[flickroll]

I've read with much interest forum members who have made their own NAV lights from Luxeon LED's. I have Duckworth Landing and Taxi lights in my -8 wings. Has anyone made replacement lights from the Luxeon high brite LED's? Seems this would be easy to do and would have relatively low current draw and long life. Think I'll give it a try but wondered if anyone else has done this. Thanks.

 

[petehowell]

Some Issues and Ideas

Hi Jim,

I made some nav lights from luxeons and am very happy with the result. A landing light is doable, but you need some optics for the luxeons to focus the light, a way to run them at peak current, and heat sinking to carry the heat generated away. There are some off the shelf units that are nice, but spendy. C'mon we are experimental - more fun to roll our own. I sometimes end up learning stuff by accident along the way!

I have in the design/build stage a taxi light based on the newer SSC P7 LED (from Korea) that looks promising. I should have the current regulators (from Turkey - go figure) by the end of the week to begin testing for light output, heat, and noise. Right now I have about $45 into the project.

If I end up with a good result, you know I will post a complete report. If not, I'll quietly delete this post and make an pedestrian-incapacitating uber-light for my road bike.

Here is a teaser, at less than half current....

 

[loopfuzz]

I have in the design/build stage a taxi light based on the newer SSC P7 LED (from Korea) that looks promising. I should have the current regulators (from Turkey - go figure) by the end of the week to begin testing for light output, heat, and noise. Right now I have about $45 into the project.

Where did you get your SSC P7 led from? I found a place here for $20 plus shipping.

 

[petehowell]

Yep - that's it

KaiDomain, Dealextreme - they are all kinda the same.......

 

[Danny7]

Hi Jim,

I have in the design/build stage a taxi light based on the newer SSC P7 LED (from Korea) that looks promising. I should have the current regulators (from Turkey - go figure) by the end of the week to begin testing for light output, heat, and noise. Right now I have about $45 into the project.

If I end up with a good result, you know I will post a complete report. If not, I'll quietly delete this post and make an pedestrian-incapacitating uber-light for my road bike.

Here is a teaser, at less than half current....

how has it been coming along?

 

[Dan Blumel]

how has it been coming along?

For those interested the Seoul (Korea) buys part of their LED process from Cree. Cree is and has been for about 2 years, the leader in High Power LED's located and mfd. in USA in Durham, NC. Highest lumens output.

Also more output than the Lumiled Luxeon "Rebel". These are the 3 main players currently in High power LED's

Luxeon Rebel (Philips), Seoul (s. Korea) and CREE. Cree has consistantly been leading the pack for about 2 years or so.

 

[Danny7]

For those interested the Seoul (Korea) buys part of their LED process from Cree. Cree is and has been for about 2 years, the leader in High Power LED's located and mfd. in USA in Durham, NC. Highest lumens output.

Also more output than the Lumiled Luxeon "Rebel". These are the 3 main players currently in High power LED's

Luxeon Rebel (Philips), Seoul (s. Korea) and CREE. Cree has consistantly been leading the pack for about 2 years or so.

I've heard Cree's are the best from the last couple of years of listening to flashlight fanatics.

do you know a source to get Crees in the color we need?

 

[Dan Blumel]

I've heard Cree's are the best from the last couple of years of listening to flashlight fanatics.

do you know a source to get Crees in the color we need?

What color do you want / need ? We make LED flashlights using Cree XRE LED's

http://www.ledsupply.com/ for low volume buyers.

We make LED flashlights using Cree XRE LED's The highest output is about 6000K color.

 

[Danny7]

What color do you want / need ? We make LED flashlights using Cree XRE LED's

http://www.ledsupply.com/ for low volume buyers.

We make LED flashlights using Cree XRE LED's The highest output is about 6000K color.

red and green for position, like these:

http://www.luxeonstar.com/luxeon-iii-star-led-cyan-lambertian-64-lm-700ma-p-282.php
http://www.luxeonstar.com/luxeon-iii-star-led-red-lambertian-140-lm-1400ma-p-281.php

if i can get something brighter, more efficient, in general better, I'll pay a little extra for Cree. I don't want to spend $30 a piece though, unless i make double sure i won't ruin them the first time i run current through them!

