty masts 

We supply a range of standard and custom-built jetty masts for mounting self contained or standalone navigation lights. The mast 

can include a built-in weatherproof enclosure to house a mains power supply with battery backup. Constructed from galvanised steel, 

these counterbalanced folding masts are simple to transport, easy to install and can be safely operated by one person. A precise 

design allows the base to be sited for convenient door access and an upper pole section rotates to ensure correct light orientation. 

• Accepts a wide range 

of lights 

• Solar and mains 

power options 

• Up to 10NM range 

• Battery backup available 


• One person operation 

• Onsite orientation 

• Easily transported 

• Galvanised steel 

construction 

• Optional integral power 

supply cabinet 

solar power operation 

mains power operation

self contained and standalone LED lights 

We offer a variety of IALA complaint LED lights for solar and mains power operation, which provide between 2NM and 10NM range. 

All lights exhibit all standard IALA flash characters and fulfil IMO regulations. 

Carmanah M650 - self contained LED light 

A robust and maintenance-free self contained solar light with an expected working 

life of five to eight years. For ranges of 1.5NM fixed and 2NM flashing character. 

Vega VLB-2 - self contained LED light 

A high capacity, maintenance-free, self contained solar light designed to provide 

2NM range (fixed and flashing) particularly in high latitude applications. 

masts & towers 

Vega VLB-67 - self contained or standalone light 

For ranges of up to 4NM the Vega VLB-67 is available as a self contained unit 

(comprising power supply / solar panels and battery) or as a standalone light with 

an ac/dc power supply unit (with optional battery). 

Vega VLB-44 - standalone LED light 

For ranges of up to 10NM the VLB-44 is available with one to eight tiers and can be 

sized to the range for your particular application. Available with dc power supply only. 

The selection of jetty lighting systems illustrated in 

this product summary is an example of the standard 

models available. Optional design with or without a 

base enclosure allows the power supplies and backup 

batteries to be securely protected from the elements 

and tampering. Lights can also be tailored to meet 

user requirements regarding mains or solar power 

supplies, flasher and synchronisation modules, GPS 

receivers, mounting brackets and programmers. 

Please contact us for more information. 


Commercial 

Member 

005 


Practice


jetty masts 

Structure Height m Weight Kg 

Weight Kg 

(with enclosure) 

Galvanised Steel 4.0 82 100 


Light 

Max Range NM 

Fixed 

Max Range NM 

Flashing 

Solar 

Powered 

Input Power 

12v dc 

Input Power 

110-240v ac 

Battery 

Backup 

Optional 


All-round 

Leading/ 

Range 

M650 1.5 2 ✓ - - Integral ✓ ✓ - 

VLB-2 2 2 ✓ - - Integral ✓ ✓ - 

VLB-67 SA (Standalone) 4 4 - ✓ ✓ Optional ✓ ✓ ✓ 

VLB-67 SS (Standard Solar) 2.5 3 ✓ ✓ ✓ Integral ✓ ✓ ✓ 

VLB-67 LS (Large Solar) 3 4 ✓ ✓ ✓ Integral ✓ ✓ ✓ 

VLB-44 6 6 - - - Optional ✓ ✓ ✓ 

VLB-44 Multi-tier 10 10 - - - Optional ✓ ✓ ✓ 

the right jetty lighting system for the job 

In order to conform to IMO and local regulations, a lighted mast should comprise of two fixed (steady) lights, vertically 

separated by 2m. The lower-level light should sit at least 2m above the mean high water spring level (MHWS). Local 

regulations regarding the range and visibility of the light may apply, generally requiring a 360° visibility with a 1.5NM 

or 2NM range. In situations where a jetty mast marks the entrance to a harbour, marina or other navigation channel, 

a single flashing light is occasionally used. Please contact us and we will be happy to guide you on the right product 

for your specification. 








moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 




E&OE Mas_Lig_V.2.00_Nov_12


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 



jetty masts 

Hydrosphere supply a range of jetty mast systems 

to support navigation lights for marking the 

extremities of a jetty as well as entrances to 

harbours, marinas and other navigation channels. 

