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LED warning lights?

Steve Crewdog

Well Known Member
Patron
What are Vans builders using for LED panel warning lights? I've got the ones SeaRey use, but they're not to my taste.


TIA
 
Led warning lights

I made my own. Just drill a hole in the panel where you want the light with a 330 resistor or what ever resistor you need for your voltage and LED combo.
I used Red LEDs to warn of low voltage, low fuel, and low oil pressure.
They take up very little space, about .200 diameter hole for the standard LED if I remember right.
I also hooked up the warning lights to a noisy warning buzzer.
I put Diodes in line of each light so that only the offending light will come on when grounded out by the sensor.
 
I used rectangular push button lights for the master warn and master caution, as well as the CO sensor. https://www.digikey.com/products/en?keywords=A165L-JYM-12D-2-ND

I have them wired so they are push to test, with the label made of black on clear and inside the lens so it looks nice without having to put a label on the panel. You can get them with LED lights, and different color lens (I used red and yellow lens). And they fit into a round hole, which makes it easy to install.

They aren't cheap, and it took a while to get them (they were not in stock when I ordered them), but I think they turned out very nice.
 
Thanks, gang.

Robin- that's a bit too elaborate for my first build, being an electrical idiot (I once failed 22 out of 25 questions once on a electrical systems exam. It was open book, take home. Examiner was not happy, I got a tutor and passed the class.)

Dave- those are nice, but the way the SeaRey's stuff is wired we can't use a PTT, I already tried and was shot down by a more experienced builder who also tried.

John- the round 9mm are the ones used in SeaReys, they're Ok but I'm hoping to find something a bit bigger/brighter in direct sunlight.


Happy Mother's Day to all who raised us.
 
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Warning light - LED

My best advice would be to fire up the DigiKey search functions. DigiKey has a really huge selection of options, and you can easily use their site to narrow down to what you want. Just search panel indicator light, and then use the listed options to narrow down to what you want - such as 12V, LED, size, etc.....

I wanted a fuel warning light that was a small yellow flashing 12V LED. Used the above method. Found it no problem. Sky is the limit.

Hope you find what you want.
 
I purchase the 11 MM size of these LEDs and they are very bright!

Oznium Brightest Light Bolt - Flush Mount 12V LED Light for Bumper, Grille, Cars Interior, Dash, Ambient Lighting, Motorcycle w/Sleek Aluminum Housing & Screw Nut (11 mm Black, Green LED)

I have the other LEDs and they are not very bright and hard to see in bright sunlight conditions.

You can mount them flush, or put the spacer under the LED to set it up from the panel.
The only negative I have is that when they are turned off, you can't tell what their color is, since they don't have a colored lens. But, when they are lit, there is no question as to their color. I used red, green and amber but they also have white and blue.
 
K-FOUR Switcches

I found some K4 LEDs at a local auto parts store. Investigated the company and contacted them directly. They have a lot of styles and will sell direct.
For my Engine Cowl indicator I use their red flashing LED; for the Fuel Pump indicators (I have EFII installed) A blue lamp indicates pump 1 and a red indicates pump 2. - both are solid lit when active. The multifunctional Warning lamp is amber and is driven by the AFS EFIS.
IF I ever need more indicators, I will be looking at K-4.

www.k-four.net. PO.Box 713168, Santee, CA 92072-31688. PH: 619.445.4103
 
I purchase the 11 MM size of these LEDs and they are very bright!

Oznium Brightest Light Bolt - Flush Mount 12V LED Light for Bumper, Grille, Cars Interior, Dash, Ambient Lighting, Motorcycle w/Sleek Aluminum Housing & Screw Nut (11 mm Black, Green LED)

Thanks, Steve, I just ordered some of the 1w and 3w bulbs, will see which ones work better and PIREP back.

What I like is the screw-on retainer nut, the ones I'm currently using are push-and-lock, and a real PITA to remove, if I ever have to. (I know, LEDs never fail. Yes, they do.)
 
Warning Lights and Push Buttons

We can do custom indicators, backlit push buttons or warning lights:

79740746-2438631102931568-1394786274279161856-o.jpg

MASTER-WARN.jpg

78922811-2437541519707193-7973418321859051520-o.jpg

80082351-2437541633040515-6751155201618477056-o.jpg

79440400-2437542673040411-1749718381595983872-o.jpg
 
Digikey has a million different versions. I buy them by the dozens and just use them all over the place when needed. Even the tiny little push in versions (#30 hole) are plenty bright in daylight if close to your sightline.
 
I purchase the 11 MM size of these LEDs and they are very bright!

Oznium Brightest Light Bolt - Flush Mount 12V LED Light for Bumper, Grille, Cars Interior, Dash, Ambient Lighting, Motorcycle w/Sleek Aluminum Housing & Screw Nut (11 mm Black, Green LED)

I have the other LEDs and they are not very bright and hard to see in bright sunlight conditions.

You can mount them flush, or put the spacer under the LED to set it up from the panel.
The only negative I have is that when they are turned off, you can't tell what their color is, since they don't have a colored lens. But, when they are lit, there is no question as to their color. I used red, green and amber but they also have white and blue.


Got a selection of all 3 variants today, Steve, (3W, 1W with and without lens), and the 1w without lens is perfect. I'll post pics after I get them installed, Many thanks!!!
 
Here's a test panel I made up, from L-R are 3W domed, 1W flat, and 1W domed lights. http://seareybuild.blogspot.com/2020/05/get-juiced.html

20200515_143059.jpg


I really liked the 1W flat light, but it's way too bright, and for various reasons I can't put a rheostat on the lights. A hangar neighbor owns a sign shop and he's suggested overlaying some self-adhesive colored vinyl, when I get home next week he's going to bring some by for us to play with.
 
