Peter.Fruehling

Peter.Fruehling

Well Known Member
Well I heard back from Bill at CreativeAir today that he is not going to be able to knock down the RF issues he's ben having with the LED strobes. I purchased a set several weeks ago (never took delivery) and he was GREAT about keeping me in the loop on his progress towards fixing the issue. However, in the end, the LED strobes require a complete redesign to "meet his standards" of reduced noise.

I would really like to do LED strobes rather than the old stand-by Whelen's for many reasons. I've contacted AeroLED...any others I should be looking at? I thought there would be more choices by now.

Thanks! - Peter
 
AVEO Engineering . . . . .

. . . . . is who you should check out http://www.aveoaviationlights.com/. They already have their AveoFlash series with a LED Nav/Position/Strobe unit for unenclosed wigtips. The AveoFlashEW for enclosed wingtips (like our RVs) is due in December as well as a landing and taxi light to fit in the wingtip (all LED). They also make the PosiStrobe for the tail to provide the rear position and strobe where you would normally use a Whelen 500.

These lights are 100% LED and (at least according to AVEO) are compliant with the FAA requirements and are absolutely quiet electrically.

I have a Posistrobe coming from the distributor that is on UPS right now and is due for delivery on 12/1 (these have been on backorder from Spruce since at least August). As soon as I get it, I'll post some photos and some "pireps" on it.

In the mean time, here's some photos of the PosiStrobe the Aveo folks sent me.

posistrobe1.jpg


posistrobe2.jpg


BTW. I am not affiliated in any way with Aveo Engineering - just a customer who really hopes to be able to go 100% LED!
 
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Strobes

Yes...look at www.strobesnmore.com. They have regular strobes and LED flashers from Whelen, Nova, and others for emergency vehicles but I have seen them on experimentals.

Dick DeCramer
RV6 N500DD flying w/Aeroflash strobes
RV8 fuselage...will Build my own lighting
Northfield, MN
 
aveoflash

A little bird told me that a pretty cool new light package from aveo will be making it to our favourite kits plane company's inventory in DEC.
We will see, ordering that from vans at a good price would be a really sweet upgrade from the old standard choices.

We will see.
 
Great Info Guys!!!

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! I was pretty bummed after hearing back from Bill on his solution. We'll see what we have in December!

- Peter
 
Dan did you get your PosiSTROBE? I'm intersted to konw what you think and if it's as quiet as they're claiming!

Also, I can't tell from their web site if the AveoFlashEW is just a strobe or contains position lights as well. All I need for the tips are the strobes. I have another LED solution for the position lights.

- Peter
 
The PosiStrobe is IN ! ! !

N200PF said:
Dan did you get your PosiSTROBE? I'm intersted to konw what you think and if it's as quiet as they're claiming!

Also, I can't tell from their web site if the AveoFlashEW is just a strobe or contains position lights as well. All I need for the tips are the strobes. I have another LED solution for the position lights.

- Peter
Click to expand...

I just got it this morning on UPS. I have been playing with it some and will post a more complete pirep later.

My initial testing using my Icom A210 radio with a Comant CI-122 antenna is that there is no interference! I have the radio sitting on the bench and the antenna attached to a 2' X 2' piece of aluminum for a ground plane. I can receive KHSV approach, tower, and ATIS with this set up. With the PosiStrobe hooked to the same power supply as the radio, there was no difference in reception at all - even receiving some weaker signals from aircraft talking to approach/tower. A couple of times, if I actually laid the PosiStrobe on the radio or held the antenna right next to it, I think I might have heard a little background noise but it doesn't seem to be very repeatable.

A couple of quick observations -

- The PosiStrobe does 48 double flashes/minute.

- The position light appears to be on if you have the strobe on.

- After running the unit for a couple of hours, it is only warm to the touch - not hot (edit: after 3 hours, IR thermometer says 109 degrees F).

More later . . . . .


The AveoFlashEW is both position and strobe.
 
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GREAT NEWS!!!

Did you work with anyone specific over there Dan? I'll be anxious to learn more about the AveoFlashEW and if they built it as a stand alone wing strobe...not to include red or green position lights.

That's what I need to go with the PosiStrobe.

- Peter
 
I am eagerly anticipating the release of the Aveo equipment for enclosed wingtips on the RV. :)
 
AveoFlashEW will look sort of like this . . . .

N200PF said:
GREAT NEWS!!!

Did you work with anyone specific over there Dan? I'll be anxious to learn more about the AveoFlashEW and if they built it as a stand alone wing strobe...not to include red or green position lights.

That's what I need to go with the PosiStrobe.

- Peter
Click to expand...

Here's the images out of a .pdf that Aveo sent me about the AveoFlashEW.