Standard and custom-built jetty masts are available for mounting 

self contained or standalone navigation lights that provide 

between 2NM-10NM range. Lights are available with mains or 

solar power operation and masts can include a built-in 

weatherproof enclosure to house a mains power supply with 

battery backup. 

Constructed from galvanised steel, these counterbalanced 

folding masts are simple to transport, easy to install and can be 

safely operated by one person. A precise design allows the base 

to be sited for convenient door access and an upper pole 

section rotates to ensure correct light orientation. 

All jetty masts and lights conform to IMO regulations and IALA 

recommendations. 

solar power 

mains power 

with enclosure 

masts & towers 

Please contact us for more details. 

features: 

• Will accept a wide range 

of lights with options up to 

10NM 

• Solar and mains powered 

options with battery backup 

available 


• One person operation 

• Onsite orientation 

• Easily transported 

• Galvanised steel construction 

• Optional integral cabinet for 

power supplies 




jetty masts 


construction 

Structure 


Height m 4.0 

Weight Kg 82 

Weight with enclosure Kg 100 

light accepted 

Carmanah M650 

Vega VLB-2 

Vega VLB-67 

Vega VLB-44 

√ 

√ 

√ 

√ 

Navigation Light 

Flange and web 

Glands for forw wiring if if required 

76ø shaft 

Ring around shaft 

to act to act as stop ass top 

against cap against cap 

Holes for fixing 

navigation light 

to suit both types 

4246.5 

3950.0 

AA 

Section A-A 

Cap on top of box section 

to close end 

le 

8off socket set screws 

M20 pivot bolt 

1950.0 

90 

90x90 

x 90 

bottoms 

bottom section 

ection 

1200.0 

Folded channels section 

with with return flange 

For 

for tabernacle 

Tabernacle 

260 

80x808 ang 

feet/flange 

M16 fixing bolt 

B 

B 

260 

the right jetty mast for the job 

In order to conform to IMO and local regulations, a lighted mast should comprise of two fixed (steady) lights, vertically 

separated by 2m. The lower-level light should sit at least 2m above the mean high water spring level (MHWS). Local 

regulations regarding the range and visibility of the light may apply, generally requiring a 360° visibility with a 1.5NM or 

2NM range. In situations where a jetty mast marks the entrance to a harbour, marina or other navigation channel, a 

single flashing light is occasionally used. 








t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE Jet_Mas_V.2.00_Nov_2012 


Pantone 187 C 


Practice 

Pantone 166 C


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


KanAtoN 

AIS Transponder 

Types 1 & 3 

KanAtoN AIS Transponders Type 1 and Type 3 are 

Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) for aids to 

navigation including data buoys, renewable wind 

and wave energy sites, and oil and gas platforms. 

Broadcasting information regarding an AtoNs identity, position, 

battery condition and navigation status, AIS allow mariners to 

obtain vital information to avoid collisions, such as warning them in 

real-time of weather conditions and if a buoy moves off position. 

They also provide shore station authorities with complete, accurate 

information about the AtoN and its environment. 

The transponders can support one real and up to four synthetic 

or virtual transmissions. Type 1 and Type 3 can transmit 3 VDL 

message types: identification including MMSI, type, name, position, 

longitude, latitude, dimension, ‘off’ position indicator, status, and 

signalling light on/off indicators; meteorological and hydrological 

messages; and remote tele-monitoring including status of battery 

charge, lights, solar panels etc. Type 3 can also relay safety 

messages from a Search and Rescue Transponder (SART). 

KanAtoN transponders include VHF and GPS antennas, 

connection cables and connectors. All electronic components are 

integrated in a watertight casing, except for the VHF antenna, 

which is external. 

