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Ztron nav light reviews?

One issue

Their Nav/Strobes are priced very nicely, and they look to be quite a nice product. I inquired on their support email and the only issue I have with the product is that Navs and Strobes only operate together. As I understand it, you cannot run the Nav lights without running the strobes.

David Lewis
RV-7A
Empennage complete
Wings in progress
 
David Lewis said:
Their Nav/Strobes are priced very nicely, and they look to be quite a nice product. I inquired on their support email and the only issue I have with the product is that Navs and Strobes only operate together. As I understand it, you cannot run the Nav lights without running the strobes.

David Lewis
RV-7A
Empennage complete
Wings in progress
Click to expand...


Yeah I had that same concern. Sent them an email about it, nothing back. For the money saved, I'd add a second set of small basic nav lights just to run on deck.
 
I'm going to wait

My guess is independent Nav and Strobe functionality is not universally required, although for me it is important. I'm hoping the issue will be addressed in a future reasonably priced product. Fortunately I still have time for the marketplace to develop.

David Lewis
RV-7A
Empennage complete
Wings in progress
 
Any feedback is appreciated! While we had known of the existence, we had been unaware of the popularity of the separate Nav/Strobe power lines.

It would be helpful to know what it is about separate functionality that is so important to you two, and anyone else who feels this way.

Stuart Snyder
Ztron Labs
 
Two reasons

I have two reasons for wanting separate Nav and Strobe functionality. Both have to do with compromising night vision. First, the night vision of other pilots is compromised when we operate our Strobes unnecessarily while taxiing at night. And second, when in clouds and it's dark, I prefer to turn off the Strobes to preserve my own night vision from the bright reflections off the cloud.

There may be other reasons to have Nav lights on and not Strobes, but these are what my concerns are about. I am also interested in the electrical noise suppression aspect of the products.

I must add however, For anyone who flys day VFR only your product looks like an excellent and economical solution, and I appreciate the work you have done to bring them to market.

David Lewis
RV-7A
Empennage complete
Wings in progress
 
IS the program button on the unit? it would be nice to program from the panel, also I second the strobe on/off feature.
 
bret said:
IS the program button on the unit? it would be nice to program from the panel, also I second the strobe on/off feature.
Click to expand...

They have a couple videos on their site showing the programming. It is on the unit itself, on the underside. I assume once you program it and mount they don't expect you to be changing it regularly.
 
Bret, msaniac-
The button is located between the power and ground connectors on the bottom of the unit itself.
The idea is that you will select a flash pattern you like for the unit(s) before mounting it more permanently.

David-
The first is a good point, but as for the second I'm pretty sure that while flying in the dark, in clouds, it would pay to be as visible as possible. But being blinded by your own strobes is indeed a problem.
 
ZtronLabs said:
Bret, msaniac-
The button is located between the power and ground connectors on the bottom of the unit itself.
The idea is that you will select a flash pattern you like for the unit(s) before mounting it more permanently.

David-
The first is a good point, but as for the second I'm pretty sure that while flying in the dark, in clouds, it would pay to be as visible as possible. But being blinded by your own strobes is indeed a problem.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification.

I agree with David, while I am not instrument rated, I have been blinded by strobes at night and its not a fun feeling when piloting. Would like these to have the ability to turn off the strobes. In IFR radar is keeping you abreast of other aircraft, usually..., and I would like to have the ability to see them as well (see and avoid) rather than trust that they would see me and avoid me (especially in a cloud) not to mention being able to see my gauges, etc.

Also, I am not knocking your product at all. I just can't see an IFR pilot using these, but daytime and VFR only they look great and I will definitely remember them when I get to that stage of building.
 
ZtronLabs said:
The first is a good point, but as for the second I'm pretty sure that while flying in the dark, in clouds, it would pay to be as visible as possible. But being blinded by your own strobes is indeed a problem.
Click to expand...
To confirm what others have said above, if one is flying day or night in clouds, it means they are on an instrument flight plan and being visible is not a high priority. Air traffic control will keep aircraft separated. Being able to turn off strobes in clouds at night is indeed necessary and is usually something that is even taught when one is getting a basic private pilot certificate because it can be very disorienting, especially when reflecting off the back of the prop. Being able to turn them off on the ground in order to avoid blinding another pilot while taxiing is also pretty important. Hope this helps. If you need to get a pilot on your staff, I'm sure there's a bunch of people on this board looking for aviation related work! :D Good luck with your product. If I had not wanted to fly at night, and had not already built my own, I would have jumped on them.
 