 

[roee]

Don't confuse position lights with landing lights

red and green for position, like these:

http://www.luxeonstar.com/luxeon-iii-star-led-cyan-lambertian-64-lm-700ma-p-282.php
http://www.luxeonstar.com/luxeon-iii-star-led-red-lambertian-140-lm-1400ma-p-281.php

if i can get something brighter, more efficient, in general better, I'll pay a little extra for Cree. I don't want to spend $30 a piece though, unless i make double sure i won't ruin them the first time i run current through them!

The required intensity levels for position lights are relatively low, and they can be easily achieved with any of a wide variety of common, cheap LEDs.

Landing lights require far greater intensity levels than position lights (as well as focused beam characteristics), which are not so easy to achieve even with the latest cutting edge high-power LEDs.

Landing lights are the topic of this thread.

 

[petehowell]

SSC P7 Taxi Light

how has it been coming along?

Well, It is plenty bright. As a taxi light, it does not work well in the wingtip to illuminate the area in front of the plane. I am waiting on new reflector and designing a cowl mount for the light. Still a work in process.

 

[Danny7]

The required intensity levels for position lights are relatively low, and they can be easily achieved with any of a wide variety of common, cheap LEDs.

Landing lights require far greater intensity levels than position lights (as well as focused beam characteristics), which are not so easy to achieve even with the latest cutting edge high-power LEDs.

Landing lights are the topic of this thread.

would you say the SSC P7 is cheap and common or more towards the high power side of the spectrum? it seems like it isn't that expensive, at just under $20. the luxeon stars are around $7. the big cree mc-e is just under $30

 

[roee]

would you say the SSC P7 is cheap and common or more towards the high power side of the spectrum? it seems like it isn't that expensive, at just under $20. the luxeon stars are around $7. the big cree mc-e is just under $30

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but let me again try to clarify. The SSC P7 is a high power LED that you might use in designing a landing light or taxi light. To design position lights on the other hand, one could use a handful of generic, non- "high power" LED's, that cost pennies. Landing lights and position lights are not the same. They have totally different requirements, and therefore different solutions. Using top of the line high-power LEDs to make a position light is like killing a fly with a sledgehammer.

 

[petehowell]

Really Dead Flies!

The luxeons are overkill for the nav lights, but the star package makes it easy to create a nice looking unit. And even when under driven, they are crazy bright. Prices are not bad either.

 

[Bob Ellis]

MR-16 LED for Vans Landing Light

Still on topic but slightly different angle. The Vans Landing Light Kit for the 7/8 has 4 x 75W MR16 Halogen Bulbs - quite bright but look at the amps!

MR-16 LED bulbs are on the market and surely it won't be too long before they are bright enough to be a very low amp - fit and forget replacement? Hopefully when my 8 is due to fly in about two years

Bob Ellis
www.rv-8.co.uk
Fuselage in progress

 

[Canadian_JOY]

Bob - while I don't fly an RV, I have fitted MR-16 LED lights to my aircraft. Two units, each with 3 x 3W led's, supposedly with 16degree beam width. They don't produce enough light to avoid a collision with a deer on the runway at takeoff speed, but they're more than adequate for use as a taxi light and to aid in judging flare height when landing. In this latter respect I far prefer them to a halogen landing light because they don't wipe out my night vision.

 

[dbuds2]

Hoping for a LED solution

Still on topic but slightly different angle. The Vans Landing Light Kit for the 7/8 has 4 x 75W MR16 Halogen Bulbs - quite bright but look at the amps!

MR-16 LED bulbs are on the market and surely it won't be too long before they are bright enough to be a very low amp - fit and forget replacement? Hopefully when my 8 is due to fly in about two years

Great Idea Bob. Would it be an OK idea to replace one side (landing hole) of the Van's (two MR16) setup with an HID and use a 3 watt LED/MR16's in the taxi hole for full time flashing regognition?

 

[Bob Ellis]

MR16 LED Landing Lights

I can't really comment on that because here in the UK we can only fly day VFR and I believe wig wags are not allowed! I'm fitting the lights purely for recognition hence me hoping the wattage will increase by the time I come to fly towards the halogen brightness.

I think Canadian Joy may have answered your question.