M20J Whelen strobe power unit

[NotarPilot]

I'm trying to prepare a 337 for some LED lights that will replace the nav lights and strobes on my 1978 J and I have to describe removing the Whelen strobe box from the plane.  I looked in the avionics bay, behind the baggage compartment, but didn't see it there.  I think I read that they are placed in the wing somewhere.  Does anyone know where they mount it?

[OR75]

open the panels near the wing tips

one of the panel should have screws that hold the power supply box

[Randy_B]

On my 84' J the boxes are screwed, or riveted I don't recall, to the back side of an inspection panel just inboard of both wing tips. 

[NotarPilot]

Thanks for the info guys.

[Steve Dawson]

Will these new lights just replace the strobes and nav lights with LED's? Any chance of adding  lights to them?

[NotarPilot]

Yes. the product is the Whelen Orion 600.  It's a single unit for each wingtip which replaces Nav, strobe and rear position lights.  I don't see what there is to add to them.

[bumper]

You might also want to consider AeroLeds. They have TSO'd LED Nav/Strobe or Nav/Strobe/Position lights available as well. Unfortunately, Whelen doesn't include much data, wattage specs (current X voltage) or the lumen output on some of their LED offerings, so it's not always easy to make direct comparisons.

 

New Aviat (Husky) aircraft are mostly all equipped with the AeroLeds lighting (optional), including landing and taxi lights. I have them on my Husky, so welcomed the chance to compare them with Whelen's" Parmetheus PAR36" on another Husky across a very dark field, at our annual Idaho, Root Ranch fly-in last August. The AeroLed "Sunspot 36 LX" totally blew away the Whelen Parmetheus, not even close. This was hardly unexpected, as the  AeroLed offering consumes 3 times the current (3.75 amps vs. 1.2 amps - both 14 volts). Absent side-by-side testing, power consumption is one of the few clues for guessing light output (assuming similar luminous efficacy - lumen output per watt) admittedly a big assumption. 

 

bumper

[bumper]

Got an answer back from Aircraft Spruce regarding the missing current spec for Whelen's Orion nav/strobe:

For position light: 12v = 1/2 amp, 24v = 0.17 amp<br>
For anti-collision light: 12v = 1 amp, 24v = 1/2 amp (my note . . . this must be for average current, as peak should be at least twice that).

 

 

AeroLed's is:

 

Position Light Current: 0.4A : 14V, 0.2A : 28V

Strobe Peak Current: 2.25A : 14V, 1.12A : 28V

for 0.33 seconds

Power Consumption: 20 Watts

 

Conclusion, both Whelen and AeroLeds have essentially the same performance on nav/strobe (and this was confirmed in talking with AeroLeds). Any difference  in light output (unlike with their landing lights) would be slight, I think, so I'd go by price and asthetics.

 

bumper

[John Sommerfeld]

I have a 1977 J Model that is equipped with Grimes recognition lights and wingtip strobes. I cannot find repacement flash tubes so I am considering converting to one of the the Whelen lighting systems. Whelen has very extensive conversion information to assist in the selection and installation. The information includes both flash tube and led systems, specifications, dimensions, installation instructions, and appropriate 337 and logbook entry information.  It appears you may have options for partial replacement if your power supplies are still functional. I suggest you start at the following link.

 

John

 

http://www.whelen.com/pb/Aviation/Catalog%20Price%20Lists%20and%20Manuals/Anti-Collision_Light_Systems_Installation_and_Service_Manual.pdf

[NotarPilot]

Speaking of strobes, I'm going to be switching to LED wing tip strobes soon.  In order to synch them together I need to run a single synch wire from wingtip to wingtip.  Any suggestions on where to run this wire through?  I think at a minimum I'll need to take the inspection panels off to run the wire along the existing wire but the wing root is what I'm worried about.

[jetdriven]

You are going to have to run it forward of the wing tanks. There is already a wire harness there you can tie your sync wire to, but it is a bear to run wire there, as there are two ribs without an inspection panel between them. You will find the inspection panels on the lower forward front of the wing, where the aileron pushrod goes.  We just fooled with this area when we routed a new OAT sensor wire to the panel.

[NotarPilot]

Thanks, I'm not really looking forward to this but it always looks better, not to mention more visible, to have those strobes synch'ed.  

[OR75]

i went thru is a while ago to sync strobes:

1) it helps to have small forearms

2) take a long piece of safety wire, double it and make a small hook with it. in some sections you will be "pushing" the wire thru and in some sections you will be fishing it with that hook. make that safety wire hook about 3 feet long. since it is rigid, you can make it go thru the holes and attach the end of the wire to it and pull it.

kind of tough to explain but once you get it, it is a breeze ...

i chose to run it all in 1 wire ( no splice in the middle) from tip to tip. kind of a lot of wire to manage, especially going behind the instrument pannel.

[KSMooniac]

Using some very long hemostat or needle-nose pliers can be helpful working in those bays too...