Autodimming for panel lights?

Most avionics now have photocells built in that dim the display automatically in response to the ambient light level. I'd like to do this for the other lights in my panel like those in the switches and whisky compass. Does anyone know of a product that does this?

In case it helps, I will be using a Garmin GAD 27, which has lighting dimmer circuits, which can be controlled by a rheostat but not (if I understand correctly) by a photodetector.

You could build an Arduino based controller that would do this with ease on the cheap. You could even do PWM if you wanted to.

I'd be interested in this too. Ideally it would need to work with EL panels.

Auto dimming panel lights

I will give it a try. I already have made one with a panel mounted pot, but I will give it a try next week when I am home.

Brian

If you have a Dynon SkyView, it has an output to dim your lights built right in.

dynonsupport said:

If you have a Dynon SkyView, it has an output to dim your lights built right in.

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+1 works great.

Funny because I always put in dimmer pots to override the auto functions, I think most folks, including myself, find it a frustrating complicated process to set the auto dimmers (and not something you can do while actually flying at night), it doesn't get any simpler than twisting a knob to set the brightness you like.

Ditto!

Walt said:

Funny because I always put in dimmer pots to override the auto functions, I think most folks, including myself, find it a frustrating complicated process to set the auto dimmers (and not something you can do while actually flying at night), it doesn't get any simpler than twisting a knob to set the brightness you like.

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Ditto! Your eyes don't always have the same need for the same amount of light at the different dates and conditions.
Yours, R.E.A. III #80888

Walt said:

Funny because I always put in dimmer pots to override the auto functions, I think most folks, including myself, find it a frustrating complicated process to set the auto dimmers (and not something you can do while actually flying at night), it doesn't get any simpler than twisting a knob to set the brightness you like.

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I am with Walt. Somethings just work more effectively with manual control. I let my legacy dynons dim automatically and didn't like it. They were far too active changing back and forth between settings, especially in twilight periods. Not a major distraction, but the manual approach was preferred for me.

Larry

I'm with Walt.

I have automatic windshield wipers on my car that came as part of a package. They s*!k, and I paid extra for them. Some things are much easier to set manually and there is little benefit to having them be automatic.

Now if you could enter the dimming curve vs ambient light level now that might be something that would work well. There I go being an engineer again.

I have done a lot of night flying in the last two years. Have a 430W set for automated dimming and knobs for everything else. When I started night flying, the factory dimming on the 430 was not good. It was WAY WAY WAY too bright. It took me a few tries to figure out the logic of the auto brightness settings. So, I have it set for a good brightness at night (which is astoundingly dim by the way) and also for daytime.

So, the point of all this is that when I take off in the morning, there is about 10 to 15 minutes that the 430 is much dimmer than I would like as the sun starts brightening the horizon. Still visible but just barely. I can control everything elso but not that. If I ever get a 'round tuit', the 430 will get a knob.

Make sure you carry a petzl or something for when the homebuilt circuit board fails.