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1966 M20E Instrument panel post lighting


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My introduction into aircraft ownership was with my recent purchase of a 1966 M20E.

My instrument panel is missing several post lights which are located at each instrument.

I would like to purchase additional post lights to have on hand if needed.

Does anyone have a recommendation for where to purchase these lights?

MooneyPanel.jpg

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Checking out your panel to compare with my original. I see you put the GPS in the old glove box. Nice fit. Curious why you seem to have two DG?  Also, what’s this thing that seems to be a speaker in the cigarette lighter receptacle?  Sorry, curiosity has me being nosy...

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Hi Nukemzzz,

I recently took delivery of the aircraft and dont know the answers...it was this way when I bought it.

I suspect the speaker thing provides power to the GPS.  I've only begun to learn what the 496 can do...wondering if it has some ability to pick up satellite radio or the like.

It's 1 DG (on the left) and 2 compasses...the wet compass needs some work as it is 10 degrees off.

 

I've got a list of things I'd like to do that will break the bank so I'll have to go slowly...one of them is to install the instrument ring lighting that sandwiches b/t the plastic and the instrument....until I get around to doing that I will continue using the original post lights.

I'd be interested in buying yours.

Also, does your PC work?

Did you have to do anything to yours?

Mine does not work and I want to begin trouble shooting the system soon.

Oh and how about your radios?

My KX155 is fritzy...an avionics shop replaced the photocell and did something else but the display starts bugging out once it gets warmed up.

 

What all did you do? 

And what did it cost?

 

I just began installing a preheat system by Reiff

And my EGT is not working...gauge is broken and probe was broken.

Ordered a new EGT kit with gauge and probe that should arrive Wednesday -- told Santa all i wanted this year was stuff to improve my airplane lol.

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Congrats on your first posts, QRC!

Why did you wait so long?

So much to catch up on...

Everybody gets to learn something about finding leaks in the Brittain system...   :)

Find the search function, lots has been written on how it can be done...

I put LED post lights from Whelen in my old M20C... but there is stuff to know about proper dimming techniques to go with that... purchased from AS.

Best regards,

-a-

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Hi Carusoam

It took painfully longer than i expected from the time i knew I wanted a Mooney and when I was actually able to take delivery of my M20E.

I've used the site for reference and research but will now get more involved as I finally have an airplane.

Maybe its like being a guest vs. the member of a club.

I recall reading a post about the PC system that led to an article by an A&P about trouble shooting the system.

I'll revisit those.

How do you like the LED post lights?

Are you completely satisfied with them?

Would you do the same again if for some reason you were to do again?

Thanks

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Hi QRC_M20E, and welcome from me as well.

Even if breaking the bank weren't the reason for going slow on upgrades, it's still a good approach. Keeping the aircraft airworthy and legal is Priority One.  Preventing expensive problems via proper preventive maintenance is Priority Two.  Everything else is icing on the cake. It's an ongoing sort of fun to gradually make your aircraft newer. Going slowly will give you a chance to absorb a lot of information and come up with new ideas you hadn't thought of initially.

The KX-155 is still ubiquitous and with proper care it will stay in service for many years to come.  You can get a fairly inexpensive LED upgrade for the display and never have to worry about it again.  https://www.kx155display.com/product/kx-155-display-oled-replacement/  This is an aftermarket upgrade and is much cheaper than the official Bendix/King upgrade. They also refurbish anything that needs refurbushed.

From that nice high-res photo of your panel it looks like you'll need to upgrade your transponder to an ADS-B.

 

 

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2 hours ago, Bob E said:

From that nice high-res photo of your panel it looks like you'll need to upgrade your transponder to an ADS-B.

Only if QRC_M20E wants to fly in rule airspace.  I personally don't have $2,000-$6,000 to spend on replacing my transponder right now, so I am opting to remain outside of that rule airspace until I can get that money together.  (the only real complaint I have is staying below 10,000ft.  I don't have any charlie or bravo airports I frequent).

