how to Nav lights - LED

[danny_galaga]

I agree with everything KG says..better off with 2 landing lights in the wings on wigwag

That is what I will be doing for the Rans S-21

 

After reading this thread I've decided that I'll do wig wag for my led wingtip lights in my ultralight. Since they are going to be most visible in wig wag mode, is there any reason to have any other mode? If not I'll just wire them off/wig wag.

[Marty_d]

Most controllers seem to come with 3 options, I'll put in a 3-way switch for "just in case".

(eg just in case I'm landing at dusk, you can choose the "both on" option as landing lights. I know you guys in QLD don't really get a twilight, more like a light being switched off, but in lower latitudes it can be quite long.)

[Downunder]

At twilight, flashing landing lights are definately very bright!

[M61A1]

At twilight, flashing landing lights are definately very bright!

They are bright, but only visible from the front. One may argue that's all you need to be to prevent a collision, but strobes are visible from most angles and work great around twilight.

I imagine it all depends on the flying you do. Due to military airspace we often flight at twilight as it's the only time on week days they are having a short break. I have found the strobes on my friend's aircraft quite helpful to find him quickly without cluttering radio airwaves, so much so I am considering fitting a pair or at least one on my vertical stab.

[eightyknots]

Most controllers seem to come with 3 options, I'll put in a 3-way switch for "just in case".

(eg just in case I'm landing at dusk, you can choose the "both on" option as landing lights. I know you guys in QLD don't really get a twilight, more like a light being switched off, but in lower latitudes it can be quite long.)

 

The twilight time is pretty long in most of New Zealand too.

[KRviator]

I recently had first inspection on the 701, the inspector advised me to put some lights on for added visibility at the local uncontrolled strip.

I'd find another inspector, or respectfully say "Thanks, but no thanks, they aren't required so I'll be saving the weight". I've flown my RV under RAAus for the last 3 years with not even a landing light in order to keep the weight down, and not one person has said tickety-boo about it. I have got a few comments about how well it's livery stands out in the circuit though...

 

I find cheap LED’s in caravans lead to bad tv and radio interference which we don’t need in aeroplanes. Good ones swapped over fix the problem. Narva marine LED’s are nice and bright, and have aerodynamic shape for tip mounting, might be an option.

ClintonB is on point here. Marine and non-aviation lights will work, and likely work well but... they may cause interference on certain VHF frequencies - then again, they may not too, but you can't just whack them on and go fly, you'll need to turn your squelch down and incrementally go across the VHF band to confirm they don't impact your reception.

 

One thing to consider with marine nav lights though, is they are typically based on vessel size. For example, for vessels under 12m they appear to only require they be visible to 1NM, for vessels upto 20m they need to be seen out to 2NM. At the speeds we can close on traffic at, that's less than 30 seconds to identify the light, assess it, and maneuver to arrange separation. So check what size vessel they're intended for and go the higher one if you can afford it!

[Geoff_H]

The designer of the CozyIV, Natt Puffer, said that the only things that can be added to the aircraft are those things that pass the following test: When you throw it into it it stays in the air! ?

[Geoff_H]

That should read "when you throw it into the air it stays in the air. Sorry for poor typing.

[Old Koreelah]

Jodel's designer recommended that builders "add lightness".

[M61A1]

Jodel's designer recommended that builders "add lightness".

How can you get lightness without lights?

[Marty_d]

By that reasoning, ultralights should be really bright.

[M61A1]

Well, if darkness is the state of being dark....and someone says “Add lightness....

Isn’t that exactly what you wanted to do?

[onetrack]

It was Colin Chapman of the Lotus race car fame, who is often quoted as stating, (when building race cars) "Simplify, then add lightness". It worked for him and Lotus.

[Kyle Communications]

There are heaps of circuits around for high power LED flashers and wigwags...super easy to make the big issue if getting the clear moldings to mount them into. I just cant bring myself to purchase the commercial ones because I know what the internals actually cost. And the molding are actually cents each..the mold of course is expensive but all the aero LEDS are just way over priced

[Geoff_H]

Everything to do with aircraft is overpriced! Hence I am trying to design and build an aircraft for under $10k. Not sure that I am going to make it.?

[Kyle Communications]

I would love to have a small injection molding machine..then with my CNC could make the molds for the covers. It maybe in the wind soon though as the guy that molds my boxes for the CDI units looks like he maybe pulling the pin..then I can grab the little machine he uses and my mold..so you never know whats in the fututre but LED aircraft lights would be another product on a ever growing list :)

[Geoff_H]

I have made landing light covers in Perspex by making a plug from the old light cover then a mold of that in plaster of Paris. Then using Perspex made a part using draping. It turned out equally in quality to a new lense, at a fraction of the cost.

[Kyle Communications]

A vacumm molder would be ok too with a plug...but if I have to get this machine for me to make the boxes then already have one...The plastics now too are pretty hardy for injection molding

[danny_galaga]

Vacuum molding yes, injection molding no. I went through the exercise of trying to get a reverse engineered (thumbstick parts for a Nintendo N64 controller). Price to machine the molds was $5000 USD, in China. I had to pay a 50% deposit. It never quite worked out so now I have some CAD files and maybe the worlds only black N64 thumbstick and it only cost me 2500 + 500 for the laser scanning

 

Mind you these were small complicated parts, but it gives you an idea of the costs involved with injection molding. I was going to sell them 5USD, break even would roughly be 1000 units. Which I could have sold. How many wingtip light covers could you sell? Bearing in mind you need a left and a right...

[Kyle Communications]

Ah yes Danny you dont have to tell me the costs..at work we make a saltwater pool chlorinator and there is the clear cell housing and the main cover of the control unit plus a cheaper version with a different cover which also has a fold down clear control cover also the cell end caps...the molds for these are expensive I would think from memory they were about 150k for all of them oh and the molds for the cell clips too. I have a 3 axis CNC reasonable size which I can make the mold so of course will offset the cost if I am only paying for the mold steel

 

By the way we make the best most reliable chlorinator on the market too :)

[Geoff_H]

Is the chlorinator automatic?

[Kyle Communications]

What do you mean automatic?...you set the amount of output you want be it anywhere from 0 to 100%..this equates to a level of current going through the cell. Also has full hourly control of on and off also you can tell if you want the chlorinator running then if you want you can just run the pump on timers as well. The cell size is determined by how much volume is in the pool..rule of thumb is 2000 litres per gram so a 30 gram per hr chlorinator is good for 60,000 litre pool..that doesnt allow for bather load but usually you add 1 gram per person in the pool.

 

I have just finished the new design just waiting on the final software which will have fully automatic acid dosing or manual if you prefer..also will be logged onto your house hold wifi and uses a app with full control functions and logging...may soon as well as a further development will be IOT so you can control and monitor from anywhere in the world and also will have over the air firmware updates

 

Sorry for the thread drift

[Geoff_H]

I am looking for a system that measures the chlorine level and injects chlorine to maintain the correct level.

[tillmanr]

Amazing thread drift gents. LEDs to pool chlorinators.

[Kyle Communications]

Well they do have LED lights in pools too