Whelen Lights

[WDD]

Had my tail light (incandescent) burn out, and didn’t want to replace the bulb. Any replacement would be an LED, and and LED in a reflector housing made for an incandescent bulb doen’t always perform well.

I thought I’d just get a new unit and be done with it. Thought might as well try a Whelen.

Made the mistake of looking at it after it was plugged in. It was broad daylight. YIKES. That thing is BRIGHT.

Which creates a new problem. The wing nav lights and wing strobes - looking low rate now LOL.

 

[bnt83]

Strobes (including LEDs) everywhere during the day and shut them off when taxiing ramp & hangar areas during evenings, they are blindingly bright even at dusk & dawn.

 

[AV8R_87]

Any replacement would be an LED, and and LED in a reflector housing made for an incandescent bulb doen’t always perform well.

With position lights it's more about light blocking to accomplish the required viewing angles. The lenses don't really do much to focus the light into beams, like a car headlight would.
As such, a decent LED bulb in the old housing wouldn't do too bad.

 

[172andyou]

Had my tail light (incandescent) burn out, and didn’t want to replace the bulb. Any replacement would be an LED, and and LED in a reflector housing made for an incandescent bulb doen’t always perform well.

I thought I’d just get a new unit and be done with it. Thought might as well try a Whelen.

Made the mistake of looking at it after it was plugged in. It was broad daylight. YIKES. That thing is BRIGHT.

Which creates a new problem. The wing nav lights and wing strobes - looking low rate now LOL.

That's how they get you... Might as well give you the first one for free...

 

[Hang 4]

LED's are a great add. Less load, less electrical interference. I did strobe/nav light first as the conventional strobes made my mag sensor go wonky. Did the tail last.

 

[Ed Haywood]

Agreed, LEDs are a no brainer.

 

[Stewartb]

Had my tail light (incandescent) burn out, and didn’t want to replace the bulb. Any replacement would be an LED, and and LED in a reflector housing made for an incandescent bulb doen’t always perform well.

I thought I’d just get a new unit and be done with it. Thought might as well try a Whelen.

Made the mistake of looking at it after it was plugged in. It was broad daylight. YIKES. That thing is BRIGHT.

Which creates a new problem. The wing nav lights and wing strobes - looking low rate now LOL.

I recently sdded a Tail Beacon, which requires nav lights to remain on. I changed my switch breaker to a pull breaker and then changed wingtip lights to LEDs to reduce power draw. Everything works perfectly. Sprice has choices for nav light bulbs and carries clear domes if you choose colored bulbs, which I did. Pretty painless.

 

[AV8R_87]

Sprice ... carries clear domes if you choose colored bulbs, which I did.

A surprising amount of people neglect this little aspect. While the LED bulbs should have the same color spectrum as the transmissivity of the colored dome, some of them definitely benefit from clear lenses.
Also, white LEDs under colored domes doesn't work. Most white LEDs are blue chips with yellow-generating phosphors (some with a broader spectrum than others, resulting in better CRI), but they never excel at putting out red or green light.

 

[asicer]

Made the mistake of looking at it after it was plugged in. It was broad daylight. YIKES. That thing is BRIGHT.

Add sunglasses to your pre-flight kit.

 

[asicer]

While the LED bulbs should have the same color spectrum as the transmissivity of the colored dome, some of them definitely benefit from clear lenses.

Altezza lights!

Altezza lights - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[AV8R_87]

Altezza lights!

Eh...

Don't even get me started on red turn signals.

Since the thread already went in a handbrake spin, I still think this style looks better (or maybe the white frosted version with an amber bulb).

 

[Gary Ward]

With position lights it's more about light blocking to accomplish the required viewing angles. The lenses don't really do much to focus the light into beams, like a car headlight would.
As such, a decent LED bulb in the old housing wouldn't do too bad.

That's what I did, stuck a LED bulb in my rear light. It's been in there for 6-7 years now and is plenty bright IMO.
I also put LED in my under wing lights and in the ceiling light in the cabin.