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Bottom line, looks like a fantastic product... strobes and navs being tied together though does impart limitations for guys like me that will use my plane day/night all weather.

If need be, I'll get some small backup red/green LED's from superbrightled.com and fashion my own little taxi/IFR nav's. For the money these Ztron ones can't be beat IMO.
 
Beacon Option

ZtronLabs said:
Any feedback is appreciated! While we had known of the existence, we had been unaware of the popularity of the separate Nav/Strobe power lines.

It would be helpful to know what it is about separate functionality that is so important to you two, and anyone else who feels this way.

Stuart Snyder
Ztron Labs
Click to expand...

Another idea is to allow the start up brightness to operate on another switch. We could use it like a beacon to let others know we are about to start the engine without blinding them with strobes.

Brian
 
Just to reiterate what others have said: This looks like a very cool product and I would be interested if you produce a unit where the strobe can be turned off.

Just to be clear, the strobe and position lights don't have to be 100% separate. I would be fine if the position lights had to be on for the strobes to be tuned on. I don't see any reason to run strobes without the position lights. However, it is a MUST that the positions lights can be on without the strobes.

I see on your website that you also have a tail light. I assume that the tail light functions in the same manner. Like the wingtip lights, we need to have the strobe switched separately.
 
Thank you to everyone who has given their two cents so far. Good news!
Both our Nav/Strobe and Tail lights can have their strobe capabilities switched off now.
Instead of using a separate power line for the strobes and nav, pulling the Sync line to ground via switch will turn the strobes off, leaving the nav on. We'll be updating our site and documents shortly to reflect these changes.

Thanks again for your inputs.
 
Thanks!

Both our Nav/Strobe and Tail lights can have their strobe capabilities switched off now.
Click to expand...

Now that is what I call quick response! How long would that have taken in the pre-internet days?
 
IFR legal

Is a set of these legal for IFR flight, my understanding is the Aeroleds are, but the wheelen experimental are not, does anyone know how these compare?
Bill Greenley
RV-10 starting the wings
 
Greenley- We're not quite sure what you mean by "legal for IFR". Our products have not been TSO'd and are for experimentals only, but we strive to meet or surpass all the applicable FAR regs.
Is there a law or regulation in particular you are thinking about?
 
A Different Question

I am in the finishing stages on my rudder/tail and have a question about coverage aft. If I use your wingtip lights, is their coverage to the rear sufficient that a white light on the rudder is not necessary? I am trying to reduce the wires in the aft fuselage to the bare minimum and really don't want to have to install a light in the tail.
 
Sorry, meant night flying, there was a long discussion with the conclusion that the areoled wing tip and tail combination met the requirements for night flying but the new wheelen experimental did not? What about a set of Ztron wing tips and tail?
Bill
 
Sam - Sorry, but it is not.
Our Nav/Strobe lights on their own do not include the solid white light needed to illuminate the aft of an aircraft. Our tail light was designed to make up for this deficiency.

Greenley - Could you by any chance point me towards this discussion? I'd like to know what requirements were being used. As it is, a pair of our Nav/Strobes together with our tail light should meet FAR 23.1385 through 1397, which are the regulations governing light intensities and the like.
 
Great looking lights! I am about ready for a pair of these on my 10 build. Do you guys have any intentions of building landing/taxi lights?

Keep up the nice work!
 
Not sure these guys are pilots. It maybe that its a boat product. Any pilot knows about strobes. If you are IFR you know what lights should be on.
Ron
 
ZtronLabs said:
Thank you to everyone who has given their two cents so far. Good news!
Both our Nav/Strobe and Tail lights can have their strobe capabilities switched off.
Click to expand...

This is great. It is interesting that the solution was already built into the product. I appreciate the attention to desired functionality.

My other concern about the product had to do with electrical noise. I assume your power supplies are of the switching variety. Is there filtering built in to the units that suppresses noise from getting into ship power and interfering with audio componets?

David Lewis
RV-7A
Empennage complete
Wings in progress
 
Ron,

I agree with you on the knowlege of lighting use. However, strobes are not standard boat equipment (not counting emergency lights on vests ect) so I doubt these were made for marine use.

ron sterba said:
Not sure these guys are pilots. It maybe that its a boat product. Any pilot knows about strobes. If you are IFR you know what lights should be on.
Ron
Click to expand...
 
David - Yes they are. We have two stages of filtering at work to reduce noise in our system; hardware and firmware. Testing has shown little to no interference so far. We still recommended shielding the power lines, to prevent any possible radiation back into the antenna(s).

