Whelen Orion's and annunciator panel

[flumag]

Who has migrated fully to Whelen LED lights (wings and tail) and took out all the old NAV and anti collision lights?

Running into an issue with the lower current draw of the NAV LED lights. Basically after switching them on and off they not going fully dark again. They stay at a lower intensity but you can clearly see they are on (especially at night). Also the dimming of the annunciator panel is interfering with that. This is due to the 5 volt output and how the dimming option of the annunciator panel works. The old light bulb NAV lights will not work at this 5 Volts and drained the current immediately. 

Does somebody running into that issue already and solved it?

Thanks Hendrik

[ArtVandelay]

You don’t say, I assume you have a J?

 

I’m all LEDs.

 

 

Tom

 

[Steve W]

I'm not an electrical engineer or an A&P or anything else... But if I'm remembering the circuit right presumably the solution would be a relay switched with the Nav lights that grounds the line from the Annunciator panel when the nav lights are off, simulating the low resistance of the old nav lights and connects the line to +V when the nav lights are on.

Of course, this is probably considered a major mod and requires engineering data, a full FAA approval and a 337.

 

[flumag]

1 hour ago, ArtVandelay said:

You don’t say, I assume you have a J?

I’m all LEDs.

Tom

In this case it's an 1980, 14V, M20K 

 

[ArtVandelay]

Look at the navigation lights switch, if you see 4 wires then one of the wires goes to the annunciator and is used to dim the gear down light.  If you cut this wire then that should solve your problems. In my case, my nav lights would be dimly lit when a charger was connected to the battery. The LEDs are diodes, the old incandescent lights act like resistors, the circuit doesn’t work right when diodes are used. If you cut the wrong wire, one of your nav lights will not light up.

[carusoam]

Complex challenge...

 

But, I can report...

the ‘94 Long Body also uses the nav light circuit to alter the brightness of part of the anunciator panel...

The gear down green light is dim with the nav lights on... much more See-able when the nav lights are off...

The circuitry in the annunciator panel is pretty complex... a full wiring diagram of all the complexity is in the maintenance manual...

 

Not sure if that is at all helpful for Hendrik... but, he is a pretty sharp guy.  

If somebody can make use out of one of my observations...  i’m Going to call it a win.  

 

Good luck and Best regards,

-a-