AIS & monitoring 

features: 


– compatible with solarpowered 

installations 

• Compact, lightweight unit with 

watertight casing 

• Easy to configure from a PC, 

serial or USB port 

• Robust VHF power amplifier 

• Input protection against 

overvoltage 

• Fully autonomous – can be 

placed in any location 

(Type 3 only) 

• Supports VDL configuration 

and monitoring 

• Modem for satellite 

transmission (optional) 

• Integrated satellite link enables 

transmission of data over long 

distances 

• Fully compliant with IALA A-126 



KanAtoN AIS 

Transponder 


physical 

Dimensions mm 

165 Ø x 135 h 

Weight Kg 1.1 

Construction 

ASA plastic, white 

Case sealing 

IP67 

operation 

Temperature °C -20 to -60 

Protection against reversal of polarity 

Yes 

Voltage 10 to 36 

Current 


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


HEKLEO - SX 

frequency agile Racon 

The HEKLEO-SX frequency agile Racon is designed 

to measure the frequency of every incoming radar 

pulse and transmit a Morse code response back to 

the radar on that frequency. 

Operating on both the S and X bands. The HEKLEO-SX Racon 

provides an invaluable aid in all weather conditions. It is compliant 

with IMO regulations and IALA Recommendation R-101. 

The Racon answers all active radars in the vicinity employing a Side 

Lobe Suppression system to better discriminate which pulses to 

respond to. The length of the Morse code response matches the 

display range setting by programming the duration of the response 

according to the incoming pulse length. 

The HEKLEO-SX has a low power consumption whilst active as 

well as during its user programmable idle time. This saves energy 

and gives time for the navigator to check for the presence of 

echoes unintentionally hidden by the Racon response. Additionally, 

if no radar is detected in the vicinity, the Racon enters into a 

quiescent period where only the monitoring circuits are active. 


The unit is easy to install and program. No special tools or training 

is required and a standard laptop can be connected to the user 

port to check and program the Racon. 

features: 


• IMO and IALA compliant 

• Easy to install and to program 

• Virtually maintenance free 

• S and X band operation 

• Built-in system test with 

automatic calibration 


• Highly suitable for seasonal 

or short-term use 



HEKLEO - SX 

frequency agile Racon 


physical 

Diameter mm 280 

Height mm 740 

Weight Kg 9 

Case sealing 

IP67 

operation 

Frequency MHz X band (9300-9500) 

S band (2900-3100) 

Reception 

S and X bands 

Detected pulse widths ns 50 to 2000 

Receiver sensitivity 

- 40 dBm, X band (adjustable) 

- 35 dBm, S band (adjustable) 

Response delay ns 670 and < 700 

typical S and X bands 

Emission 

S and X bands 

Emitted power 

X Band 1 W typical 

S Band 1 W typical 

Response duration 

Selected by user according 

to interrogation pulse width 

(6 to 60 μ sec) 

Temperature ° C -20 to 60 

Protection against reversal 

Yes 

of polarity 

communications 

User Port 

Logical outputs 

Logical input 

antennas 

Polarisation 

Horizontal and vertical in S band 

/ Vertical in X band 

Horizontal diagram (pan) ±2 dB in X+S bands over 360° 

±3 dB in X+S bands over ±15° 

accessories 

Programming cable 

Power supply cable 

RS 232 serial link for programming 

and testing 

3 dry contacts: X band fault, S band 

fault, power supply fault 

Inhibition for local radars 

power 

Voltage 10 to 36 

Current Quiescent :


moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 


Echomax radar reflectors 

& radar target enhancers 

Hydrosphere supply radar reflectors and radar 

target enhancers for use on a range of fixed and 

floating structures including navigation buoys, data 

buoy platforms, renewable energy sites and oil and 

gas structures. 

The Echomax 305 FPMS is a high response radar reflector chosen 

by Trinity House, the Northern Lighthouse Board, Navies and 

major ports and harbours around the world. It can be easily fitted 

with a self-contained solar light such as the Carmanah M650 or 

the Vega VLB-2. Alternatively, standalone LED lights such as the 

Vega VLB-36 can be mounted with side tubing to accommodate 

a wire to a battery in the base of the buoy. 

The ECHOMAX Midi Basemount radar reflector is the smallest 

in the polyethylene Midi product range. It is suitable for fitting onto 

a range of navigation buoys or fixed offshore structures. 

