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New LED Replacement Bulbs For Whelen Position Lights

Geico266

Geico266

Well Known Member
If you have a large power draw during night flying I found a neat product at SnF that just might help. They are direct LED replacement bulbs for the Whelen sockets. Just replace the bulb and you have LED position lights. This change reduces the amp draw from 6 amps to .25 amps. for the system. That is a huge power savings at night.

$50 for the red & green pair.
 
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Geico266 said:
If you have a large power draw during night flying I found a neat product at SnF that just might help. They are direct LED replacement bulbs for the Whelen sockets. Just replace the bulb and you have LED position lights. This change reduces the amp draw from 6 amps to .25 amps. for the system. That is a huge power savings at night.
$50 for the red & green pair.
Click to expand...
OK, so tell us who is the supplier, and do the LEDs meet the requirements for night flight?
 
Yes - tell us more! Who sells them, contact info....I'd love to not melt my light covers again....

Paul
 
Greg Reese said:
before you leave. my buddy bought a pair; Green worked, red did not. Vendor said he'd make it good.
Click to expand...

Have him check the polarity on the light socket if the bulb is bad. If it is reversed the new bulb will not work, but the old bulb will. Check the bulb by swapping it side to side.
 
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Mel said:
OK, so tell us who is the supplier, and do the LEDs meet the requirements for night flight?
Click to expand...

According to the guy selling them they are 40 candle power (FAA minimum), and they look bright enough to me. Whelen is NOT happy, but that is understandable. Not a bad upgrade for $50.
 
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Let's hope it works...

Geico266 said:
What is cool about this bulb is it replaces the original bulb for $25.
Click to expand...

...better than the ones Dan L. measured the output from (same manufacturer?).

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=36856&highlight=LED+measurement

The thread contained lots of interesting discussion on LED measurement techniques, but no real statements from the manufacturer about actual light output measurement.

Dan's tests, while not precise, were accurate enough to show a major deficiency in output.

Sometimes the wish to save energy ("go green", "be cool") comes at the price of not meeting the FAR required navigation light specifications - which do apply to our experimentals.
 
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LED Bulb: PSA Trimcraft

Hi,

I too bought a bulb at Sun-n-Fun.
I bought a red bulb with an integrated flasher, for the anti-collision.

The company is:
PSA Trimcraft
Robert Perigo
863-853-2448
[email protected]!! (.com)

He sells complete units for you guys, but he also sells just the bulb to replace factory bulbs. Only about $25 at the show!

The selling points are:
No radio noise.
.13 amp draw vs ?amp ??
Shouldn't fail like a regular bulb.
Way cheaper than competitors.
Colored light, so don't need a colored cover.
Standard socket. Classified as a "replacement bulb".

I am leery of the brightness. Maybe OK for the tail and nav bulbs.
I'd certainly be VERY leery of the brightness for strobe purposes.
I also need to verify all claims as to being approved for it's stated purposes on a certified airplane. Or, at least accept that responsibility if I chose to ignore.

I'm going to hook up the new bulb to an outside power source and set it up about 6' from the plane. Then turn both on and get as far as I can away and just try to determine if they are ballpark similar brightness. If so, I'll order the previously mentioned nav and tail light bulbs.

I'll report back here after I get a chance to run this test.
If anyone wants to run a real test, running one of these bulbs side-by-side with competing or factory units, I could buy a bulb and mail it for testing. Either for NAV or White Tail light.

With the anti-collision bulb, he said that I can bypass the Cessna flasher unit and thus eliminate even more current draw and another point of failure.

Matt
 
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What about the tail?

I have LED's on the wing tips but my tail light-strob combo is vintage Van's.

Do they have a white tail light replacement bulb or do I have to replace the entire unit?
 
This brings up an interesting question. Since the LEDs are already colored, and since they are of minimum brightness, does someone offer CLEAR lenses to replace the Red and Green position light lenses for the Whelen units?

I looked through their catalog and could not find those, but it could just be my lack of persistence...
 
