L.E.D. Navigation/Strobes/Interior Lights

[j3pup]

I had done this to my C170B and they looked and worked great, I am going to do it to my 210 at some point too.

[GAHorn]

...George has called the manufacturer of the LED7512-12V and the manufacturer has convinced George (and Spruce) that these LED bulbs meet the appropriate standard and are replacement bulbs. ....

I think it may be more accurate to say the mfr'r stated they met the requirements for "standard parts"...and George was convinced the mfr'r believes he does.

In any case, I do use them and think they are the cat's meow... even tho' the GREEN ones seem to operate every bit as good as the RED ones...even keep up at speed.

Another well-respected aviation supplier, Brown Aircraft Supply, seems to agree as well. They offer them as replacements, (and even offer a new mfr flasher...something I"ve not seen since our classic airplanes offered flashing hav lights as a factory option) Installation is not mentioned in their webpage however:
http://www.brownaircraft.com/searchresults.asp?cat=125

[bagarre]

When I bought my LEDs last month, I called the company and talked to the gentleman owner about the lights.
My concern was, they came with no paperwork and I wanted to note the standards which they conform to. He noted the concern and gave me the information I was looking for and much more. BTW if you buy them direct from his site, you get the paperwork.

The guy (can't remember his name) was incredibly nice and patient but, it was obvious this wasn't the first, second or third time he's had to have this type of conversation.
His knowledge on the topic was broad and impressive as he explained to me Light theory, wavelengths and how to measure light... He claimed the original incandescent bulbs don't actually pass the new standards but don't have to.

Sadly, he said he may have to start marking the bulbs as non PMA'd parts even tho there is no requirement for standard parts to carry a PMA. From what could gather, this was due to having to deal with the same types of frustrations seen in this thread. Its like having to put a warning sticker on a motorcycle helmet stating it conforms to DOT requirements but it can't stop a bullet. It doesn't have to in order to be legally used as a motorcycle helmet.

Another interesting note. Sometimes, every once in a while, LED lights do 'burn out' (actually, something on the tiny board goes bad). It's incredibly rare but, I had one go bad on my Harley when they first came out. I called the company at the time and they sent me a new one free of charge (that's how rare).

If that happens in your plane on a night flight, you simply pop out the bad bulb and pop in a good one (LED or not). (My old bulbs are now in my glove box) and you're on your way.

With the $900.00 PMA/TSO/STD/Approved Whelen light assembly, you're grounded until you can pony up another $900.00 and shipping OR mail the unit back to the company and have it repaired. Neither of which will happen before the sun comes up.
That's not an argument to switch to LEDs but it is worth considering if you are upgrading to a fully contained LED solution. For me, I like my standard bulbs in standard plugs

-David

[bagarre]

If you go on amazon and do a search for
"Amico 10 Pcs BA9S White 5 5050-SMD LED Car Light Bulbs 1895 T4W 1445 6253"

You will find 10 LED bulbs for around 8 bucks for your panel lights.
They are side lighted as well so they should work.
I bought a bag of them and will be trying them out shortly.

LED.jpg

[busav8or]

Hey David, just curious, did you ever check those bulbs out?

[bagarre]

I bought a whole bunch of them but they dont exactly fit.
the diameter of the LED pack is just big enough to not fit thru the hole in the panel (1952 and prior panel).
So I couldn't install the bulbs without taking the panel covers off
Combine that with the fact that the dimmer wont work with these bulbs and I gave up on the project.

I did install it in the dome light with less than stellar results. Just not bright enough.

[busav8or]

Ahhh, I thought you had tried them in the overhead Grimes torpedos. Thanks for the reply!

[170C]

I suspect George can give you some pointers on those led bulbs. He has them in his plane and I have them in my wing tips, tail position as well as the map lights (2) and the overhead locations that flood the instrument panel. They are all quite bright. Actually I didn't tie my overhead panel ones into my dimmer and eventually I need to do so as those two are really too bright on a dark night.

[bagarre]

My above comment was only referring to the 5050-SMD LED bulbs in particular. Their physical dimensions prevent them from being installed in the panel from the back side of the panel. They wont fit thru the holes. I'm sure they'd fit if you pulled the front panel covers off an installed them that way.

There may be other brands or sizes that do fit. If you've found one, please post a link to them as I'd like to replace the old ones.

