Drop and Replace LED Landing Light

[Tommy]

Hi everyone!

 

I am doing my NVFR training in my 81 J and both my instructor and I found the landing light (the factory original incadenscnet) is quite dark. Almost makes no difference if I have it on or off! "Use the Force, Luke" is how I feel when I flare!

 

So what would be the brightest LED light bulb replacement on the market right now (14v)?

 

Thanks!

[LANCECASPER]

I put Teledyne Alphabeam Taxi/Landing lights in my M20R and the brightness is amazing.

 

In your case, the low current draw is also great for 14v airplanes.

 

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/teledynelandinglight.php?clickkey=5657

[chrisk]

I have heard good things about the Teledyne Alphabeam, but have no personal experience.  I've been hoping to find a sale on them, as $275 for a light bulb seems expensive, especially when the plane takes 2 (and regular PAR36 4509 replacements are about $10). 

[clh]

I have the parmethus (or however you spell Welen's light).  It is noticeable brighter than the 4509 it replaced. I mainly did it for the current draw, and I was tired of the ^%$& bulb being burned out when I needed it.

 

With all the electrical items running on board, the alternator was running very close to CB limit.  Now, the Ammeter barely moves.......

[Glenn]

Does anyone have a good sense of how these compare to LoPresti's Boom Beam?

[rbridges]

Does anyone have a good sense of how these compare to LoPresti's Boom Beam?

 

Isn't the Boom Beam an HID?  I believe those give off the most light and illuminate a greater distance.  Unless I'm thinking of something else, those require installation whereas the LED is a simple drop-in replacement.

[Glenn]

Isn't the Boom Beam an HID?  I believe those give off the most light and illuminate a greater distance.  Unless I'm thinking of something else, those require installation whereas the LED is a simple drop-in replacement.

The Boom Beam is an HID but older technology than the LEDs.  I was curious if the LEDs have surpassed its performance.

[rbridges]

I'm not sure about your last sentence.  I read an article a few years ago, and the HID was definitely brighter and lit up things further away.  I have a prometheus which is a few years old.  It works fine, but you can tell it's pattern is somewhat diffuse.  

[Shadrach]

I have a Xevision 55W HID.

http://www.xevision.com

It is way more light than I need, but it runs cool and draws about 2amps after start up. It is so bright that I feel bad for vehicles on I81 when I'm on approach. It will completely light up a semi's cab from .5miles

In the states, a landing light is not required equipment for night flight.

It's a good idea for recognition. However, during my primary training, my instructor made sure I was comfortable lading sans light. It's not a big deal.

[Shadrach]

The Boom Beam is an HID but older technology than the LEDs. I was curious if the LEDs have surpassed its performance.

Not sure if they have, but they certainly will.

[chrisk]

It's a good idea for recognition. However, during my primary training, my instructor made sure I was comfortable lading sans light. It's not a big deal.

 

 

On a  dark night , a short strip with dim side lighting, no painted markings and black pavement, I have trouble telling how high I am above the runway.  A little steep, and a little slow.  Maybe 3 more feet to go.  --No, it was one foot!  I then get the look from my wife.

[Tommy]

I think it's going to be a tussle between WHELEN PARMETHEUS and ALPHBEAM.

 

Does Alpha beam perform better than Whelen to justify the extra $50?

[graham28105]

In my old skyhawk I replaced the filament bulb with an LED. It was great. Plenty of light. No more burnt out bulbs. Yes, $250 is a lot, but still worth it. I will agree with Shadrach, learn to land without a light. It will keep you from focusing on the asphalt that is lit up. My best landings at night are without a light. Sad but true.

[Seth]

You have a few choices:

 

LED

-Whelen Paremtheus http://www.whelen.com/pb/Aviation/Product%20Sheets/Parmetheus_Series.pdf

-Alphabeam http://www.teledynelighting.com/products/alphabeam.asp

-AeroLEDs 36 or 46 (depending on your bulb size) HX and LX http://aeroleds.com/

-Grote Trilliant (not legal) http://www.grote.com/

 

The Grote is a tactor light that works just fine, but is not legal.  It is significantly less costly and I hear it is adequate from other boards.  

 

The newer  Whelen Paremtheus is brighter than the original, which in the par 46 size was okay but in the par 36 size, since smaller, had less didoes and thus was not bright enough for some board members.  

 

I chose the AeroLEDs as at the time (and I think still now) they were the brightest of the LEDs.  Also, unfortunatly, I think the most expensive.  The difference between the HX and LX are that the LX is simply an on off switch, like any other bulb.  The more expensive HX has already been set up so that as long as you run a third wire and connect it the battery, it has a built in pulse option (or if you have two light spots, a wig wag function.  So your lights can be on, off, pulse, or wig wag.  Nice setup in one small package without needing a ballast or external additional power unit (other than the wires feeding electricity).

 

If you just want an on off light, any will do.  If you have the smaller Par36 light, I would without question suggest the AeroLED.  If you want the ability to have your light pulse/blink, I'd go AeroED and get the one that does so and wire it that way.  You can always drop it in for now with the on/off function, and then when you are ready to tackle the wiring, wire it up.

 

My setup is where I have one LX bulb and one HX bulb.  They are both in my cowling under the prop.  So my landing light is the LX on/off.  My taxi light with a wider spread, is the HX on/off/blink.  

 

In flight I usually leave the taxi light blinking.   It's easier for other aircraft to spot me that way.  I need to have someone sit on the gound and let me know if you can see the blinking with the landing light on during the day.  At night, I leave both lights ON when landing.  

