Marine Lanterns

A marine lantern is the signal light on a buoy, beacon, platform, bridge or channel marker, flashing a coded character so the aid can be identified at night. PE Energy supplies the Tideland Signal LED range for offshore and inland waterway use, from compact self-contained solar beacons through to Zone 1 hazardous-area lanterns and high intensity range lights.

Related aids to navigation categories: navigation buoys, flashers, marine foghorns, racons, visibility sensors, unitized solutions, and the full aids to navigation range.

Which marine lantern do I need?

Three questions settle it: the range the aid has to achieve, whether power is available at the structure or the lantern must carry its own, and whether the location is a classified hazardous area. The table below places every stocked Tideland Signal lantern against those three.

Why do two lanterns with the same nautical mile rating perform differently?

Because a published range is only meaningful alongside the atmospheric transmissivity it was calculated at. The same lantern quotes a very different figure at clear-air transmissivity than it does in typical coastal haze, so comparing a bare “10 NM” against a bare “15 NM” from another source tells you almost nothing.

Tideland publishes both figures for the same unit, which makes the effect easy to see: the MLED-150Ex produces an omnidirectional beam above 10 NM at T=0.74 and 16 NM at T=0.85. That is a 6 NM swing on one product from the atmospheric assumption alone. When comparing quotes, insist on the T value, and check that the range you are being sold matches the transmissivity your waters actually run at.

What does vertical divergence change on a marine lantern?

Vertical divergence is how far above and below the horizontal the beam spreads. A narrow beam concentrates the same power into a longer range; a wide beam keeps the light visible when the aid is rolling or when the observer is high above it.

The Nova-65 family makes this a stocked choice rather than a compromise. The Nova-65 is offered at 5, 10, 20 and 30 degrees: the 10 degree lens suits fixed or floating aids, the 20 and 30 degree lenses are specified for buoys, and the 5 degree lens is used where range matters more than roll tolerance. The Nova-65 HI takes that logic to 3 degrees and reaches up to 10 NM at T=0.74 on minimal power. In the external powered range the same reasoning appears as the MLED-140, chosen specifically for a wide beam that compensates for buoy roll and for high bridges where the angle of observation varies sharply with distance.

Do I need a self-contained solar lantern or an externally powered one?

If cable can reach the structure, an externally powered lantern gives the highest ranges and the simplest maintenance. If it cannot, a self-contained lantern carries its own solar module and battery, and the specification shifts from range alone to whether the site gets enough sun through the worst month of the year.

That is why battery sizing is an option rather than a fixed value: the SolaMAX-65 is offered with battery capacities from 12 Ah to 50 Ah for demanding locations, and its optics and solar panels are described as suited to northern and southern latitudes and low solar radiation. The Nova-65 SC is rated for a projected 10 year service life before significant maintenance, which is the number that actually governs cost on a remote aid, since each visit costs a vessel and a crew regardless of what the part costs.

Can an existing incandescent lantern be converted to LED?

In the range lantern line, yes, and it is sold as a conversion rather than a replacement. Tideland’s RL-355 range lantern can be upgraded in place with the MasterRange II LED panel instead of buying a complete new lantern.

The conversion kit supplied with the RLED-355 includes the control electronics, LEDs, LED drivers, LED lenses, flashers, daylight control circuitry and mounting hardware. Two things disappear with the lamp: the traditional lamp changer and the mirrors, and the assembly does not require focusing. MasterRange is available with 2 to 15 LEDs, giving a wide span of effective intensities with ranges up to 24 NM, so one retrofit platform covers several range requirements.

Need help specifying a marine lantern?

Tell us the required range and the transmissivity it must be met at, whether power is available at the structure, the IALA colour and flash character, and whether the location is classified, and our team will confirm the lantern, divergence and battery option along with pricing and lead time. Request a quote and we will respond promptly.