You can always experiment with fixed resistors in series to bring the light level down. But getting a brightness that works both day and night is hard.
 
You can always experiment with fixed resistors in series to bring the light level down. But getting a brightness that works both day and night is hard.

That's another option, but, KISS. I won't be doing much night flying in the SeaRey, but I do love seeing a sunset from the air, an occasional full moon flight, or those times you have to take off early for something.



:cheers:
 
I purchase the 11 MM size of these LEDs and they are very bright!

Oznium Brightest Light Bolt - Flush Mount 12V LED Light for Bumper, Grille, Cars Interior, Dash, Ambient Lighting, Motorcycle w/Sleek Aluminum Housing & Screw Nut (11 mm Black, Green LED)

I have the other LEDs and they are not very bright and hard to see in bright sunlight conditions.

You can mount them flush, or put the spacer under the LED to set it up from the panel.
The only negative I have is that when they are turned off, you can't tell what their color is, since they don't have a colored lens. But, when they are lit, there is no question as to their color. I used red, green and amber but they also have white and blue.

Update: after wiring in the too-bright bolt lights and getting ready to play with some resistors I noted that Oznium makes indicator LEDs, I've just ordered some and will report back. https://www.oznium.com/led-bolts-prewired-leds/led-indicator-light

sKQW.jpg
 
Steve
I also found the post lights to be too bright, but I really liked the size and height of the 11MM post lights so I decided to dim them down.
FYI a 10K ohm resistor dimmed it down just right.
They would be perfect to light up a baggage compartment or something, since they are so bright out of the box, so I might install one in the rear baggage compartment of my RV8 just for grins.
 
Agreed, Steve, I also like the size/height/looks of the 11mm lights, thanks for the size of the resistor, I was about to start experimenting with a couple sizes when I got home (Oz recommend a 30 or 50 ohm one, fwiw), so you've saved me some trouble.

:cheers:
 
Steve
I also found the post lights to be too bright, but I really liked the size and height of the 11MM post lights so I decided to dim them down.
FYI a 10K ohm resistor dimmed it down just right.
They would be perfect to light up a baggage compartment or something, since they are so bright out of the box, so I might install one in the rear baggage compartment of my RV8 just for grins.

Just an update, Steve, I tried a few resistors starting with 10 ohms and going up to 50 ohms, all ended up being too bright. Much as I aesthetically I like the 11mm, I'll have to go with the smaller indicator lights. Oh well.
 
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Just an update, Steve, I tried a few resistors starting with 10 and going up to 50, all ended up being too bright. Much as I aesthetically I like the 11mm, I'll have to go with the smaller indicator lights. Oh well.

Forgive me if I’m anal about units, but in this post you say ‘10’ and the previous post ‘10 ohms’. On the post quoted it says ‘10 k ohms’. 10k ohms is about the desired value (k=1000). 10 ohms is way too small.
 
Forgive me if I’m anal about units, but in this post you say ‘10’ and the previous post ‘10 ohms’. On the post quoted it says ‘10 k ohms’. 10k ohms is about the desired value (k=1000). 10 ohms is way too small.

EXCELLENT catch, Bob, I just checked and Yes, I told the gent at the store 10 ohms, he sold me 10 ohms, and I should have asked for 10k ohms. Lesson learned, and it ain't over yet. Many thanks!!!


Charles Lindbergh said:
Accuracy means something to me. It’s vital to my sense of values. I’ve learned not to trust people who are inaccurate. Every aviator knows that if mechanics are inaccurate, aircraft crash. If pilots are inaccurate, they get lost — sometimes killed. In my profession life itself depends on accuracy.

Charles A. Lindbergh, The Spirit of St. Louis, 1953.

The bad part is the electronics store is only open M & W, already closed for the weekend. Oh well....
 
I have wired in a resistor that's only active when the nav lights are switched on. Makes the indicator a "day/night" deal without doing the rheostat thing. It cuts brightness in half.
 
I used a standard aviation "push to test" light assembly and replaced the T1-3/4 (330) incandescent bulb with an LED version. Wired the supply through the panel dimmer circuit running off a pot / lm317t with a diode in the right place to force full voltage supply only to this light when the nav lights and dimmer are off.
 
Success last night. Bob was right, I plugged a 10k resistor (instead of a 10) into the circuit and it came out nice, brightness was just right on the ramp in daylight, tested it in the hangar with the door closed and they were just a bit brighter than I like for night flying, but I tend to like my night lights really dim, and under a full moon they'll probably be good. Gotta compromise, sometimes.


from this

20200805_182437%2B%2528Medium%2529.jpg


to this

20200805_210122%2B%2528Medium%2529.jpg


20200805_210855%2B%2528Medium%2529.jpg
 
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For WARNING lights, I want flashing LED's to get my attention ...

Unless it was cancellable to a steady state or could be turned off, I'd be inclined to stay away from flashing warning/caution lights. Too much distraction after the problem is recognized/acted on/stabilized, especially at night. JMHO.
 
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Unless it was cancellable to a steady state or could be turned off, I'd be inclined to stay away from flashing warning/caution lights. Too much distraction after the problem is recognized/acted on/stabilized, especially at night. JMHO.

Nah,,,,,I want my WARNING lights to flash. Its too easy to disregard a steady light. I have one for the canopy open and the other for low voltage. Lock the canopy and that light goes OFF. Reset the alternator breaker and that one goes OFF,,,,if not, turn the alternator OFF.
 
Nah,,,,,I want my WARNING lights to flash. Its too easy to disregard a steady light. I have one for the canopy open and the other for low voltage. Lock the canopy and that light goes OFF. Reset the alternator breaker and that one goes OFF,,,,if not, turn the alternator OFF.

Ah, phraseology misunderstanding, no worries.

:cheers:
 
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