LED strobe for Cessna 182Q

rk

rk

Filing Flight Plan
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Rafi

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Your mechanic is correct.
Are both strobes not working?
Obsolete Aeroflash power supply shown below.
IMG_3423.JPG

There are separate power supply's on each wing tip on my 172. It's either a fuse, switch, wiring problem, power supply or strobe bulb. You don't just get new ones unless you got plenty of $$. That single power supply costs 850 or so, so maybe 1500 is repairing one side? Your numbers don't add to me.
(edited)_(edited)_IMG_3443.png
 
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rk said:
Does anyone know if there are any cheaper options out there? Ideally something that could fit the wingtip?
Click to expand...
FWIW: there is a cheaper route but it will take an A&P/IA who fully understands the aircraft alteration process to make it happen. Aero-Lites offers a combo nav/strobe that fits in the same footprint as the original lights except they do not offer an installation approval. While have seen their various light assemblies installed as both a minor and major alteration, I've found it is entirely up to the installing mechanic and how far they want to take it, with some not wanting to touch it at all. Good luck.
 
Gary Ward said:
Your mechanic is correct.
Are both strobes not working?

IMG_3423.JPG

There are separate power supply's on each wing tip on my 172. It's either a fuse, switch, wiring problem, power supply or strobe bulb. You don't just get new ones unless you got plenty of $$. That single power supply costs 850 or so, so maybe 1500 is repairing one side? Your numbers don't add to me.
(edited)_(edited)_IMG_3443.png
Click to expand...
Yeah both strobes are not working. Mechanic said this is a power supply issue.

The $1500 is the cost of the orion 650 lights + the plate needed to install them (for both sides). There will be installation cost on top of it, of course.

Now I am actually considering replacing the wingtips instead of installing the plate. This will be even more expensive, of course, but at least I will get a new plate.
 
So both power supply's went bad at the same time? That does not seem likely.
If your looking for the cheapest repair IMO that would be staying with original equipment and replace what is not working.
 
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Nothing like spending a pile of money on wingtips and lights. Match drilling everything, yanking the old power supplies & wiring. Stringing all new wires with a sync wire and changing the breakers to match, painting wingtips, updating the W&B and Equipment List and finally the log entry.

If your wingtips are original they are prob full of cracks anyway.
 
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I love the Stene Qasar wingtips that I fitted to my C182R. Fantastic light levels if you're ever landing in dicey locations in the dark.
 
Right or wrong I reinforced the original wing tips inside with fiberglass resin and cloth. Seemed to fix up the cracks that were starting.
My nav lights are WAT LEDs that go in the original sockets, they are nice and bright. I did put new lenses and gaskets in at the same time. That was last year.
Recently one of my strobe lights started to get weak, it would flash when it was cold but as it heated up it would quit. So after some trouble shooting I found the power supply bad.
So I replaced the power supply with that whelen unit that is a triple flash (which is the only way they come)in place of a single flash. Triple flash is a good thing. Like I said it was a expensive power supply but was cheaper than replacing both of them with LED. They seem plenty bright on my 172. Once I cleaned up the strobe lenses they were brighter. Don't drop them as they are glass and cost a lot.
Yea if your wing tips are shot then I guess it makes some sense to go to LED but it is not cheap because of what was mentioned above.

Your problem could be something simple and a lot cheaper to repair if both quit working all at once.
Good luck with it and let us know how it works out for you.
 
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Whelen Orion Cessna STC Kit (Plates Only)​

0Reviews
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Our Price: $499.98
Quantity in Stock:10
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$500 and you have to custom fit the adapter to the wing tip. What a poorly designed product.
 
They work. Must be trimmed, fit, drilled, and match painted.

Cessna kinda screwed the pooch IMHO, they were the ones that used non-standard lighting mounting on the wingtips in the first place.
 
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