Then this picture is with the hi dollar Whelen LED nav lights in the wing tips in the original fixtures.

 

[Joseph Hann]

Had my tail light (incandescent) burn out, and didn’t want to replace the bulb. Any replacement would be an LED, and and LED in a reflector housing made for an incandescent bulb doen’t always perform well.

I thought I’d just get a new unit and be done with it. Thought might as well try a Whelen.

Made the mistake of looking at it after it was plugged in. It was broad daylight. YIKES. That thing is BRIGHT.

Which creates a new problem. The wing nav lights and wing strobes - looking low rate now LOL.

I'm all LED on my PA32. Just do it!

 

[WDD]

Wig wags. Are they just normal wing tip strobes that have a wig wag pattern, or are they in addition to normal wing strobes?

 

[Hang 4]

Not strobes, landing lights. If you have one on each wingtip, they alternate flashing side to side. Only practical with LED’s.

 

[WDD]

Ah. So to get the wig wag, you’d need to add an addition to wing tip strobes a set of white lights that wig wag. Next to the red/green nav lights.

 

[AV8R_87]

So to get the wig wag, you’d need to add an addition to wing tip strobes a set of white lights that wig wag. Next to the red/green nav lights.

Usually on the wing leading edge, like a landing/taxi light.

Only practical with LED’s.

I recall flasher boxes that kept the filaments warm so the incandescent lights would light up faster and last longer.

But LEDs did make things a lot easier. Many moons ago (when those things eere still eye-watering expensive and rare) we were installing Whelen LED landing and recognition lights, with a flasher box that pulsed them in a crisscross pattern.
During the test flight, people called the police to report a UFO. I'm not kidding.

 

[Hang 4]

Ah. So to get the wig wag, you’d need to add an addition to wing tip strobes a set of white lights that wig wag. Next to the red/green nav lights.

If you don’t have a landing light on each leading edge, it’s going to be big $$ to add them just to wig wag.

 

[WDD]

Hear you. Yeah, my landing and taxi lights are under the prop on the nose.

Maybe I can get twice pulsing strobes or something. Like the idea is being as noticeable as possible.

 

[Hang 4]

If you don’t have LEDs for landing lights in your current nose, change to LED and just leave them on for the whole flight. Beauty of them is they last forever so no downside full time use.

 

[Bell206]

Like the idea is being as noticeable as possible.

Pulse Lites or similar kits work with conventional bulbs in locations just as yours and provide a noticeable difference for head-on protection. They work so good its standard equipment on most helicopters and even has been proven to prevent bird strikes.

 

[GoFly]

Added FlyLED lights to my RV8 and it made a huge difference. All the strobes are very bright and noticible, as are the red/green position lights. With LED landing lights at each wingtip, wigwag was simple. And the tiny plane is easy to spot even in broad daylight with all the flashing lights

 

[WDD]

If you don’t have LEDs for landing lights in your current nose, change to LED and just leave them on for the whole flight. Beauty of them is they last forever so no downside full time use.

I do and I do

 

[Gary Ward]

If you don’t have LEDs for landing lights in your current nose, change to LED and just leave them on for the whole flight. Beauty of them is they last forever so no downside full time use.

I have doing the same since 2018, my 172N has a taxi and landing light. I switched them to Whelen LED taxi and landing lights years ago. Very worthwhile upgrade, My taxi light never get's turned off for visibility. 1400+ hobbs hours now on all my LED bulbs.

 

[asicer]

Maybe I can get twice pulsing strobes or something. Like the idea is being as noticeable as possible.

 

[M20K]

Check out www.gallagheraviationllc.com

They had a sale a few weeks ago, but I don't know how long it lasted. But even if not on sale, their prices are generally pretty good and they'll work with you to make sure you get the right light Part# for your plane.