I also have LED bulbs for NAV lights and they work incredibly well.

[GAHorn]

I suspect George can give you some pointers on those led bulbs. He has them in his plane and I have them in my wing tips, tail position as well as the map lights (2) and the overhead locations that flood the instrument panel. They are all quite bright. Actually I didn't tie my overhead panel ones into my dimmer and eventually I need to do so as those two are really too bright on a dark night.

If you are looking for brighter dome lights....the answer is beautifully simple. Read the article I posted in The 170 News....but save yourself the trouble of hard-wiring it into the system, because the flat-LED-light-board comes with the appropriate adapter to simply replace your existing dome light.
It's almost too bright and uses much less electricity.

I bought a dozen of them direct from a mfr'r for less than $10. I'll try to post a link.

[HA]

an outfit is selling new flashy-thingie (technical term) LED nav lites through Spruce. I haven't looked at the specs enough to see if the flashes are brighter than a standard nav bulb or not, I suspect not although they call then nav-strobes.
http://www.navstrobelighting.com/produc ... C-30w.html

[Ryan Smith]

So as I'm counting down until D-Day with N2256D, I'm piecemeal getting things that the airplane doesn't have that I want it to. I scored (and probably grossly overpaid for) four beautiful NOS Grimes Torpedo fixures...without any lights in them. Since LEDs are going to be the way to go, what are my options for sockets that will fit these fixtures?

[GAHorn]

So as I'm counting down until D-Day with N2256D, I'm piecemeal getting things that the airplane doesn't have that I want it to. I scored (and probably grossly overpaid for) four beautiful NOS Grimes Torpedo fixures...without any lights in them. Since LEDs are going to be the way to go, what are my options for sockets that will fit these fixtures?

See this thread (middle of page two of this post/thread) for how I modified the Grimes Torpedos for common LED lamps:
http://cessna170.org/forums/viewtopic.p ... s&start=15

[bagarre]

I stole that idea as well and it works perfectly.
Instead of PVC, I used some 3/4" copper fittings I had out in the garage. Either way, it's a great solution.

[Ryan Smith]

So as I'm counting down until D-Day with N2256D, I'm piecemeal getting things that the airplane doesn't have that I want it to. I scored (and probably grossly overpaid for) four beautiful NOS Grimes Torpedo fixures...without any lights in them. Since LEDs are going to be the way to go, what are my options for sockets that will fit these fixtures?

See this thread (middle of page two of this post/thread) for how I modified the Grimes Torpedos for common LED lamps:
http://cessna170.org/forums/viewtopic.p ... s&start=15

George, my "lamps" don't have any electrical components in them. It's not a simple matter of replacing a bulb…I need something with some wires to carry some current to light the bulb. Even though these lights were not used (to my knowledge) on early 1952 aircraft, I'd still like to retain the original look and components (minus incandescent bulbs, of course) as much as as possible. I passed up quite a few light fixtures because I wanted nice looking "torpedoes"…I guess I should have paid better attention to this thread to see WHY you modified the lights as you did. As silly as this sounds, could you have wrapped some reflective tape around the rear of the bulb in an effort to concentrate the light out of the front with the LEDs installed? Do the LEDs not protrude far enough into the torpedo to illuminate? Are there taller bulbs out there that will work with the original torpedoes? Given that they are, more or less, omnidirectional bulbs, I guess I fail a little, to see where the issue is.

In any case, I'll need some electrical components to make my stuff work, and I don't know where to begin. I'd prefer to stay away from Lowe's or Radio Shack, if at all possible. They don't have to be FAA-approved PMA units, but PMA (passes MY approval) would be nice-I'd like to stick with aircraft hardware. Is this information in the IPC (doubtful)? Are there substitute components that can be used? Below are what is in each of my light fixtures. There is an inverted rubber cap that is visible when the torpedo is pulled off of the base, and once that is removed, there is a 1/4" or so plastic spacer with a hole in it, about a 1" long spring, and a flat nylon washer on the back side. I have no clue what any of these components are, or what they are used for when a lamp and socket is installed in these fixtures. If anyone has a Grimes torpedo in their spares pile and wouldn't mind taking some pictures of the guts for me, I'd be most appreciative.

I'm thankful for any information or guidance provided.