The Echomax Active-XS Radar Target Enhancer receives a 

signal from a transmitting radar, amplifies it and returns a stronger 

signal to both X and S Band Radar, helping to alert oncoming vessels 

of a buoy’s/structure’s position. 


The Echomax Active-X Radar Target Enhancer amplifies and 

returns a stronger signal on the X Band Radar. 

Image © Tim German 

radar reflectors: 

• 305 FPMS equates to a Radar 

Cross Sectional (RCS) area of 

up to 62m 2 ,with an average of 

10m 2 +/- 3° 

• High quality UV resistant virgin 

polyethylene 

radar target enhancers: 

• Exceeds ISO 8729-2 standard 

• Control box waterproof to IP65 

• Quadruple alarm facility as 

standard (Active XS) 


• 305 FPMS tested by QinetiQ 

to ISO 8729-1999, and meets 

RORC, ORC, ISAF 2012/13 and 

WCC requirements of 10m 2 



Echomax radar reflectors 

& radar target enhancers 


physical 230 Midi Basemount 305 FPMS 

Construction HDPE High quality UV resistant virgin polyethylene 

Height mm 432 685 

Width mm 245 n/a 

Base diameter mm 140 333 

Fixing centres 4x10mm bolts at 80mm PCD 4x12mm female fixings at 200mm PCD 

Top fittings to suit 

Weight Kg 2.3 7 

Colour White, orange, yellow, red, green, khaki or black White, yellow, red, green or black 

physical Active X-Band Radar Target Enhancer Active-XS Dual Band Radar Target Enhancer 

Antenna length mm 478 685 

Antenna width mm 40.5 40.5 

Antenna weight exc. cable g 327 573 

Cable length m 24 24 

Cable weight g 969 967 

Control box dimensions mm 51h x 92w x 38d 51h x 92w x 38d 

specification 

Reception frequency GHz X Band Radar 9.3 - 9.5 X Band Radar 9.3 - 9.5 

S Band Radar 2.9 - 3.1 

Operating temperature °C -20 to + 60 -20 to + 60 

Voltage v dc 12-+30%-10% 12v-+30%-10% 

Response current mA


VSU-29 

GPS SYNC UNIT 

STANDALONE GPS MODULE 

VSU-29 includes 

1.5m cable and 

mounting bracket. 

The VSU-29 GPS Sync Unit uses the GPS 

time signal to synchronise the operation of 

navigation lights. Two sync wires are provided, 

one positive transition, and the other negative 

transition. This allows the VSU-29 to be used 

with most brands of navigation lights. Vega 

lights synchronise with a negative transition 

sync pulse. 

The VSU-29 can be operated in two modes, 

character is the normal mode where the VSU- 

29 is controlling a light or multiple lights with 

the lights being synchronised occurs within the 

The sync pulse can be delayed by 0.1 to 

9.9 seconds if required to create various 

synchronisation effects. All Vega LED lights 

can be used with the VSU-29. Note however 

that internal GPS sync options are available for 

the VLB-36 and VLB-67 beacons, and VLS-46 

Sector Light. 

The VSU-29 comes in two forms, a pole mount 

the Vega VLB-44 Beacons. 

Timing accuracy is maintained using a 

GPS time signal. No positioning information is 

generated from the GPS unit. 


The VSU-29 GPS Sync Unit is programmed 

using the Vega infrared programmer. 

Program functions include: 

• Time interval between synchronising 

with the GPS time clock 

• Selection of operation mode of fixed 

period or flash character 

• Flash character in flash character mode 

• Sync pulse width 

• Sync pulse delay (The delay can 

either be done in the sync unit or the 

navigation light if the specific beacon 

supports a sync delay) 

• Option to use GPS time or UTC time 

(GPS time is default) 

OUTPUTS 

Positive and negative transition pulse 

outputs are available from the VSU-29. 

Multiple lanterns can be connected to 

a single VSU-29 unit. Cabling distance 

between VSU-29 and any beacon is 

recommended be under 5 metres. 

The VSU29 Pole model is shipped with 

a 1.5 metre cable as standard. 

