Skycraft Landing Light Question

[Jay Honeck]

I'm in the midst of having these lights installed, (they are the
cut-in-the-leading-edge landing lights) and we come to a fork in the road
with regards to the wiring.

The kit comes with a split L/R on/off switch, and two 10 amp circuit
breakers. This means that my existing landing light switch stays in the
panel, controlling the nose light only, while this new switch has to go in
the panel somewhere, separately controlling EACH wing light.

IMHO, this is stupid. Why would I *ever* want to turn on, for example, only
the left landing light? My idea is to replace the existing landing light
switch with the new split switch, and put the nose light on the left half,
while putting BOTH wing lights on the right half of the switch. (This
would require a 20 amp breaker on the right half of the circuit, instead of
the 10 amp that is supplied.)

My A&P says Skycraft's STC doesn't cover that option, and he would have to
get a field approval, blah, blah, blah. His idea is to remove my pitot
heat switch from the little "bank" of switches on my 235, and install the
new split landing light switch in its place. This will put it right next to
the existing nose light switch, so turning on the landing light(s) will be
almost as simple as it is now (or would be with my idea).

The pitot heat switch would then be relocated in the plane, somewhere.

This is obviously better than installing the landing light switch in some
awkward place, but it still seems goofy to me.

What do you guys think? Anyone ever installed these things? What did you
do with the switches?

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Darrel Toepfer]

Jay Honeck wrote:

> What do you guys think? Anyone ever installed these things? What did you
> do with the switches?

A relay with the proper approvals would work all the lights from a
single switch... Look at the anticollision people that make the lights
rotate in sequence, those are solid-state controlled...

[Mike Rapoport]

Make sure that the switch is up to the job of running both lights off one
side. You may want a relay somewhere. You don't double the CB rating
either. The CBs are there to protect the wiring and you have two wires
going to different places. If you go to one CB, it has to pop if *either*
the L or R circuit shorts. You could use a single 20A CB if you use heavier
wire from the CB to both lights.

Mike
MU-2

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
news:Gk4Md.43024$IV5.24943@attbi_s54...
> I'm in the midst of having these lights installed, (they are the
> cut-in-the-leading-edge landing lights) and we come to a fork in the road
> with regards to the wiring.
>
> The kit comes with a split L/R on/off switch, and two 10 amp circuit
> breakers. This means that my existing landing light switch stays in the
> panel, controlling the nose light only, while this new switch has to go in
> the panel somewhere, separately controlling EACH wing light.
>
> IMHO, this is stupid. Why would I *ever* want to turn on, for example,
> only the left landing light? My idea is to replace the existing landing
> light switch with the new split switch, and put the nose light on the left
> half, while putting BOTH wing lights on the right half of the switch.
> (This would require a 20 amp breaker on the right half of the circuit,
> instead of the 10 amp that is supplied.)
>
> My A&P says Skycraft's STC doesn't cover that option, and he would have to
> get a field approval, blah, blah, blah. His idea is to remove my pitot
> heat switch from the little "bank" of switches on my 235, and install the
> new split landing light switch in its place. This will put it right next
> to the existing nose light switch, so turning on the landing light(s) will
> be almost as simple as it is now (or would be with my idea).
>
> The pitot heat switch would then be relocated in the plane, somewhere.
>
> This is obviously better than installing the landing light switch in some
> awkward place, but it still seems goofy to me.
>
> What do you guys think? Anyone ever installed these things? What did you
> do with the switches?
>
> Thanks!
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"
>

[Aaron Coolidge]

Jay Honeck > wrote:
: I'm in the midst of having these lights installed, (they are the
: cut-in-the-leading-edge landing lights) and we come to a fork in the road
: with regards to the wiring.
: The kit comes with a split L/R on/off switch, and two 10 amp circuit
: breakers. This means that my existing landing light switch stays in the
: panel, controlling the nose light only, while this new switch has to go in
: the panel somewhere, separately controlling EACH wing light.

Every airplane that I have seen with these lights has had the centerline
cowl mounted landing light removed and faired over. The 2-way switch was
in place of the original landing light switch.
--
Aaron C.

[kage]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
news:Gk4Md.43024$IV5.24943@attbi_s54...

> IMHO, this is stupid. Why would I *ever* want to turn on, for example,
> only the left landing light? My idea is to replace the existing landing
> light switch with the new split switch, and put the nose light on the left
> half, while putting BOTH wing lights on the right half of the switch.
> (This would require a 20 amp breaker on the right half of the circuit,
> instead of the 10 amp that is supplied.)

You may want to turn it OFF, say if it's on fire.

Just change it willy nilly, anyway you want. Then get your own STC. Skycraft
engineers are probably just a bunch of idiots.

Karl

[[email protected]]

Jay Honeck > wrote:
: My A&P says Skycraft's STC doesn't cover that option, and he would have to
: get a field approval, blah, blah, blah. His idea is to remove my pitot
: heat switch from the little "bank" of switches on my 235, and install the
: new split landing light switch in its place. This will put it right next to
: the existing nose light switch, so turning on the landing light(s) will be
: almost as simple as it is now (or would be with my idea).

: The pitot heat switch would then be relocated in the plane, somewhere.

I second the comment regarding the current capability of the switch.
Especially with a split toggle switch like that, it may have a max current that
prevents using both at the same time. If it's got enough rating, check the wire size
and CB rating and the bulb current draw against AC43 and field-approve it the way you
want. If it doesn't have enough current, you could go the relay route as others have
suggested. The FSDO might like that better, since you wouldn't be appreciably
modifying the kit with larger wire, fewer CB's, etc.

