PSA Paddle Bulbs

[Guitarmaster]

I installed the PSA paddle bulbs and the results are great!  They are considerably brighter than the incandescents and with better color depth.  The best part, 6A of power gone, replaced by .75A.  88% decrease. Thats huge!  Especially with 40-year-old wiring.
 

Here are a few pics.

 

[HRM]

For those of you wondering what a "paddle bulb" (yes, it's a new terminology) is.

 

[Yetti]

so just so people know it is kind of cheating to take pictures of LED performance with a digital camera.  The CCD in the digital cameras are very sensitive to LED as they are on the same light wave temperature path.    Do those have some strobe in them or just red and green?

[bonal]

I was looking at those on spruce I may be mistaken but thought they were not approved for certified airplaines 

[jetdriven]

Viewed dead on they look really bright. But the brightness near the edge of the field of view is terrible. LEDs are highly directional. Seeing as their primary purpose is for you to be seen, it represents a substantial hazard. 

[Yetti]

Can anyone find the TSO or PMA for the Grimes A1285-G-12?   I think that will be the answer to if LED bulbs are legal.

[DXB]

Recently saw some of these installed as NAV lights on the F of another poster here - Even without changing to the recommended clear covers in the pix above, I was surprised at how bright they were at the wingtip across a wide viewing angle - Certainly didn't seem any worse than the incandescent when viewed from behind - I imagine this would be pretty easy to quantify for the FAA?.  

I have an itch to get these now - just waiting for someone to make them legal...so I can pay 10x as much .

[N201MKTurbo]

I don't get everyone's obsession with LED lights. Sure, replacing a landing light to reduce current draw so your old circuit breaker doesn't blow is a good thing. But why replace a perfectly good nav light? The incandescent lights work fine and after 5000 hours of mooney ownership I have replaced two. The incandescent bulbs are not that expensive and I think they are cheaper then the LEDs. 

Do some of you lay awake at night worrying about getting T-boned at night because of your incandescent nav lights?

Edited January 3, 2016 by N201MKTurbo

[Guitarmaster]

1 hour ago, Yetti said:

so just so people know it is kind of cheating to take pictures of LED performance with a digital camera.  The CCD in the digital cameras are very sensitive to LED as they are on the same light wave temperature path.    Do those have some strobe in them or just red and green?

It is true that digital cameras are sensitive to LED.  I can say this though, it is very hard to look straight at them.  Comparing the grimes to these, they are more brilliant.  Also, the digital camera does not capture the depth of color.

No, they do not strobe.  Anything that functions differently would not be a direct replacement.  

[Guitarmaster]

1 hour ago, jetdriven said:

Viewed dead on they look really bright. But the brightness near the edge of the field of view is terrible. LEDs are highly directional. Seeing as their primary purpose is for you to be seen, it represents a substantial hazard. 

This was a concern of mine as well.  The early ones suffered from this problem.  These actually have CREE LEDs along the edge.  They are very bright all through the field of view.  

[Guitarmaster]

46 minutes ago, DXB said:

Recently saw some of these installed as NAV lights on the F of another poster here - Even without changing to the recommended clear covers in the pix above, I was surprised at how bright they were at the wingtip across a wide viewing angle - Certainly didn't seem any worse than the incandescent when viewed from behind - I imagine this would be pretty easy to quantify for the FAA?.  

I have an itch to get these now - just waiting for someone to make them legal...so I can pay 10x as much .

This is what came with the bulb.  They are not TSO, but they do satisfy the requirements.  Is the Grimes light TSO?  Just wondering.  I pulled an automotive bulb out of the tail. 
 

 

[Guitarmaster]

27 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I don't get everyone's obsession with LED lights. Sure, replacing a landing light to reduce current draw so your old circuit breaker doesn't blow is a good thing. But why replace a perfectly good nav light? The incandescent lights work fine and after 5000 hours of mooney ownership I have replaced two. The incandescent bulbs are not that expensive and I think they are cheaper then the LEDs. 

Do some of you lay awake at night worrying about getting T-boned at night because of your incandescent nav lights?

For me, its two-pronged.  Better brilliance from the light.  IMO, the LED lights get your attention far better than an incandescent.  
The big one is current draw.  It may be overkill, but with a 40-year-old airplane (and wiring to go with it) pulling 6A for three bulbs with all the heat associated with that, is worth it to me.  

