Piper Cherokee Door Seal & Landing Light

No experience with the AlphaBeam specifically, but we have 3 Whelen Parmetheus's (Parmetheii?) that we've been happy with for a couple of years now.

Jim
 
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I have ANR headsets, so I can't say that I did. What I did notice is a much tighter seal, water no longer getting in, and the seals not crumbling in my hand when I touched them.
 
BGF_Yankee said:
I ordered mine from Aircraft Door Seals, LLC:

http://www.aircraftdoorseals.com/product/pa-28/front-entry-door-seal/

I ended up doing all four doors on my PA32R-300 during annual this year, and it was very easy to install, plus they work great! Removal of the old seals on the other hand was a PITA!
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I just did my baggage door with theirs " just cuz" I was bored. Pita to get the old seal off and metal cleaned. Pretty easy to get the new one on.

No appreciable change in noise.
 
Unit74 said:
I just did my baggage door with theirs " just cuz" I was bored. Pita to get the old seal off and metal cleaned. Pretty easy to get the new one on.

No appreciable change in noise.
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If your baggage doors were like my baggage doors, then probably not. The passenger door seals are much...beefier(?) I guess would be the term. The baggage doors were more like weather stripping, but still do their job.

Walboy said:
Thanks for the tip. I like the idea of being able to change out the eyebolts and clevis pins.
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I should have said that I did this as well for both of my passenger doors. It was fairly easy to do, but I recommend having another person to help hold things. 50% of my first annual was cleaning up small things that have been bothering me for a few months now :)
 
They make a seal that is one piece for the Archer passenger doors. As you know, the baggage door was 4 pieces so alligning them was probably the hardest part, but not overly complicated.
 
Can't help ya on the seals, but for the light look at knots2you HID lights, WAY better than LEDs, the light goes much further and packs more of a punch.

http://www.knots2u.net/hid-landing-light-kit-cowl-mount-piper-pa-28-pa-32-models-hid-p-003/

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I like that door seal company, might have to do mine now :yes:
 
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Walboy said:
Thanks for the tip. Knots2you also has the door seals and hardware.
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I fly a PA28 equipped with both LEDs and a Knots 2 U HID--and the difference is nothing compared to what the HID crowd wants you think it is. Its nice, but not worth the price. Not only is it several times more expensive to buy, but then you have installation and paperwork. Many LED's are PMA'd drop in replacements.

If the goal is lower electrical load and higher reliability, an LED will do that at 50% to 75% less than an HID.

Also, make sure you get an LED that fits a PA28--the Whelens will, but several others will not. Despite being PMA'd many are deeper than the old GE Bulbs. It doesn't matter in most installation, but a PA28 with a nose mount it does.
 
Walboy said:
Thanks for your input. Most LEDs drop in replacements say they fit the GE 4509 bulb called for by Piper. I did see someone at Spruce say they regretted the Whelen and returned it for an Alphabeam. And as you point out, someone said the Alphabeam didn't fit their PA-28-181. Do you recall which LEDs won't fit a PA28?
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The only one I know for sure is the Whelen; I test fit another I borrowed that didn't work--it looked like an Alphabeam (four circles on the front) but I don't recall if it was for sure.

What type of PA28 do you have? There are some variations amongst exact models and model years.
 
I had to replace the door seals on my Archer. I bought the ones from aircraftdoorseals.com. They didn't work for me. The door wound up very difficult to close, made the door bulge and it leaked at the top. I did everything they said and it didn't help. The seals for the baggage were not installed because there is no adjustment on the door and the ones they recommend looked way too beafy. I wound up having to eat the $129 for the door seal, but returned the baggage seal. I bought new door seals, windlacing, and wing root seals from Browns. Theirs fits nicely and is much less expensive.
 
I have two Alphabeams in my wing on a 172 and really like them. Bought them right after they came out and have had no issues. They are polarity insensitive and at least in my plane, are true drop in replacements for the 4509s. Also, Whelen sells a taxi and a landing light version whereas the Alphas are identical.

The few times I have landed at night, they lit the runway up impressively. That said, a friend has the Whelens and he likes his just fine too. You'll save nearly $100 on the Whelens.
 
Walboy said:
Thanks for the tip. I like the idea of being able to change out the eyebolts and clevis pins.
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A lot of times what you find when doors don't seal is worn and bent hinges from being opened with tail winds and taking prop or jet blast.
 
Piper flyers.org had an article last year about changing hinges on a Dakota. I think that's in the works for our next annual.
 
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