Wingtip strobe wire access

[Hoyler]

Hi all,
I am attempting to install strobe lights into my new Johnston wingtips on my 180. As there was no existing strobe lights I am having to run new wire out to the wingtips and having trouble getting there.
You can see from the tip all the way up to the fuel tank but then on the tapered section the 3 "nose" ribs in front of the fuel tank are solid with just a small hole with a grommet in it only large enough for the nav/landing light wires, at least that is what the wing drawing in the manual shows as you cant even see these ribs so not sure I could get wires through there anyway.

Aft of the wheel well is the aileron cables, so the only option appears to be snake the wires through the wheel well area and I am not crazy about that.

Does anyone have experience doing this or an idea on how to get these wires out to the wingtips?

Thanks,
Robert

[Charles Schefer]

Robert,

My PA-30 has Johnson wingtips and strobe lights (not the same as your 180 but similar). I bought it that way but not too long ago I had one of the wingtips off for adjustment of the landing light lens. I'll see if I have any pics that may be helpful to you but I can't say exactly how the previous owner's A&P / IA routed the wiring. I can tell you I don't have any such wiring running through the gear wells - of that I am pretty sure.

- Charles

[Charles Schefer]

Robert,

Here are 3 fairly high-rez photos of the wiring inside my Johnson wingtips when I took one off a few months back. I hope these might be at least somewhat helpful to you. I don't know how the wiring is routed through the rest of the wing near the fuel cells and gear wells. I do know (or it does appear) that the walls inside the gear wells can come off (or appear to have screws) so maybe the wiring can be routed through the wing with the access pannels and inside linings of the gear wells removed?

- Charles

[Hoyler]

Thanks Charles, I see you have the power packs mounted at your wingtips and that would allow the mechanic to pull in a"pull cord" using either the landing light or nav light wires and then use that pull cord to pull the new shielded power pack supply and original nav wire back through the exiting small grommets.

I have my power pack mounted on the shelf above the battery and the high output 3 wire shielded harness is about 1/4" in diameter and would fill the grommet holes on its own so I don't think I could pull it through these small grommets. I wanted to do it this way because I am using the same power pack to run 3 strobes (2 wingtip, 1 belly). I may have to rethink this.

Thanks so much for your help and the 3 great pictures, it is much appreciated.

Robert

[Wayne Haristy]

The wires for the strobes on my 250 are run through the wheel wells behind the removable wheel wells and secured with zip ties.

Wayne
7877P
1962 PA24-250

[Charles Schefer]

Robert, one other comment... One annoyance I have with my strobes is that they flash at different rates. Perhaps if I had them tied into a single power pack (if that's possible) then they would always flash at the same time...

- Charles

[9089P]

Whelen makes a single power pack system that mounts in the fuselage with wires only out to the strobes.

Don

[MULEFLY]

@ Robert....

A number of years ago, I installed strobes on my 260B. I "fished the power line down to in front of the wheel wells with a long stick (actually a piece of an old bamboo fishing pole)... then as described ran them behind the wheel wells and into the cabin. Also used wire ties to secure.

All the best!
Jim

[Hoyler]

Thanks all for the pearls of wisdom. Had two different mechanics look things over today and it looks like the only way to get there with the wires is just aft of the wheel well in the area behind the removable skirt. As this is also where the aileron cables run it will be a little tricky but can be done with carefully drilled holes and grommets and some well placed tie wraps and probably a few "words of encouragement" mixed in with a few cuts and some skinned knuckles. I can hardly wait.

Thanks again,
Robert

[Daniel Haumesser]

Here's my two cents-worth. I'm installing Knots2U wingtips with the embedded nav/strobe lights in the tips. Looks so sharp and clean! Putting Whelen Orion650E's in them.

Yesterday I ran four new wires, #18, from tip to fuselage and did it a little differently than other's I've read. Ground, Nav, Strobe and sync wires. I know I probably didn't need #18 but didn't want to take chances.

First, I ran a steel wire fishing tape down the stringer right behind the main spar which is a clean shot all the way to the wheel well. Next, with the end of the tape hanging out of the access panel near the wheel well, cut a length of 3/8 EVA tubing purchased from Farm and Fleet a few feet longer than the wing. I ran the tubing up the wire, feeding it a little at a time and gently contorting my arm into the few access panels to work it past a few places where it hung up along the way. The channel in the stringer as it passes through the ribs is just big enough for the 3/8 tube, even though by looking, you'd swear it wouldn't fit. Without too much cursing, i had the tube all the way through. Next I attached two of the four wires to the end of the tape and simply pulled them through, smooth and easily. Theres plenty of room for all the wires but not the wires AND the steel tape. Once a couple wires were through, I simply removed the steel tape and used the new wires to pull the last two through. Very clean, and the wires are very protected that way. I haven't routed them past the wheel well yet but don't see any reason I can't run the tube all the way into the fligh deck.

My next step is figuring out the switchology inside. Simply don't have room for another switch in the switch row and putting one anywhere else will look junky and cluttered. My nav lights are currently on one switch and I leave them on all the time anyway so I'll leave that one alone. My beacon is on another toggle switch and I was thinking I'd like to make that one a three position toggle switch. All the way down is off, middle is beacon only and all the way up adds the strobes.

This will complete the exterior lighting to all LED's and boy do those lights look nice. I'm open to any comments or suggestions because I'm often very good at not seeing the forest through the trees sometimes.