The VSU-29 mounting option 

for a Vega VLB-44 Beacon 

includes the mounting ring.

APPLICATION 

CONSIDERATION 

• The VSU-29 needs to be mounted where 

the unit can acquire the satellite signal 

• Mount within 5 metres of any beacon 

• Do not obstruct visibility of the beacon 

with any wiring 

• Use GPS time sync where possible in order 

to avoid longer satellite acquisition times 


• GPS or UTC time standard 

• GPS time acquisition period 5 mins to 16 

hours (20 mins recommended). 

At power up the initial time for acquisition 

may take up to 30 minutes. Thereafter the 

time lock will typically be achieved in less 

than 2 minutes. 

• Option of fixed period or fixed character 

synchronisation. 

• 246 IALA flash characters (fixed character 

mode only). 

• Up to 20 factory set custom characters 

(fixed character mode only). 

• Fixed period pulsing from 1 to 600 sec 

in 1 sec increments. 

• Pulse width 1 to 500 msec. Default is 10 msec. 

• Sync delay 0 to 9.9 seconds in 0.1 second 

increments. 

Compatible Vega Products 

• VLB-2 Beacon 


• VLB-36 Beacon * 

• VLL-43 Lead Light 

Electrical 


• Input voltage 12 Volts (10-20VDC) 

• VLS-46 LED Sector Light* 

• Reverse polarity protection 

• VLB-67 Beacon * 

• 2 open collector transistor sync outputs 10 

• VSL-73 All Around LED Sector Light to 18VDC @ 20mA. One positive and one 

• VRL-91 LED Range Light 

negative transition. 

• VLB-92 Long Range Beacon 

• GPS acquisition current 17mA. 

• VRL-74 Mini-array and Mini-solo * • Other operation current 5mA. 

• VRL-74 Mini-tile 

• Power consumption is typically 0.108 Ah/day 

* These products can have a factory option at default acquisition setting of 20 minutes. 

of an integral GPS sync unit. 

Mechanical 

Programming 

• Material PVC and acrylic. 

• Vega IR programmer 

• Immersion rating IP68. 

• A Led inside the VSU29 provides positive • Temperature -30° to +60°C. 

feedback of programming. 

• Weight 355g. 

The LED is also used in test mode to 

show when the sync pulse is occurring. 

DIMENSIONS 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 




Fife Renewables 16 Cromarty Innovation Campus, Centre 

Rosyth Ajax Way, Europark, Methil 

Fife, KY11 KY8 3RS 2WX 

Tel: 01383 01333 419096 422000 


Fax: 01420 520373 

jeff.gibson@hydrosphere.co.uk 

VSU_29_V.2.00_Feb_13


VEGAWEB 

MONITORING SYSTEM 

MINI VEGAWEB & LARGE VEGAWEB 

Mini VegaWeb 

Current Transducer 

Large VegaWeb

VEGAWEB MONITORING SYSTEM 

VegaWeb is plug and play 

VegaWeb is designed to provide 

a monitoring solution for Aids to 

Navigation equipment. This is achieved 

by avoiding customer based equipment 

and the need for a high level of expertise 

to be able to operate the monitoring 

system. System access is achieved 

using an Internet Browser similar to 

how Internet banking is provided. 

Communication uses direct Internet 

communication over a cellular network 

and where cellular coverage is not 

available there is an option using the 

Orbcom Satellite network. 

No system setup costs 

By avoiding the need for purchasing 

computers to host the system and 

communication networks, VegaWeb 

monitoring is economical even if only 

one beacon or light is being monitored. 

Automated alarming 

VegaWeb does not require full time 

access to determine if a problem has 

occurred. Automatic alarming will 

deliver messages by SMS or email to 

designated recipients. 

Access from anywhere 

VegaWeb can be accessed using a 

computer or mobile WAP phone from 

anywhere provided that there is internet 

access. This allows access from the 

offi ce, from home or even on a 

business trip. 

Generic monitoring system 

VegaWeb is designed to work with 

Vega equipment and Aids to Navigation 

lights from other manufacturers. 