PSA Trimcraft has bulbs in each color and also has complete units.
And, they are really cheap, as they should be.

The only real question is how bright they are.
I've researched and bought some flashlights online and the outputs are all over the place. A $4 flashlight with 9 LED's from Harbor freight is not nearly as bright as the $36 single LED light I got online. That flashlight included the nice aluminum housing and was really cheap compared to the rip-off "sure-fire" lights for $120. So, if the anti-collision bulb I bought has about 36 LED lights in it, I bet that they are weaker ones than in my single-LED flashlight.

I'll let you know.
 
breister said:
This brings up an interesting question. Since the LEDs are already colored, and since they are of minimum brightness, does someone offer CLEAR lenses to replace the Red and Green position light lenses for the Whelen units?

I looked through their catalog and could not find those, but it could just be my lack of persistence...
Click to expand...

PSA Trimcraft also has white LED replacement bulbs to use inside of the standard (red & green lens) Whelen and Grimes position lamps. They have the same base as the stock bulbs, so are a drop in replacement. I checked them out at Sun N' Fun.
Charlie Kuss
 
chaskuss said:
PSA Trimcraft also has white LED replacement bulbs to use inside of the standard (red & green lens) Whelen and Grimes position lamps. They have the same base as the stock bulbs, so are a drop in replacement. I checked them out at Sun N' Fun.
Charlie Kuss
Click to expand...

I don't know this to be fact, but I have heard that you should never use a "white" LED inside a colored lens because almost no light will make it out. The article I read said that if you had to place one behind a colored lens to use the same color bulb as the lens (which should be "transparent" to that color). However, again noting that these lights are not so bright as we might like my preference would be to use the colored bulb and switch to a clear lens.

Edit: I think I'll contact them and see what they have to say...

:D
 
LED Nav Lights

My name is Tim Mahoney, and I own Mid-Sota Aircraft Technologies. My company currently manufacturers the LED Maplight series of cockpit lights for aircraft. I have extensive experience in the application and development of led's for use in aircraft applications. 40 candella sounds great, if it illuminates the correct intensity in the proper directions. There is alot more than meets the eye when it comes to using led's for navigation lights. Look up the FAR's concerning navigation light requirements, you may be suprised what is asked of a navigation light on an aircraft. Look up www.mid-sota.com, particularly the prototype nav lights with clear lenses (which we manufacture). I could go on for quite a while describing all the r&d that goes into developing a led nav light and meeting the FAR's.
 
I sure hope somebody figures all of this out. After reading Paul's experience with melting lenses due to the heat of the nav lights, I checked mine -- yup, beginning to melt. AND I'VE NEVER EVEN FLOWN THE PLANE!

At something like $250 per strobe/nav light unit, I really hate to have to replace perfectly good (and brand-new) strobe/nav light units to keep from destroying my lenses. So, when somebody figures out if there are replacement bulbs that meet the FAA regs, I'm IN!
 
N8RV said:
So, when somebody figures out if there are replacement bulbs that meet the FAA regs, I'm IN!
Click to expand...

I've never seen a FAA ramp check for bulb brightness, and I doubt seriously if you ever will. Buy it and fly it.

JMHO
 
Tim... I am glad...

Tim Mahoney said:
My name is Tim Mahoney, and I own Mid-Sota Aircraft Technologies. My company currently manufacturers the LED Maplight series of cockpit lights for aircraft. I have extensive experience in the application and development of led's for use in aircraft applications. 40 candella sounds great, if it illuminates the correct intensity in the proper directions. There is alot more than meets the eye when it comes to using led's for navigation lights. Look up the FAR's concerning navigation light requirements, you may be suprised what is asked of a navigation light on an aircraft. Look up www.mid-sota.com, particularly the prototype nav lights with clear lenses (which we manufacture). I could go on for quite a while describing all the r&d that goes into developing a led nav light and meeting the FAR's.
Click to expand...

