SonexBuilders.net

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

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

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

Fastcapy wrote: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

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

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.

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

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

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

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