Halogen, LED, and HID

[denverpilot]

We have the "joy" of one of Cessna's design snafus on our 1975 C-182P... they chose to put the landing and taxi lights a few short inches from the largest vibration source on the airframe. The engine.

Later, of course, they got smart and moved the little beasties back out to the wing.

Been doing break-even analysis on replacing the stock bulbs (we tend to blow both on about a 1-2 year cycle... usually one or the other every year), and the numbers don't work out well for LED or HID, but ... they're of course better, safer, etc.

Anyone replaced their standard halogen's with the Whelen LED's? AvWeb knocked on 'em pretty hard, but they also don't have to take my cowl off and deal with getting at the little bastards every year.

HID's are freakin' gold-plated, but I like 'em. If I were made of money, I'd put 'em in the nose, and slap on the wingtips, get the wiring done, and have a Pulselight installed for "Disco Skylane Mode" in busy airspace.

Realistically, that's not going to happen. So we're talking about the LED's.

From what we've seen so far out there, they'll probably be a similar amount of light, they're be more of a blueish tint, and maybe a little too "focused" in the forward direction, compared to the stock bulbs... but we shouldn't have to be rooting around, taking the cowl down every year to get at the darn things.

Thoughts?

 

[jtheune]

I bought the whelen units because I was tied of having the lamp burn out at a critical time. I had to divert twice because of the loss of landing light and the runway lights being out at my home drome. I have not yet installed them as I am waiting to have some other reason for dropping the cowling and I had both lamps replaced just before Osh last year where I bought the new units. If you can wait until Sun and Fun then check and they will probable have a sale on them.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

We have the "joy" of one of Cessna's design snafus on our 1975 C-182P... they chose to put the landing and taxi lights a few short inches from the largest vibration source on the airframe. The engine.

Later, of course, they got smart and moved the little beasties back out to the wing.

Been doing break-even analysis on replacing the stock bulbs (we tend to blow both on about a 1-2 year cycle...

Wow - Ours are on the wing, but we burn 'em out WAY more than you do! Several per year.

I still don't think the LED's have gotten to the point where they make good replacements, but the HID's are kind of expensive. Give it another couple of years, and maybe the LED's will be worthwhile.

 

[GMascelli]

I installed the Whelen Parmetheus PAR 36 LED light in my Sundowner wing. Love the light, its bright white and really lights up at a greater distance then the GE lamp. I am going to purchase the LED taxi light next and install that, some say its better then the landing light because it has a wider beam.

I took a quick video with my cell phone showing the two lights looking head on at my plane. I am stationed across the taxiway behind the wing of the plane across from me, you can see the reflection. I will get in cockpit shots next night flight.

http://gmflightlog.blogspot.com/2010/12/landing-light-review.html

 

[denverpilot]

Wow - Ours are on the wing, but we burn 'em out WAY more than you do! Several per year.

That's interesting, Kent. I bet you use them, which is probably the difference. Well that, and if we compared hours, you'd probably be shocked at how little our 182 is flying in a year with only 3 people involved in it. (I'm uhhh, doing my best to change that in 2011... but that's a different post in a different thread, and I haven't gotten the goals list done yet! :wink2: )

The number of times I've turned either of ours on for anti-collision avoidance this year is very very low... we treat them like they're going to blow at any time, and I like to stay night-current, so I may have the taxi light on for just enough time to clear the pattern at a busy airport or if the airspace is busy... other than that, they're OFF to save them for night work. Especially right now since the Taxi light is out again.

Like I said previously, if it were a "money is no object" thing, I'd light the bird up like a Christmas tree. But I doubt my co-LLC-owners would value that as highly as I would. I've hung around too many "cop shops" seeing what they've done for lighting on emergency vehicles over the years. Most of those have hit the "that's so bright it's painful" stage, and it's hard to miss a Public Safety vehicle with its lights on, day or night, these days... if they're using the latest lighting gear!

Not using them is perhaps bad practice, I know... but they're so flippin' annoying to change... if they'd just learn to fail right before oil changes, I'd be happy. :wink2:

Gary, that Whelen looks like it does a really good job. I'm sure they'll continue to make LED tech better, but that ain't bad at all. I'm really tempted to do exactly as someone suggested and watch for sales around SnF time... I'd take what you've got over changing bulbs all the time.

Question for Gary -- I looked this up once, but forgot... they're "direct replacements" for the PAR lights, but they do require an STC, don't they?

I seem to recall the paperwork on the Whelen site talking about also needing an aircraft logbook signoff that certain communications frequencies were checked, and that no inappropriate RF interference was found from the electronics in the bulbs, correct...? Or am I remembering the HID information where a ballast is required to get the high voltages necessary to kick off the initial arc across the gap?

Okay, I shouldn't have asked that here, I'm just too lazy to go look right now. About to have to go drive for 45 minutes, and shuttin' down the computer. The mind is willing but the butt is tired of sitting in this chair.

 

[Doggtyred]

The HID is still worth the money if you can bring yourself to part with it...

They are brighter, use less energy than halogen/incandescent, and are not filament based, so vibration isnt a problem.

You could leave them on continuously from startup to shutdown, day or night, and not have an issue.

I bought one (non-STC) for the nose of the Velocity I was helping build, and the primary builder and I agree it was some of the best money spent on a plane.

 

[PilotAlan]

I installed the Whelen Parmetheus PAR 36 LED light in my Sundowner wing. Love the light, its bright white and really lights up at a greater distance then the GE lamp.

Yep. Put the Parmetheus in my Cherokee. Easy, direct replacement for the GE light.
Yes, it's STCd (Whelen tried to get a PMA but the FAA squashed it). Simple paperwork only STC. My A&P IA had it done by the time I had installed the light.

 

[alaskaflyer]

Have the Parmetheus taxi and landing units on a wing mounted Cessna installation. IMO much better than the GE bulb. I think reports of their inadequacy are mostly from folks who haven't installed them :shrug:

 

[denverpilot]

Thanks guys. Firsthand knowledge trumps Paul at AvWeb with a video camera and a sawhorse once again. LOL. I'm guessing he doesn't fly his no-electrical system Cub at night much, eh? ;-)

Insert standard rant about better, safer, and smarter tech being available to the Experimental crowd at 1/3 of the cost for the IDENTICAL products for certified aircraft... Here. Hmm, let's see...

They had a meeting, and said...

"Hey! Let's have everyone fly around with burnt out lights on all the Certificated aircraft while the LSAs and Experimentals can put enough candlepower downrange that you'd think a 747 was coming down final with technology that's been used for 30 years successfully."

Meeting adjourned. :wink2:

Sometimes it truly warms my heart to know that they're looking after our safety!