...to see someone acknowledging the FARs for the LED navigation light functions and actually testing to the FAA specifications.

I am sure that is lacking in some of the other similar products.

Per the comment on your web site, can I request a copy of the testing documentation?
 
RV7 style wing tips have been upgraded

N8RV said:
I sure hope somebody figures all of this out. After reading Paul's experience with melting lenses due to the heat of the nav lights, I checked mine -- yup, beginning to melt. AND I'VE NEVER EVEN FLOWN THE PLANE!

At something like $250 per strobe/nav light unit, I really hate to have to replace perfectly good (and brand-new) strobe/nav light units to keep from destroying my lenses. So, when somebody figures out if there are replacement bulbs that meet the FAA regs, I'm IN!
Click to expand...

Hi Don,
While at Sun N' Fun last month, I studied the faired in lighting sections of a lot of RVs on the flight line. I spoke to several owners. Do you have the original Horner style RV8 wing tips, the original RV7 sheared "bat wing" tips or the newer RV7 sheared tips? My observations were that the newest style tips (non bat wing) have a larger & deeper compartment for the lights. This allows you to install the strobe heads and nav lamps farther from the lens. There is considerably more space between the lamps and the lens on the newest design tips with the light recess.

Part numbers for the newest style tips are
W715-1-R & W715-1-L

Charlie Kuss
 
chaskuss said:
Hi Don,
While at Sun N' Fun last month, I studied the faired in lighting sections of a lot of RVs on the flight line. I spoke to several owners. Do you have the original Horner style RV8 wing tips, the original RV7 sheared "bat wing" tips or the newer RV7 sheared tips? My observations were that the newest style tips (non bat wing) have a larger & deeper compartment for the lights. This allows you to install the strobe heads and nav lamps farther from the lens. There is considerably more space between the lamps and the lens on the newest design tips with the light recess.

Part numbers for the newest style tips are
W715-1-R & W715-1-L

Charlie Kuss
Click to expand...

Haha, you funny, funny man, Charlie! :D

I think I started my wing kit a dozen years ago. There's NOTHING new about them!
 
N8RV said:
Haha, you funny, funny man, Charlie! :D

I think I started my wing kit a dozen years ago. There's NOTHING new about them!
Click to expand...

Don,
I have the old, non MK I wing spars myself. On the advice of my RV guru, I omitted the wing tips from my wing kit, so I didn't get stuck with the old Hoener style tips. Once in a while, I actually listened to him. Glad I did about the tips.
FYI, the newest style tips went into production in August 2005.
Charlie Kuss
 
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Clear lens for Whelen is available ...

I think.

My plane uses the Whelen A600P[G/R] wingtip nav/strobe lights. The red and green lens' are W1284R and W1284G respectively. The part number for the clear lens appears to be W1284C. It's available from ACS for $32.75 (search for W1284C).

I've been wanting to switch to LED nav lights because I underestimated the current requirements for the incandescents and chose a wire size that's right on the edge of being too small. I'd like not to have to buy a whole new set of light assemblies due to high cost and possible mechanical mismatches. It looks like using the W1284C and the LEDs from PSA Trimcraft might be just the ticket.

My only remaining concern is brightness. I'll give them a call before too long and see what they have to say.
 
are these the right ones?

I just found these LED replacement bulbs on Spruce, come in red, green, clear. The Spruce page says they meet the FARs:

Upgrade your Red & Green Navigation Lights to LED's. Replaces standard lamps in Whelen, Grimes, and Hoskins Navigation lights. It's simple! Just replace your old incandescent bulbs with our new LED lamps and you are ready to go. Longer life, runs cooler, draws less than .2 amps, 43 candle power, meets FAR 23-1391, and is Mil Spec.

Anybody use these yet? I guess I'd still have to buy the expensive holders from Whelen, but I like the idea. I note that this vendor uses lots of LEDs, while Whelen's drop-in replacment uses only 3.
 
