VansAirForceForums  
Home > VansAirForceForums

- POSTING RULES
- Donate yearly (please).
- Advertise in here!

- Today's Posts | Insert Pics


Go Back   VAF Forums > Main > RV General Discussion/News
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #11  
Old 11-13-2011, 09:24 AM
evmeg evmeg is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 80
Default

this one looks like a goodie too....only $70 each and no central power pack. Anybody using it?

http://www.oviedosafetylights.com/St...em_Now_on_Sale
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 11-27-2011, 09:42 PM
wacarlton wacarlton is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Flower Mound, TX
Posts: 65
Default My approach

I'm looking at a similar approach as Rob using CREE LEDs. The design will be driving 6 CREE XML 280 LEDS at 2.5A and should get close to 3100 lumens / 490 candela on the side and 1500 lm / 245 cd from the front. The strobes will be at less than 20% duty cycle using a simple 555 timer and 4017B decade counter for the strobe circuit. The position lights are CREE XPE devices and will put out 600 - 1500 lumens depending on the current. Does anyone see a problem with this design?

__________________
Will
RV-7A Empennage complete, working on QB Wings
52F - Texas
www.thecarltons.us/rv7
Friends of the RV-1 www.rv-1.org

Last edited by wacarlton : 11-28-2011 at 04:57 AM. Reason: 4016b to 4017b
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 11-28-2011, 11:01 AM
krw5927 krw5927 is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Wichita, KS
Posts: 1,958
Default

Wow, those would be some BRIGHT nav lights. I made mine with six Luxeon Rebel Star LEDs per side (~600 total lumens red, ~400 cyan) and they're impossible to stare at.
__________________
Kurt W.
RV9A
FLYING!!!
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 11-28-2011, 11:31 AM
wacarlton wacarlton is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Flower Mound, TX
Posts: 65
Default Bright lights

Quote:
Originally Posted by krw5927 View Post
Wow, those would be some BRIGHT nav lights.
Yeah, I think that I'll be driving the position lights at 350ma ea. I may also dial the strobes back a bit during ground operations using a brightness toggle.

My main concern right now is off axis coverage of the strobes. I think I've got more than enough light with the 120 deg. radiation pattern, but we shall see.

Hopefully the parts will get here this week and I can test em out.
__________________
Will
RV-7A Empennage complete, working on QB Wings
52F - Texas
www.thecarltons.us/rv7
Friends of the RV-1 www.rv-1.org
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 12-18-2011, 09:21 PM
KRviator's Avatar
KRviator KRviator is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Sydney, Aust.
Posts: 820
Default

Well, I finally got around to testing my LED Nav/Strobe combination, and the results are alright, but not quite as impressive as I was hoping.

I'm using 6 LuxeonStar LED's per light and another 6 for each strobe, intermixed, so there's 3 Nav/3 Strobe in each cutout. The Green and Strobe's are being driven by 5 Ohm resistor's in strings of 3, with the Red LED's in a string of 6 through a 2 Ohm resistor.

The brains of the strobe circuit is a Picaxe-08M chip and a pair of NPN transistors. The Picaxe can do a bunch of stuff from controlling RC servo's to infrared transmission, GPS position fixing and more, but I'm simply using it as a timer and means of switching the transistors. The chip itself costs around $5, a little more for the transistors and prototype board and around $250 for all the LED's.

Here's a dodgy video of the bench-testing of the strobes. I haven't got them running independently as yet, so was simply completing the circuit myself, but that's on the agenda for tonight. And HERE'S a new video showing the package in its' current state before it gets all prettied up and installed when I get back from work.


EDIT 1: Well, it's now tonight, and I've finally managed to assemble the Nav/Strobe package enough to functionally test it on the bench(aka. the dining-room table). The flash rate is too fast for my liking at the moment, but because the rate is set by the Picaxe chip, it is infinitely variable, using just a few lines of computer code, written in Notepad and sent to the PIC. Takes all of 60 seconds to change it from triple flash, to double, to triple and a pause, to whatever you want.