Two forms of outstation 

VegaWeb has two forms of outstation, 

the standard or large unit is designed 

primarily for monitoring devices that need 

a higher amount of interface such as 

lighthouses and sector lights. The mini or 

small unit is a cut down version intended 

for use with beacons that do not need the 

interface or capability of the larger unit. 

The basic things monitored on both 

units are: 

• Beacon on 

• Voltage and current 

• Flash character 

• Daytime/night time 

• Temperature 

• Communication (monitored by 

web server) 

Both units can provide on demand control 

over the cellular network from either the 

Internet browser or mobile phone. The on 

period is programmable. With on demand 

control the outstation will acknowledge 

the command by sending messages back 

to the phone. 

Optional extras 

• GPS for position information and 

providing a synchronising pulse. 

This allows geofencing alarms for 

buoy applications. 

• Accelerometer for impact detection 

• Current transducer (2 inputs per unit) 

allows for additional current monitoring 

where there is more than one current 

source to the beacon such as solar 

and battery. The multiple current 

measurements allow for energy 

balance monitoring. 

Added capability of the large unit 

• More inputs to monitor more items 

such as: 

› Lampchanger position (lighthouse 

& sector light) 

› Beacon rotation speed (lighthouse) 

› Oscillating boundary operation 

(sector light) 

› Night filter position (sector light) 

› Security such as access sensors 

• More outputs including high current 

outputs and logic capability for: 

› Standby light control 

› Standby power control 

› On/Off control 

Details of the Outstation input/ 

output capability are detailed in the 

specification section. 

Communication costs 

The mini will operate on the GSM/GPRS 

and CDMA cellular networks. The 

large unit will also operate through the 

Orbcom satellite system. 

Communication modems are included 

in the pricing of the unit but price varies 

depending on the modem type. The 

Mini unit comes with an internal cellular 

antenna. Cost of the large unit excludes 

an antenna. 

To provide control on communication 

costs, the frequency of communication 

is programmed by the user. Data 

is stored in the outstation until 

transferred to the web server. Both 

the communication and data logging 

frequency is user programmable.

Use of the VegaWeb monitoring 

system inccurs an annual cost per 

unit. This charge only applies to 

customers for the first 20 units. 

Any additional units above 20 units 

do not incur a system usage cost. 

The cellular network account and 

associated costs are the responsibility 

of the user. Similarily, where satellite 

connection is used, the customer is 

responsible for the costs. 

Alarm Operation 

Alarms have 3 levels of notification 

including maintenance warning & 

critical. Maintenance and High/ 

Low alarms are processed by the 

webserver each time a scheduled 

communication occurs. Critical alarms 

will cause the outstation to make an 

immediate call to the webserver. The 

webserver will notify the alarms by text 

message to cellular phones and by 

email to recipients set up by the user. 

Alternative monitoring method 

using Mini unit 

The Mini unit can operate by text 

messaging to a cellular phone. This 

eliminates the need for internet 

communication and the associated 

cost for data transfer and usage costs 

for the web server. 

Web Browser interface 

Access is obtained using login and 

password control. The user controls 

the allocation and issue of passwords. 

Once logged in, the user will see only 

their own data and no data from other 

Vega Web customers. 

Each customer has their own 

confi guration area and is able to set 

up and confi gure the system as if a 

software application was resident on 

their own computers. 

The home page provides a status 

summary of any un-cleared alarms 

and any outstations that have failed 

to communicate. Site and equipment 

details are maintained within the site. 

All data is shown in graphical 

form using a defined date range. 

Data is also available in tabular 

numeric format. 

Alarm handling, including type, 

conditional alarms, levels and 

actions are programmable within 

the web server. 