AveoFlashEW-1.jpg



AveoFlashEW-2.jpg



Looks to me like the position and strobe are part of one unit. I can't tell from the graphic but I suppose its possible that the landing and taxi lights are all part of it too - don't know. It had occurred to me that if you wanted to do your own red/green position light that you could use the PosiStrobe for the strobe in each wing tip. However, it appears that the white position light is always on when the strobe is on in the PosiStrobe so that probably wouldn't be suitable.


I had originally sent E-mail to Aveo Engineering's tech support - but the guy who answered is the company owner Christian Nielsen. I guess he felt sorry for me trying to get the PosiStrobe from Spruce for 3 months so I was able to buy it direct from the distributor in New York. Christian is the guy who gave me all this information so it's from the horse's mouth so-to-speak;).
 
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It's too bad that they are doing these as a single pcb board. My preference would be for the position lights to be on the rear panel and a strobe on the side panel.

The posistrobe does look good for the tail. I have the one from CreativAir, but not happy with the RF issues.

Now if we can find a simple LED Strobe that doesn't have RF issues, that would be great.
 
It does look like the position and strobe are all one unit. If you're comfortable with it, I would like to send Christian an e-mail and let him know what I'm interested in. I've tried to work with the distributors with very little luck. I think this is all so new that we know more than they do.

Dan can you PM me with Christian's e-mail or a phone number? I appreciate it!

- Peter

PS - I'll keep you guys posted on what I learn about a simple strobe solution for the wings.
 
AveoFlashEW

FWIW - the combo of red/green nav and strobe for the enclosed wing tip is exactly what I'm looking for:). I'm not opposed to "rolling my own" if thats the only way to get it - but if someone else has already engineered and developed it for a "reasonable" price then I prefer to spend my time on something else.

As Stein likes to say "Just my 2 cents worth":D
 
Hey guys I just received word back from Honza at Aveo regarding a stand alone strobe. He said they ARE developing one but there is an interim solution if you're up against a deadline. He said you could buy three PosiStrobes and just not connect the position portion of the PosiStrobe. (makes sense)

Dan - Is there a sync wire on the PosiStrobe? (I've seen images of it with an additional blue wire but don't see it on yours)

I asked Honza this via email as well as when he thought the stand alone strobes might be available. I'll keep you updated as he gets back to me.

- Peter
 
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My only concern with the PosiStrobes is with the testing that Dan has been discussing in another thread. It appears to be some concern about whether or not they are bright enough. I need to go back and re-read all of Dan's and Mel's dialogue on the subject to refresh my memory.
 
A couple of things . . . .

N200PF said:
Hey guys I just received word back from Honza at Aveo regarding a stand alone strobe. He said they ARE developing one but there is an interim solution if you're up against a deadline. He said you could buy three PosiStrobes and just not connect the position portion of the PosiStrobe. (makes sense)

Dan - Is there a sync wire on the PosiStrobe? (I've seen images of it with an additional blue wire but don't see it on yours)

I asked Honza this via email as well as when he thought the stand alone strobes might be available. I'll keep you updated as he gets back to me.

- Peter
Click to expand...

Perhaps mine isn't working right - but on my unit, if the strobe is on, the position light is on too. In other words you can't turn off the position light if you are running the strobe.

As far as the sync wire is concerned - there isn't one. If you look closely at the bottom of the unit, you can see the word "sync" on the silkscreen on the PCB and a place where a wire would go. But AVEO apparently decided to leave that feature off of the production units. As far as I can tell, there is no way to add the wire back because the whole PCB is encapsulated in the clear resin that makes up the light.

rleffler said:
My only concern with the PosiStrobes is with the testing that Dan has been discussing in another thread. It appears to be some concern about whether or not they are bright enough. I need to go back and re-read all of Dan's and Mel's dialogue on the subject to refresh my memory.
Click to expand...

You really should look at this thread where I've attempted to get some ballpark intensity numbers (candela) on this light. I have come to the conclusion that it is not even close. :eek: Take a look at the FAA intensity requirements for a rear position light and any anti collision light. Based on my measurements, the rear position light is short by a factor of nearly 4 and the strobe is short by a factor of 10. :eek: I'm sure my measurements have errors in them as they are not that sophisticated but I'm pretty sure they are not going to be off by factors like that!

Yes - I am disappointed. :( I have corresponded with Christian about this but I don't have any explanations yet.
 
Hmmmm.....