EDIT 2: Well, it's now tomorrow and I've tweaked the code a little more, and corrected the strobe video linked above. The strobes now have a more defined pause between the left and right strobe pulses and a 1 second pause before repeating the cycle. Slowed the flash rate down a little as well and made the flash duration a smidge (techincal term) longer. I'm fairly happy with where things are at, although I'd be happier still if the strobes were a little brighter, but the numbers say they "should" meet the requirements nonetheless.

Here's the code that I've used to regulate the flashing. Write it up, export it to the Picaxe chip via a USB cable, plug in your transistors and off you go. It's almost idiot-proof, which makes it perfect for me.
Code:
main: 	
high B.1 		; switch on output B.1
pause 100
low b.1
pause 100
high B.1 		; switch on output B.1
pause 100
low b.1
pause 100
high B.1 		; switch on output B.1
pause 100	
low b.1
pause 1000
high B.2 		; switch on output B.2	
pause 100 	; wait 0.5 seconds
low B.2 		; switch off output B.2
pause 100
high B.2 		; switch on output B.2
pause 100 	; wait 0.5 seconds
low B.2 		; switch off output B.2
pause 100
high B.2 		; switch on output B.2
pause 100 	; wait 0.5 seconds
low B.2 		; switch off output B.2
pause 1000
goto main 	; loop back to start

And some still images...Just the Nav lights


And Nav lights with the strobes lit
__________________
Once you have tasted flight you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return - Leonardo DaVinci

My Flickr gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/35521362@N06/

RV-9A - Finished on 10th February 2016 after 4 years, 9 months and 19 days! The 1020th RV-9 flying.

First flight 26th March 2016. Essential specs 145KTAS @ 2400RPM, 8000', 24.2LPH, Initial RoC 1800FPM.

Last edited by KRviator : 12-19-2011 at 10:59 PM. Reason: Added Picaxe code and new video link and other stuff.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 03-18-2012, 12:03 PM
rapid_ascent rapid_ascent is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Dublin, CA
Posts: 1,261
Default DIY LED Position & Strobe Lights

I've starting to think about rolling my own LED position and strobes. From what I've read in the FARs I'm not sure about some of the solutions people have come up with. Let me walk through my thinking and see if everyone blows holes in it.

For the position lights I think I can do this with some red or green LEDs mounted on the wing tips flat surface. There are wide angle red and green LEDs of the correct color. You just have to figure out how much light you need at the various angles. I think this is doable, and I think some of the solutions shown on VAF probably could comply with the FARs.

The strobe are a more difficult problem due to the wide angle of light requirement. If the LEDs are mounted on a single plane I don't think they can meet the letter of the FARs. This is because the requirement is for an even distrubution of light with respect to horizontal plane. I've looked at several LED strobes that are on the market and you'll notice that they have had to mount the LEDs in several different planes. I think this is required due to the LEDs not being able to distrubute light evenly as the xenon type strobes do. I'd be interested in comments from others about this. I would love to be able to use white LEDs on only the two planes of the wingtip cutouts. For the tail strobe Aveo puts the LEDs on three surfaces to get the coverage is required.

So what does everyone think about all of this? I'm certainly not an expert on the FARs, but I did at least print them out and attempt to understand them.

Oh one more thing. Does anyone have a cad file for the shape of the RV-7 wingtip cutout surfaces?
__________________
Ray Tonks
2020 Donation Paid
Titan IOX-370, Dual PMAGs, 9.6:1 Pistons, FM-150
RV-7 Fuselage in progress
* Cabin Interior - In progress
RV-7 SB Wings
* Both Wings fully skinned
* Fuel Tanks Complete - No leaks finally
* Ailerons Complete
* Flaps Complete
RV-7 Empennage - Complete (a little fiberglass work left)
Vans Training Kit # 2 - Complete
RV-7 Preview Plans
Vans Training Kit #1 - Complete
EAA Sheet Metal Class - Complete

Last edited by rapid_ascent : 03-18-2012 at 12:28 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 03-18-2012, 07:02 PM
judoka5051 judoka5051 is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: McAlpin, FL
Posts: 253
Default DIY LEDs

