Strobe question

6 posts in this topic

Posted

Fellas,

I had a problem on my last aircraft where the strobe would draw so much power when it flashed that it would pulse my instrument back lights.  I'm wiring up my Magnum strobe lights and was wondering how to avoid that same problem?

I'm using the LED-XPak Kit.

I would appreciate any ideas.

 

Thanks,

Ron

 

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Posted

First Question:   On your old plane, did you have the LED lights, or the Whelen type High-Powered strobes?   The LED strobes probably don't use 1/100 of the power that the old strobes used.  

I haven't been into electronics for years, but maybe you could attach a capacitor, commonly called a condenser, on the ground wire, like the one in the distributer on the old points ignition, which would take the surge when lights go out.  Although I don't think you will need it with the LED power source.   Can you contact the maker or seller of your lights and ask them about any problems like that?

EDMO

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Posted

Ed,

Yep, it was an old strobe system...not Wheelen, but similar.

I'm using a LED strobe, but my buddy was asking too because he is using the an older Wheelen system.

Just to better understand what is going on...the condenser goes on the ground wire?  How does a condenser work?  It absorbs the pulse?

Could my problem have been using a common grounding bar that had all of the instruments grounded to it as well?

 

Thanks,

Ron

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Posted

The old lights draw a ton of juice.  The LEDs I am sure wont make your instruments pulse as they draw next to nothing.  You may run a separate bus bar for your lights though just in case.  Crappy or inadequate grounds seem to be the root of a lot if not most of the electrical gremlins I have had to deal with in planes, cars n boats etc.

 

:BC:

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Posted (edited)

Ed,

Yep, it was an old strobe system...not Wheelen, but similar.

I'm using a LED strobe, but my buddy was asking too because he is using the an older Wheelen system.

Just to better understand what is going on...the condenser goes on the ground wire?  How does a condenser work?  It absorbs the pulse?

Could my problem have been using a common grounding bar that had all of the instruments grounded to it as well?

 

Thanks,

Ron

Ron,

     I don't think you will have any problem with the LED strobes, but I agree with Leni, I would put the IP and strobes on  separate busses, and also the radio, but you may have a "filter" already for the alternator noise on the radio.

I got into trouble once in electrical class trying to tell another student how capacitors work - yes, absorbs pulses - just connect to ground wire buss screw from power supply and make sure capacitor is also grounded.  Now waiting for some EE to tell it better!  I cant tell you what size capacitor to use either.

EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

Thanks guys!

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