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Automatic Headlight Hi/Lo Fallover Circuit

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tbirdrv(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 4:45 am Post subject: Automatic Headlight Hi/Lo Fallover Circuit

I'm wondering if there is a device I can install on my landing lights that will sense when the high beam filament has failed and automagically switch the current to the low beam filament. 

  

 I'm using the single source/single switch wig-wag system, as per http://www.aeroelectric.com/PPS/Lighting/WigWag.pdf pg 3.0 and have only one wire to each light. 

  

 My landing lights are a Bob Olds design and utilize dual filament automotive H4 halogen bulbs, one per side. I would like to have something (preferably home brewed - read low $$$) at each headlamp that will fall over to the low beam so I can double bulb life, reduce maintenance and save a little money. 

  

 Thanks,

  

 Tony Kirk

 RV-6A N57TK

  [quote][b]

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Eric M. Jones

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 565
Location: Massachusetts

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:59 am Post subject: Re: Automatic Headlight Hi/Lo Fallover Circuit

 	  Quote: 	
		  I'm wondering if there is a device I can install on my landing lights that will sense when the high beam filament has failed and automagically switch the current to the low beam filament. 



I'm using the single source/single switch wig-wag system, as per http://www.aeroelectric.com/PPS/Lighting/WigWag.pdf pg 3.0 and have only one wire to each light. 



My landing lights are a Bob Olds design and utilize dual filament automotive H4 halogen bulbs, one per side. I would like to have something (preferably home brewed - read low $$$) at each headlamp that will fall over to the low beam so I can double bulb life, reduce maintenance and save a little money. Thanks, Tony Kirk RV-6A N57TK 	




Tony, It's not a hard circuit to design nor is it expensive. I have a "back-of-the-envelope" design for one that I will share if you like, but it needs a bit of work and testing. It will even light a panel LED when the hi beam has failed. 



But In my opinion, you really don't want to do this. By adding one simple wire to the lamp you can have access to both filaments. This is much simpler than building an automatic switch and more versatile too. 



Additionally, before you could make one of these, you will be able to buy  LED landing lights that will work forever. 



"Everything you've learned in school as "obvious" becomes

less and less obvious as you begin to study the universe.

For example, there are no solids in the universe. There's

not even a suggestion of a solid. There are no absolute con-

tinuums. There are no surfaces. There are no straight lines."



   - R. Buckminster Fuller

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_________________
Eric M. Jones
www.PerihelionDesign.com
113 Brentwood Drive
Southbridge, MA 01550
(508) 764-2072
emjones(at)charter.net

aurbo(at)ak.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 7:12 am Post subject: Automatic Headlight Hi/Lo Fallover Circuit

Eric,



Sorry don't mean to hijack this thread but..



Where can I get those LED landing lights? I think that they would be great. 

Can you wig wag the LED's.



Thanks,



Mike Ice



---

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Eric M. Jones

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 565
Location: Massachusetts

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 10:28 am Post subject: LED Landing Lights

 	  Quote: 	
		  Sorry don't mean to hijack this thread but.. 

Where can I get those LED landing lights? I think that they would be great. Can you wig wag the LED's. Thanks, Mike Ice  	
 



Mike et al.



LEDs wig-wag the best of all lamps.



I get an amazing email newsleter-- http://tinyurl.com/yuwjny



There are 35, 60 and 100W LEDs! Some in MR16 packages, some made for automobiles.



But there are several problems: 

1) These are components aimed at manufacturers (tens-of-thousands of different LED types!) and are often not "Plug and Play". But the really big LEDs do mount up nicely. 



2) You might have to buy quantity...but you can sell the rest on Ebay.



3) LEDs get better every week. 



4) The really high power LEDs need higher voltages. 



For reference: A couple years ago, one of my customers landed his RV aircraft at night using only his (Perihelion Design) wigtip LED position lights. LEDs have gotten a thousand times brighter since then.



Inventor: A person who makes an ingenious arrangement of wheels, levers and springs, and believes it civilization.

            --Ambrose Bierce

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_________________
Eric M. Jones
www.PerihelionDesign.com
113 Brentwood Drive
Southbridge, MA 01550
(508) 764-2072
emjones(at)charter.net

TbirdRV

Joined: 29 Jun 2007
Posts: 3

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:48 am Post subject: Re: Automatic Headlight Hi/Lo Fallover Circuit

Hi Eric,



I would like to see your "back-of-the-envelope" design. 



What do you mean "by adding one simple wire"? Just a jumper from the high to low beam at the lamp, or another wire from a switch in the cockpit. I'd like to hear your ideas.



At some point I will install LED headlights, probably after it's "plug-n-play".



Thanks,

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_________________
Tony Kirk
RV-6A N57TK (sold)
RV-7 N777RV Under Construction
Work at Van's Aircraft

Eric M. Jones

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 565
Location: Massachusetts

Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 5:54 am Post subject: Re: Automatic Headlight Hi/Lo Fallover Circuit

 	  Quote: 	
		  

I would like to see your "back-of-the-envelope" design. 

What do you mean "by adding one simple wire"? Just a jumper from the high to low beam at the lamp, or another wire from a switch in the cockpit. I'd like to hear your ideas. 

At some point I will install LED headlights, probably after it's "plug-n-play". 	
 



I meant another wire to the lamp, allowing a switch to turn on one filament or the other. But I sense there is some old and clever way to do this job that has been around since 1930. 



Attached is my "back-of-the-envelope" design. This is not adequate to build one, but remember, I suggest not doing it at all.



"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard." -- H. L. Mencken

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_________________
Eric M. Jones
www.PerihelionDesign.com
113 Brentwood Drive
Southbridge, MA 01550
(508) 764-2072
emjones(at)charter.net

hooverra(at)verizon.net
Guest

Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 4:33 pm Post subject: Automatic Headlight Hi/Lo Fallover Circuit

Several turns of heavy magnet wire ~18 ga wound the length of a magnetic 

reed switch in place of the .01 ohm resistor and you could bias the FET 

on when the current flow stops.  A similar idea is used to drive the 

bulb failure indicator on some cars (Volvo, uses a Bosch module) It 

turns on a warning bulb not an FET but the idea is there.



-- 

Ralph C. Hoover

RV7A 

hooverra at verizon dot net

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