Whelen at Oshkosh 2018

[NotarPilot]

Has anyone had a chance to stop by Whelen to find out if it’s true that they’re developing a new par 46 landing light to compete with the AeroLEDS Sunspot, which is far brighter?  I’m getting close to pulling the trigger (again) on my third LED landing light since 2012.  I’m really thinking of getting a Sunspot.  The Parmetheus Plus was only barely noticeably brighter than the original Parmetheus.

[MIm20c]

I’m planning on checking out both companies tomorrow. I have the original Parmetheus and need a brighter one. There is a sunspot 46 that is 24 volt only that is very bright and I hope they update that light for 12 volt usage. 

[donkaye]

On 7/24/2018 at 11:00 PM, NotarPilot said:

Has anyone had a chance to stop by Whelen to find out if it’s true that they’re developing a new par 46 landing light to compete with the AeroLEDS Sunspot, which is far brighter?  I’m getting close to pulling the trigger (again) on my third LED landing light since 2012.  I’m really thinking of getting a Sunspot.  The Parmetheus Plus was only barely noticeably brighter than the original Parmetheus.

Last year I went to the Whelen booth and the representatives were not very friendly, as though they were doing me a favor by buying their lights .  I went over to the AeroLeds booth and not only were they cordial, but they demonstrated on the ceiling a comparison of my GE 4596 bulb against their 1030-4596.  It was stunningly bright.  Much brighter than my old incandescent 20 hour useful life bulb.  Just what I was looking for.  I went over to Spencer and bought both the 1030-4596 landing light and 1030-4597 taxi light.  They were expensive, but much cheaper here at Oshkosh.  In addition to the Oshkosh discount, I think I was given an additional 15% discount.  Unbelievable lights.  I keep the taxi lights on all the time in pulse mode (Precise Fight Pulser).  If I had it to do over again I might just buy all 1030-4596 and skip the 1030-4587 taxi lights.  They do give a much wider beam, but display not as far the 1030-4596.

[NotarPilot]

5 hours ago, MIm20c said:

I’m planning on checking out both companies tomorrow. I have the original Parmetheus and need a brighter one. There is a sunspot 46 that is 24 volt only that is very bright and I hope they update that light for 12 volt usage. 

Looks like the Sunspot can do 9 to 40 volts.

[MIm20c]

This is the one that I’d put down 6-700 for  

[NotarPilot]

That’s twice as bright! Please post what they tell you about this for a 14V System.

[Marauder]

Looks like the Sunspot can do 9 to 40 volts.

You got to keep an eye out for what it will do at different voltages. They show the current at 2.5 amps at 28VDC. That means it will draw 5 amps at 14VDC — if it produces the same lumens.


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[Marauder]

That’s twice as bright! Please post what they tell you about this for a 14V System.

On a 14 VDC system that will be around 11 amps.


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[MIm20c]

1 hour ago, Marauder said:

 

On a 14 VDC system that will be around 11 amps.


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I think the OE was around 20 amps?  The system/wiring should easily handle it. 

[Marauder]

4 minutes ago, MIm20c said:

I think the OE was around 20 amps?  The system/wiring should easily handle it. 

The breaker is a 20 amp. I don't think it is an issue of handling. Just one of the values of these LEDs is supposed to be the low amperage draws so you can fly around with them on all the time. Once they start drawing a fair amount of juice, you need to start looking at them for heat issues and/or power draw if you lose your alternator.

[MIm20c]

Whalen has a new model coming out that is 50% brighter vs the plus.  Date of certification pushed to dec/Jan. Uses 8 leds and draws less power vs the plus. 

 

Talked to the main engineer at areoleds and when he returns from osh his first project is to convert the 4580 to 12 volt. On my list to buy as soon as it’s released. 

[tony]

I have the sunspot.  I absolutely love it.  You should be able to find it for $575 if you search hard enough

[Seth]

On 7/25/2018 at 9:27 AM, donkaye said:

Last year I went to the Whelen booth and the representatives were not very friendly, as though they were doing me a favor by buying their lights .  I went over to the AeroLeds booth and not only were they cordial, but they demonstrated on the ceiling a comparison of my GE 4596 bulb against their 1030-4596.  It was stunningly bright.  Much brighter than my old incandescent 20 hour useful life bulb.  Just what I was looking for.  I went over to Spencer and bought both the 1030-4596 landing light and 1030-4597 taxi light.  They were expensive, but much cheaper here at Oshkosh.  In addition to the Oshkosh discount, I think I was given an additional 15% discount.  Unbelievable lights.  I keep the taxi lights on all the time in pulse mode (Precise Fight Pulser).  If I had it to do over again I might just buy all 1030-4596 and skip the 1030-4597 taxi lights.  They do give a much wider beam, but display not as far the 1030-4596.

Couldn’t agree more.  I love my AeroLED Landing and Taxi lights.  My taxi light can pulse if wanted and my landing light is on/off only.  

 

I have the PAR 36 lights.

-Seth

Edited July 27, 2018 by Seth

[Hank]

The Whelen guys were very nice to me several Sun n Funs ago. The guys in the big trailer invited me to an evening party after the show; in the hangar, he didn't laugh when I gave him the model number of my intermittent flashing beacon, just mumbled "wow, that's old" and took me to a dealer's booth and told that guy what I needed. As they were running my card for the sale, the tornado hit . . . .

