What globes

[Bennie Vorster]

What Globes are you guys using for landing lights on trykes. I'm using a 100 watt blue glope but it is pulling my battery dead within half an hour, in flight.

[Leprachaun]

Why use a 100 watt bulb , the 45 / 55 watt bulbs are just as good , - We are not allowed to fly after sundown , so all you need is to be visible
The Rotax charging system should be able to handel the 100 watt with ease , output is 120 - 160 watt , maybe check em charging system or battery -
what other electrics do you run ?
if all fails , fit a Honda gennie on the back seat the you can run a 500 watt 220 volt floodlight !
Leprachaun

[Duck Rogers]

Bennie..the light should not be able to kill the battery if you have a voltage regulator/rectifier fitted. Not even a 100w globe....unless the regulator and or the light /battery is incorrectly installed.
Hmmm....unless of course you have a total of more than 170W consumers running simultaneously, which, as I'm thinking now, may just be the case because I think you also have strobes of some kind installed, haven't you?
Do like the Green Man says.....change that 100w globe to a 55w and I'm willing to bet that the problem will be gone unless of course you like to spend money 'cos it won't be long before you'll be buying a new battery which is more expensive than a globe

Duck Rogers

[Ian]

Bennie..the light should not be able to kill the battery if you have a voltage regulator/rectifier fitted. Not even a 100w globe....unless the regulator and or the light /battery is incorrectly installed.
Hmmm....unless of course you have a total of more than 170W consumers running simultaneously, which, as I'm thinking now, may just be the case because I think you also have strobes of some kind installed, haven't you?Duck Rogers

Another thing to consider is what is happening to the little charging coils in the Rotax motor, seen some that have overheated due to continous high current draw. Problem is that the magneto is part of the lighting coil assy so then you lose the spark that makes the explosion.... and it usually happens at the wrong time.
Saw a trike that had to be trailered back from KZN and a Tbird that made an E L due to this type of failure.

Cannot wait for hi bright LEDs to get wider lens angles....

[Bennie Vorster]

[quote="Ian
Cannot wait for hi bright LEDs to get wider lens angles....[/quote]

A Ha, as we do not have to see where we need to fly but need to be seen flying only, If I strip my landing light assembly and fit a few of these led's into it................................it might be more visible than we think. I have a flash light working on them leds.