Strobe lights wires question

[OR75]

I need to change the power supplies of the strobe lights in my J model

I am thinking about replacing with a supply that has sync capability.   

How easy (or difficult) is it to pull a wire along the others in the wings leading edge. Panels seems to me to be far appart and access looks difficult, especially in the inboard half (to route wires through the stiffeners). I don't want this to become a big job just to get strobes syncing capability.

Any thoughts ? recommendation ? 

   

[Immelman]

Do you have wingtip strobes now? If so where are the power supplies? If they are out near the wingtips (as mine are), you can use the power wire that you'll be removing to pull the new strobe wire through.

If you aren't removing a wire and are running one all the way through from the wing root on out, the most tricky part will probably be the first few feet from wing root to outboard of the MLG, there is a "blind bay" with no inspection panel in that area you will go through. I went through this about a month ago when I added an OAT probe outboard of the MLG.

What I did was to use safety wire as a fish tape of sorts. Here are two tips that I learned the hard way:

1. Get a long length of safety wire, get your wire twisting pliers out, and twist up about a 6' length of wire. This will have the consisency and rigidity of fish tape, but has a nice small diameter, and you will be able to fish it through the grommets where your other wires (i.e. nav light power) runs as it goes through the wing ribs.

2. Its easy (as me how I know) to get the new wire (or fish tape) wraped around the aileron push/pull rod -- my IA caught this when he was inspecting my work after I'd installed the OAT probe -- oops, take it out, do it again!

[OR75]

Thanks.  Very helpful. The power supply is near the wingtip.  I will not remove the power wire as I will need it to feed the new power supply.  Also, the currently installed wires are not in one section: there is a cannon type connector somewhere near the middle. They are also "bundled" with the pitot heat wires and stall warning wire. The first few feet near the wing root is the difficult part indeed with the rods.

Is it easier to pull the wire from the wingtip toward the cabin or from the cabin to the wingtip ?

Thanks again for the great tips.

 

[Ron McBride]

When I had the Strobes installled on my 69F, they used a piece of pvc pipe as a conduit from the wing tips in, and then removed the pipe. This will have a lot less chence to strip the wire insulation off at each wing rib.

Ron