IowaRV9Dreamer said:
I just found these LED replacement bulbs on Spruce, come in red, green, clear. The Spruce page says they meet the FARs:
Click to expand...

NYTOM said:
Are these the same ones made by PSA Trimcraft that some of you picked up at Sun n Fun for 50 bucks a set and mentioned earlier in this thread ?
Click to expand...


IowaRV9Dreamer said:
Tom - that is what I was hoping to find out too.

I don't think so, because Spruce lists all sorts of other PSA Trimcraft LED lights here.
Click to expand...

They are one in the same.

I just got off the phone with Aircraft Spruce. Spruce gets these bulbs from PSA. They meet all FAA and MIL specs. as shown in the catolog. Like I said when I started the thread, if you would like to reduce your current draw at night from 6 amps to .3 amps these bulbs are a cheap way to do it.... even now at $70 a pair.

BTW, Spruce is out of stock on all bulbs.
 
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Geico266 said:
I just got off the phone with Aircraft Spruce. Spruce gets these bulbs from PSA. They meet all FAA and MIL specs. as shown in the catolog.
Click to expand...

Excellent! :D Now does anybody know if PSA Trimcraft is going to be at Oshkosh? :confused: Maybe we can cut out the middle man and save a few bucks.:cool:
 
Lycosaurus said:
1/18 the wattage, but still meets lighting specs?
Click to expand...
Hopefully because it's 1/8 the wasted heat, and the same (more more :p) light.... LEDs are much more efficient than filaments....

The cool thing about these is if you mount them in the (overpriced) Whelen sockets, and your DAR makes you, you can put in regular bulbs.

Can't wait to buy some.... now I need something to mount them in.
 
IowaRV9Dreamer said:
Hopefully because it's 1/8 the wasted heat, and the same (more more :p) light.... LEDs are much more efficient than filaments....
Click to expand...

I typed 1/18 in my previous post (1/6 x .3), roughly 5%. I have a hard time believing that off the shelf LEDs are producing the same amount of light with 5% the power.

Some documentation to support this would be appreciated.
 
I have been notified that Spruce has shipped my bulbs and I should get them Monday. I have seen some info on the forums that installing them under my existing Whelen red and green lenses will reduce the amount of light to an unacceptable level. I saw a post that listed a Whelen number for a clear lens, but cannot find it with the referenced part number. I am wondering if I can just install the bulbs and leave the lenses off?
I have the standard Van's/Whelen nav/strobe lights.
 
dmaib said:
I have been notified that Spruce has shipped my bulbs and I should get them Monday. I have seen some info on the forums that installing them under my existing Whelen red and green lenses will reduce the amount of light to an unacceptable level..
Click to expand...

Eagerly awaiting a PIREP!!!
 
I'm always suspicious of...

Ironflight said:
Eagerly awaiting a PIREP!!!
Click to expand...

...products that claim to be "Mil-Spec", but do not quote an actual specification number...:rolleyes:

See the Aircraft Spruce description...

The ratio seems to be 26W to 2.8W - a 9+ times energy improvement for LED efficiency over incandescant... more than most "green" sites ever claim.
 
Geico266 said:
They work great. Been flying with them since SnF. Much lower amp draw at night, this mod is a no brainer. Definately worth the $$.
Click to expand...

Larry,

Did you just install them under the Whelen red and green lenses? If not, did you leave the lenses off, or did you find a clear lens that will fit the Whelen assembly? Inquiring minds want to know!

Off topic: My brother is visiting from AR and he wrote his congressman and got us VIP tickets for STS-127 launch early this morning. We got out of bed at about 1:00 AM and drove over to the Merritt Island Mall to meet the buses, only to be told that the launch had scrubbed. When we got back home I checked my email and NASA had emailed everybody on the guest list at 1:00 AM to notify of the cancellation. Sure wish I had taken a minute to check email before leaving the house!!:eek:
 
LED bulb PIREP

Ironflight said:
Eagerly awaiting a PIREP!!!
Click to expand...