 

If I had the lights mounted in my wings, I would have hooked up a wig wag feature.

 

Even though I had two regular bulbs, they kept burning out and I had three no light landings.  It's good to practice it from time to time, but when you are at an unfamiliar airport at night, it is very difficult to taxi afterward with no landing/taxi light.  

 

The HID lights are the brightest, but it's now older techology requiring and install.  I decided to go LED Drop in replacement (with one extra wire and on/off/blink switch later for the taxi light).

 

Do let us know what you decide.  With Sun'n'fun going on  you may be able to get a nice discount even if not in attendance.  I got a similar discount during Oshkosh last year even though I did not attend.

 

-Seth

[Hank]

I bought my Whelen belly LED at Sun n Fun a couple years ago at a comparatively attractive price. The nice man at the Whelen booth sighed when I told him what I had that was dying, showed me what I needed and walked me down to a distributor who made the sale. Added a Parmetheus last year, a month or two before the new one came out. On final to a 5000' runway the numbers are clearly visible no later than 0.7 miles out. The brighter one should be even better.

[Shadrach]

On a  dark night , a short strip with dim side lighting, no painted markings and black pavement, I have trouble telling how high I am above the runway.  A little steep, and a little slow.  Maybe 3 more feet to go.  --No, it was one foot!  I then get the look from my wife.

 

This get's me to thinking. I was 24 during my primary instruction. I just turned 41 last week. Maybe I'd feel differently now.  My instructor was in in his 50s at the time. He wore bifocals and seemed to have no trouble.  

[LANCECASPER]

I think it's going to be a tussle between WHELEN PARMETHEUS and ALPHBEAM.

 

Does Alpha beam perform better than Whelen to justify the extra $50?

 

I first went with the original Whelen Parmetheus and they were no brighter than the incandescent, just drew much less current. Since the airport that I used to base at had a lot of deer at night I sold the Whelens and bought the Teledyne Alphabeams - well worth the difference!

[FBCK]

Avaition Consumer Gear of the year included the Aeroled Sunspot, but did say not alot of planes are approved for it at this point.

   

[ArtVandelay]

I first went with the original Whelen Parmetheus and they were no brighter than the incandescent, just drew much less current. Since the airport that I used to base at had a lot of deer at night I sold the Whelens and bought the Teledyne Alphabeams - well worth the difference!

I think they are much brighter and whiter, not so yellow, since I have 4, the price difference adds up, the original Parmetheus were $100 less.

[Seth]

 

Avaition Consumer Gear of the year included the Aeroled Sunspot, but did say not alot of planes are approved for it at this point.

   

 

I have a PMA letter from AeroLEDs.  The 36LX and 36HX I know are approved.  For the 46, my guess is it is, but do call them - they'll let you know.  If you go to their website and call they give great customer service.

[cujet]

Just a quick note, I recently tested 3 new Whelen Parmetheus Plus PAR36 bulbs. A 28V taxi, 28V landing and 14V landing. I also have an older (non plus) PAR36 Parmetheus 14V landing light. 

 

The 28V bulbs draw 0.66A

The 14V bulbs draw 1.32A

 

The Taxi light is not great. Plus version or not. It's spread is so wide, and throw so short, it's about useless, unless you need a very wide flood light. 

 

The older 14V Parmetheus is acceptably bright. But does dim if voltage drops below 13. It's not as bright as a 100W standard GE4509. However, since the LED color temperature is better, the illumination is not quite a spot beam, it is more pleasing to fly behind than a GE4509. 

 

The "Plus" versions are considerably brighter and regardless of 14V or 28V, all equally bright. They are "just right", do not overheat (a problem with some other brands) and they compare more than favorably to the standard GE landing lights in output and illumination. 

[jetdriven]

I have a Xevision 55W HID.

http://www.xevision.com

It is way more light than I need, but it runs cool and draws about 2amps after start up. It is so bright that I feel bad for vehicles on I81 when I'm on approach. It will completely light up a semi's cab from .5miles

In the states, a landing light is not required equipment for night flight.

It's a good idea for recognition. However, during my primary training, my instructor made sure I was comfortable lading sans light. It's not a big deal.

Our XeVision 55W is the same, it illuminates the TDZ markings from more than half a mile out on final.  Its 750K candlepower, albiet in a narrow beam.

 

Field approvals and minor alterations for HID's in the US is dead, but the OP lives in Australia, and he might be able to do it.

[StinkBug]

Whelen also makes some non-legal lights as well. A little birdie told me that this one works very well and is much brighter than the original incandescent. Judging by all the reviews it's also being mounted on a lot of aircraft. 

 

http://smile.amazon.com/Whelen-Engineering-PAR-46-Super-LED-Replacement/dp/B009LQG64S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429317185&sr=8-1&keywords=whelen+par+46

[jetdriven]

Just because it has no PMA doesn't automatically make it not legal

[Shadrach]

Our XeVision 55W is the same, it illuminates the TDZ markings from more than half a mile out on final.  Its 750K candlepower, albiet in a narrow beam.

 

Field approvals and minor alterations for HID's in the US is dead, but the OP lives in Australia, and he might be able to do it.

Any idea why they did this? Why the FAA wants to get involved in something as trivial as landing lights is beyond me. If they're wired up IAW standard practices and the specs are are equal to or better than OE, i can't see any logical reason why they'd put the kabosh on it.