 

[ateamer]

Added FlyLED lights to my RV8 and it made a huge difference. All the strobes are very bright and noticible, as are the red/green position lights. With LED landing lights at each wingtip, wigwag was simple. And the tiny plane is easy to spot even in broad daylight with all the flashing lights

I put FlyLED landing lights in my RV-8 to replwce the original incandescent. Big difference, and a top-quality product for a great price. I wish I could put their lights in my Cessna. It’s lame that we can’t.

 

[AvNavCom]

My PA-28 is fully strobed up, including both tail and belly beacons. Interestingly, I have a little pulsing of the landing light and and a slight high-pitched squeak in my headphones with the beacons activated. Not sure what that's about, but it's not bothersome.

 

[Pinecone]

Wig wags. Are they just normal wing tip strobes that have a wig wag pattern, or are they in addition to normal wing strobes?

I have not seen strobes that would be set to alternate. Most allow synching so that they flash together. While I prefer this, and mine do, tests have shown that no synch (they fire randomly) attracts attention better.

I have my nose taxi light and the wing tip recognition lights set to wig wag. So the two recog come on together and when they are off, the taxi light is on.

I have a Whelen flasher module, so when the Pulse switch is on, I get wig wag. If I turn either dedicated switch on, the light goes on steady. So after landing at night, if I turn the taxi light on, it comes on steady but the recogs still flash

 

[AV8R_87]

I have not seen strobes that would be set to alternate.

I recall the Comet flash (one main pulse, three weaker pulses) Whelen power supplies could be set to alternate, with an increased amount of energy delivered to each light.

 

[WDD]

Although my taxi and landing lights are close together- under the prop in the cowl - I wonder if wig wagging them would none the less still boost visibility.

 

[Gary Ward]

Although my taxi and landing lights are close together- under the prop in the cowl - I wonder if wig wagging them would none the less still boost visibility.

My buddy tells me he can see me from miles away on final with both led landing lights on.
The taxi light I never turn off, 1400+ hobbs hours now.

There are shims/spacers that need to go in the right spots for correct mounting. The lights are different on the light distribution. Taxi verse landing.

Both Whelen taxi and landing light on. The landing light is spaced to shine much farther out in front of the plane.
I like having my landing light in the cowl verses the wings. Helps me see the center line better.

This is what they pull amps wise.

 

[Bell206]

I wonder if wig wagging them would none the less still boost visibility.

Yes. So much so they modify the landing lights on most helicopters to provide that ability even though the lights are under the nose or they add additional lights for it. There is also research going back 15+ years that pulsating light repel birds in flight.

 

[Ed Haywood]

There is also research going back 15+ years that pulsating light repel birds in flight.

Plenty of birds where I fly. Seabirds at ground level, raptors and turkey vultures at 1K. I am amazed at their ability to see and avoid. They have some kind of built in radar. The raptors and vultures do this badass 3/8 roll and pull. Love watching it at eye level.

 

[baboss]

I’ve got a Pulselite flasher on my Skyhawk. Landing light/taxi light right next to each other in the left wing. I run them as soon as I start taxi’ing, day or night. The Pulselite unit has 2 speeds.
They used to alternate/wig wag but I changed it to pulse both lights at the same time. I think it’s more effective with the lights so close together.

 

[M20K]

Just the taxi light that I never turn off, 1400+ hobbs hours now.

You might want to do a little research on your Landing vs Taxi light angle. Some planes have a more downward tilt to the Landing light, especially if the plane typically taxis nose high.

So you may get a LOT more visibility in flight with the Landing light on instead of the Taxi light. And if they're both LED now, just leave everything on! Even before I went to LED I would turn everything on when I was below 10K.

 

[WDD]

I just leave all lights on in flight. LEDs - not pulling much power, so why not.

 

[Groundpounder]

Although my taxi and landing lights are close together- under the prop in the cowl - I wonder if wig wagging them would none the less still boost visibility.

You could just have one of them pulse.

 

[WDD]

You could just have one of them pulse.

Heck - I’ll just flip the switch a lot when landing…..

 

[AV8R_87]

Heck - I’ll just flip the switch a lot when landing…..

I had a loose wire on my landing light. Should've left it that way.