Recognition Lights

[Mooney_Allegro]

For the owners with Recog Lights....whenever you take your plane in for an avionics install, you need to advise your avionics shop not to keep the recognition lights on for very long.  During their noise interference testing, they'll turn on all of your lights, and will melt the recog light plastic covers if they don't know any better.  This is what happened to my plane. I was not happy. 

[ArtVandelay]

For the owners with Recog Lights....whenever you take your plane in for an avionics install, you need to advise your avionics shop not to keep the recognition lights on for very long.  During their noise interference testing, they'll turn on all of your lights, and will melt the recog light plastic covers if they don't know any better.  This is what happened to my plane. I was not happy. 

Wigwaging the rec lights fixes this problem.

[bradp]

Has anyone ever added a small set of LEDs to the main gear assembly?  It seems that with the miniaturization of these LED components, it could be a quick and easy additional lighting source for taxi / landing lights that would go away when you retracted your gear.  It would have to be installed with a nod from an AP as a minor mod or a 337, but I've been thinking about this a bit lately.  Another potential place could be in those aft landing gear fairings...  

[Airways]

On 1/13/2017 at 6:41 PM, StevenL757 said:

I spoke with Whelen sales and engineering on this awhile back (several months ago), and again today about this (along with other topics, such as the 90033 red anti-collision light LED replacement).  They confirmed they don't have anything active in the engineering pipeline for an LED replacement for the 70303 recognition light at this point, nor do they anticipate starting anything, as there simply isn't enough of a market.  They speculated that Mooney would probably be reluctant to engage, citing commitments to more critical projects in the pipeline.  Whelen did confirm the usage of the 14V light as the correct part for 28V airplanes, citing the presence of an in-line resistor, so the Mooney folks are correct, as the OP pointed out.

Whelen confirmed that bulb cannot be replaced individually, as it is "welded" into the mirrored/curved frame surrounding it.  The 70303 "pod" would need to ordered as a replacement.  IMHO, given the high replacement cost and low level of functionality that small light delivers, it really appears to be less-important or necessary, especially since the Ovations light up like Christmas trees already.  For those of us who have the Orion LED Nav lights, there may be more than enough lighting coverage to warrant leaving our recog. lights off all the time, but this is obviously a personal and safety-related decision.

Maybe LoPresti or another vendor would like to take on the challenge of a replacement, if not already underway...??

Last weekend at the Aero Friedrichshafen I had a chat with a rep from Whelen.  According to him the recognition light LED replacement should come out in 6 months.  So I guess that means they are on it...

[pwnel]

Many of us had hangar elves manufacture and fit these.   All Whelen really did was take stock projector lamps and bond them into reflectors which was custom shaped to fit the wingtip assembly. See here:

https://mooneyspace.com/topic/27678-ovation-recog-light-replacment-alternatives/

 

[StevenL757]

17 hours ago, Airways said:

Last weekend at the Aero Friedrichshafen I had a chat with a rep from Whelen.  According to him the recognition light LED replacement should come out in 6 months.  So I guess that means they are on it...

Interesting...do you remember with whom you spoke?  I'd like to follow up with engineering.  These have been something I've been after for quite awhile...along with others I'm sure.  Thanks for the note and follow-up.

Steve

[Airways]

I didn’t get his card nor name.  He was definitely a US citizen, dark blonde hair and very friendly. He was the only guy in the booth at the time.

[Pepperjet]

On 4/18/2019 at 4:24 AM, Airways said:

Last weekend at the Aero Friedrichshafen I had a chat with a rep from Whelen.  According to him the recognition light LED replacement should come out in 6 months.  So I guess that means they are on it...

Indeed...  Been over 6 months now and nothing on the Whelen website about it.  Probably be $300 for a $30 item anyway.

[Hank]

15 hours ago, Pepperjet said:

Indeed...  Been over 6 months now and nothing on the Whelen website about it.  Probably be $300 for a $30 item anyway.

Right now, LED recognition lights run $500-600 each. If Garmin lists theirs at half that price, they'll sell a lot of them (likely two for me, too).

[Pepperjet]

1 hour ago, Hank said:

Right now, LED recognition lights run $500-600 each. If Garmin lists theirs at half that price, they'll sell a lot of them (likely two for me, too).

Indeed, wasn't aware Garmin made wing tip recognition lights.  These wingtip rec lights can easily be made for less than $30 in parts.  Very tempted to go for an STC.

[carusoam]

1 hour ago, Pepperjet said:

Indeed, wasn't aware Garmin made wing tip recognition lights.  These wingtip rec lights can easily be made for less than $30 in parts.  Very tempted to go for an STC.

Pepper,

How familiar are you with either LED lights or the STC process?

LED recog lights would be great.  Current technology melts the lens when forgotten...

MS has a couple of STC writers around here...

on the same topic...

Best regards,

-a-

[Pepperjet]

27 minutes ago, carusoam said:

Pepper,

How familiar are you with either LED lights or the STC process?

LED recog lights would be great.  Current technology melts the lens when forgotten...

MS has a couple of STC writers around here...

Best regards,

-a-

Hello Carusoam,

Reasonably familiar with STC process, have done a few through the years.

May be able to put something together sometime after Christmas.

Have waited quite a while for some folks that have talked about it to do the wingtip rec lights, but it seems no one has got it done yet.

Many people are just switching to LED landing / taxi lights and calling it a day.  I like the looks of wingtip rec lights.  If inexpensive enough, perhaps a few folks might agree.

Thanks for the shout.

[aki009]

Before learning of the upcoming Whelen LED recognition light for Mooneys, some hangar elves went to town on a CAD program and a 3D printer and this prototype picture popped up. I hear they might be turning that into a professionally printed version using high temp plastic and a proper reflective surface, too...

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard aki!

Your hangar elves have great skills.

Looks like they have kept the wing tip in mint condition too.

Best regards,

-a-