VEGAWEB NETWORK DIAGRAM 

CDMA 

GPRS 

Satellite 

(Only for Large) 

INTERNET 

VEGAWEB USER INTERFACE 

Cellphone 

Computer 

WAP


Large outstation – Electrical 

Power Requiremment: Supply voltage 12VDC or 

24VDC, Max voltage 39VDC, Charge current 

250mA average (600mA peak) at 12VDC for 

9 minutes, Normal current 17mA at 12VDC 

(not transmitting & no GPS) Current when 

transmitting 100mA. Additional current with 

GPS 20mA (on for 4 minutes every 

Backup power: Super capacitor 100F 

@ 2.5VDC, Maintains power for 15 minutes 

Digital inputs: 4 differential inputs, maximum 

voltage ±40VDC, low threshold 0.9VDC, 

high threshold 2.1VDC, 

Rotation speed input: ±5 to 30VDC 

Lamp change input: ±5 to 30VDC 

Digital outputs: 4 open drain outputs, 60mA 

max sink current, max voltage ±30VDC(optional) 

Synch pulse output: 2 outputs, positive and 

negative pulse 

Optional Power outputs: 2 solid state 10A 

outputs, 100A inrush for 100ms 

Analogue inputs: 2 inputs 0 to 5VDC accuracy 

±15mV, 1 input 0 to 25VDC accuracy ±60mV 

Current measurement: Maximum ±10A 

continuous, inrush 100A for 100mSec, range 

selectable 1 or 10A 

Voltage measurement: 2 inputs, primary & 

secondary, max voltage 39VDC 

Light sensor: VT300 LDR, 160kohms 

@10LUX nominal 

Data: RS232 port for external device (AIS unit), 

selectable RS485 or RS232 port (A2N interface) 

Internal sensors: Temperature, GPS position 

and time (optional), Accelerometer (optional) 

Communications: Internal GPRS, CDMA or 

Satellite modem. Wavecom GPRS Q24Plus, 

Wavecom CDMA Q2438. Stellar Satellite DS100 


cations 

Temperature: -20 to +60 degrees celcius 

Enclosure: High impact PVC, sealed to IP56 

Electrical connection: 4-PIN CPC with 1 meter 

cable provided 

Aerial connection: SMA 

Mini unit – Electrical 

Power Requiremment: Supply voltage 12VDC 

or 24VDC, Max voltage 39VDC, Charge 

current 250mA average at 12VDC for 9 

minutes, Normal current 15mA at 12VDC 

(not transmitting). Current when transmitting 

100mA session approx 2 mins. Additional 

current with optional GPS 20mA (on for 4 

Backup power: Super capacitor 100F @ 

2.5VDC, (allows for alarm notifcation for 

10mins from loss of power) 

Digital inputs: 2 digital or analogue 0-30VDC, 

maximum voltage 50VDC, low threshold 

Digital outputs: 1 open drain output, 

60mA max sink current, max voltage ±30VDC 

Synch pulse output: 1 output, positive and 

negative pulse, 10mA max sink current 

@ 12VDC supply, 30VDC max voltage (when 

Power outputs: Nil 

Analogue inputs: See digital inputs above 

Current measurement: Two current inputs: 

±10A & 0-10A. Maximum 5-36VDC high side 

measurement only, max 100A for 100ms 

Voltage measurement: 0-30VDC, max +50VDC 

Internal sensors: Light sensor, silicon light 

sensor (human eye response), temperature, 

accelerometer (optional) GPS position plus 

sync (optional) 

Data: RS232 port for AIS (on request) 

Communications: Internal cellular modem, 

Wavecom GPRS Q24Plus or CDMA Q2438, 

internal antenna 

cations 

Temperature: -20 to +60 degrees celsius 

Enclosure: High impact acrylic/PVC, 

sealed to IP67 

Electrical connection: 4 core & 12 core cable 

Auxiliary current transducer 

Used with large unit only. Current input 1 +/- 

25A, output voltage 0-5VDC; Current input 2 

+/-25A, output voltage 0-5VDC; Zero current 

value of analogue output 2.5VDC, power 

requirement 2.2mA at 12VDC. 

