LED Wing Light Question

[nippaero]

Question for you guys that have installed LED landing lights in your 170. Some of the LED manufacturers have both a taxi light and a landing light. It looks like the lens is different. Did you put one of each in your wing or did you install two of the landing lights?

I am looking at the Whelan Parmetheus PAR 36.

Landing Light
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/el ... lus362.php

Taxi Light
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/el ... lus363.php

[bagarre]

I installed a taxi led light and leave it on all the time for collision avoidance.

I left the landing light stock as LEDs have a narrow spectrum of light and tend to not punch thru the haze as well.
At least a few years ago, LEDs were very good at being seen but marginal at being able to see.

[nippaero]

Both of my lights operate on/off with a single switch. So I would leave them both on when needed for disability. I thought about getting the built in wig/wag or flashing capability but not sure if it's worth the extra money and I would have to run an additional wire and switch to operate the flashing modes.

[bagarre]

Yeah, I dont think wigwag is worth it unless you have left and right wing lights.

Running new wire to the landing lights is pretty easy and the switch is already double pole double position. Just need to remove a tab that blocks the up position.

Center Off, UP Taxi, DOWN Both.

If you plan to keep the single switch and run them for collision avoidance, I'd get both LED.

Also, Landing and Taxi lights are standard parts and need not be a $250 ordeal.
They are a standard GE 4509 bulb. Nothing special about them except that airplanes are the last thing on Earth that happens to use them.
A standard PAR36 replacement bulb that conforms to some standard (like SAE) is sufficient.

http://www.avweb.com/blogs/insider/AVWe ... 196-1.html

[nippaero]

Thanks. I wanted to go LED because of the high current draw. I don't like flying around with both lights. The generator has a hard time keeping up if the RPMs are low in the pattern. My main question was whether I should buy two Landing LED's or make one TAXI and one Landing LED light? It sounds like the TAXI light has a broader beam because of the lens.

[n3833v]

I have an LED for taxi and left my standard light for the landing. I also use it for collision avoidance.

John

[nippaero]

I'll have to go look at the original schematics and see how the 3 way switch was wired. Sounds like that might be a good idea.

[bagarre]

Thanks. I wanted to go LED because of the high current draw. I don't like flying around with both lights. The generator has a hard time keeping up if the RPMs are low in the pattern. My main question was whether I should buy two Landing LED's or make one TAXI and one Landing LED light? It sounds like the TAXI light has a broader beam because of the lens.

If the price is the same, I'd make one a wide beam (taxi) and the other narrow (landing).

If you search around on this site for piano keys, you will find out about the up position.

[strangebird]

I installed a landing and taxi light, both are Whelen LED Parmetheus , I got them for recognition more than anything else.

I bought them at Oshkosh last year and they were on sale, about $190 each,

Ff you are going to OSH shop around for deals or watch the websites for the vendors they may have OSH deals on line.

[flyboy122]

LED's are marked improvement over the old incandescent lights. However if you fly at night a lot you may want to look into a HID like the LoPresti BoomBeam. Like the LED they'll last forever, can be left on continuously, don't get hot, don't draw a lot of electricity, etc... However they'll blow the LED's away in the light department. You can compare wattages and lumens and all that stuff all you want, but in the real world the HID's just reach out and cut the dark better.

DEM

[Avee8or]

I did 1 of each on 11A. On my Navajo I put led landing lights on the wingtip (also use for recognition/anticollision) and left the incandescent lights (landing and taxi) on the nose gear. When bulbs burn out Ill go led. I agree the led lights dont seem to punch through mist, haze as well as the old bulbs but am very happy with long life and low current draw.

[hilltop170]

I have LEDs for taxi lights / Pulselites and incandescent landing lights. That combination allows adequate, wide, taxi light coverage, good Pulselite recognition with the LEDs, and good penetration and wider beam coverage on the landing lights. I am used to and I kinda like the more-yellow color of the incandescent light. The blue-ish tint of the LED light is annoying to me.

I have the old flash tube type wing and tail strobes.

If I was buying new wing and tail strobes, I would get the LED version instead of the flash tube version. I helped a friend install LED strobes on a C-206 and was impressed with the simplicity, single unshielded wire to the strobe, and no power supply boxes required. LED strobes do not actually have the same instantaneous strobe effect the flash tube does though. LEDs just turn on and off real fast but the difference is noticable. I don't know what effect that has on recognition but a longer strobe cycle might actually be beneficial, especially when they are first seen by an approaching aircraft.

[nippaero]

Quick question on the LED lights. Is that something an owner can replace and make a logbook entry for? No need for A&P sign off?

[nippaero]

I remember seeing somewhere on this forum the measurements for adjusting the landing lights. Now I can't seem to find them. Can someone point me to them again?

EDIT:
I found the diagram I was looking for. It was in the electrical service manual. It may be posted somewhere else on this forum as well.

[DaveF]

I've adjusted those things every which way but it never seems to make any difference.