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Btw, My name is Arnold...not accustomed to being referred to as the username I established for this site lol.

 

Bob E

OMG! Thank you for the link

I'm totally getting this.  Do you have personal experience with this upgrade?

I had ADSB-B installed in the tail beacon -- its the uAvionics beacon which claims to work with any Mode C or S transponder.

https://www.chiefaircraft.com/uav-tail-beacon-certified.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAz4b_BRBbEiwA5XlVVgGOaEFIs4ZHuQi1mp-JjTrWKU1jsXXoFGVVTqABy5w26dT4b4KoIxoC0EAQAvD_BwE

I've flown inside the JFK class B vail with flight following and New York center did not comment otherwise so I assume its working properly.

cctsurf i understand how you feel.

I'd like to upgrade my transponder also but the one i have works fine and Ive been saving for instrument training so fixing the display on the KX155 becomes essential.

 

Regards

 

 

 

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22 hours ago, Arnold D said:

My introduction into aircraft ownership was with my recent purchase of a 1966 M20E.

My instrument panel is missing several post lights which are located at each instrument.

I would like to purchase additional post lights to have on hand if needed.

Does anyone have a recommendation for where to purchase these lights?

MooneyPanel.jpg

Your panel brings back memories of my 66 E model that I flew for a while before upgrading it.

Clarence

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23 hours ago, Arnold D said:

Hi Nukemzzz,

I recently took delivery of the aircraft and dont know the answers...it was this way when I bought it.

I suspect the speaker thing provides power to the GPS.  I've only begun to learn what the 496 can do...wondering if it has some ability to pick up satellite radio or the like.

It's 1 DG (on the left) and 2 compasses...the wet compass needs some work as it is 10 degrees off.

 

I've got a list of things I'd like to do that will break the bank so I'll have to go slowly...one of them is to install the instrument ring lighting that sandwiches b/t the plastic and the instrument....until I get around to doing that I will continue using the original post lights.

I'd be interested in buying yours.

Also, does your PC work?

Did you have to do anything to yours?

Mine does not work and I want to begin trouble shooting the system soon.

Oh and how about your radios?

My KX155 is fritzy...an avionics shop replaced the photocell and did something else but the display starts bugging out once it gets warmed up.

 

What all did you do? 

And what did it cost?

 

I just began installing a preheat system by Reiff

And my EGT is not working...gauge is broken and probe was broken.

Ordered a new EGT kit with gauge and probe that should arrive Wednesday -- told Santa all i wanted this year was stuff to improve my airplane lol.

The list of things I’ve done to this plane since I bought it and flew it home Jan 1 2020 is too long to list here. But I’ll be posting it soon as tomorrow appears to be test flight day after I grounded it in March for a cracked engine case. I think I’m pretty close to having the worst post buy experience in history but I’m coming out the back side with something I’ve been completely through and trust to be safer and less maintenance going forward. My panel looked almost like yours. Unrecognizable now. Lol. Also installed a transponder and engine monitor with fuel flow. My EGT didn’t work when I bought the plane so installed an engine monitor. Fixed my PC and Brittain autopilot (I hope). I needed 4 servo boots replaced. 
 

439DFEAC-8B2C-476F-ADF9-B0206FDDEC6F.jpeg

 

EBDE437C-42DD-43A7-82AE-71F6B2653EB0.jpeg

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Arnold, I removed all the post lights when I redid a bunch of things in the panel, including putting in the Nulites on the ASI, VSI, and altimeter. I think I still have the post lights laying around, I'll check the next time I'm at the hangar. If they are still there you are welcome to have them. 

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10 hours ago, Arnold D said:

I'm totally getting this.  Do you have personal experience with this upgrade?

No, I upgraded my 155 to an LED a few years ago before this new upgrade was available.  The only obvious difference I can see is that the expensive official upgrade uses LEDs that are indistinuishable from the old gas plasma display -- same orange color, same look -- so if you have two 155's like I do and upgrade only one, they will still match.  But the cost of this new upgrade is so low that I could have upgraded both my 155's for less than the price of one official upgrade.  Plus I like the newer look of the white LED display.