I installed the replacement bulbs this morning and took some photo's in my darkened hangar. I am not sure these will be much help, but here they are. The first two are the Whelen incandescent bulbs. The second two are the LED replacement bulbs without the Whelen red and green lens covers in place. The third two are the LED bulbs with the red and green lens covers in place. Not a very scientific test to be sure. My 60 year old Mark I non-calibrated eyeballs think that clear lenses in place of the red and green lenses would be a good thing. Operating without the lenses at all is an option as well. That might give a bit more opportunity for dirt and moisture to find it's way into the wingtip and light assembly, however.
My Vertical Power showed 1.8 to 1.9 amp draw on each of the Whelen bulbs and <0.1 amp draw on each of the LED bulbs. I like these a lot! Now if I could find a replacement for the white nav bulb in the combo nav/strobe unit in the tail.:D

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/9931/img2100x.jpg
http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/1241/img2101frn.jpg
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/7320/img2102j.jpg
http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/8872/img2103o.jpg
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/1197/img2104tab.jpg
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/5893/img2105buw.jpg
 
Auto exposure?

dmaib said:
I installed the replacement bulbs this morning and took some photo's in my darkened hangar.
Click to expand...

I noticed that the background image of the white chair in the hangar was brighter in your photos of the LED lights than it was with the Whelen lights. Could that be a result of your camera's auto exposure time being lengthened due to lower light levels from the LED lights?
 
When I looked at these replacement lights at SNF it was obvious to me they weren't as bright as regular bulbs. With that said, I'm going to order a set for my rocket. To me the FAA specs don't mean anything practical, since its going to be fairly unlikely that someone will see you at a distance with even the brightest of bulbs. Strobes, and wigwag landing lights are much more visible at night.
 
Dave Cole said:
I noticed that the background image of the white chair in the hangar was brighter in your photos of the LED lights than it was with the Whelen lights. Could that be a result of your camera's auto exposure time being lengthened due to lower light levels from the LED lights?
Click to expand...

I didn't notice that until you mentioned it. I suspect you are correct.
 
BEWARE! Not approved!

These lights are not FAA approved! It is also illegal to install these in a TSO approved light assembly of a different manufacturer.

It does not matter if it is experimental or not if you fly at night.

Ask to see the photometric test report submitted to the FAA that shows compliance to the FAR's. There is none.
Ask to see the environmental test teport submitted to the FAA to prove compliance to the TSO regulations....there is none.
Do they comply with the chromaticity requirements stated in the FAR's?

While there is good intent in such a product, there is also the responsibility to offer a product that complies with ALL of the FAA regulations. Lighting is more complicated than most realize. Try looking at FAR Part 23.1387 thru 23.1397.
 
Thanks Jeff,

Whelen rep or no, it is always appropriate to point out the regs.

Speaking of which, why hasn't your company come out with LED bulb replacements for legacy fixtures? They appear to be approximately the same size as the new LED models.
 
That is a good question. Couple reasons. As the LED's are a directional device, difficulty arises in meeting the regs. in the cutoff/overlap areas. (areas where the red falls within the green & green falls within the red, also applies to the white tail light). The easy part is meeting the candlepower requirement straight ahead, but you are only allowed so much light to overlap into the adjacent color. Populating a bayonet base socket with LED's to do this is a very difficult task when thermal management of the LED's is also a factor. The small lamp socket may not allow for proper cooling of the LED's (current dependent). If the LED's are operated at a lower current, light output is compromised.

TSO Marking - we have had these conversations with the FAA. A TSO is an FAA approval for a specific item. In order to be granted this approval, extensive testing must be accomplished, and approved, to show the product can operate within regulations in its intended environment. When an integral part (the most important one in this case) is changed with a part from a different manufacturer no less, how can it still comply? It cant. So now, a product is labled with a TSO marking that doesn't even have the same light source as when it was originally tested.

Again, I am only trying to bring awareness, and educate with this. NOT to downgrade a particular product in the marketplace.
 
