Replacement: Rotating Beacon vs. Wingtip Strobes

[Seth]

My rotating beacon has been intermittent (it spins but won't light up) and I've spent too much money to have it be repaired over and over the past year (it works for less than a week and then stops lighting up again).  I finally stopped with repairs about nine months ago (never been stopped at any class D, C, or B airports), and now that the annual is coming up, its time to either replace the beacon with the Whalen fixed place, or get ride of the bump, maybe get a one knot increase in speed, and install wingtip strobes.

1)  What is legal?

2)  What are the costs for each - for instance the Whalen is around $800 plus install.  I have not researched the wingtip costs nor install costs.

3)  Has anyone done this?

4)  Many people who have a 1967 M20F do not have the rotating beacon on the topside of the aircraft.  Are the wingtip strobes even necessary?  I have a strobe on the bottom of the plane.

Thanks for your help.  I know newer Mooney's do not have it at all.

-Seth

[skyking]

Hi Seth: I have a 1959 Model M20 and i had the rotating beacon on mine with the same issues.

I replaced it last annual with a a high intensity LED unit for $1800 bucks Canadian.

I dont remember the model but i got it at the Mooney dealer in Calgary AB.

 

[N6843N]

Your answers can be found in the FAR's. 91.205© covers the basics. 23.1397 and 23.1401 cover the details.

[Seth]

Thanks for the responses - I'm looking at the same or similar LED model to replace the existing beacon.  Also, thanks for the direction to the specific FARs. 

Has anyone simply removed the beacon and installed wintip strobes?

[rob]

My aircraft has both the strobes and the beacon. I generally run the beacon as the load on the system is identical. I figure once the beacon gives up the ghost, I'll remove it and run the strobes

 

[Gone]

I have a bit of a weird system.  Strobe on the wings and tail and another belly strobe with the front half of the large pot light red and the back half white.  While it is not set up this way, it is supposed to also be able to act as a single belly beacon with a very slow pulse to the lights instead of a fast strobe.

The nav lights switch on the panel really only turns on the recognition lights in the wings and the tail.  The strobe light switch turns the remainder on, wingtips, tail and belly.  No middle ground.  I would prefer to get the belly one working as a beacon while on the ramp and prior to taking the runway, especially at night.

The other unmet desire is to change the belly light (strobe) for one that is more aerodynamic but those are only made in the 28 volt model.  They are also LEDs and should draw less from the system.

 

[Lood]

Mine's the same as edgargravels' - wingtip strobes and rotating beacon works together and nav lights seperately. It could probably not take more than an extra toggle swithc to seperate the wingtip strobes and beacon? I aim to have that done - just not sure if there's space for another switch though.

[scottfromiowa]

I have functional belly rotating beacon (red) that works on separate switch.  I had whelen comet wingtip strobes installed (separate switch) and they work great!  The cost of the strobes and installation were NOT prohibitive.  Why not just add a belly strobe with wingtips?

[Guest Anonymous]

Quote: scottfromiowa

I have functional belly rotating beacon (red) that works on separate switch.  I had whelen comet wingtip strobes installed (separate switch) and they work great!  The cost of the strobes and installation were NOT prohibitive.  Why not just add a belly strobe with wingtips?

[Mooney-Shiner]

Sorry for bringing this thread from the dead, but my question is similar to above. So I decide to keep this topi contained in one thread. 

Background: My belly strobe is on the last leg. I have installed wingtip Uavionix SkyBeacon (ADSB-Out/Nav Light/Strobe) that has strobe capability, but not connected.

Plan: I thought that I should install Uavionix SkySensor (ADSB-IN/Nav Light/Strobe) on the another wingtip, and wire both wingtip Uavionix devices' strobe lights to the now defunct beacon breaker/switch. Once done, the belly beacon will be removed.

Regs: It seems that regs only require one anti-collision device (beacon or strobes) for post-1996 installation.

Questions:

1. Is this legal?

2. Will AP/IA signature suffice for this kind of the alteration?

  

[McMooney]

40 minutes ago, Mooney-Shiner said:

Sorry for bringing this thread from the dead, but my question is similar to above. So I decide to keep this topi contained in one thread. 

Background: My belly strobe is on the last leg. I have installed wingtip Uavionix SkyBeacon (ADSB-Out/Nav Light/Strobe) that has strobe capability, but not connected.

Plan: I thought that I should install Uavionix SkySensor (ADSB-IN/Nav Light/Strobe) on the another wingtip, and wire both wingtip Uavionix devices' strobe lights to the now defunct beacon breaker/switch. Once done, the belly beacon will be removed.

Regs: It seems that regs only require one anti-collision device (beacon or strobes) for post-1996 installation.