For sure the Grimes is less expensive, but as someone who loves electronics and designing circuits, I see benefits to the more expensive bulb.  

Of course, it may all be just be in my head.  Trust me, you DON'T want to go there!  

[kmyfm20s]

Changing landing and taxi lights on long bodies is a real PITA. I like flying with taxi lights on so when the first one burnt out I replaced them with LED's so I don't have to do it again. I haven't had the need to replace Nav lights but if I did I would prefer an LED option.

[Yetti]

I think I would have just put "replaced starboard nav light, verified operation, continue in service"  

[rbridges]

46 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I don't get everyone's obsession with LED lights. Sure, replacing a landing light to reduce current draw so your old circuit breaker doesn't blow is a good thing.

For me, it was knowing that the bulb wouldn't blow when I needed it.  The landing light had a knack for blowing at inopportune times.  I'd like to replace my other lights as needed, but I'll do it as they go bad.

[Marauder]

I don't get everyone's obsession with LED lights. Sure, replacing a landing light to reduce current draw so your old circuit breaker doesn't blow is a good thing. But why replace a perfectly good nav light? The incandescent lights work fine and after 5000 hours of mooney ownership I have replaced two. The incandescent bulbs are not that expensive and I think they are cheaper then the LEDs. 

Do some of you lay awake at night worrying about getting T-boned at night because of your incandescent nav lights?

Spoken like a true Cheap Bast$&d! I am nominating you for the CB of the month award!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ArtVandelay]

Bright lights also help in low light conditions.

It depends on the value of your plane if you think it's worth it.

[N201MKTurbo]

If Thomas Edison had invented the LED and we had been using LEDs sense the Wright brothers. When someone In the 21st century finally invented the incandescent light, everybody would be getting rid of their old fashioned LEDs and putting In the new lights...

[kmyfm20s]

40 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

If Thomas Edison had invented the LED and we had been using LEDs sense the Wright brothers. When someone In the 21st century finally invented the incandescent light, everybody would be getting rid of their old fashioned LEDs and putting In the new lights...

If a fragile filament, high heat out put and high energy usage where what was desirable in the 21st century, you would be right.

[slowflyin]

I use led lights for recognition.   I've been waiting on my GE landing light to fail so I can replace it.  I'll be prepared when the GE craps out in flight because the  wingtip led lights illuminate the runway in my peripheral when it's time to start the flair.   

[LANCECASPER]

52 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

If Thomas Edison had invented the LED and we had been using LEDs sense the Wright brothers. When someone In the 21st century finally invented the incandescent light, everybody would be getting rid of their old fashioned LEDs and putting In the new lights...

• Spoken in true ignorance . . .
• Edison's first incandescents lasted seconds, then minutes, finally hours. LED's last thousands of hours or decades - as long as the airplane or longer. I think that's called progress. One less thing to worry about once they're changed. Added benefits are more light and less current draw.  I've changed landing lights in the wing too many times. One day people will laugh about how primitive and fragile the incandescent light bulb was. Oh yeah, that day is now.

Edited January 3, 2016 by LANCECASPER

[kmyfm20s]

Is a whale oil lantern out of the question or is that reserved for the 22nd century?:)

[LANCECASPER]

I have Alphabeam Taxi and Landing lights - fantastic lights!

Edited March 7, 2016 by LANCECASPER

[Shadrach]

13 hours ago, jetdriven said:

Viewed dead on they look really bright. But the brightness near the edge of the field of view is terrible. LEDs are highly directional. Seeing as their primary purpose is for you to be seen, it represents a substantial hazard. 

Negative. Perhaps you're referring to the cheap $30 paddles.  I have seen the PSA viewed in a dark hangar compared to a an incandescent in the other wing.  Same if not slightly larger light foot print and a noticably brighter.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Shadrach

[bradp]

At the recent Mooney fly in we compared the PSA paddles on another aircraft with my incandescent bulbs (they were parked side by side).  The paddles were notably brighter at all viewing angles including including at 90 and 120-degrees.   But this is only with my eyes, which I guess is what are supposed to view these position lights in the first place.  :-)