Large outstation 

Mini unit 

Server access 

Current transducer 

Wiring harness for PEL & Rotating beacon 

Whip antenna for large unit 

VWEB-GPRS* 

VWEBM-GPRS* 

VWEB-SERV 

VWEB-CURR 

VWEB-WIREXX** 

VWEB-ANT 

*Replace with either CDMA or SAT for alternative modems 

**Replace XX with 03, 06 (PEL lights) or 25 (rotating beacon) 

For GPS option add GS to end of code. For accelerometer add AC to end of code. 

Head Office 




Tel: 01420 520374 

Fax: 01420 520373 






Fife KY8 3RS 

Tel: 01333 422000 



moorings 



mooring buoys 

installation 



solar power supplies 

Hydrosphere provides a selection of self contained 

solar power supplies for use on buoys and onshore 

applications where an external power supply is 

required for lighting or other electrical equipment. 

Five standard self contained models are available: the PS 314, 

PS 20, PS 55, PS 95 and the SP 50. 

The PS 314 is a light, compact system containing 3 x 14W solar 

panels fitted to a rotationally moulded medium density polyethylene 

(MDPE) base. It is particularly suited for use on data buoy platforms 

as well as navigation buoys using 5NM range lights such as the 

Vega VLB-36. 

The PS 20, PS 55 and PS 95 are a series of self contained solar 

power supplies offering a convenient, maintenance-free alternative 

to conventional solar installations. Each power supply is fitted with 

a single solar panel of either 20W, 55W or 95W mounted to a marine 

grade aluminim enclosure. They are suitable for onshore applications 

with navigation lights providing visible ranges of up to 8NM with low 

duty cycles, such as the Vega VLB-44. 

The SP 50 is a complete solar power unit suitable for fixed locations. 

It has a 50W solar panel mounted on the front face with a regulator 

mounted inside the housing itself. The unit is designed to fit a navigation 

light but can equally be used for other systems or instrumentation 

such as tide gauges, security cameras and meteorological stations. 

Its unique design allows it to be opened in both directions making 

access a lot easier when mounted in a confined space, such as on 

a dolphin. The hinge assemblies can be fitted with padlocks for 

added security. 

Hydrosphere also build custom solar power supplies for a full range of 

bespoke applications. Please contact us for more details. 

features: 

SP 50 PS 55 

PS 314 

• Easily replaceable batteries for extended life 

custom built 

solar systems 

• Simple to install 

• Suitable for buoys and fixed AtoN 

• Compact, lightweight construction 

• Onshore and offshore options 

• Controlled enclosure ensures reliable operation 

• Suitable for powering electrical equipment including 

LED lights, AIS, and data buoy electronics 

power supplies 




solar power supplies 


PS 314 PS 20* PS 55* PS 85* SP 50 

Application Buoy Fixed AtoN Fixed AtoN Fixed AtoN Fixed AtoN 

construction 

Central Structure MDPE Marine Grade Aluminium Marine Grade Aluminium Marine Grade Aluminium MDPE 

physical 

Height mm 480 575 1042 1241 845 

Width mm 710 Ø 394 510 606 700 

Overall Depth mm 710 Ø 530 730 752 580 

Weight Kg (without battery or light) 17 40 65 75 20 

Mounting 3 holes 4 holes 4 holes 4 holes 4 holes 

electrical 

Solar Panels W 3 x 14 20 55 95 50 

Regulator Steca PRS Steca PRS 1010 Steca PRS 1010 Steca PRS 1010 Steca PRS 1010 

Battery Ah 2 x 100 1 x 60 2 x 60 2 x 60 3 x 100 

*Measurements are given for vertical configurations of these solar panels. Please contact us for horizontal configuration measurements. 

390 

SP 50 PS 20 

PS 314 

413 

173,2 

547 

925 

625 

3 x 16 

480 

500 

700 

397 

710 

the right power supply for the job 

All standard solar power supplies included in this datasheet can be customised for bespoke applications. 

Please contact us and we will be happy to guide you on the right specification for your requirements. 








t: +44 (0)1420 520374 




Commercial 

Member 

005 

E&OE Sol_Pow_V.2.00_Dec_2012 


Pantone 187 C 


Practice 

Pantone 166 C

Hydrosphere UK Ltd Complete Products & Services Catalogue

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