strobe light schematic

[Guest 4aplat]

Hi

 

Any one got a schematic for a strobe light ? (with leds ?)

 

I'm thinking about installing one on my avid Flyer and the price of aveo flash models is a bit expensive for me

 

thanks in advance

 

MicheL

 

 

[Tomo]

What about a flasher relay? (ie, blinker relay) Or will that be a bit fast? I think it'd work myself... make life a lot easier anyway.

 

Make sure you get the correct size (current draw) to suit an LED light though, otherwise it will be flashing way to fast.

 

Just a thought,

 

 

[xair1159]

Have a look at: Hideaway Hide-a-LED LED Lights They also have a 10W led "landing" light.

 

or:

 

Whelen, Federal Signal, Able 2, Sho Me, 911ep, Axixtech - Strobes N' More

 

There are other similar suppliers about, plus more expensive ones like: Skybright Strobes & Position Lights

 

Nick

 

 

[The Wolf]

What about a flasher relay? (ie, blinker relay) Or will that be a bit fast? I think it'd work myself... make life a lot easier anyway.Make sure you get the correct size (current draw) to suit an LED light though, otherwise it will be flashing way to fast.

 

Just a thought,

I'm with Tomo. If you want the lowest price, go an Automotive flasher. It will plug straight onto your battery. Planes are 12V aren't they ? Yea i am pretty sure they are (feel free to correct ) Most are capable of driving 2 23W globes, so any number of LEDs will be fine. They are abundant (Super cheap auto or equiv will sell) And easy to replace. With a simple circuit that anyone could build.

 

 

[djpacro]

You may find what you want at the aeroelectric connection website.

 

A good place to start reading is this 1Mb file http://www.aeroelectric.com/R12A/AppZ_12A4.pdf

 

 

[techie49]

Unfortunately guys you can't treat a LED like a globe. A LED works on current, a globe works on voltage. If you feed a LED with 12V it will last about 1mS before it says goodbye. A strobe light needs to be fed with short duration pulses of 80 - 100mS if it's made of LEDs and the pulses have to be current limited. You can use a LED like a globe if again you limit the current passing through it. The circuitry to do this is easy. The hard bit is getting it all into a package that is streamlined and looks good, not to mention waterproof. I'm doing one that's a cluster of six 1W LEDs for the strobe, a pair of reds for one side and greens for the other and in each lamp, a high intensity white to face the rear. $US700 for the Aerolight (?) is too rich for me.

 

Paul Toone

 

 

[techie49]

---- I meant Aveo flash or whatever. Still bloody expensive ................

 

Paul Toone

 

 

[The Wolf]

Unfortunately guys you can't treat a LED like a globe. A LED works on current, a globe works on voltage.Paul Toone

If you put 10 LEDs in series, with a 1.2v Bias, it will form a voltage divider and regulate its own voltage. If each LED draws 80mA, 20 rows of 10 will draw 1.6A. That is the minimum current draw on most flasher units. You can have 200 LEDs on each wing to form the average 2X21W circuit that flasher units are designed for (although that many LEDs will be PRICEY!!!). You could run a resistor in parallel so any number under 200 will still be fine. Most will also allow a 2W globe for in the cockpit, so you can see if your strobes are on.

 

Another option is the 1W LEDs

 

If you were keen on the 1W LEDs. Each draws about 700mA so 2 in series will have a total draw of 700mA for each parallel branch of 2 (they have a 5V voltage requirement). 2 Branches equals minimum current draw. 2 branches (4 LEDs on each wingtip). There are some flasher units that will regulate flashing upto 20A (total of 28 LEDS, but i dont know how long your battery will last.... or how long till UFO reports come streaming in :P

 

Or you could buy LED indicators. They are designed to glow bright, with minimum current draw, they come in a package (not the most beautiful :P) but you can always "hack it up" or just find ones you like.

 

The hard part isnt the LEDs.. there are heaps of packages around. The flashing bit is the hardest, and an Automotive relay can be modified to do the job. For $600 you could buy quite a few relays and run them in parallel!!!

 

 

[techie49]

I don't disagree you can string LED's in series like a Christmas tree but you are talking about LED's that are 1.2 V devices and give off as much light as a poorly glow worm. The ones to act as a strobe are high intensity 2.0 - 3.0 V devices that get hot. When they get hot they draw more current and get hotter and so on to destruction. If you are trying to duplicate a xenon strobe, these are the devices to use. They need to be pulsed for a short duration to be allowed to cool in between pulses or you work out a method of heat-sinking. Any that are on for any length of time need a current limited supply and heatsinking. You can pay up to $10 each for these so I wouldn't be thinking of using a car flash unit to operate them.

 

Paul Toone

 

 

[The Wolf]

The ones to act as a strobe are high intensity 2.0 - 3.0 V devices that get hot. When they get hot they draw more current and get hotter and so on to destruction.

What you are describing is thermal overload. Thats how zenon strobes work. If that is what he is looking for, then LEDs wont suit him(OP did ask for LEDs). I was describing using high intensity LEDs within their operating characteristics. They can be run in ambient temps of up to 100 degrees without going into thermal overload.

