Tell me if this is a silly idea or not...

A place to discuss the design & installation of electrical systems.
Post Reply
User avatar
cjensen
Whiskey Victor
Posts: 5275
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:36 pm
Location: Green Bay, WI

Tell me if this is a silly idea or not...

Post by cjensen »

I was looking through the AS&S online catalog for LED lighting, and I came across this map light.

Image

Now, my idea is not to use it as it's intended, but to use it as a tail position light. It looks to be about the right size to fit in the spot for the tail light.

Here's the page with additional info...

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/e ... plight.php

I'd rig up something inside the tail to keep it inside, and just let the rim protrude.

Think it would work?
Chad Jensen
Missing my RV-7...
Vertical Power support
920.216.3699
http://verticalpower.com

User avatar
captain_john
Sparky
Posts: 5880
Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 9:17 am
Location: KPYM

Post by captain_john »

Why not just use the one from Thor?

No sense reinventing the wheel.

:) CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

User avatar
cjensen
Whiskey Victor
Posts: 5275
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:36 pm
Location: Green Bay, WI

Post by cjensen »

Because the one from Thor is $200.

This light has four LED's, as does the one from Thor. It wouldn't be anything too difficult to fab up something to keep it in place.
Chad Jensen
Missing my RV-7...
Vertical Power support
920.216.3699
http://verticalpower.com

User avatar
JohnR
Class B
Posts: 1081
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2005 3:22 pm
Location: Iowa

Post by JohnR »

Craziest thing I ever heard! :wink: Na, just kidding. :evil:

I plan on building my own LED version of the lights. Well, actually, I've talked a friend who is an electircal engineer into helping me build them. Looks like about $50 for a bright multiple LED taillight so far.
JohnR
RV-7A - Fuselage - SOLD, just not supposed to be
Numbers 6:24 - The LORD bless thee, and keep thee

User avatar
cjensen
Whiskey Victor
Posts: 5275
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:36 pm
Location: Green Bay, WI

Post by cjensen »

That's one thing I wonder is how bright these will be. If they aren't bright enough, I could probably change them to a brighter LED. I think I'm just gonna buy it and see. If nothing else, I can always put it where it's supposed to go... :wink:
Chad Jensen
Missing my RV-7...
Vertical Power support
920.216.3699
http://verticalpower.com

JOHN TIPTON
Class E
Posts: 92
Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:46 pm
Location: Torquay England

Post by JOHN TIPTON »

But does it comply with the requirements/specifications for a rear light:

http://www.creativair.com/source/_inst/requirements.pdf

:?:

Best regards - John

Spike
Chief Rivet Banger
Posts: 4013
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 8:40 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD
Contact:

Post by Spike »

Dunno Chad, I think its a bit silly. I dont think there will be enough output. What about protecting it from the elements?

- John
http://www.rivetbangers.com - Now integrating web and mail!
Current Build: 2 years into a beautiful little girl

User avatar
smithhb
Class D
Posts: 365
Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2004 7:28 pm
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Contact:

No go

Post by smithhb »

Chad,

The light in question is also sold by Stein and is not designed to be used in an exterior environment (i.e. NOT weatherproof).

I like the way you think, though. :idea:
Bret Smith
9A Flying (N16BL)
Blue Ridge, GA
http://www.FlightInnovations.com
APRS Tracking: http://www.flightinnovations.com/tracking.html

User avatar
captain_john
Sparky
Posts: 5880
Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 9:17 am
Location: KPYM

Post by captain_john »

I am not sure it is "CERTIFIED"!

:deal:

:lol: CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

User avatar
dons
Class C
Posts: 873
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:28 pm
Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Post by dons »

:lol:

Output level and meeting the regs would be my concern, something can likely be done to seal it from the environment.
Don Sinclair
CYKF
RV-7A (Fuselage)

User avatar
cjensen
Whiskey Victor
Posts: 5275
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:36 pm
Location: Green Bay, WI

Post by cjensen »

A bit to far on the other subject there, Johnny boy. :wink:

The light requirements were the main concern. LED's are cheap, and can easily be changed out, depending on the actual design of this light. I'll probably just end up with the standard bulb back there, but I still think this COULD be made to work. Protecting it from the elements would be as simple as mounting a dome over it, similar to the standard bulb that would go back there.
Chad Jensen
Missing my RV-7...
Vertical Power support
920.216.3699
http://verticalpower.com

User avatar
svanarts
Air Marshall
Posts: 1512
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 5:19 pm
Location: Modesto, CA
Contact:

Post by svanarts »

Chad,
Weatherproofing (and certification issues) aside, I think the light output is the best argument against doing this. I think it would be just as easy to buy some luxeon LEDs and make your own. There are also automotive companies that make LED lightbulb replacements for incandescent bulbs. Here's one: http://www.theledlight.com/dcbulbs.html