I ordered the Parmetheus landing light from Spruce a few years later, when my GE bulb finally blew between evening preflight and 3-hour-later landing. It works well enough for me out in the country, I can usually read the numbers by 300 agl, and the Landing Light switch is rarely ever turned off anymore.

[NotarPilot]

8 hours ago, tony said:

I have the sunspot.  I absolutely love it.  You should be able to find it for $575 if you search hard enough

I’ve looked pretty hard at the price for the Sunspot seems to be consistent among sellers at around $650 everywhere that sells them.  Would you mind sharing the location or website where it’s available for $575?

[tony]

23 minutes ago, NotarPilot said:

I’ve looked pretty hard at the price for the Sunspot seems to be consistent among sellers at around $650 everywhere that sells them.  Would you mind sharing the location or website where it’s available for $575?

I got mine from wicks about a year ago.  I just looked at their website and it says call from quote.  I quick internet search and the cheapest I see today is $650.  Guess I got lucky.

[donkaye]

If you are at AirVenture, go to Spencer Aircraft and ask them about a discount.  Thais where I got mine last year.

[Oldguy]

I bought the landing light for my C172 at Sun-n-Fun, and when I got home, discovered it was for the wrong voltage. Went back the next year after selling the plane and buying the Mooney, and they swapped it for the larger size I needed for the Mooney. No hassle and no charge even though there was a significant price delta.

They will have to work hard to lose my business.

[LANCECASPER]

On 7/27/2018 at 3:52 AM, NotarPilot said:

I’ve looked pretty hard at the price for the Sunspot seems to be consistent among sellers at around $650 everywhere that sells them.  Would you mind sharing the location or website where it’s available for $575?

I can get it for you for $585 including shipping. 

[PTK]

Curious about something that caught my eye:

Spruce shows the Parmetheus Plus as 1.2 amps at 14 V which calculates to putting out 17 watts.

The Sunspot discussed in this thread at 14v comes in at 11 amps which is 154 watts!

I wonder is there really that much variation in these lights? The Sunspot for example is really ~10x brighter? Or is there a typo somewhere.

 

[NotarPilot]

12 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

I can get it for you for $585 including shipping. 

Much appreciated Lance.  I think I’m going to wait and see what Whelen comes out with at the end of the year OR I might go with the AeroLEDS 4580.  Ideally what I’d like to do is buy the 14V AeroLEDS 4580 and the forecoming new Whelen light at the same time, do a side by side comparison and return the inferior light while keeping the brighter one.

If I ultimately do that I’ll take photos and post the results for you candela aficionados out there (Eh hem, Maurader).  

 

On 7/26/2018 at 8:33 AM, MIm20c said:

Whalen has a new model coming out that is 50% brighter vs the plus.  Date of certification pushed to dec/Jan. Uses 8 leds and draws less power vs the plus. 

 

Talked to the main engineer at areoleds and when he returns from osh his first project is to convert the 4580 to 12 volt. On my list to buy as soon as it’s released. 

 

[LANCECASPER]

5 minutes ago, NotarPilot said:

Ideally what I’d like to do is buy the 14V AeroLEDS 4580 and the forecoming new Whelen light at the same time, do a side by side comparison and return the inferior light while keeping the brighter one.

If I ultimately do that I’ll take photos and post the results for you candela aficionados out there (Eh hem, Maurader).  

My experience with Whelen is that they are a decent product but they have had the airplane and emergency market sown up for so long that they got complacent. Whelen should never have allowed the first Parmetheus to go to market - it just wasn't up to the task. Even the Parmetheus Plus which was 40% brighter didn't come close to what AeroLed was selling for a similar price. From my experience AeroLed is in a different league than Whelen. 

With most sellers they will charge you a restocking fee for taking the other light back if it wasn't defective.

[NotarPilot]

1 hour ago, LANCECASPER said:

My experience with Whelen is that they are a decent product but they have had the airplane and emergency market sown up for so long that they got complacent. Whelen should never have allowed the first Parmetheus to go to market - it just wasn't up to the task. Even the Parmetheus Plus which was 40% brighter didn't come close to what AeroLed was selling for a similar price. From my experience AeroLed is in a different league than Whelen. 

With most sellers they will charge you a restocking fee for taking the other light back if it wasn't defective.

I couldn’t agree with you more regarding your comments about Whelen’s landing light.  I will say I have all the “Orion” series lights and they are excellent products.

[Raptor05121]

19 hours ago, PTK said:

The Sunspot discussed in this thread at 14v comes in at 11 amps which is 154 watts!

I wonder is there really that much variation in these lights? The Sunspot for example is really ~10x brighter? Or is there a typo somewhere.

 

Yes, it really is. Last SnF I compared whelen's landing light to AeroLEDs and the AeroLEDs is the ONLY one that is brighter (both in luminous intensity, candlepower, and overall perceived brightness) than the stock 250W GE Halogen.

[eman1200]

Stupid question but is the whelen par 46 truly a drop-in replacement for the old GE landing light....wiring, breaker etc..?