Whelen LED Strobe/Nav Lights Upgrade

[Pat Hatch]

So I finally bit the bullet and sprang for the new Whelen wingtip/tail LED light kit sold by Mike Stewart. I got the one that goes under cover. Here's what I had before:



The most difficult part was pulling the old Whelen power supply out of its location in the baggage floor:



...and rewiring it thus:



I got rid of about 2 pounds by removing the old power supply. Not to mention the much greater current draw with the old system. I was able to use the original 3-conductor cabling from Whelen although Mike sells the new lightweight 4-conductor cable if you can pull your old wires out. For me it was just easier to use what was already there. I did have to change from the Whelen connectors to some 4-pin Molex connectors that I had on hand. Here's the old:





For the tail, I had to convert to the 4-pin Molex connector as well. This one worked well:



I also had to take a Dremel sanding drum and open up the hole just a little to accommodate the larger tail strobe/nav light. The old mounting screw holes matched up perfectly with the new unit:



On the wings I used a similar Molex 4-pin connector that I happened to have on hand:



Existing holes in the wing matched up perfectly with the new units as well. You can pretty much do the whole job in a day, but I split it up into several shorter sessions while waiting for the new lights to arrive. Here's everything put back together:



So last night I went for a trial flight at sunset and flew by my buddy Dave von Linsowe's house on a nearby airpark. He filmed my fly-by. I should have turned the wig-wag's off, but you can get the idea from the video (thanks, Dave!):

http://youtu.be/7jXyDBMNk-w

I'm very pleased with the upgrade; Mike Stewart makes it very painless (except for the cash I dropped). Yes, going LED is expensive, but I think it's worth every penny in the long run.

[AndyRV7]

Sure looks nice. Lit and otherwise!

[Jerry Fischer]

Excellent explanation Pat. The workmanship was benchmark quality. Mike does a great job with his instructions also.

[Kahuna]

Great post Pat. Now about those high draw, high heat, blow prone quartz landing lights Got some drop in PAR 36 LED replacements right here for you. Thanks for your business!!

[Rick_A]

I think this upgrade just moved up a few notches on my must have list.

I like the way you did the jumper block to replace the old power supply. Do you happen to have of schematic of the electrical connections or a picture of the jumper block that clearly shows the labels?

[Pat Hatch]

Originally Posted by Kahuna

Great post Pat. Now about those high draw, high heat, blow prone quartz landing lights Got some drop in PAR 36 LED replacements right here for you. Thanks for your business!!

Yeah, Mike, I got my eye on those suckers. I'm waiting for your two-for-the-price-of-one sale!

[Pat Hatch]

Originally Posted by Rick_A

I think this upgrade just moved up a few notches on my must have list.

I like the way you did the jumper block to replace the old power supply. Do you happen to have of schematic of the electrical connections or a picture of the jumper block that clearly shows the labels?

Rick,

Here's the schematic. Not sure how well it's going to show up as a .PNG file, but if you like, send me your email and I'll send you the file. It's an ExpressPCB file, if you happen to use that CAD program. Or I can send it to you as a PDF.



Here's a closer photo as well:



Click on the images and they will get quite large for you.

Also, let me add that the original Whelen cable is shielded. I don't think you really need shielded any more with LED lights, but it can't hurt so I went ahead and grounded the shields at the terminal block just for grins. Most people won't need to do that.

[bkthomps]

Mike, what's the pricing and how can we get them? I'd like to install these next week, I need to get rid of my old whelen strobe box

[Rick_A]

Thanks Pat, I was able to print them at 125% and they look great.

Now all I have to do check my bank account and call Kahuna

[Kahuna]

Originally Posted by bkthomps

Mike, what's the pricing and how can we get them? I'd like to install these next week, I need to get rid of my old whelen strobe box

Brian,
All of our products are available off the Products link off our web page. Link in my signature for lights as well. Holler if you have any questions.