I was reading the online documentation on the AVEO website and their wiring diagram has a note that states: "If you have lights with a blue wire, that is for OPTIONAL SYNCHRONIZATION OF LIGHTS, but you must have a full set of AVEO lights for this option. If you do not want this synchronization of all lights, then simply do not connect and cap or cut off this wire". (emphasis is their's not mine)

Now knowing that online docs aren't always current, then my assumption is 1) this a yet to be implemented feature, or 2) a feature that has been discontinued for whatever reason and the doc simply hasn't been updated to reflect the change, or 3) they sell two flavors (one with and one without) and no one mentioned that fact when you placed your order.
 
I agree Dan. Aeroleds has a very limited market with the solution they're offering right now. ...and could they make them any more expensive? SHEESH!

I was pretty bummed to read your post about the possible brightness issues with the Aveo strobes. They seems to have solved the RF issues and now sure enough they're not bright enough?!? UGH!

I can't imagine they will let that stand if they want to sell ANY of those units. I'm still waiting to hear back from Honza on the sync wire they show in the pics that didn't end up on your PosiStrobe.

...hate to admit it but I'm about two emails away from ordering an old school Whelen solution and forgetting about it.

- Peter
 
Brightness

Yea - I'm disappointed, and a bit puzzled. Supposedly, these lights have undergone testing and are in for paperwork certification. With my experience so far, I really don't see how they can meet the specs. My eye and my meter just can't be that far off - unless my light is defective somehow.

I think the sync wire is something that Aveo intended to include but changed their mind about. It showed up in their earlier drawings but was missing from later ones.

As far as Aeroleds pricing is concerned . . . . they are expensive but I guess I would expect new technology like this to be expensive. My approach to this is that I had a somewhat arbitrary goal of using using all LEDs in the plane - no light bulbs, power supplies, etc. I expected to pay somewhat more than the conventional setup (within reason ;)). I have looked into what is required to meet the intensity specs with current technology LEDs - the nav/position lights are (or should be) pretty easy but the anti collision is tough!
 
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AeroLEDs products

Guys,

Please bear with us on our product selection, as we have a number of new designs that will be available in the near future.

Our Pulsar XP product will be available by January, and I am confident you will be pleased with it's light output for both the position light and strobe functions.

I know our prices are higher than Creative Air and maybe even Aveo right now, but you have to realize that there are a lot of high quality parts in our designs that make them more robust than most of our competitors. The acrylic castings that Aveo uses are vulnerable to rock strikes and can shatter. We use aluminum and high impact polycarbonate in our products, and these materials are much more resistant to chipping and cracking.

We provide a 10 year warranty for our products as well, which we couldn't do if we cheapened them down and made them more disposable. Our philosophy is that aviation grade products should be held to high standards, and LED products should last as long as the airframe.

Also, unlike Aveo products which are imported from eastern Europe, all of our products are designed and built in the USA with 100% USA vendors and suppliers of all the assemblies. The only imported parts are the electronic components which are typically only available from offshore fabs.

I am pleased to announce that our AeroSUNSpot PAR36 product is now shipping, and we have caught up with our backlog of orders on this product.

We are also developing a line of products specifically aimed at the RV models. These should become available starting in early 2009, with several successive products being introduced over the course of the year.

Best Regards,

Dean Wilkinson
CTO, AeroLEDs LLC
http://www.aeroleds.com
 
Thanks for the info Dean. I appreciate the clarification.

I'll reach out to you by phone this afterenoon witha couple questions.

- Peter
 
OK I just got off the phone with Mike from AeroLEDs and I have to say I think they get it. ...product wise, technology wise, build wise. Finding a company that listens, understands what you're asking for, is honest about what they can do today and what needs to be done tomorrow to meet the needs of the experimental category is refreshing.

Out of all the companies that I've spoken to, AeroLEDs seems to the closest to developing a U.S. made, true LED only, electrically quiet, position/strobe solution that will drop in to an RV enclosed wing tip as seemlessly as possible. It may be Q1 or Q2 next year but they were well aware of the issues that we've struggled with to date and are addressing them. Noise, candela, sync, inegrated power supply. You get the idea.

After speaking with Mike, I'm going to hold tight for a few months and not buy the old Whelen standby. I'm betting a year from now I'll be happy I did. ...lord knows I have plenty of other things to work on!

- Peter
 
How about the REAR position/strobe?

N200PF said:
<snip>
Out of all the companies that I've spoken to, AeroLEDs seems to the closest to developing a U.S. made, true LED only, electrically quiet, position/strobe solution that will drop in to an RV enclosed wing tip as seemlessly as possible. It may be Q1 or Q2 next year but they were well aware of the issues that we've struggled with to date and are addressing them. Noise, candela, sync, inegrated power supply. You get the idea.
</snip>

- Peter
Click to expand...


So - are they also developing a rear position/strobe light for the rudder fairing on the RV (LED equivalent to the Whelen A500)? That has to be part of the equation or you end up having to install a flash tube and power supply for the rear anyway.
 
