Baggage Compartment light

[Alan Maurer]

Just straightening up the baggage compartment in Ovation today, I switched on the light back there for the first time. Light came on but then I could not switch it off. 

Thought I could not leave it on and walk away but a few minutes later  the light switched off automatically. Can anyone comment?

thanks

Alan...N913ND

[MooneyMitch]

Hi Alan.

I never had that experience with my Ovation.  Possibly with a newer Ovation, there may be a timer circuit involved that will shut the light off after a predetermined amount of time.

[mike_elliott]

It's on a 10 min or so timer

[GeeBee]

50 minutes ago, Alan Maurer said:

Just straightening up the baggage compartment in Ovation today, I switched on the light back there for the first time. Light came on but then I could not switch it off. 

Thought I could not leave it on and walk away but a few minutes later  the light switched off automatically. Can anyone comment?

thanks

Alan...N913ND

Ops normal!

[LANCECASPER]

1 hour ago, Alan Maurer said:

Just straightening up the baggage compartment in Ovation today, I switched on the light back there for the first time. Light came on but then I could not switch it off. 

Thought I could not leave it on and walk away but a few minutes later  the light switched off automatically. Can anyone comment?

thanks

Alan...N913ND

Not the first time this subject has come up:

 

[MooneyMitch]

22 minutes ago, mike_elliott said:

It's on a 10 min or so timer

As I suspected.............lessons learned from Mooney, trying to protect dummies [like me] from running the battery down.

[DonMuncy]

After I killed a battery by leaving my baggage compartment light on, I developed an electronic circuit that will shut off the baggage light in all planes after 10 minutes or so. Pretty cheap insurance since batteries are so expensive now.

[FoxMike]

My Bravo is a 99.  When I hold the baggage light switch, the battery charges a capacitor that lights the light for 45 seconds or so.  The light then goes out. Mooney went to this because a lot of batteries went dead when the light got left on.  Great idea.

[PeteMc]

So with this 10 min timer circuit, do you then have to turn the switch off and back on again to get the light to turn back on.  Or is the process to flip the switch to on to charge the Cap and then just immediately turn the switch back off? 

I bumped the light once reaching in and pulling something from the back seat through the baggage door.  It was the middle of of a summer day, so never noticed.  I'm always real careful about the switch now, but having something in there to turn the light off is a great idea! 

 

[Aerodon]

Retrofit kit:

 

Baggage Light Auto

Shut Off 940138-501 Installs a light control box that automatically shut baggage light off

[PeteMc]

1 hour ago, Aerodon said:

Shut Off 940138-501 Installs a light control box that automatically shut baggage light off

Only for the J & M if I'm reading it correctly.

 

[DonMuncy]

I wonder what they charge for that kit. If I knew, I would probably be tempted to charge more for mine.

[Shadrach]

17 hours ago, DonMuncy said:

I wonder what they charge for that kit. If I knew, I would probably be tempted to charge more for mine.

Is yours currently for sale?  Is it compatible with all models?

[DonMuncy]

7 hours ago, Shadrach said:

Is yours currently for sale?  Is it compatible with all models?

Ross, I sent you PM, but yes mine work on all models. 

[M20F-1968]

On 1/18/2024 at 9:25 PM, DonMuncy said:

Regarding baggage light timer post - but yes mine work on all models. 

I have a 3 position rocker switch:  On;  OFF;  On but turns off when the baggage door is closed

I do not use that light much.  Does it make sense to put a timer on the circuit that is always on?

John Breda

[Kelpro999]

For the rest of us without a light, a motion sensing usb chargeable puck light works great 

[Fly Boomer]

4 hours ago, Kelpro999 said:

For the rest of us without a light, a motion sensing usb chargeable puck light works great 

And, it won't kill your battery if left on!

[DonMuncy]

8 hours ago, M20F-1968 said:

I have a 3 position rocker switch:  On;  OFF;  On but turns off when the baggage door is closed

I do not use that light much.  Does it make sense to put a timer on the circuit that is always on?

