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indicator lights? what kind did you use on your panel?

loopfuzz

Well Known Member
Looking at different options for indicator lights for the panel.

Here is something that airspruce has. Just wondering what other options there are out there? I would like to go LED.

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I only have one indicator light and it is a green LED from Radio Shack. It is there to let me know if I left the fuel pump on (or not).

The EMS in my panel provides all the other warnings and will put a tone in my headsets as well as either yellow or red warnings on the screen. It occurred to me with the capability of a modern EMS that you no longer need any type of indicator lights. Heck, I could have used the EMS to display the "Fuel Pump On" light but it was much easier to just run the light in parallel with the fuel pump.
 
I used the one you show from Spruce (only green) for fuel pump on. I also have one that is yellow for starter engagement. If the light stays on after I have released the starter then I know the starter has stuck.
 
Same type, different supplier

I am using the same one as you are showing, but got them through a local electric-parts supplier. You can get all sorts of different switches and things. I have some that are also push buttons, so I can reset them when they start blinking. I installed 8 of them in different colours, in a cluster. It looks real professional with the inserted text.

- EMS main alarm
- Main Alternator
- Aux Alternator
- Fuel boost pump
- Landing lights
- Fuel guardian Right tank (with PB)
- Fuel guardian Left tank (with PB)
- Tank timer (with PB)

I guess some of these lights is doubling up on the Dynon EMS, but hey, the panel looks so much nicer with a bunch of colourful lights, doesn?t it? :cool:

If you want LED?s, you can put LED-bulbs in, instead of normal bulbs.

Regards, Tonny.
 
If the one oin the original post is an LED, then that is what I am using - didn't buy them at ACS (got them locally), but they are a great 12volt LED package that is really easy to use.

Paul
 
More choices

I have 3 of the LED lights that Stein sells and 1 "AL-1" LED indicator light that came with my MVP-50. All four are mounted in a row above one GRT screen.

You can buy the AL-1 from EI but it's is a bit pricey ($19.50) - however it is VERY bright. When it comes on, it gets my attention.

The LED's from Stein look good and fit nicely but they sure don't get my attention the way the AL-1 does.
 
I used some Vivisun dead-front indicators that I bought surplus and relegended. It was not easy, but I like the results. (someday I'll get around to lableling the EMS properly.)
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I have some surplus/removed Korry and Jay-E annunciator and annunciator/switches if you want to make up your own. Send a message for details if interested. $10/position plus shipping.
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fl-mike, I like your setup a lot. Though cutting squares for all those lights doesn't seem to fun.
 
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On my little RV-3B, I'm using one of these red LEDs from Steinair.com, and one of the amber ones too. The amber is the stuck starter one and the red is for the canopy latch. Haven't put power to them yet as they are just being installed this week. But they will be well-shielded from the sun and other bright lighting so I expect that they ought to be visible.

Since they go into a round hole, they are easy to physically install.

I have an additional warning light for the carb ice detector that came with the carb ice detection system.

Dave
 
I bought a package of LED lights from amazon, there was maybe 20 lights in assorted colors. I think they were less than $10. I use a red one for engine warning and a green on for the fuel pump indicator.
 
SNIP

Cost? I'm guessing they're not cheap.

They are definitely not cheap. Very high quality build. I got mine on ebay a long time ago as new surplus SwissAir units. I re-legended them, which was similar to microsurgery, but I learned how to make a real dead front indicator.

I have a bunch of (Staco I think) incandescent indicators and switches I pulled from some old equipment if you want to experiment. They can be converted to LED bulbs.
 

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I went with VCC PML50 Series with flat lenses. They're big (0.688" panel hole, D shaped to avoid rotation), they're bright, they operate directly from aircraft power requiring no resistors. They also have a Red/Green version. Datasheet

Here's what they look like installed:

 
They are definitely not cheap. Very high quality build. I got mine on ebay a long time ago as new surplus SwissAir units. I re-legended them, which was similar to microsurgery, but I learned how to make a real dead front indicator.

I have a bunch of (Staco I think) incandescent indicators and switches I pulled from some old equipment if you want to experiment. They can be converted to LED bulbs.
Thanks for the offer Mike. It's probably not worth the effort to start messing with converting the switches. But I'll keep it in mind!
 
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