Questions:

1. Is this legal?

2. Will AP/IA signature suffice for this kind of the alteration?

  

yes, you can run either/or/both.  I  was planning to remove my beacon  but ended up replacing it with  with a redbaron.

 

Aveo Redbaron XP Galactica LED Anticollision - Certified | Aircraft Spruce

 

[AJ88V]

The old xenon strobes are pretty available in the used market for cheap as people move to LEDs.  Whelen aircraft power supplies run $50 - $75  on eBay and the bulbs are cheap there as well. Old tech, but still good tech.

[Mooney-Shiner]

7 hours ago, McMooney said:

yes, you can run either/or/both.  I  was planning to remove my beacon  but ended up replacing it with  with a redbaron.

 

Aveo Redbaron XP Galactica LED Anticollision - Certified | Aircraft Spruce

 

Thank you. I will keep the tail wiring in case if I will decide to reintroduce the belly beacon like Aveo that you wisely mentioned (thank you for that).  

[PT20J]

My 1994 M20J has strobes only; no beacon. But it has three: one on each wingtip and one on the tail. I assume that the tail beacon was necessary to meet the field of coverage requirement.

[PeteMc]

I like my Beacon (as well as the 3 point strobes). 

The difference with the Beacon is that I **NEVER**  turn it off.  So if the Master is On, the Beacon is On. 

[Pinecone]

9 minutes ago, PeteMc said:

I like my Beacon (as well as the 3 point strobes). 

The difference with the Beacon is that I **NEVER**  turn it off.  So if the Master is On, the Beacon is On. 

My M20K came without a belly beacon.  I had one added.  For this purpose.

Plus, it is a warning to people around that the aircraft is hot and that the prop may start turning at any time.

[McMooney]

10 hours ago, McMooney said:

yes, you can run either/or/both.  I  was planning to remove my beacon  but ended up replacing it with  with a redbaron.

 

Aveo Redbaron XP Galactica LED Anticollision - Certified | Aircraft Spruce

 

My girl also has strobes on the tips and tail.  Also, i'm another that leaves the beacon on perm.

[Mooney-Shiner]

1 hour ago, PeteMc said:

I like my Beacon (as well as the 3 point strobes). 

The difference with the Beacon is that I **NEVER**  turn it off.  So if the Master is On, the Beacon is On. 

Yep. Makes sense. Is your beacon on the separate circuit or connected directly to the master bus bar without the separate breaker?

My original setup is only belly strobe. No wingtip or tail strobes.

Edited Monday at 01:13 AM by Mooney-Shiner

[bigmo]

Not sure who said it, but thanks to whomever said they leave their beacon on all the time. It's my new thing. I climb back in the plane almost every flight to be absolutely sure I've turned off the master. No longer needed with my new beacon alert system. 

Why I never thought of that I'll never know.

[varlajo]

13 hours ago, Mooney-Shiner said:

I have strobe controllers and wingtip and tail position/anticollision lights if you are interested. Removed about a month ago for LED upgrade. 

  

 

[PeteMc]

6 hours ago, Mooney-Shiner said:

Is your beacon on the separate circuit or connected directly to the master bus bar without the separate breaker?

It has a switch.  I just leave it in the On position.  

[A64Pilot]

15 hours ago, PT20J said:

My 1994 M20J has strobes only; no beacon. But it has three: one on each wingtip and one on the tail. I assume that the tail beacon was necessary to meet the field of coverage requirement.

The way the wing tips are you may be right, but my 81 J still has the factory wing tip strobes, no tail strobe was installed.

I think as bad as this sounds but as far as lights are concerned that basically as long as there is an attempt, no one cares, no one as in FAA. 

On my C-140 I put Whelen wing tip strobes on years ago as I didn’t have to pay for them, but kept the silly winking light that had replaced the original Grimes rotating beacon years ago, I figured more lights couldn’t hurt and if I removed the winky light then I’d have a hole to patch and paint.

It’s tough I think to find a place to put one light that will give all around coverage for instance, yet before strobes that’s all there was.

Edited Monday at 03:31 PM by A64Pilot

[A64Pilot]

Oh, and never turn off your anti smash and crash lights, except maybe if your in IMC, they are your last defense against accidentally leaving your master on.

[FlyingDude]

Legally you can use your wing tip/tail nav lights and remove the rotating beacon.  But those flashing lights are obnoxious and distracting while taxiing at night, not only for others but also for you.  I can sell my working coffee grinder if anyone wants it.  Myself, I installed a whelen LED beacon.  I read online that galaxica's plastic dulls out if you leave it outside too much (UV damage?)

[Mooney-Shiner]

Thank you, guys. Great feedback!