Panel Lighting, LED's? Bezels?

[AlanBreen]

We are about to start our panel upgrade and will be installing a Ron and John's panel.

I need to decide on what sort of lighting to use.

I was going to use the new LED post lights but it seems that they are not all that they are cracked up to be. The covers are easily dislodged and difficult to find at night and leave a light glaring in your face. They can be easily broken off as they stand out further from the panel than the incandescent style of post lights and are easily bumped when reaching for a control knob. I hear that the lifespan isn't as good as it should be either, and replacing them isn't like changing the bulb in the old style light.

I looked at the ring bezel lights (Nu lites) I like the light that they give but don't like the way the instruments end up being recessed, as it makes it hard to see the scale in some circumstances.

I coming around to thinking that the old style incandescent post lights may be the way to go.

What experiences do others have with the LED lighs and the ring bezel lights.

Has any one installed the glaresheild lights from Dennis Ashby? Are they worth money?

Regards,
Alan Breen

[Jay]

Hi Alan:

The panel in my airplane, installed by the previous owner, has the LED post lights. On the minus side the covers ARE easy to knock off. When they come loose they seem to be instantly attracted to a point directly underneath the pilot's seat. The first time that happened in flight I pulled a cover off of the passenger side of the panel, continued on and worried about finding the cover when I got on the ground. My wife did complain, so I wrapped a post it note around the LED bulb to dim it a bit. Now I carry a couple of extra covers in the airplane.

On the other hand they provide extremely clear and crisp lighting. I would say that my Comanche has better cockpit lighting than some cabin class twins and turboprops that I've flown. Some of the instruments are actually easier to see at night than during the day. I've yet to have one burn out in over 400 hours of operation and with the nominal life rated in the tens of thousands of hours, I'm not sure that I will.

I have seen the ring bezel lights but I haven't flown behind them at night. I've also seen the flood lighting under an Ashby glare shield. It was nice, but not as crisp and clear as the LED lights. If I was installing a panel, I think I'd keep my LED lights, but I am a creature of habit!

Looking forward to hearing about your new panel, are you going with the same layout we talked about a while back?

All the best,

Jay

[Bill@66y]

Alan,
I have the Ahsby glare shield with the Ashby lighting in my '180 and I am very satisfied with it. The Ashby lights do need to be hooked to a separate dimmer however. I also added a small adjustable light that I can aim at the engine instrument cluster and between the two the lighting is satisfactory. The switch panel is still dark, however I've learned the switch positions by feel.
Bill...

[Bill@66y]

Alan,
I have the Ahsby glare shield with the Ashby lighting in my '180 and I am very satisfied with it. The Ashby lights do need to be hooked to a separate dimmer however. I also added a small adjustable light that I can aim at the engine instrument cluster and between the two the lighting is satisfactory. The switch panel is still dark, however I've learned the switch positions by feel.
Bill...

[AlanBreen]

Hi Jay,

Yes, pretty well going with the plan we talked about. The CB's are staying under the floor as I don't have the space to put them on the panel. The avionics CB's will be going in that position as well as the ammeter and the hour meter. The ammeter doesn't show much useful info so I am leaving it on the right and I am using that space on the left side for the avionics master and the Aspen master.

I didn't know you could get spare covers for the LED lights, that changes things some what. Where did you get the covers from, I didn't see them listed anywhere? Do you have any issues with how far out the LED lights stand from the panel?

The Ashby lights would be supplimentary to whatever other instrument lights I fit.

Bill,

Thank you for the feed back on the Ashby lights. Originally I wasn't going to fit them but I saw an aircraft with lights under the glareshield and I like what they did, I didn't fly it though.

A thought about lighting the switches, what about some of these mounted on the return area above the switches.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/e ... strips.php

or these

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/i ... lights.php

Regards,
Alan

[Jay]

I bought a couple of spare post lights and have the covers from those. So far I've always been able to find the cover after it was knocked off, although I confess one time it took removing the pilot's seat!

No problems with how far the posts stick out from the panel until my fumble fingers knock a cover off while trying to set the altimeter, etc.

Best,

Jay

[AlanBreen]

I have yet to confirm but I have just been told that you can buy the covers (hoods) on their own for about 70cents. That swings the odds back to the LED lights.

My main concern was that the aircraft is primarily used for IFR training and consequently is regularly flown by pilots unfamiliar with the aircraft and more likely to knock the covers off. As a result they will go missing, no question about that. Having to buy a complete light at about $40 each to get just the cover didn't make sense.

[Jay]

I bought the post lights to have spares since you can't just change a bulb. And yes, changing a post light would be a BIG pain in the a**. If you can find spare covers for 70 cents, let me know!

For a training airplane, the bezel lights with an LED strip under the Ashby glare shield might be a good combination.

Best,

Jay

[Bill@66y]

Alan,
Thanks,
I've considered the strips, I had not seen the multiple LEDs. As I get closer to addressing that situation I'll take a closer look at them.
Bill...

[Zach Grant L1011jock]

[AlanBreen]

[Zach Grant L1011jock]

[Jay]

[Nate Zieman]

In the middle of installing my Ron and John's panel right now...

Went with superior panel tech's led fiber optic wedge lighting system, three bulbs for all the instruments, and 4 post lights for the rectangular engine instruments. Seems to be good quality, lower power draw and not priced to bad at all, and I have heard some good stuff about it.

Let you guys know how it turns out when everything is done soon hopefully. (I have a strip light under my glareshield already too and like it allot)

Nate

[AlanBreen]

Zach, Jay, Nate,

Thanks for all the feed back. I have decided to go with the wedge lights either Nu lites or UMA at this stage, though Nate I would be interested to know more about the ones you are installing. Do you have a URL that I can go to to find more info?

I was orginally steering away from the electroluminescent lights but I have a great idea which requires their use. Also I do like the idea of the battey back you mentioned Zach. Do you have a URL for info on that system please?

The great idea I have which might interest other owners is to do with the switches on the lower part of the panel, that is the Master, Mags, fuel pumps etc. I was going to light them from above using either LED's or electroluminescent. The labelling for these switches is very scratched and we need to renew the labelling.

The electrolumninescent strip could easily be covered with a black plastic membrane which has the lettering for the labels cut out of it . The white of the electroluminescent strip would show thru the membrane where the letters have been cutout. During the day you would see the white of the strip for the lettering. At night with the strip turned on, these letters would glow. Now that would look really cool. It would be a bit like the way the labels light up on the Altimatic III control head.

If I use this idea here I might as well use UMA wedges and electroluminescent strips for the glareshield. What do you all think?

Nate, What strip lighting did you use uunder the glareshield?

Alan