John Breda

I am not sure what you have, but most Mooneys have the cabin light wired independent of the master switch. We get in trouble when we forget to turn the light off or when we accidentally turn the switch on. If you don't notice it is on, you come back to the hangar a week later and find your battery dead and ruined. The timer will turn the light off 10 minutes or so after the master is turned off. Unfortunately, there is no cure I am aware of which will protect you against forgetting to turn the master off.

[Hank]

3 minutes ago, DonMuncy said:

Unfortunately, there is no cure I am aware of which will protect you against forgetting to turn the master off.

Leave the belly strobe switched on all the time, then it will go on and off with the master switch. It's noticeable when the hangar light is turned off, and it is also noticeable if you glance back when walking away parked on the ramp.

[JohnB]

I use a Big Larry flashlight that just clamps to the top of my baggage compartment. Out of the way, and the LED light is fantastic, lights up the entire plane, good for finding all of the little trinkets sometimes left in planes, and I can take it down and use it as a flashlight or emergency strobe if I wish.  And there's no problem forgetting to turn it off (other than buying new AA batteries), but it's so bright, forgetting would be unlikely.  

NEBO Big Larry Work Light, 600 Lumen Flashlight with COB Work Light, Pocket Clip Magnetic Base for Hands-Free Lighting, Portable COB LED Dimmable Flashlight, Hazard Light-Red - Amazon.com

[M20F-1968]

11 hours ago, DonMuncy said:

I am not sure what you have, but most Mooneys have the cabin light wired independent of the master switch. We get in trouble when we forget to turn the light off or when we accidentally turn the switch on. If you don't notice it is on, you come back to the hangar a week later and find your battery dead and ruined. The timer will turn the light off 10 minutes or so after the master is turned off. Unfortunately, there is no cure I am aware of which will protect you against forgetting to turn the master off.

As you are probably aware, my airplane follows none of the Mooney drawings.  It has a retrofitted Ovation interior and I had my mechanic put in a 3-position switch replacing the baggage compartment light on/off switch.  Its 3-positions are wired as On - Off - On but will shut off if the baggage door is closed and locked (there is a switch that is triggered by locking the door).   The intent is to protect against leaving it on by having the third position.  You likely would not walk away from the plane with the baggage door open. 

The only position that leaves me at risk is the first position, an always-on position.  Perhaps a timer would make some sense in that position.

What I have is maintenance-free, but is not foolproof. 

What drives the timer in your circuit?  Can you send me some details?  What is the physical size and cost?

John Breda

 

[DonMuncy]

Mine is electronic circuit, with a Darlington pair transistor set-up fed by a "master switch controlled" power source which feeds a capacitor. When the master is turned off, the capacitor bleeds off through a resistor set-up, until the voltage drops to a level the circuit shuts off. This is typical timer circuitry, and one minute or so timers are easy and cheap. Getting one that stays on for 10 or so minutes is a lot tougher. It took me some time and help from electronic gurus to develop it. If one went on Ali baba and had someone build 1000 of them, you could probably buy them for $3 each. As it is, I build them by hand and test them with 14 or 28 v. I sell them for $40. It is housed in a plastic box 1 x 2 1/4 x 4 inch box and can be mounted anywhere. I put mine on the copilot foot well wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pinecone]

Which airplanes have a baggage compartment light?

 

[Hank]

1 hour ago, Pinecone said:

Which airplanes have a baggage compartment light?

 

I've recently discovered that my 1970 C has a (burned out) baggage light. I have not yet replaced the bulb . . . .

[A64Pilot]

1 hour ago, Hank said:

I've recently discovered that my 1970 C has a (burned out) baggage light. I have not yet replaced the bulb . . . .

I don’t think I would. I need to remove the bulb, as I always fly with a flashlight if I’m ever out at night I’ll just use it.

The likelihood of me killing the battery is probably ten times higher than me needing it to see at night.

Had wing lights under the wing on the 210, same deal