There are others out there but that was the first one to pop up on google searching for "led light bulb" I'm definately going with LED tail lights but I'm hoping to find an automotive led bulb. I think you could even buy just the standard aft white light and find an LED bulb to put in place of the incandescent bulb that comes with.
Last edited by svanarts on Sun Jan 21, 2007 8:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Scott VanArtsdalen
Token Heretic
Nirvana Rodeo / Dudek Universal
S-6ES N612SV - GONE but not forgotten
RV-4 N311SV - SOLD

User avatar
cjensen
Whiskey Victor
Posts: 5275
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:36 pm
Location: Green Bay, WI

Post by cjensen »

That came across my mind yesterday Scott. Thanks for the link! I'll still need a strobe back there though, so I MIGHT look at the Thor LED tail light/strobe combo... :roll: $$$
Chad Jensen
Missing my RV-7...
Vertical Power support
920.216.3699
http://verticalpower.com

User avatar
cnpeters
Class E
Posts: 185
Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2006 7:04 pm
Location: Eureka (St. Louis), MO
Contact:

Post by cnpeters »

I've been talking to Chad privately about this, as I am wholeheartedly interested in making a better (?) and MUCH cheaper strobe/nav light system than the Whlelen and other commercial units. Some interesting thoughts and links are in this article (including a link to Luxeonstar.com - they have some new K2 130 candlepower LED's now, which are about 1/3 of a strobe output, so 3 at $8.99 would get you close including a simple flasher circuit):
http://www.eaa724.org/TechnicalStuff%20.html
The electrical work is really trivial.
For the tail position/strobe, one could use the LEDs - the bright ones on flasher, and a lower output one on constant wired separately with a resistor. You can provide a lens/shell to cover it (it should fit on the rudder bottom footprint - each LED is 1.1 cm or less in diameter). Another option I'm debating is to just eliminate the tail strobe light and mount strobes in the most lateral part of the wing tips. This may require some minor fiberglass work, but has anyone seen this on an RV? I would leave the forward recess with lens for the landing light. At least this config would satisfy the requirements of 360 degree coverage from 1200 feet away and 30 degree vertical. Drag/airspeed reduction would be immeasurable.
Carl
Carl Peters
RV-9A
N92RV (reserved)
Fuselage
http://www.mykitlog.com/cnpeters/

Bob Barrett
Class C
Posts: 625
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2004 8:37 pm
Location: Sartell MN

Legal Tail Lights

Post by Bob Barrett »

The LED map light that you want to use does not quailfy as a legal tail light in the United States! My friend builds and sells those lights to Aircraft Spuce and Vans. Go to Bob Collins Rivet Builders Hotline of 12/16/06 where the LED builder Tim Mahoney gave a detailed analysis of FAR requirements for external aircraft lights for the United States. Tim currently is not producing external lights and discussed the requirements for legal tail lights with both the EAA Legal Department and the FISDO office. There are required visibility requirements for wing tip lights and tail lights. In fact there is a legal difenition in the FAR's for U.S. aircraft red and U.S. Aircraft green lights. Knowledgeable DAR's will not sign off on an homebuilt airplanes that do not meet specs for night flying. They can be signed off for day VFR only if the external lights do not pass FAA requirements. :bang: :bang: I had asked Tim to make up a set of lights for my RV-6A and he said he couldn't make up lights that are legal with the FAA.

euhero987
Class G
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:50 am

Post by euhero987 »

cjensen wrote:Because the one from Thor is $200.

This light has four LED's, as does the one from Thor. It wouldn't be anything too difficult to fab up something to keep it in place.
You got that right... Thanks for the alternative

User avatar
Brantel
Class B
Posts: 1029
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 3:23 pm
Location: Newport, TN

Post by Brantel »

Chad,

The beam on those would not be wide enough.

The LED's are potted in the ones I have and would be difficult to change.
Brantel (Brian Chesteen),
RV12-IS, #121606, N912BC - Building Now!
RV10, #41942, N????? - Project Sold
RV-7/TU, #72823, N159SB - SOLD

User avatar
cjensen
Whiskey Victor
Posts: 5275
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:36 pm
Location: Green Bay, WI

Post by cjensen »

Hehe...this thread is from nearly five :o years ago...most of ya know I didn't use this one. Kuntzleman is the way to go.
Chad Jensen
Missing my RV-7...
Vertical Power support
920.216.3699
http://verticalpower.com

User avatar
captain_john
Sparky
Posts: 5880
Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 9:17 am
Location: KPYM

Post by captain_john »

It still is silly...

:mrgreen: CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

flywulf
Class G
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 10:20 am

CreativAir

Post by flywulf »

Hi

Does CreativAir still Exist?

Ed

Post Reply