Dan Langhout said:
So - are they also developing a rear position/strobe light for the rudder fairing on the RV (LED equivalent to the Whelen A500)? That has to be part of the equation or you end up having to install a flash tube and power supply for the rear anyway.
Click to expand...

Dan, the answer to that question is yes, but right now that is all I can tell you about it until we take the wraps off of it and make it public...

Dean Wilkinson
CTO, AeroLEDs LLC
 
Update on tail position/strobe?

Hi, Dean,

Any update on availability of a combination tail position/strobe light from AeroLEDs? I'm about to order my empennage kit in preparation for my class at Alexander Technical Center in June, and I'm trying to plan for the lighting. I'm ready to order the PosiStrobe XP from Aveo, but I'm anxious to see what your company will be offering.

Thanks!
-- Chris
 
Suntail

Any update on availability of a combination tail position/strobe light from AeroLEDs? I'm about to order my empennage kit in preparation for my class at Alexander Technical Center in June, and I'm trying to plan for the lighting. I'm ready to order the PosiStrobe XP from Aveo, but I'm anxious to see what your company will be offering.
Click to expand...
Take a look at this
 
Visited all the LED lights stalls at SnF and have to say they have come on a long way in a short time.

I asked the same questions to them and the only guys to show me any test data were on the Aveo stand, who i have to say have made possibly the biggest advances. The Posi Strobe XP was VERY bright and you had to look away, (the same with their wing tip lights) with the data they showed me from some lab showing the XP to produce, I cd 818 (which i think means candella. Unless you know different?) .

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/posistrobe.php
 
Dancing Panda said:
Visited all the LED lights stalls at SnF and have to say they have come on a long way in a short time.

I asked the same questions to them and the only guys to show me any test data were on the Aveo stand, who i have to say have made possibly the biggest advances. The Posi Strobe XP was VERY bright and you had to look away, (the same with their wing tip lights) with the data they showed me from some lab showing the XP to produce, I cd 818 (which i think means candella. Unless you know different?) .

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/posistrobe.php
Click to expand...

Did you have a chance to talk to Nate from AeroLEDs and see our new Suntail?
 
Dean, I just ordered one from your new web site -- hopefully I'll have it soon and can post some impressions.

-- Chris
 
Yes,

We will have our new Pulsar NS90 (for RV wing cutouts) ready in time for Oshkosh. A pair of Pulsar NS90's and a Suntail will provide full Nav/Strobe/Position light coverage for the RV family of planes.

Stop by and see them in Hangar A or out at the experimental aircraft area near Van's and Kitfox.

Dean Wilkinson
CTO, AeroLEDs LLC
 
a kit

If someone could design a WHOLE complete rv kit that worked well, was led and was fairly priced....now that would be of interest.

Any more details we can get or is it an Osh surprise??
 
Dan,

Yes, and if you order before it comes out we will give a 15% discount. Just call Susan when you place the order to get the discount.

Dean Wilkinson
CTO, AeroLEDs LLC
 
I ordered and received a Suntail, and have on order a pair of NS90's, all at a 15% discount. I installed the Suntail in my rudder fairing and it is AWESOME! The strobe function of the Suntail is brighter than the xenon flashtube of a Whelen system. I believe AEROLEDS has a winner.
 
RickWoodall said:
If someone could design a WHOLE complete rv kit that worked well, was led and was fairly priced....now that would be of interest.

Any more details we can get or is it an Osh surprise??
Click to expand...

We will have a complete RV package that is competitively priced with the Whelen halogen/Xenon nav/strobe package.

Dean Wilkinson
AeroLEDs LLC
 
Dean_aeroleds said:
We will have a complete RV package that is competitively priced with the Whelen halogen/Xenon nav/strobe package.

Dean Wilkinson
AeroLEDs LLC
Click to expand...

That's what I like to hear! Match or beat Van's $825 price on the Whelen kit and you have a winner!

--Bill
 
RV7Factory said:
I was browsing your site and have a question... what about the NS90s makes them suitable for RV wing cutouts? Thanks.
Click to expand...

If you look at the datasheet, the strobes on the NS90 only cover the front of the plane (NS90 for 90 degree coverage from each light). This is what's need for Van's wings with the tip cutout. The other lights offer 180 degree coverage if you externally mounted, so you would not need a tail light/strobe to cover the rear.

--Bill
 
Flying Scotsman said:
What's the status on the Aveo EW stuff? Anybody know? Their site has been saying it's "coming soon" for ages now.
Click to expand...

A well-placed insider from Van's indicated that the AeroLeds stuff will be an option on the RV-12. Looks like they are the defacto winner of the Van's strobe derby.

Vern
 
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