Instrument lighting for 1980 Cessna 182Q [Club maintenance]
Andrew Gideon
involved in the maintenance side of things. I'm to seek out options for
new and improved instrument lighting for one of our aircraft.
The club Maintenance Chief provided me with some information he'd already
collected. There is the "post lighting" option which could have come with
the airplane originally (but did not in this case). I assume that this
could be added on after the fact.
There are vendors Aircraft Spruce & Specialty, Nulite, Fiberlite-Aircraft,
and UMA instrument lighting. At least, I think these are vendors <grin>.
They might actually be the names of the "lighting systems". I'm starting
from scratch, in the sense that I know nothing.
For example, what is "post lighting" <laugh>?
Anyway...anyone with suggestions for instrument lighting? Vendors I should
contact or avoid? Questions I should ask?
The timing of this is, I think, pretty good. I'll be at AOPA's Expo, and
this gives me a project. But I hope to learn something about the subject
before then.
Thanks...
Andrew
john smith
> Anyway...anyone with suggestions for instrument lighting? Vendors I should
> contact or avoid? Questions I should ask?
Electroluminescence.
Specifically, electroluminescent rope. Various diameters (3mm, 5 mm
etc), powered by an inverter which can run from a 9Vdc battery for
several hours following a ships power system failure. Will not diminish
your night vision (and is NVG compatible!). Not really very expensive.
You could also install a 24x2 inch electroluminescent under the
glareshield. Again, can be powered by a 9 Vdc backup battery.
Andrew Gideon
> Electroluminescence.
> Specifically, electroluminescent rope. Various diameters (3mm, 5 mm
> etc), powered by an inverter which can run from a 9Vdc battery for
> several hours following a ships power system failure. Will not diminish
> your night vision (and is NVG compatible!). Not really very expensive.
> You could also install a 24x2 inch electroluminescent under the
> glareshield. Again, can be powered by a 9 Vdc backup battery.
Rope which, when a current is applied, glows?
So one option is a strip under the glareshield. What about something
lighting each instrument individually? For example, this rope along the
inside of the bezel of each instrument.
I'm asking about per-instrument lighting because this airplane does have
something under the glareshield, and it's not all that effective at
lighting the instruments.
How does the rope fail? That is, does the entire thing go dark at once, do
individual regions fail? Individual strands?
In the notes I was given, I see that one vendor (Fiberlite-Aircraft) uses a
single bulb and fiberoptics to light individual instruments. Though I've
not yet spoken to them, one question will be "what if the lone bulb fails?"
Do you happen to know vendors of this electroluminescent rope? How can it
be installed "properly" in an aircraft? We're running right up against (in
fact, well past {8^) my ignorance level again, but doesn't this require
certain bureaucratic magic?
Thanks...
Andrew
G.R. Patterson III
Andrew Gideon wrote:
>
> For example, what is "post lighting" <laugh>?
There's a lighting unit called a post light. One end is a screw fitting that
is the same thread as the screws used for instrument mounting. The other end
has a tiny light bulb, which shines through a slit in the housing. The whole
thing is a couple inches long. The wires run through the center of the screw
fitting. To light a panel with these things, you replace one mounting screw
on each 3.25" instrument with one of these. Place them strategically so that
none of the lights shines in your face and all of the smaller instruments are
lit up. Connect the light power wires to ship power behind the panel.
George Patterson
To a pilot, altitude is like money - it is possible that having too much
could prove embarassing, but having too little is always fatal.
G.R. Patterson III
Andrew Gideon wrote:
>
> What about something
> lighting each instrument individually?
You can put a post light on each instrument. They also make "eyebrow" lights,
which mount over an instrument and shine down on it in an arc.
EDR
Andrew Gideon <ag7...@gideon.org> wrote:
For a starting place, go to:
http://beingseentechnologies.goemerchant2.com/nscgi-bin/
BeingSeenTechnologies/index.cgi?Merchant=BeingSeenTechnologies
As for failure mode, I cannot tell you.