I think having individual controls over which lights are on is a good thing.
Maybe not three separate switches, but it's good to not burn out the bulbs, draw
****loads from the alternator at low (descent) RPM, and blind other people all at
once... :) Selective evils with maybe 2 separate switches. OR... get a split switch
where each is SPDT with a center detent "off" position. Wire the four potential
positions into a "landing-light code" that only you know how to decipher... :)

-Cory



--

************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************

[Mike W.]

how about replacing the current nose mounted landing light with a much lower
wattage light, for taxiing. Maybe have it come on with the nav lights.

[jsmith]

I was just going to inquire if the alternator was up to running
everything with the power pulled back...

wrote:
> I think having individual controls over which lights are on is a good thing.
> Maybe not three separate switches, but it's good to not burn out the bulbs, draw
> ****loads from the alternator at low (descent) RPM, and blind other people all at
> once... :) Selective evils with maybe 2 separate switches. OR... get a split switch
> where each is SPDT with a center detent "off" position. Wire the four potential
> positions into a "landing-light code" that only you know how to decipher... :)

[Jon]

I thought the Skycraft's STC required the removal of the nose light.. I
would give them a call. Just seems like we went over this on the last
install we did but it might have been a small ALT.

Jon Becker

Jay Honeck wrote:
> I'm in the midst of having these lights installed, (they are the
> cut-in-the-leading-edge landing lights) and we come to a fork in the
road
> with regards to the wiring.
>
> The kit comes with a split L/R on/off switch, and two 10 amp circuit
> breakers. This means that my existing landing light switch stays in
the
> panel, controlling the nose light only, while this new switch has to
go in
> the panel somewhere, separately controlling EACH wing light.
>
> IMHO, this is stupid. Why would I *ever* want to turn on, for
example, only
> the left landing light? My idea is to replace the existing landing
light
> switch with the new split switch, and put the nose light on the left
half,
> while putting BOTH wing lights on the right half of the switch.
(This
> would require a 20 amp breaker on the right half of the circuit,
instead of
> the 10 amp that is supplied.)
>
> My A&P says Skycraft's STC doesn't cover that option, and he would
have to
> get a field approval, blah, blah, blah. His idea is to remove my
pitot
> heat switch from the little "bank" of switches on my 235, and install
the
> new split landing light switch in its place. This will put it right
next to
> the existing nose light switch, so turning on the landing light(s)
will be
> almost as simple as it is now (or would be with my idea).
>
> The pitot heat switch would then be relocated in the plane,
somewhere.
>
> This is obviously better than installing the landing light switch in
some
> awkward place, but it still seems goofy to me.
>
> What do you guys think? Anyone ever installed these things? What
did you
> do with the switches?
>
> Thanks!
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"

[George Patterson]

"Mike W." wrote:
>
> how about replacing the current nose mounted landing light with a much lower
> wattage light, for taxiing. Maybe have it come on with the nav lights.

The installation will still have to be able to handle the drain of the usual
bulb for that fixture, just in case someone puts one in at a later date.

George Patterson
He who would distinguish what is true from what is false must have an
adequate understanding of truth and falsehood.

[Jay Honeck]

>I thought the Skycraft's STC required the removal of the nose light..

Nope.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Dave Butler]

Jay Honeck wrote:
> I'm in the midst of having these lights installed, (they are the
> cut-in-the-leading-edge landing lights) and we come to a fork in the road
> with regards to the wiring.
>
> The kit comes with a split L/R on/off switch, and two 10 amp circuit
> breakers. This means that my existing landing light switch stays in the
> panel, controlling the nose light only, while this new switch has to go in
> the panel somewhere, separately controlling EACH wing light.

Having seperate switches for each lamp would allow you to spread out the
high-current load of each lamp as it turns on. I'll admit to not knowing how
significant this turn-on load is, just a thought from a person with a dangerous
amount of knowledge.

Dave

[Jay Honeck]

> Having seperate switches for each lamp would allow you to spread out the
> high-current load of each lamp as it turns on. I'll admit to not knowing
> how significant this turn-on load is, just a thought from a person with a
> dangerous amount of knowledge.

I think the combined amperage of all three lights is something like 24 amps.

I have no idea if that's considered "a lot" for a Cherokee 235's electrical
system. Can anyone with this knowledge chime in, please?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jay Masino]

Jay Honeck > wrote:
> I think the combined amperage of all three lights is something like 24 amps.
>
> I have no idea if that's considered "a lot" for a Cherokee 235's electrical
> system. Can anyone with this knowledge chime in, please?

I don't think it has anything to do with a 235's electrical system vs. any
other plane. The issue is whether the wire gauge is sufficient for that
much current and/or whether the switch contacts can handle that much
current.

--- Jay

--
__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino ! ! !
http://www.oceancityairport.com
http://www.oc-adolfos.com

[[email protected]]

Jay, I have RMD wingtip lights on my Arrow, plus the nose bowl so I
think my total amperage will be the same as yours. I have the 2
wingtip lights on a single separate rocker switch in the group. The
plane was this way when I bought it, so I don't know what got
displaced. My strobe switch is way out in right field, and the
autopilot is in left field, with a separate avionics switch, so maybe
one of those.
I like having the tip lights by themselves. They last a lot longer
than the one on the nose bowl so I often use them routinely when flying
around Chicago. I haven't had any problems in 5 years with the single
switch, so if the switch, breaker, and wiring will all support the
amperage draw a single circuit should be fine.

[[email protected]]

wrote:
<snip>
> I have the 2
> wingtip lights on a single separate rocker switch in the group. The
> plane was this way when I bought it, so I don't know what got
> displaced.

The standard switch bank order (from left to right) was : Master,
Fuel pump, Landing light, Beacon (strobe), Pitot heat.

> My strobe switch is way out in right field, and the
> autopilot is in left field, with a separate avionics switch, so maybe
> one of those.

Sound like whomever did your installation displaced the beacon/strobe
switch.

John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)