Replace all nav/strobe/ beacon lights with LED- which brand/model?

[Unit74]

My plane is going in the shop soon and though about swapping out all the strobes and halogens with LEDs all the way around.

For a certificated airframe, which brand and models are you guys happy with? Whelen seems to be top dollar and saw a brand called Aveo. But I don't know much about lighting. Good strobes and crisp position lights are the goal.

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Forget the strobes. Use LEDs for everything. Whelen Orion series are the king shizznit.

 

[Unit74]

Yea. That's what I was meaning to say. I have strobes now and looking to swap it all the way around to LEDs. I want " strobing LEDs " to replace my current strobes and LED position lights and beacon.

 

[murphey]

The Orions strobes or fixed are much easier to install - no additional wiring needed if you already have the wingtip lights, everything self contained. Those, the landing light, the tail strobe and tail position light and you're done.

Caveat: 12v system on the cherokee. I replaced the landing light (10 -> 1.2 amp) & the tail position (2 -> 0.5 amp) and reduced amp load by 10.3 amps. Going to LED wingtips (not strobe) will reduce the load by another 3 amps.

 

[Unit74]

No. I sold the plane. I did put in Sextant Navworks bulbs and an Orion 500. The Orion was stupid bright.

 

[murphey]

I had the whelen LED beacon installed this year..wingtips next year. Lots better.

 

[Hank S]

I have the Whelen Parmetheus landing light and LED belly strobe. Would love to replace my wingtip lights with combo lights & strobes. Whelen wants $410 for one and $457 for the other. I'm saving my pennies . . .

 

[ircphoenix]

I have the Parmethus plus landing light, Orion 650's nav/strobes in the wingtips and Orion 500 in the tail. I'm very happy with all of them.

I had the strobes sync'd, so that required the pulling of an additional wire. I do have a beep every time the strobes fire in my comms. It might be a wire routed from the Orion 500 passing near an antenna... so be cognizant of that if you have it done and make sure your mechanic checks for that before blessing it.

 

[ircphoenix]

What is the reasoning behind having the lights synced? Something to do with spatial disorientation in IMC?

.... nope. Just had to do with OCD. I didn't want all the lights firing at different intervals. I wanted them to flash together. =D

 

[SoCal RV Flyer]

It seems some of the LED strobes recommend shielded wire for radio noise suppression; others don't. I played it safe and went shielded on my Ztron Labs lights (no longer made and not TSO'd). Current draw is so low that I have the full arsenal of lights on all the time, including a Duck Works landing light.

 

[Timbeck2]

I've already installed a LED landing light but waiting on the Part 23 rewrite to install a new beacon and wing tip lights which will include strobes.

$679 experimental use only

$1263 for certified aircraft

Can YOU tell the difference?

 

[jsstevens]

I've already installed a LED landing light but waiting on the Part 23 rewrite to install a new beacon and wing tip lights which will include strobes.

$679 experimental use only

$1263 for certified aircraft

Can YOU tell the difference?

The certified version has MUCH heavier paperwork.

 

[Ted]

I put Whelen Orion wingtip/tail LED nav/strobe lights. They looked great and were extraordinarily bright. I received lots of compliments on them, and night flights proved them to be very visible when I was reported as traffic and instantly declared "in sight."

The plan is to put them in the 414 eventually, but that's one of those "eventually" priorities, rather than a "right now!" priority.