Jeff Argersinger said:
That is a good question. Couple reasons. As the LED's are a directional device, difficulty arises in meeting the regs. in the cutoff/overlap areas. (areas where the red falls within the green & green falls within the red, also applies to the white tail light). The easy part is meeting the candlepower requirement straight ahead, but you are only allowed so much light to overlap into the adjacent color. Populating a bayonet base socket with LED's to do this is a very difficult task when thermal management of the LED's is also a factor. The small lamp socket may not allow for proper cooling of the LED's (current dependent). If the LED's are operated at a lower current, light output is compromised.

TSO Marking - we have had these conversations with the FAA. A TSO is an FAA approval for a specific item. In order to be granted this approval, extensive testing must be accomplished, and approved, to show the product can operate within regulations in its intended environment. When an integral part (the most important one in this case) is changed with a part from a different manufacturer no less, how can it still comply? It cant. So now, a product is labled with a TSO marking that doesn't even have the same light source as when it was originally tested.

Again, I am only trying to bring awareness, and educate with this. NOT to downgrade a particular product in the marketplace.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jeff, your comments are appreciated.

Couple of comments -
- You don't need to fit the lights in the existing sockets, another could be
fitted in the space
- The LEDs cannot possibly be hotter than the current lamps!
:D
 
Got me wondering

Been mulling over this thread for a couple of days now and I feel I have to add my two cents in here. When these LED replacement bulbs came out they seemed like the best thing since sliced bread. They would allow a lot of us who already have the old style nav light fixtures to upgrade without spending a fortune on the new style LED lights Whelen has developed. Then Jeff comes along and does a spectacular job at raining on the parade. I check Jeff's profile to find out a little about him and find out he's a Whelen aviation sales manager and his first post is on the day he joins the site on Monday 6/22. I don't know if he's actually building a RV but he likes the 7. I'm thinking Whelen is going to lose a lot of money on lost sales for bulbs and to those who would spend the money on new fixtures. Now I admit Jeff has probably has forgotten more about aviation lighting than what I will ever know about the subject and I'm sure he's totally correct about what he has stated. I'm not arguing that point.
My thinking is coming with past experience with Whelen. They are very competitive and profit driven. I had purchased a double flash strobe power supply years back for another plane I had at the time. The unit started acting up out of warranty and I sent it over to Whelen for repairs. It wasn't completely gone, it just flashed in a uneven pattern. I got the unit back very quickly with a note saying the unit was unrepairable and the parts obsolete and that I could replace it directly with one of the new comet flash units. Wow, I couldn't believe it. I called over there and after being switched around to different people I was told flatly that Whelen doesn't support any units that have been superseded by newer improved models. Good way to sell new stuff!
Now I'm not trying to bash Whelen here. In fact the lighting in my project is Whelen exclusively. The make excellent products. What I think I'm trying to say here is that Aircraft Spruce who is selling these bulbs is a very reputable company and I'd like to wait till the jury comes in on this one. The tests Jeff mentions may be in progress.
These bulbs if legal would be a great addition to any existing fixture that could accept them. I can't help but think some of the info is sales generated if you know what I mean.
All right, nuff said. My post will probable get deleted anyway but I just felt I had to say something. IMHO.
 
A bit confused

So is there a Whelen LED replacement for Van's "System 6" - A650 Nav/Strobes & A500 Tail light / Strobe?

I looked on the Whelen website and saw a reference to Mdl 7111001 / 002 as replacement for the A650 on the "system recommendations" page but I could not find any details on 7111001 / 002 . Would these be just LED's for the position lights with standard strobes?
 
confused a bit too

As sort of the OP (I restarted this month-dormant thread when I found the LED replacement bulbs in spruce) I've enjoyed reading the discussion, especially the recent posts by Jeff the Whelen rep. Very informative..... but I still don't know what do put in my project.

