Wingtip Strobes

[W.J.Langholz]

Anybody change out your tipical wing tip navs to ones that also have the strobes? WHat's good? What to stay away from?
Looking for more awareness lighting.

Thanks
Willie

[GAHorn]

Whelen wingtip strobes are great. Be aware that the "add on" strobes do not always fit the original Grimes nav lights that came on our 170's. I had to return them and purchase the complete nav/strobe fixture.
(I sold the Grimes units to recover a bit of the costs.)

The Aero Flash are less expensive, less effective, (not as bright) and lower quality. I do not recommend them.

The Members Issues section has a special report on this subject that is very helpful.

[Abe]

For those of us who have the original nav lights on our wing tips and want to go to the strobes w/nav lights, I've heard that you have to run a heavier wire to the new strobes the length of the wings to handle the heavier electrical load of the wingtip strobe system. Our local AI said it was bugger of a job and talked me out of it....For those who have done this job in the past, is this the case....as I still like to be seen by all when I'm flying....Thanks

[170C]

In 1990 I installed (helped my IA) a Whelen system on my C-172 TD. Wingtip strobes + one on the belly. Same wing as B model 170's--we didn't find it all that difficult to feed the heavier cable down the leading edge of each wing to power the strobes. We managed to run the power cables over the top of the headliner without having to remove it and feed it back down behind the hatshelf area where we mounted a bracket on the bottom of the fugelage to hold the power supply. I use the single pwr supply to power all 3 strobes. Seems we may have used a stiff wire to assist in feeding the cable along the leading edge. I would do it again if I had a plane without the strobes. I use mine day time as well as at night.

[170C]

Correction on the strobe installation---it was in 2000, not 1990, but wouldn't have made any difference.

[W.J.Langholz]

For those of us who have the original nav lights on our wing tips and want to go to the strobes w/nav lights, I've heard that you have to run a heavier wire to the new strobes the length of the wings to handle the heavier electrical load of the wingtip strobe system. Our local AI said it was bugger of a job and talked me out of it....For those who have done this job in the past, is this the case....as I still like to be seen by all when I'm flying....Thanks

I wonder if it would be easier to tape the new wire on the old at the wingtip and back pull it through when removing the old ?

[c170b53]

Its been awhile since I did this but I used (as suggested) the position light wiring to pull a wire back through the wing to the root and then pulled new wiring back out to the tip. I believe the holes are sufficiently large enough in each nose rib to allow for additional wiring. I've also seen pvc piping laid in the leading edge of the wing and used as a conduit, overkill in my opinion. I used Aeroflash for the tips and a Whelan power supply for the tail. The tail appears to be twice as effective as the tips. Both systems have lasted but should I need to retrofit, I'll spend more for the Whelan product.

[n2582d]

Here's some interesting stuff from the Whelen website. If one is buying new strobes it might be worth getting the radio-shielded variety.

Click on attachment to enlarge

[GAHorn]

When I purchased N146YS it had no anticollision lighting at all, and I specified (and paid extra) to have Whelen wingtip strobes installed. The IA who did the work (he was already doing an annual inspection for my pre-buy) did it for $1000 including parts, (1999 dollars) so it must not have been too difficult. (Most quotes I've heard range from 8-10 hours.) He installed the power supply on a fabricated shelf aft of the baggage compartment. The cables used were radio-shielded, and I've never had any audio noise from them.
The reason I chose Whelen over Aero Flash was durabilty, quality, and brightness. (More joules.)

[Abe]

Thanks gentlemen for the great advise....Sounds quit doable....Looks like I just found me another winter hangar project when I'm not able to fly into Hell's Canyon to do some fishing...I'll see if I can't get our local IA to sign it off and I'll do the grunt work....

[n2582d]

Whelen wingtip strobes are great. Be aware that the "add on" strobes do not always fit the original Grimes nav lights that came on our 170's. I had to return them and purchase the complete nav/strobe fixture.

George,
The Chief Aircraft catalog says that "the A650 strobe may be added to existing TYPE E (i.e. Grimes) and Whelen W1285 Position lights with a minimum modification. Only a 1/4" hole in the position light is required." A Whelen brochure says that the A650 add on is designed to fit on the W1285 which it says is identical to the Grimes nav light. Yet the Whelen brochure I copied above recommends buying the whole unit with the nav lights (A650PG14, A650PR14). What was the problem with your add on A650 units that you had to return them? What do you mean by "do not always fit"? Did Cessna mount different style nav lights in our 170's over the years? I would rather not have to buy the whole nav/strobe unit if I can get away with just buying the strobes.

[jatkins]

I have the "add " on Whelen ,wing tip strobes. I like them, they are nice and bright.
We added the power supplies , One on each wing tip. This is what I was told, do you really want
all that high voltage power running through your wings and past ypur fuel tanks, "just some thing to think about"
also by doing it this way he told me he never has had an installation which made noise on
the radios. ( mine do not make any noise )

[W.J.Langholz]

Gary

After reading all the data and talking with the Whelen tec rep I decided to go with the complete fixture and 1 power unit with alternating blinks. The power unit in the wing tip looks like it may be easier but I wanted the "Brightest" possible blink. Along with the help of my A&P (which he always tells me that it's more expensive when I help ) I did not find it too difficult to put in. I borrowed a wire snake from and electrician friend of mine and that really help. It's a sheilded coated wire with all 3 wires inside another coat, I went in the most forward compartment inside the wing so I'm forward of the gas tanks. The kit provides 60' of wire and when you put the power unit behind the rear seat in the bagage area the 60' is just enough but nothing extra. The way I ran the wire it turned out to be 2 peices of 30' but it will determine on how you run the wire and where you mount the power unit. Anyway this is just the way I decide to go that and 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee

W.

[johneeb]

Gary

.... Anyway this is just the way I decide to go that and 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee

W.

Not at Starbuck's

[GAHorn]

Dubya, I believe you've made a reasonable choice.

I don't worry about "high voltage" running past the fuel tanks. The tanks aren't vented to the wing interior (they are vented externally) and the cable is not only shielded and grounded, but even if it chafed all the way through, it would merely short to the nearest return-to-ground (which is within that cable) ...or at the very worst and unlikeliest, the airframe. Remember, this is a capacitance system, and it must build up voltage in a capacitor before it will discharge,...so if an open circuit exists it will not build the voltage at all, ...there should be little concern regarding high-voltage within the wing when the single power supply is located within the fuselage. The dual, wingtip-mounted pwr supplies have their high-voltage capacitors located....within that wing instead of the fuselage.

(Sorta like a multi-engine airplanes, ...two pwr supplies double the chances for failure.) But that's only my cheap opinion.