 

You can get 2.1W LEDs that run on 3.8V and 350mA - 500mA and surged upto 1.5A. They are $15 each in AUS (but im sure there are overseas suppliers that you can get them from). They are "flat pack" similar to SMD so they can be heatsinked to the rear reflective surface quite easy, they put out 10000mcd each.

 

Why would you not run them off a thermal flasher relay? Im sure with a little research, he could find a flasher relay designed for prolonged use. It really depends on how long he is going to run the strobes (just for landing to give a little extra "heads up" or general flying)

 

also depends on the application he is looking for, how bright he wants it, and how much he is willing to spend.

 

At the end of the day, it is cheaper and easier to just buy a strobe light, and mod it for your plane

 

 

[techie49]

It's splitting hairs but no I'm not talking about thermal overload, it's thermal runaway. I don't understand the reference to Xenon strobes in this context at all. To duplicate the action of a Xenon strobe you need to pulse a 1W+ LED at a current above that used for normal running. The way you do it is to use a very short pulse of 80 to 100mS with a long gap, around a second, in between. That way the LED does not overheat and you get maximum light output. Have a look at any commercial aero lights. Do you see any relays? The short pulse provides an intense flash not unlike the xenon tube but you would be unwise to use a mechanical component. A flasher relay is designed to provide pulses roughly 1s on and 1s off. If you overdrive a LED in this manner it won't last long or you would have to use a lower driving current. You may as well use a globe. It's quite easy to use a power MOSFET instead of a relay. The circuit I have on test is working quite happily using a small microprocessor to provide whatever flash sequence you want - with no flapping relays. The circuit's easy, the casing is the difficult part.

 

Paul Toone

 

 

[The Wolf]

You could use a MOSFET instead of a relay. You could use a monostable 555 with retrigger delay and Logic oscillator, you could use a microprocessor, you could use a flasher relay. They will all work, it just depends on ones exact requirements. You dont HAVE to over-current or over-voltage an LED to get it to flash, and they are quite bright without it.

 

 

[Guest 4aplat]

The Aveo ones certainly look smart - what sort of $ cost are you looking at Michel?

I spent a lot of money in MGL avionics

 

I need to buy a new radio (a M760 ?)

 

So I don't want to spend a lot in strobes

 

May be the best is to wait for new models in the nex years .............

 

MicheL

 

 

[sain]

Hi MicheL,

 

It might be worth checking out Kitplanes Magazine - They had a series of articles in 2009 (i think - i'll check) on LED Nav lights - they will probably be adaptable to a LED strobe.

 

*edit*

 

bah - stupid dodgy memory. Turns out you want Aug+Sept+Oct 2008. Its a pretty reasonable explanation of how to do it. You can get an electronic subscription to kitplanes, which gives you access to the archives online.

 

 

[Guest 4aplat]

Hi MicheL,It might be worth checking out Kitplanes Magazine - They had a series of articles in 2009 (i think - i'll check) on LED Nav lights - they will probably be adaptable to a LED strobe.

 

*edit*

 

bah - stupid dodgy memory. Turns out you want Aug+Sept+Oct 2008. Its a pretty reasonable explanation of how to do it. You can get an electronic subscription to kitplanes, which gives you access to the archives online.

HI

 

I tried to subscribe this morning they told me i will be ok in 4 to 6 weeks !

 

so i'll have to wait now

 

thanks for the link

 

MIcheL

 

 

[sain]

Going a little further along the path of David's suggestion this thread: Voltage regulator options

 

may be of interest. The original poster is asking about voltage regulators, but hes powering a commercial "security" strobe light that costs about $16.

 

Its a xenon flash tube, not LEDs though.

 

Clear Security Strobe Light SL-126 Clear - Smarthome is the actual strobe.

 

 

[Guest 4aplat]

The kitplane magazine article seems to be exactly what I was looking for

 

I will test the solution this week end

 

MicheL

 

 

[Guest 4aplat]

First try after modifications on the kit planes shematic

 

 

 

[sain]

Looks like a good start MicheL. Whats the brightness like from side on, or are you planning on more high brightness LEDs on each side?

 

 

[Ultralights]

 

The SC103 STROBE is a self contained 12 volt DC operated light designed specifically for Ultralight use where an external 12 vdc power source (battery) is available.I

 

have these on my vampire.

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Gidday Ultralights,Do you have any specs on these (current draw at 12 volts) and where do you get them from? Do you know the price?

Thanks,

 

David

Google is your friend.

 

KUNTZLEMAN SELF CONTAINED<BR> 12 VDC STROBE from Aircraft Spruce

 

 

[sain]

yah, but MicheL can probably build 3 from that schematic for the cost of one of those.

 

 

[Guest 4aplat]

Looks like a good start MicheL. Whats the brightness like from side on, or are you planning on more high brightness LEDs on each side?

he only leds I found are orange 40 Lm (750 mA)

 

Yesterday I bought 4 white 240 lm leds (1A) so I'm waiting for the postman to make a new test

 

 

[Guest 4aplat]

3 white leds and 2 LM555

 

 

 

[sain]

Wow, thats nice and bright. I take it your using the kitplanes schematic to provide power, and the 555s to pulse the lights on and off?