One of the things that we find annoying is when the replacement part from one company has a different mounting pattern and perhaps a different electrical connection than the original. It happens from time to time, but we find it particularly irritating when the replacement part has to go somewhere relatively inaccessible — such as the top of the mast.

The particular item that is bugging us right now is Profligate’s Luna Sea brand LED tricolor/anchor light/strobe light. When we installed the original Luna Sea masthead light, we were thrilled. The light was super bright, it hardly drew any juice, and it had a sharp point on the top so if any birds sat on it they’d get a sharp poke in the ass.

We’re not even that annoyed that the anchor light part of it didn’t last the 30,000 or so hours it was supposed to. Profligate has been around a lot of lightning, so we’re going to blame the failure on that. But what really grates on us is that Luna Sea’s new version of the light has a different pattern for mounting on the top of the mast, plus a different electrical connection. We’re sure there must be a good reason for the two changes, but we can’t figure out what it might be. And just so there is no misunderstanding, we’ve used a number of Luna Sea products and really liked them.

Have you come across a replacement product that’s caused you grief?

While we’re on the subject of LED lights, a couple of years ago we highly recommended the 12-volt LED strip lights you can buy from China via Amazon. A 15-foot strip costs about $10, and a dimmer switch is about $5. These lights are also supposed to be good for about 30,000 hours, but we’ve noticed something funny recently — over time they’ve become much dimmer. And the problem is not that they aren’t getting plenty of 12-volt power, because they are. What’s that about?

Latitude 38 runs Calendar listings every month for events at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, an historical treasure on Hyde Street Pier at the west end of Fisherman’s Wharf. The pier and the museum building are free to enter, but the park charges a fee to board such classic craft as the C.A. Thayer and Balclutha. One ticket covers admission to all the vessels and is good for seven days. The current $5 adult admission fee has been in place since 2000, and the Park is proposing an increase to $10. The annual pass would also double, going from $20 to $40 in 2015.

According to a recent Park press release, "Additional revenue would help improve access to park resources (including the fleet of historic vessels), develop new education programs, and upgrade informational exhibits/displays."

Nothing happens these days without a study, so rather than simply raise the price, the Park is inviting public opinion at an open house tomorrow night, Tuesday, October 28, 4:00-7:00 p.m., in the General’s Residence, Fort Mason, San Francisco (enter at the intersection of Bay and Franklin Streets). Comments can also be submitted online at parkplanning.nps.gov/proposedfee.