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alpinelakespilot2000

Well Known Member
More a question to satisfy my curiousity than anything else...

I just bench tested Bob Nuckoll's wig-wag flasher setup and have a question. On the drawing, Bob indicates that both the landing and taxi lights need to have a load on them for the wig wag to work. I took this to mean that the landing light and taxi light switches needed to be on along with the wig-wag switch. However, on my bench test I found that even with the landing and taxi light switches off, the wig wag will still operate independently.

Does having the landing and taxi lights "under load" mean something different than being "on"? For others who use this flasher, does yours work the same as mine?

Thanks.
 
Hi Steve.

I have a B&C mechanical flasher, and it only works if both lights are connected to it and power is applied. If either light burns out, it will stop working.

Vern
 
vlittle said:
Hi Steve.

I have a B&C mechanical flasher, and it only works if both lights are connected to it and power is applied. If either light burns out, it will stop working.

Vern
Click to expand...
Thanks Vern-
So should my flasher be working if both the taxi and landing light switches are off (but wig wag switch is on)? It does, so do I somehow have it wired incorrectly? (Actually, I like it that I can just flip the wig-wag switch for daytime flight without having to have the landing and taxi light switches on, but still wonder if I've done something incorrectly.)
 
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Yours are working just like mine. The landing and taxi light switches can be either on or off. You just need bulbs in the sockets and power to the flasher to get wig-wag.


 
I used the B&C flasher and one of their circuit diagrams.
Your functionality might vary depending on which diagram
you use. My lights wig-wag with only the W/W switch on.
In fact if the wig-wag switch is on, it doesn't matter
what position the other switches are in since they are
not in the circuit while in W/W mode.
My W/W will also stop if a lamp burns out.

Tom
 
alpinelakespilot2000 said:
Thanks Vern-
So should my flasher be working if both the taxi and landing light switches are off (but wig wag switch is on)? It does, so do I somehow have it wired incorrectly? (Actually, I like it that I can just flip the wig-wag switch for daytime flight without having to have the landing and taxi light switches on, but still wonder if I've done something incorrectly.)
Click to expand...

My switch arrangement is such that I have 3 switches: taxi, landing and wig-wag. I have to turn the taxi and landing switches off for the wig-wag to work, otherwise, the flasher buzzes.

Why three switches? My setup is that if the wig-wag flasher fails, I can still turn on the landing /taxi lights.

V
 
vlittle said:
I have to turn the taxi and landing switches off for the wig-wag to work, otherwise, the flasher buzzes.
Click to expand...
Sounds like Tom, Rocky, and I either are following a different wiring scheme or we have a different flasher, since none of us need to have the taxi and landing light switches on to allow the wig-wag to work. (I'm using 3 switches as well, Vern... two 1-3's and the 2-whatever that Nuckoll's indicates on the wiring scheme.)

Re: the noise... my flasher does make a pretty loud (turn signal-like) clicking when it's operating, no matter which switches are on. I'm assuming that this is normal (?), nothing to worry about, and that I won't hear it with the engine running.
 
Here's a pic of the flasher and the schematic that I am using. It should be self-explanatory.

This configuration only has one switch between the power and lamps for ON operation, which is what I want for reliability. The FLASH switch only operates properly when both TAXI and LANDING switches are OFF.

Vern

116_1642_1.jpg




wigwag.jpg
 
Wig Wag and landing light control

I just installed a device called a MaxPulse in my plane. It was a no brainer. And talk about control for wig wag and other functions. This device will handle two circuits at 10 Amps each an is the size of a Rheostat. No heat sinks, no other packages to mount - Just the device itself. Go take a look at it. You can find it serveral places on the web. Here is one http://www.maxpulsemaxdim.com There is also a Instrument Panel dimmer there called MaxDim .. no need to complicate this..
 
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$158 for the flasher vs about $21 for the B&C Wig Wag and even less for some off-the-shelf aftermarket automotive parts. The device looks nice though and has everything included, which is nice.

Is it harmful to momentarily light up a light while moving through positions?
 
Bubblehead said:
$158 for the flasher vs about $21 for the B&C Wig Wag and even less for some off-the-shelf aftermarket automotive parts. The device looks nice though and has everything included, which is nice.

Is it harmful to momentarily light up a light while moving through positions?
Click to expand...

Bubblehead, well when you are talking about an airplane worth 10s of thousands of dollars, it doesn't seem like the $158 is very much for the best. It is a pulser ( MaxPulse ) so there is no problem moving through the positions. At the highest speed you have each light on for about .5 seconds then off for .5 seconds. I can only relate my experience. I have had no problems for the last 6 months, all through the winter up here. And the dimmer ( MaxDim ) is the cats meow. The great thing about these is their compact size and they are fully self contained without any external packages to mount etc.
 
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Wig no Wag

I've posted this before http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=13574&highlight=wig+wag"] - but didn't receive a response. Maybe someone here can help...

My setup: I have a DPDT switch; OFF - Wig/Wag - Landing, using the Aeroelectric Connection wig/wag schematic ( http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles/WigWag/WigWag.pdf ).

Wig/Wag makes the landing lights flash, Landing makes the landing lights solid.

Anyone have this issue... Both lights work in the Landing position, but in the Wig-Wag position one light will flash, but the other will not. This is the case for me, even if I switch connections for the lights on the flasher tabs.... just the opposite light flashes.

I'm using a Cooper Bussman 759 automotive flasher (12v, 25amp, 3-6 bulb capable).

With a meter I can read 12v at both light tabs while one is flashing. I tried a new flasher but it does the same thing.
 
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