---------------------------------------------------------- AeroElectric-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Tue 12/11/12: 5 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 06:11 AM - Re: Open source wig-wag project (Eric M. Jones) 2. 12:51 PM - Re: Re: Open source wig-wag project (Sacha) 3. 05:11 PM - Re: Re: Open source wig-wag project (Charlie England) 4. 06:45 PM - Removable comm antenna (Holger Selover-Stephan) 5. 11:53 PM - Re: 2012 List of Contributors (Stuart Hutchison) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 06:11:47 AM PST US Subject: AeroElectric-List: Re: Open source wig-wag project From: "Eric M. Jones" > So Eric, although we were told by Vertical Power that our VP-200 will wig/wag our Duckworks HIDs in each wing leading edge, it's a bad idea to do that? To make this abundantly and perfectly clear:...YES and NO. Personally I love LEDs more. But HIDs are amazing technology, and I can show you why they are the best source available for putting into a reflector. But when we tested HID power supplies, we cycled them on/off 10,000 times in heat-stressed environments, NOT 2,500 times an hour. Is is possible that the OEM of the lamps and/or HID power supplies would provide a written guarantee of the lamps and/or power supplies for the intended use in aircraft Wig-wagging? HELL NO. Would it be better (only in term of lifetime) to wig-wag HIDs or LEDs? No doubt about it, LEDs. Is it be vaguely possible that the HIDs will do fine? YES. Could it be that they are worth their weight in gold if it prevents a collision with another aircraft or a fat Canadian goose and to hell with any questions about possible short lifetimes of the HID and/ power supply? YES! Is it a really bad idea to fly way up off the ground with an airplane you built yourself? Errrrr...... You decide. -------- Eric M. Jones www.PerihelionDesign.com 113 Brentwood Drive Southbridge, MA 01550 (508) 764-2072 emjones(at)charter.net Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=390285#390285 ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 12:51:08 PM PST US Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Re: Open source wig-wag project From: Sacha I would like to install a landing light or two and for various reasons I am leaning towards LEDs. Can anyone recommend some products they are happy with? I mean both the bulbs and the lenses/mounting. If the products are automotive/easy/cheap to source all the better. I have two circular cutouts about 10cm (4.5in) in diameter which would be natural places to mount landing lights. Most of my flying is daytime VFR. Sacha On 11/dic/2012, at 15:10, "Eric M. Jones" wrote: > > >> So Eric, although we were told by Vertical Power that our VP-200 will wig/wag our Duckworks HIDs in each wing leading edge, it's a bad idea to do that? > > > To make this abundantly and perfectly clear:...YES and NO. > > Personally I love LEDs more. But HIDs are amazing technology, and I can show you why they are the best source available for putting into a reflector. > > But when we tested HID power supplies, we cycled them on/off 10,000 times in heat-stressed environments, NOT 2,500 times an hour. > > Is is possible that the OEM of the lamps and/or HID power supplies would provide a written guarantee of the lamps and/or power supplies for the intended use in aircraft Wig-wagging? HELL NO. > > Would it be better (only in term of lifetime) to wig-wag HIDs or LEDs? No doubt about it, LEDs. > > Is it be vaguely possible that the HIDs will do fine? YES. Could it be that they are worth their weight in gold if it prevents a collision with another aircraft or a fat Canadian goose and to hell with any questions about possible short lifetimes of the HID and/ power supply? YES! > > Is it a really bad idea to fly way up off the ground with an airplane you built yourself? Errrrr...... > > You decide. > > -------- > Eric M. Jones > www.PerihelionDesign.com > 113 Brentwood Drive > Southbridge, MA 01550 > (508) 764-2072 > emjones(at)charter.net > > > > > Read this topic online here: > > http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=390285#390285 > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 05:11:30 PM PST US From: Charlie England Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Re: Open source wig-wag project On 12/10/2012 06:17 PM, Eric M. Jones wrote: > > >> My friend and I installed Duckworth HID lights and bought a wig-wag module from Perihilion http://periheliondesign.com/wigwagmnl.htm We did use another device from him.... The wig-wag and lights worked great. Dick Fisher > > Thanks, Dick. I still sell the wigwags which work on nearly anything, but the HIDs tripped me up when they first appeared. There are three things to keep in mind: > > 1) They must be warmed up 20-30 seconds or so first. > 2) They need a surge suppressor since the initial lamp turn-on neatly exceeds the mosfet current capability. > 3) They need a voltage clipper to prevent the starting voltage from getting back to the mosfet.The zener clippers should be near the ballast but not between the ballast