Cockpit lighting

[Lawson Laslo]

hi im looking for some cockpit lights for my ercoupe
It will just need to light up the instrument panel and prefer it to be portable not perminant (battery powered no wires)
Was thinking like a little light bar from HF or academy And put a red filter on it somehow
Any suggestions or other ideas

 

[EdFred]

Get one of those LED christmas light tubes in red, add some resistors to it to dim it down. Put velcro on the back side and run it off a battery or make a connector that plugs into the cig lighter.

I did a similar set up in my plane, only connected to the power and also an inline rheostat.

 

[Huckster79]

How about a headlamp w red setting... I’ve used that in planes that had uncomfortably dim lights, I’d have to squint to see certain gauges. I want a quick scan of em n eyes back outside not squinting- one of those did the trick just dandy...

 

[Ravioli]

They have aviation specific lighting for this at AS and Sporty's. I don't think they were outrageously priced.

 

[texasclouds]

Red led headlamp. The one sold at Sportys is too bulky imho. This petzel one is more comfortable and can switch between white and red. Red is very dim, perfect for seeing gauges without going blind. White is strong enough for a good preflight.

https://www.rei.com/product/109952/...MIqPCd4v7w4AIV0LrACh06bgH9EAQYASABEgJRNfD_BwE

 

[James331]

Red led headlamp. The one sold at Sportys is too bulky imho. This petzel one is more comfortable and can switch between white and red. Red is very dim, perfect for seeing gauges without going blind. White is strong enough for a good preflight.

https://www.rei.com/product/109952/petzl-actik-headlamp?CAWELAID=120217890003369271&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=15724846360&CATCI=pla-322732919738&cm_mmc=PLA_Google|404_70398|1099520003|none|8c138e1e-180c-4d92-9022-363dd2889733|pla-322732919738&lsft=cm_mmcLA_Google_LIA|404_70398|1099520003|none|8c138e1e-180c-4d92-9022-363dd2889733&kclid=8c138e1e-180c-4d92-9022-363dd2889733&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqPCd4v7w4AIV0LrACh06bgH9EAQYASABEgJRNfD_BwE

Shy of a mounted red/white one, the petzel headlamp is the winner, even with ship mounted lights, a roll up petzel is good to keep in the glove box just incase

 

[Huckster79]

Red led headlamp. The one sold at Sportys is too bulky imho. This petzel one is more comfortable and can switch between white and red. Red is very dim, perfect for seeing gauges without going blind. White is strong enough for a good preflight.

https://www.rei.com/product/109952/petzl-actik-headlamp?CAWELAID=120217890003369271&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=15724846360&CATCI=pla-322732919738&cm_mmc=PLA_Google|404_70398|1099520003|none|8c138e1e-180c-4d92-9022-363dd2889733|pla-322732919738&lsft=cm_mmcLA_Google_LIA|404_70398|1099520003|none|8c138e1e-180c-4d92-9022-363dd2889733&kclid=8c138e1e-180c-4d92-9022-363dd2889733&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqPCd4v7w4AIV0LrACh06bgH9EAQYASABEgJRNfD_BwE

I would say one should use the red for the preflight, preserve your night vision thats what I used to do. Or be like me and stay out of our singles after dark...