Sonex lights and wire choice

[Mike53]

http://www.ztronlabs.com/index.php Worth a look at $249 for a pair.Click on products and find some videos .

[Sonex1243]

[quote="Gripdana"]I installed the Duckworks LED landing lights for the Sonex.
Hi Dana, how did you like the duckworks LED's? Looking at adding them to the wings with the wig wag for in flight visibility and for that occasional chance of returning at night.

[Gripdana]

I am very happy with the Duckworks LED landing lights. They are bright. They have a very small draw for the output.

[Sonex1243]

Thanks for the report Dana, will be ordering two sets soon to go with the Aeroled pulsar exp's.

[Gripdana]

I took a video of the lights on my plane this morning before the sun came up I'll post it on my Flickr account and post the link here as soon as I can get it done

[Gripdana]

Here is the link to the video I made this morning. It shows the quirks LED landing lights and AveoFlash LED position lights.
http://youtu.be/OrbX3azwk7U

[Bryan Cotton]

Hi all,

I bought some 1/4" OD poly tubing at Lowes Depot, <$4 for 25'. It fits right into the tooling holes in the ribs and would hold either a twisted pair (LED landing lights) or twisted triple (LED nav and strobe) 20 or 22 gauge wire. In Mike's picture above, he mounted his gaugepods forward of the spar. At the gaugepods site, they mount behind the spar. Any thoughts if one is better than the other? If I mount behind the spar, I would use the forward tooling hole in the aft rib for the nav/strobe lights. For the landing lights, I would run a tube/wire in the aft hole of the forward ribs.

For landing lights I have the fresh aero units with the Sonex installation kit. In their pictures it shows the nav light forward of the spar. I bought these from Dennis on the Sonexbuilders classifieds. They seem like really nice and reasonably priced units.
http://www.freshaero.com/tlrlight.html

For nav light mounts I have the gaugepod units.
Picture from their site:


If I can't get confirmation that I will get approval to fly at night with non-TSO lights I will probably buy Whelen Orion 650's:
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/el/ ... series.php

Any thoughts on this plan?

[mike.smith]

There is no "approval" for flying at night. Legally they must be TSO'd to fly at night. That point has been argued numerous times on and off this forum, and every official source points out that the FARs DO require lights to be "approved." No manufacturer has any data or testing for their non-TSO'd lights that indicate they meet the TSO standards and would therefore qualify as "approved."

No DAR or FAA inspector can approve or disapprove your choice of lights for daytime or nighttime use when the plane is inspected, so you are free to install anything you want and it will not change a single thing about your inspection or your operating limitations. But if you ever get ramp checked at night, or you have an incident (even if it does not involve the lights) and the FAA finds out you were flying at night without "approved" lights, then they can cite you. You could try to prove to an FAA inspector that your lights meet the FAA requirements, but good luck trying to put together enough data and proof to satisfy the FAA (which is why TSO'd lights cost more).

Personally I chose the Avio Power Burst lights that are not TSO'd. I don't plan to fly at night, but if I do or I have to for some reason, I understand the implications. I've turned them on at night at the airport and they are blinding! I have confidence I would not be compromising my safety or that of others.

[Bryan Cotton]

Mike,
Poor wording on my part. Didn't want to open that can of worms. I am interested in where you mounted your nav lights and if you think I would have any issues with my proposed wire routing. Thanks!

[mike.smith]

If I can't get confirmation that I will get approval to fly at night with non-TSO lights

Then I apologize for being long winded! :-) I was responding to your last comment.