and the lamp. > > BTW: here is my tirade against wig-wagging HIDs: In a previous life, I spent almost three decades building high power xenon short-arc, HID, and halogen lamp systems. So I have long experience with both the lamps and their power supplies and their foibles. And I know in excruciating detail what is needed to wig-wag them. > > So my problem is--everything I know says not to wig-wag the HID lamps because they will have shorter lamp lifetimes. Everything that is an advantage of HID lamps disappears quickly if one abuses them by (Oh, let's say) 2500 restarts per hour! Many problems with HIDs don't occur in any simple way either. There are second- and even third- order problems to contend with. Furthermore, switched-mode power supplies and starters are particularly failure-prone when abused. I can guarantee that the manufacturer of the lamp-supply-starter DO NOT warranty their devices to be used in this fashion. > > So even though HIDs are the cat's meow, I'd use halogens or LEDs. It's true, you can do deer-jacking at the other end of the runway with HIDs...but do you really need to do that? I still advise people to use LEDs, or hold out for a little while to get the LEDs you want. A couple CREE Ultrafires will land my airplane now. > > -------- > Eric M. Jones > www.PerihelionDesign.com > 113 Brentwood Drive > Southbridge, MA 01550 > (508) 764-2072 > emjones(at)charter.net > Hi Eric, I'm intrigued by your last comment. Assuming you weren't kidding, can you compare the 'real world' performance of the CREEs to something we're all familiar with, like the traditional 100W incandescent landing (tractor) lights or the commonly used 50 & 75 watt MR16 10 degree halogens? Thanks, Charlie ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 06:45:41 PM PST US From: Holger Selover-Stephan Subject: AeroElectric-List: Removable comm antenna Hi all, Knowing next to nothing about antenna installations, can I run this one by you for a sanity check? I'd like to be able to quickly disconnect the comm antenna on a regular base so I can throw a full body cover of my motor glider. The antenna sits on the top of the fuselage and currently is a simple 1/4 wave SS bent back whip antenna. Now I want to mount the fat part of a Workman QDS1 inside the fuselage so it's flush with the outer skin. Then drill a hole in the small part of the QDS1 and install the whisker analog to Bob's article. Next is screwing an isolated BNC panel mount into the QDS1 and make an electric connection between the middle connector of the BNC and the QDS1. The QDS1 is isolated against the fuselage. Would it need to be shielded as well? I could put it into an aluminum box. Alternatively to the BNC, I could also go with a 3/8" to SO-239 adapter. What do you say, would that work? Here are links to the parts: Workman QDS1: http://www.amazon.com/QUICK-DISCONNECT-Stainless-Antenna-thread/dp/B004X70UCO/ref=pd_sxp_redirect Isolated BNC panel mount: http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/BNC-148/BNC-JACK-ISOLATED-PANEL-MOUNT-CONNECTOR/1.html Bob's article: http://aeroelectric.com/articles/Antennas/DIY_Comm_Ant/DIY_Comm.html Thanks much! Holger ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 11:53:09 PM PST US From: "Stuart Hutchison" Subject: RE: AeroElectric-List: 2012 List of Contributors Hi Matt, I'm sorry I coulnd't contribute this year ... I am struggling to afford food at the moment, but I do appreciate the work you do and your help. Kind regards, Stu F1 Rocket VH-FLY http://www.mykitlog.com/RockFLY www.teamrocketaircraft.com -----Original Message----- From: owner-aeroelectric-list-server@matronics.com [mailto:owner-aeroelectric-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Matt Dralle Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 4:32 AM Subject: AeroElectric-List: 2012 List of Contributors --> Dear Listers, The 2012 Matronics Email List and Forum Fund Raiser officially ended about a week ago and its time that I publish this year's List of Contributors. It is the people on this list that directly make the Email Lists and Forums possible! Their generous Contributions keep the servers and Internet connection up and running! You can still show your support this year and pick up a great gift at the same time. The Contribution Web Site is fast, easy, and secure: http://www.matronics.com/contribution Or, by dropping a personal check in the mail to: Matt Dralle / Matronics 581 Jeannie Way Livermore CA 94550 I also want to thank Bob, Jon, and Andy for their generous support through the supply of great gifts this year!! These guys have some excellent products and I encourage you to visit their respective web sites: Bob Nucklolls - AeroElectric - http://www.aeroelectric.com Jon Croke - HomebuiltHELP - http://www.homebuilthelp.com Andy Gold - The Builder's Bookstore - http://www.buildersbooks.com And finally, I'm proud to present The 2012 Fund Raiser List of Contributors: http://www.matronics.com/loc/2012.html Thanks again to everyone that made a Contribution this year!! 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