Whelen Beacon

[Kristofer Duckett]

By chance has anyone had their rotating beacon changed for a whel LED beacon? I am looking at getting a new and curious as to how there are? I have LED Position lights but not the beacon and my beacon is making this serious grinding noise. Guess it's time to replace, plus I want to anyway. Thanks!

[Kristin Winter]

I replaced my rotating beacon with the Whelen drop in replacement, p/n 7709004. It is great. Everyone says they can see it a long ways off. I liked it so well, I replaced the belly strobe with it too.

[9089P]

You an see Kris' strobe at least 3 miles out on final at noon. Based on that I replaced mine. Same results. Only way to fly.

Don

[N3322G]

Kristin's was also inspiration for our beacon change. Saw the beacon at 10 miles out on a sunny Texas afternoon - could not see the plane, just the light.

Be sure to get the model Kristin quoted as other Whelen beacons do not have the same good fit.

Also put in their landing lights - another easy drop in - except for having to drop the tip tanks.

[George Kretschmann]

[9089P]

I bought mine through aircraft spruce and I want to say that Kris did too as I don't normally buy through them. Chief also carrys them.

Don

[N3322G]

Bought mine direct from Whelen

[Kristofer Duckett]

I know a lot of folks have a twin Co, mine is a single any issues?

Thanks for the replies!

[9089P]

My 260B has its beacon located in the common position on the top of the fuselage at or about the hat shelf location. My beacon was a whelen and the new one was a drop in replacement. Basically 3 screws and one wire connection. I would start by identifying what you currently have installed (Grimes v. Whelen) with model #, check the W&B for this info, or look at the install, then go to whelen's catalog as they have a variety of installs to accommodate what you are replacing.

Good luck, Don

[Matt Bogard]

I replaced both the top and belly beacons with the Whelen red LED units and love them - multiple times I've had a "heavy" comment on the approach frequency that I'm very visible. Three screws, a plug, and some RTV is all it takes. The most time consuming part was having the metal base painted to match the Comanche.

Page 26 of the Whelen catalog has more information - basically the beacons are made as a 2.6" diameter unit but most Comanches have a 3.7" dia hole for the old rotating beacons so you want to order the beacon that includes an adapter which fills that space. The beacon uses 4 screws to attach to the adapter and the adapter needs 3 screws to attach to the Comanche. From what I remember the catalog has the red/white model but not the red/red model - call Whelen and they will help you out on getting the right part number.

I also have the Whelen LED Parmetheus landing lights and they are a huge improvement over the old quartz units. I put "landing" lights on both sides but often wonder if I should have done a "landing" light on one side and "taxi" on the other - I think this would give you both the long-distance and wide-width beams to maximize your visibility. Also, I'd love to see a head-to-head of the Whelen versus the AeroLED landing lights as I think those may be even brighter yet.

For what it's worth, Whelen also told me that by next summer they intend to have an approved replacement for our teardrop-shaped nav lights that's a combination LED NAV/LED Strobe setup. I currently have the LED nav bulbs but would love the add in LED strobes as well but it has to be that specific-shaped unit to work with my tip tanks.

[Randy Johnson]

Matt how much was the top beacon replacement?

[Kristin Winter]

You don't need an adapter, you just need to order the correct one. Whelen's literature is a bit confusing. This is the part number for the larger beacon: 010770900-4. That is a drop in for the old Grimes/Whelen rotating beacon with the 3.7 inch base. If you have a different base because there was a strobe up on the tail to begin with, you will need a different part number, but this is the replacement for the old, mechanical rotating beacon.

[Matt Bogard]

I think I paid $525 or so.

[Randy Johnson]

Thanks Matt. Whelen does'nt give price in catalog.

Kristin I have a 62 PA 24-250. The 3.7" base looks right and I have no strobe on the top of the tail. Would guess the part number you describe above would work for me?

[Kristin Winter]

If you have the old mechanical rotating beacon, that part number should work.