Hey All,

I guess I'm not the only one who agonized over this. I did a lot of research a while back and found all kinds of ideas. I used some, and made up some of my own. I ended up finding everything I needed on a popular auction site. You'll have to look through pages and pages, but everything you need is available. I found LED lights that fit in an automotive socket. 1057 or 1056 I think. Anyway they had "Superbright" units in all colors and sizes. There's also a strobe box for LEDs that's about the size of a matchbox. I wired that up and nearly blinded myself. It worked way better than I expected and graduated from experiment to installation. By the way I didn't do this to save money. I did it to save weight. Lighter wire, lighter strobe pack, smaller alternator (SD20), etc. On that note I decided to have strobes only on the tail (2 wires total). One in the original location and one on the top of the Vstab in a plexiglas lens that replaces the fiberglass fairing. So far the grand total for the lighting system was about $100, not including landing/taxi lights (still undecided on that).
__________________
Lance Logan
McAlpin, FL
Plane at FL10

Scratchbuilt Biplane
Preceptor N3 - Sold
Zenith Zodiac 601HD - Sold (good riddance)
Kitfox IV - Sold my share, but loved that plane
RV8A Sold! Loved the plane, but not the nosewheel!
RVX (RV6/4) Sold
Cherokee 180 pickup truck
RV8 Fastback
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 03-18-2012, 07:45 PM
Aiki_Aviator's Avatar
Aiki_Aviator Aiki_Aviator is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 246
Default LED Navs and Strobes

I am building some at the moment (well my mate is for me) and the package will have basically 6 strobe CREE LED's per side, and 12 RED/GREEN nav LEDS per side.

They will be mounted in the wingtips with reflective perspex on each face allowing for some 'bounce'.

The costs of the LEDs is quite expensive, however, given the outputs and the comparative products, it will be excellent value for money.

LEDs are definitely up to the challenge and I basically can't look at one, let along 6 strobe and 12 coloured.

Once Paul has finished his building, I will post some pictures. I have reviewed this 'forever' and the layout is unobtrusive and efective. We are looking at packaging these up as a kit so standby......
__________________
__________________
Andrew Long
#41055
RV10: Happy little Vegemite :-)
Feb 2015: Now fully functional..... and quick

http://www.ozrv10.com
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 03-30-2012, 01:38 PM
rapid_ascent rapid_ascent is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Dublin, CA
Posts: 1,261
Default

Well I decided to do some preliminary work on building my own. After some investigation I found some LEDs that appear to be suitable for this application. I ordered a few red, green and white LEDs with a very wide veiwing angle. I've gone throught the candela calculations per the far so I think I know the number of LEDs that are required. I purchased a couple of the star boards as a test. As soon as I get the rest of my order I'll try doing a more complete test.

I had a question to those of you who have used the mirror acrylic. Have you seen any discoloration of the plastic? It seems that most of this type of material is not UV resistant. If anyone found some I'd appreciate the link.

I'll give everyone an update when I have some more complete information.
__________________
Ray Tonks
2020 Donation Paid
Titan IOX-370, Dual PMAGs, 9.6:1 Pistons, FM-150
RV-7 Fuselage in progress
* Cabin Interior - In progress
RV-7 SB Wings
* Both Wings fully skinned
* Fuel Tanks Complete - No leaks finally
* Ailerons Complete
* Flaps Complete
RV-7 Empennage - Complete (a little fiberglass work left)
Vans Training Kit # 2 - Complete
RV-7 Preview Plans
Vans Training Kit #1 - Complete
EAA Sheet Metal Class - Complete
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 03-30-2012, 01:47 PM
bret's Avatar
bret bret is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Gardnerville Nv.
Posts: 2,828
Default

At work we just installed some LED strobe flashers for the back of the snowplow dump truck they are definitely directional not very bright once you get off to the side of them.
__________________
7A Slider, EFII Angle 360, CS, SJ.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:01 AM.


The VAFForums come to you courtesy Delta Romeo, LLC. By viewing and participating in them you agree to build your plane using standardized methods and practices and to fly it safely and in accordance with the laws governing the country you are located in.