Grimes Rotating Beacon

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:49 am

Goood Evening Everyone,

Yes, like many of you, my old Grimes rotating beacon is giving up. Model # D-7080A. We received a price today on a rebuild for $ 605.00!! Oh my @*#*$ ... that's nuts.

I know many of you have discussed before and some have converted to strobes. Does anyone have a source for grimes stuff or perhaps one one their shelf they are willing to part with ????

Not sure I want to give my aircraft the benifit of less current draw and additional visibility just yet. Yes I know that defies logic ...... but I love that look of an operating aircraft beacon.

Thanks \

Kyle T.

Post by **GAHorn** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 6:04 am

Kyle, I have been looking high and low for a motor for your beacon and, as you have discovered, it's virtually impossible to find one reasonably priced. The drive motors are what quit on these things and that is the expensive part, of course. (While not an approved repair, ... more than one has had it's motor replaced with a simple automotive turn flasher unit.)

N8293A · Post by **N8293A** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:49 pm

Kyle,
I'm with you on this one Kyle. One of the many little things I love about my airplane is that rotating beacon. It is just right for the airframe and the era they were built. I hope that old motor keeps on turning, because it would break my heart to have to replace it with a strobe. I would really miss that grinding noise when I turn on my master. It is also a great reminder when shutting down to turn OFF the master.

Good luck with repairing yours.
Steve

trake · Post by **trake** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:39 pm

Beacons werent standard equipment. Most of them probably wernt installed until the early 70s when anti collision lights became required. I had mine removed at the last annual as I have wing tip and tail strobes. I forgot to tell the shop to save the parts

MoonlightVFR · Post by **MoonlightVFR** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:33 am

Is it possible to locate a shop that repairs old antique electric fans and have them rebuild a grimes motor?

I would like to retain the look and feel orf original installatio.

regards

Post by **Bruce Fenstermacher** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:00 am

Any thing is possible but it's probably more than the motor. There are gears and bearings in there and they are probably shot.

Many years ago my Cherokee rotating beacon would stop. I acquired about 5 different beacon carcases from the Army trash. There was no two alike so swapping parts was out for nearly all the parts. I never got any of the six I had to work as hard as I tried.

Good luck getting it fixed.

rupertjl · Post by **rupertjl** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 1:48 pm

Kyle,
I sent you a PM, check it out and if interested get back to me.

v/r,
Jud

thammer · Post by **thammer** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 4:24 am

I've got a complete D-7080A in a 140 tail section. I don't know if it works or not yet, looks to be in decent shape. I'll see about removing and testing it.

bsdunek · Post by **bsdunek** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 5:40 pm

Other than old stock, it looks like Grimes stuff is a thing of the past. Sad! My Grimes wingtip strobs that Dad installed back in 1976 finally gave up the Ghost - at least the left power supply. Looked high and low and couldn't find one. I finally bought a new set of Aeroflash strobes.

Grimes, after being bought out, has ended up as part of Honeywell, their Lighting and Electronics division. It seems that they no longer make any parts for our little airplanes, so we're out of luck.

Rebuilding your beacon with what ever you can find seems to be the only solution.

blueldr · Post by **blueldr** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:33 pm

MoonlightVFR----

If you really like the look of originality, remove the beacon .

They were not originally installed on the C-170s.

Post by **GAHorn** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:34 pm

blueldr wrote:MoonlightVFR----

If you really like the look of originality, remove the beacon .

They were not originally installed on the C-170s.

Yep. Flashing Navigation Lights!

hilltop170 · Post by **hilltop170** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 5:45 am

Flashing nav lights are very distinctive and often more visible than steady ones, especially on the ground. I just removed the nav light flasher and rotating beacon from my plane when the strobes were installed. I really like them. Most folks never knew they existed but some are still out there.

robert.p.bowen · Post by **robert.p.bowen** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 5:43 pm

You might try Air Repair, Inc. (662-846-0228). Pete Jones had a crate of these rotating beacons, some of which are NOS. They are for the L-19, but he doesn't use them on his projects because the motors aren't reliable (sound familiar?).

Post by **GAHorn** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 4:38 am

Again, Mr. George McKinney over at Air Parts of Lock Haven comes to our aid... He suggests the following :

"We don't overhaul that unit as of this time ...we have tried to buy a company out.... Aero Electric who was doing these but they were bought out by Kelly ... try them at 1-316-943-6100 ."

thammer · Post by **thammer** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 5:59 pm

http://www.avliteaviation.com overhauls and has parts for Grimes landing lights including the motors. They might be worth contacting. Their web site seems to be down right now though. I swapped emails with Tom Leatherwood. PM me for his email address.

The International Cessna 170 Association

Grimes Rotating Beacon

Grimes Rotating Beacon

Grimes Electric Motor