Interior lights

[Bryan Cotton]

Anybody have interior lighting schemes they want to share? I was thinking post lights but at $60ish each from ACS I am still looking.

[NWade]

Bryan -

I bought some red adhesive LED strip-lights from Amazon and intend to mount them to the underside of my panel, to give the cabin a glow. I will connect them through a nice LED-compatible dimmer switch. Additionally, I'm wiring in a USB jack on the panel. You can find a variety of small USB-powered gooseneck LED lights (usually marketed as a reading light or travel lamp for a laptop) on Amazon. So if I need to illuminate a chart or checklist at night I'll plug in the USB light and aim it where it needs to go. I'm going to use a sharpie or red tape (like you find in an automotive store to repair a broken taillight) to make the lens red. :)

Here are the items I'm using:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VA ... UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C4 ... UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PB ... UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002 ... UTF8&psc=1
(NOTE: I have the gooseneck lamp now, and think it might not be stiff enough if the airframe is vibrating a lot due to the engine or taxiing on a rough surface; stiffer is better)

I haven't fully tested this solution yet, though, so the advice is worth what you paid for it! :D

--Noel

[Fastcapy]

I tried the LED self stick tape under the lip of the glareshield and got rid of it after one flight. I found that it caused a bad glare and also left shadows making it hard to see what I was looking at during a quick glance. For example, it left a shadow underneath my MGL XTreme and my GPS making it impossible to see the switches under them clearly. Between that and the glare from the non-directed light I pulled the plug and just used my clip on headlamp for the rest of the flight.

I think am going to try some of the MOD1 cockpit lights. They are only $16 each and if you buy two it is free shipping. They are a swivel eyeball style and come in red, green and white. It looks like they only need a 3/4in hole to install them. I plan to put them on my #1 former. My plan is to wire a white and a green or red (havent decided which yet) to a SPDT switch so I can flip between Off - White - or Red/Green.

http://cockpit.zenific.com/mod1-cockpit-lights

[NWade]

I tried the LED self stick tape under the lip of the glareshield and got rid of it after one flight. I found that it caused a bad glare and also left shadows making it hard to see what I was looking at during a quick glance. For example, it left a shadow underneath my MGL XTreme and my GPS making it impossible to see the switches under them clearly.

Good tip!

Just for clarification: I was not proposing to put the LED light strip under a lip of the glareshield or on the panel itself. As I stated in my original post: I'm intending to put them under the panel. As in, on the underside of the horizontal cross-member. The intention is to create a diffuse glow in the cockpit; not light anything directly (except perhaps my knees). :)

--Noel

[ScottM-Sonex1629]

I installed some very small red LED diode size lights in the instrument panel cross brace. They are wired to my navigation SPST switch.

[Bryan Cotton]

Scott,
Looks like what Noel did. Have you flown at night yet?

Mike, I'd like to know how those eyeball lights work on the #1 former for you.

[Bryan Cotton]

I am tempted to build post lights with these.
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinf ... light/639/

[mike.smith]

I mounted a swiveling LED between the turtle deck formers. I can point it where I want on the panel or toward my lap, and it has just the right amount of light. I think I got it from Aircraft Spruce.

http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_l ... 672&row=86
http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_l ... 799&row=51

[jjbardell]

I used two of these on the rear bulkhead facing toward the canopy. The canopy creates a glow through the entire cabin without any strain on the eye or interfering the view out. I fly at night with these during pre landing and pre takeoff phases.

http://m.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elp ... key=826762

[Bryan Cotton]

Mike,
Is your light this one?
http://m.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/psp ... ckkey=6551

Josh,
Those lights look a lot like these:
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinf ... bolt/1685/

This light looks cool too.
http://m.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/psp ... ckkey=4279