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9 hours ago, Bob E said:

No, I upgraded my 155 to an LED a few years ago before this new upgrade was available.  The only obvious difference I can see is that the expensive official upgrade uses LEDs that are indistinuishable from the old gas plasma display -- same orange color, same look -- so if you have two 155's like I do and upgrade only one, they will still match.  But the cost of this new upgrade is so low that I could have upgraded both my 155's for less than the price of one official upgrade.  Plus I like the newer look of the white LED display.

I would really like to know if anyone around here has done this mod.  The upside is obvious, a good-looking display on a freshly tuned up radio for a very low price.

The downsides are a little hinky.  The modification is not approved, it is so obvious that any IA at an Annual Inspection would notice and question it, you have to send your radio to Belize, and the owner says the official name for the company (TAMCO) is “Total Aviation Maintenance Corruption Oppressor”.  And he’s gotten into it with a good number of people on the internet over the past few years.  And one of the photos from the website is labeled, “Fly It!  Who cares!”

Not saying it’s good or bad, but just passing along some information. I personally like the display because it would match my ICOM.

 

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Nukemzzz that new panel looks really nice and clean

I like how you re-used your instruments

How long the instrument panel clean up take to complete?

Who did the work?

I'm in the same boat as you with a horrible post purchase experience...i think this topic would make for some very fun reading and cathartic confessions of first time aircraft purchases.  I hope I've become wiser through the experience so that I wont get beat up on my next one...which will not be anytime soon.

So what lights the instruments on your new panel?

 

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Hey Steingar

I get it

When I fly at night I take 2 head lamps, 2 small hand held flash lights, and a pack of new batteries.

I may not be as concerned about an onboard fire as I should be...I'll have Santa bring me a small fire extinguisher and a gas mask.

 

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On 12/23/2020 at 1:27 PM, Andy95W said:

The modification is not approved, it is so obvious that any IA at an Annual Inspection would notice and question it, you have to send your radio to Belize, and the owner says the official name for the company (TAMCO) is “Total Aviation Maintenance Corruption Oppressor”.  And he’s gotten into it with a good number of people on the internet over the past few years.  And one of the photos from the website is labeled, “Fly It!  Who cares!”

Wow.   Caveat emptor.

I had Gulf Coast Avionics do my "official" LED upgrade a little over 3 years ago.  Excellent service; cost was $1800 but that included some additional work on the radio, which now looks and feels like new.

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4 hours ago, Bob E said:

Wow.   Caveat emptor.

I had Gulf Coast Avionics do my "official" LED upgrade a little over 3 years ago.  Excellent service; cost was $1800 but that included some additional work on the radio, which now looks and feels like new.

Exactly  what I intend to do when mine starts going south.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 12/23/2020 at 10:56 PM, Arnold D said:

Nukemzzz that new panel looks really nice and clean

I like how you re-used your instruments

How long the instrument panel clean up take to complete?

Who did the work?

I'm in the same boat as you with a horrible post purchase experience...i think this topic would make for some very fun reading and cathartic confessions of first time aircraft purchases.  I hope I've become wiser through the experience so that I wont get beat up on my next one...which will not be anytime soon.

So what lights the instruments on your new panel?

 

Thanks!

I did the work.  I used Nulite ring lights for the round instruments.  The Primary engine section is two low cost LED post lights.  I found out this weekend during a night flight that these are too too bright.  If I turn the dimness down they get a little lower...but then go out when I pull back on the power a little.  I think I'll need to put a bit of a smoke or red film over them to make them a little less bright.

The lower cost post light:  https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/panelpost13-15801.php?clickkey=68726

Its too bright and doesn't dim enough without flaming out. I don't recommend inserting into the circuit with other incandescent bulbs.

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