Backlit panel options

TangoWhiskey

TangoWhiskey

Touchdown! Greaser!
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What are some of the better options for backlighting a new custom metal panel? It must be dimmable of course. I've seen some where the actual lettering of labels seems to be electro luminescent. What's that process called and who does it?
 
I like the dimmable EL lighting in our plane but no idea where to acquire it or how much it costs.
 
Dimmable LEDs under the glare shield also works, but it's not as cool...
 
I don't know how you could backlight a metal panel. All the metal panels I've seen are lighted from the front (post lights or floodlights on the underside of the glareshield).

Do you have a picture of what you're trying to accomplish?
 
Troy:

See the link shown below.

Your choices are, basically, the following:

1. Nulites;
2. FiberLight's; and
3. UMA's backlighting.

The FiberLight system is intriguing, in that it has a central light source, with the light, itself, distributed by fiber-optic strands. Minimal heat, potentially-easier installation (not sure about this one), and I have seen it in action, and it looks good.

The NuLite system is basically a mounting ring with lights integrated, that goes between the instrument and the back of the instrument panel. It seems to work pretty well, but there are those who think it moves the instrument further back in the panel than they like. I don't think it's a real problem, but it does make the instruments slightly more difficult to read when viewed from an oblique angle.

I have not seen the UMA system, so I cannot comment upon it, other than to say that other products produced by UMA that I have seen appear to be of good quality and design ethic, so I would not be surprised if it was a good system, as well.

If you are interested, I have one NuLite unit that I purchased out of curiosity, and have never used, and you're welcome to review and evaluate it.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/search/search.php?s=panel+lighting&x=0&y=0
 
They take a plastic sheet and machine the holes in it. They add the needed lamps to illuminate it. Then they paint the hole thing white. Then the paint the hole thing several times gray. Then they machine the placards, lines and details, removing just enough material to expose the white paint under the gray. These panels are refurbished over & over as systems are added or deleted, re-labeling switches or breakers.

None of it is cheap. All the ones I'm familiar with are powered by 400hz inverters (potential noise makers).

http://www.nimbusaviation.com/#!services/c1dw6
 
These guys have experience, friendly folks too

http://www.sptpanel.com/FiberLite_Pictures_and_More_Info.htm

Stinson_Panel_night.jpg

Notice the N number

Micco%20console.jpg
 
From the other thread it would appear that a Pico projector would work for "soft" back-lighting. Just a thought.
 
This is another one of those aviation head scratchers where you really have to ask, why is this still a problem?
 
As an alternative, consider "tube lights" that mount on the ceiling and aim at the panel. I have them, and they do the job. Cool looking red and dimmable.
 
dans2992 said:
I've often thought it would be cool to use tritium.... Perhaps not practical, but an interesting idea....

Http://www.mixglo.com
Click to expand...

There are abandoned factories all over that are EPA superfund sites because they used radium to make things glow like watches, aircraft instruments etc.
 
Yeah, but this isn't Radium.

Plenty of new watches use Tritium still.
 
donjohnston said:
I don't know how you could backlight a metal panel. All the metal panels I've seen are lighted from the front (post lights or floodlights on the underside of the glareshield).

Do you have a picture of what you're trying to accomplish?
Click to expand...

This article and the pictures in it describe it best. Maybe it's not something that's not economically feasible for non-turbine GA... but I have to believe somebody would try to make a living at it.

Article: http://www.engineering.com/Advanced...bility-Displays-Need-Engineered-Graphics.aspx

prime_products_03_khp54y.jpg


Next question is, once I get the panel, how do I get the rocket launcher? ;-)

But seriously, see how the panel lettering is readable in daylight? At night, it can be backlit white, blue, or green. White would be fine by me, if it was dimmable.
 
Okay. For some reason, I thought you meant the entire instrument panel.

I wanted something like this for my warning panel. I ended up making my own. During the process, I put some white paper behind the mask and it was easily readable. Not sure if that would work for you though.

http://www.velocity-xl.com/blog/2013/08/03/13-99-annunicator-panel/
 
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