So Jeff, can you give us Whelen's recommendation for the following:
1) Wingtip LED NAV & LED Stobes for new kits
2) Wingtip LED & Flashtube Strobes for new kits
3) same as #1 but for airplanes already built with your legacy lights
4) same as #2 but for airplanes already biuld with your legacy lights

It would be great to have part numbers, datasheets, and rough street prices for each. I bet a lot of people are like me and what to buy their lights but are confused about which to get.

I always try to support vendors that provide good tech support on the forums, so thanks in advance! I bet this could generate some sales for your company.
 
NYTOM said:
Been mulling over this thread for a couple of days now and I feel I have to add my two cents in here. When these LED replacement bulbs came out they seemed like the best thing since sliced bread. They would allow a lot of us who already have the old style nav light fixtures to upgrade without spending a fortune on the new style LED lights Whelen has developed. Then Jeff comes along and does a spectacular job at raining on the parade. I check Jeff's profile to find out a little about him and find out he's a Whelen aviation sales manager and his first post is on the day he joins the site on Monday 6/22. I don't know if he's actually building a RV but he likes the 7. I'm thinking Whelen is going to lose a lot of money on lost sales for bulbs and to those who would spend the money on new fixtures. Now I admit Jeff has probably has forgotten more about aviation lighting than what I will ever know about the subject and I'm sure he's totally correct about what he has stated. I'm not arguing that point.
My thinking is coming with past experience with Whelen. They are very competitive and profit driven. I had purchased a double flash strobe power supply years back for another plane I had at the time. The unit started acting up out of warranty and I sent it over to Whelen for repairs. It wasn't completely gone, it just flashed in a uneven pattern. I got the unit back very quickly with a note saying the unit was unrepairable and the parts obsolete and that I could replace it directly with one of the new comet flash units. Wow, I couldn't believe it. I called over there and after being switched around to different people I was told flatly that Whelen doesn't support any units that have been superseded by newer improved models. Good way to sell new stuff!
Now I'm not trying to bash Whelen here. In fact the lighting in my project is Whelen exclusively. The make excellent products. What I think I'm trying to say here is that Aircraft Spruce who is selling these bulbs is a very reputable company and I'd like to wait till the jury comes in on this one. The tests Jeff mentions may be in progress.
These bulbs if legal would be a great addition to any existing fixture that could accept them. I can't help but think some of the info is sales generated if you know what I mean.
All right, nuff said. My post will probable get deleted anyway but I just felt I had to say something. IMHO.
Click to expand...

Hi Tom,
First, I joined the site to provide a little insight as to the unapproved lights that are on the market. These lights mislead the consumer into thinking they are approved when they are not. I have no problem with competition, as long as we are playing by the smae rules. We could have built a plug-n-play LED lamp years ago. Meeting the specs is a different story.

As far as your "repair" experience. You state that you returned a double flash power supply. Those have been out of production since 1993. The FAA mandates that when a unit is returned for repair/overhaul, it must be repaired to factory original specifications which include all revision levels made to that product between the manufacture date and the current date. As you know with electronics, obsolescence of parts is not uncommon, so it is true that sometimes we are unable to procure parts. The Whelen policy is to repair units within 10 years from the date of manufacture. That is why we offered you a new unit. I am a consumer such as you and I understand your frustration, but I assure you that Whelen's intent is not to generate new sales by telling customers we cannot repair the old style units. Actually the newer ones are quieter, lighter, and more visible than the "DF" style units. I hope this provides a better picture. I would be more than happy to explain further, my number & e-mail are on the Whelen site. Thank you.
 
Rick_A said:
So is there a Whelen LED replacement for Van's "System 6" - A650 Nav/Strobes & A500 Tail light / Strobe?

I looked on the Whelen website and saw a reference to Mdl 7111001 / 002 as replacement for the A650 on the "system recommendations" page but I could not find any details on 7111001 / 002 . Would these be just LED's for the position lights with standard strobes?
Click to expand...

Yes you are correct. They are the same as the legacy A650 series with an LED as the nav light and the conventional strobe.
 
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