Re-wiring covered wings?

[6PapaWhiskey]

The issue with LED lights is the small switching power supply that's part of the bulb assembly used to reduce the 12-14V ships power to what the LED's need. A switching power supply (aka "chopper circuit") generates lots of RF that tends to travel up the power wires. The wires act as antennas and help propagate the RF interference. USB power outlets are notorious for this problem.

One thing you might try is to remove all except one bulb and then see if the interference goes away. Then keep putting the remaining bulbs back to find out if a single light is causing the problem. If so, it could be as simple as a dirty ground connection on that light.

If any and all the lights cause the interference, you may be able to get rid of it with a capacitor across each of the lights - something about 5,000-10,000uf 50V electrolytic should do the job. Something smaller might do. With any RF interference, it's usually best to get it at the source. That means installing a capacitor as closely to the nav light fixture as possible. Again, I would do a test with just one to see if it will kill the interference. If you don't have a capacitor for testing, drop me a PM and I'll put one in the mail for you.

If all else fails, shielded wire might be the answer. I used shielded wire when I built my last plane and the AeroLED Pulsar EXP's gave me no problems at all.

Tom P.
08A

[CamTom12]

I emailed the company last night to see if they knew of anything that I could try. The replied this afternoon and said more than likely a bulb was bad. They’re shipping me new bulbs and a return label for the originals. He said they’d check them out when they got them. My assumption is to see if they need to clean up any manufacturing processes.

I still plan to troubleshoot a little with the current bulbs before I swap the new ones in. Just for curiosity’s sake.

[bvmbandit]

You may be able to use the old wire as a pull string to pull new wire or a pull string when running new wire.....

My .02 input and if you don’t use it all then I’d like the change back....

Vern


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[smcnutt]

You may be able to use the old wire as a pull string to pull new wire or a pull string when running new wire.....

My .02 input and if you don’t use it all then I’d like the change back....

Vern


Sent from my iPhone using ShortWingPipers.Org

If somebody didn't wire-tie it to the spar along the way. Worth a try anyway.

[Wag-builder]

You might want to try a ferrite bead/ toroid on the power wire to each light. You would need to take the socket apart and wrap the wire two wraps around the torpid.

Steve

[pacer53]

My radio guy says there is some kind of electronic muffller they used to dampen radio noise when they cant get to te run to replace with shielded wiring . Im currently working 7x12s
When I get layed off I will get all the scoop on it and try to be more knowledgeable sounding.

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[CamTom12]

My radio guy says there is some kind of electronic muffller they used to dampen radio noise when they cant get to te run to replace with shielded wiring . Im currently working 7x12s
When I get layed off I will get all the scoop on it and try to be more knowledgeable sounding.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Probably a filter. Looking forward to hearing the scoop, thanks!

[CamTom12]

You might want to try a ferrite bead/ toroid on the power wire to each light. You would need to take the socket apart and wrap the wire two wraps around the torpid.

Steve

I had to look that one up, also looks like a good option.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrite_bead

[pacer53]

Thats what he described , but I forgot the terminology.

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[Steve Pierce]

I think you are referring to the ferrite bead that Wag-builder refrenced. That is what Aero LED sent me when I had some noise issues. Turned out to be the intercom picking up the new higher power transponder identing.