The six-foot lengths of rope that I have are run off of two AA
batteries. As the battery voltage drops, the lighting intensity
gradually diminishes.
The entire surface is conductive, so I am guessing that you would have
to physically break the strip or rope to stop the current flow. If it
is mounted, I don't see that happening.
As far as mounting, the rope can be looped around the face of an
instrument and extended to the next instrument, repeating the process
for as many instruments as needed.
I do not know if/that aircraft instrument lighting must be "certified",
"approved" or TSO'ed. I am aware of one individual who is selling an EL
under panel strip for aircracft for $250. You can buy your own for less
than that from the above sources.
G.R. Patterson III
EDR wrote:
>
> I do not know if/that aircraft instrument lighting must be "certified",
> "approved" or TSO'ed.
If it ties into the aircraft power, is not easily removed, the aircraft is
certificated, and you keep it in an area within the jurisdiction of the
Teterboro FSDO, installation will require a field inspection by the FAA. Note
that the last time I had to jump through this sort of hoop was in about 1997,
and it's possible that this has changed.
PaulaJay1
<grpp...@comcast.net> writes:
>Connect the light power wires to ship power behind the panel.
Now there is the tricky part. When I look behind the panel (while standing on
my head) I see a maze of wires and cables and not much room for big hands to
get in there.
Chuck
John Galban
>
> Do you happen to know vendors of this electroluminescent rope? How can it
> be installed "properly" in an aircraft? We're running right up against (in
> fact, well past {8^) my ignorance level again, but doesn't this require
> certain bureaucratic magic?
Check out the Av-Tek site. Not sure about the bureaucratic magic,
but I do know that a lot of folks have installed this kit and are
happy with the results.
http://www.avtek2.com/TekLitez%20Install.htm
John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)
G.R. Patterson III
PaulaJay1 wrote:
>
> Now there is the tricky part. When I look behind the panel (while standing on
> my head) I see a maze of wires and cables and not much room for big hands to
> get in there.
Yep. The trick is to locate either the lighting rheostat or a light that's
connected to it. It's nice if you can find one that's convenient, but if the
only wire you can identify is halfway across the panel, hey - it's fair game.
Tie all the new stuff together and run a wire to the line you decided to splice
into.
Nathan Young
> So I've taken on a project for my club, as a part of my desire to get more
> involved in the maintenance side of things. I'm to seek out options for
> new and improved instrument lighting for one of our aircraft.
>
> The club Maintenance Chief provided me with some information he'd already
> collected. There is the "post lighting" option which could have come with
> the airplane originally (but did not in this case). I assume that this
> could be added on after the fact.
>
> There are vendors Aircraft Spruce & Specialty, Nulite, Fiberlite-Aircraft,
> and UMA instrument lighting. At least, I think these are vendors <grin>.
> They might actually be the names of the "lighting systems". I'm starting
> from scratch, in the sense that I know nothing.
I installed Nulites on the basic 6 instruments plus 2 CDIs in my panel
(PA28-180) under the supervision of my A&P-IA. Took about 8hrs total
to do solo. It is probably a 2hr operation with two people.
To install by yourself - its a bit cumbersome as you have to reach
under the panel, hold the instrument, remove the mounting screws,
slide the nulite under the panel then sandwich the nulite between the
panel and instrument, refasten screws.
The nulites come with approx 10" long leads that connect directly to
the power/dimmer bus and ground.
Nulites are available with cutouts for the instrument knobs, which
works for most instruments, but you will need a Dremel to trim fit the
nulite for a few instruments. The Nulites recess the instruments by
about 3/16", so I also had to use the Dremel to trim the plastic panel
overlay on the PA28.
I am happy with the results. Brighter than the stock PA28 lighting
system, and a more consistent look from instrument to instrument.
Nathan
Andrew Gideon
> The entire surface is conductive, so I am guessing that you would have
> to physically break the strip or rope to stop the current flow. If it
> is mounted, I don't see that happening.
I was thinking about it dying from old age. This may be "light bulb"
thinking, though, and not applicable.
- Andrew