Seansull - We are planning on producing a landing light, yes.

Ron and Wings - I hope you can excuse my lack of knowledge on some subjects, as I myself am not a flyer. I have tried to familiarize myself with some of the FAR regulations to make up for this, but of course this is no replacement for real experience.

Based off my own limited knowledge it seems that 'night' flight only means you are required to have your Nav lights on in addition to the Anti-Collision, and that there is no intensity difference between the two. If you would like to provide your night flight requirements, I would appreciate it, and shall endeavor to provide information on how our products stand up to them.

Sorry for any misunderstanding.

Stuart Snyder
Ztron Labs
 
I have yet to find the candela requirement for nav lights, but for strobes, I found the following for aircraft from 1971 forward:

The anti-collision system must produce a minimum of 400
effective candelas in Aviation Red or White, 360? around the
vertical axis, 30? above and below the horizontal plane.

Do the Ztron lights produce this? My understanding is that for night flight they do not need to be TSO'd, but they do need to meet the above standard. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Bill Greenley
building RV-10
 
Greenley - The short answer is yes. An anti-collision system consisting of a ZL-PSLR, PSRG, and PSTL (Red, Green, and Tail) will provide a minimum 400 candles effective intensity at all the necessary angles.

I believe the FAR reg that applies here is 23.1401, which says 400 candles from 0-5? (straight out from the wing) and down to 20 candles at 75? up and down from the wing.
Nav/Position lights should be covered by 23.1385-1397, and roughly says 40 candles of R/G directly ahead. Our green LEDs read at over 100 candles, and our reds at over 40.
 
Landing lights

Can you give us a hint about the landing lights. Will it be a combo with all in one to mount in the wingtip? Will it fit the Vans wingtip? Time frame?
Thanks,
Larry
 
info [email protected] to me
show details 8:17 AM (13 hours ago)
Ron

We have been developing and testing our products since January of this year.
We started the company in October of last year.

We did not feel we would have the products ready for Airlington or Oshkosh
this year and there is a four month lead time for print ads. Thankfully we are
not rushed to get it done.

We are far from newbi to building power electronics. Also I have been flying for 32 years
and building planes for 18. I am getting ready to finish my XL601 and wanted good
electronics in it at the same time I retired as President for my former electronics
company.

However I am a newbi wrt who locally would use our products. I do not know any
one at Airlington, and am not aware of the "build show shop" there.

As for your RV9, the power panels (ZL-BP8/4) replace most of your switches and circuit-breakers/fuses.
The Lights of course are optional for Day VFR.

As our mission statement implies we will address all non mission critical electronics in the
experimental aircraft. We have a plan to develop most items in/on an aircraft, EXCEPT the EFIS
and transponder.

Hope that is helpful,
Warren Snyder


On 2011-08-24 10:54 PM, ron wrote:
When did you folks start up? Did not see you at Arlington airshow this year. How have you folks tested your products. For a newbi to building what would your products replace say in my RV9a that I'm building.Saw your website on Vansairforce website. Have you sold your products to the build show shop at Arlington airport.
Thanks Ron
 
Message from ZTRON

Hey guys here is what I got from Warren at ZTRON on Dec 18th regarding the LED landing lights.

"I am still working on the details. We will have some units in stock 2nd week in January.
The brochure on the web site should answer most of your questions.

Basically you rivet the metal panel onto your bracket.

I will let you know as soon as I have more info.

Thanks for the interest,
Warren"


I am waiting to hear more!

Dan
 
IN STOCK!!!

ZTRON now showing LED landing lights in stock!

Who's gonna be the first to get them and document the install? Be sure to report back!

Dan
 
I tried today

I tried to order, the nav lights, tail light and two landing lights today. My shopping cart showed nav lights out of stock. For some reason, when I tried to checkout, the website just reloads my shopping cart. Tried several times, no luck. I dropped them an e-mail and a phone message. So for now, their website is just holding my shopping cart with the item listed above. I am giving the benefit of doubt now, maybe their secure website is down or something like that, I'm sure it will work out.

Wow that was quick, just got an e-mail from ztron stating that I could not checkout when an item in the cart is out of stock. I really like knowing that someone is alive on the other end!! yay! So I now have my landing lights and tail light ordered. Info said that the nav lights are two weeks away and that they would email me when they are in!! What great service. thank you ZTRON

bird
 
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Got mine

As with many others, I saw the ZTRON ad. I looked at their products and contacted their staff. My main goal here was to reduce my power consumption in an all electric airplane (except engine). I had previously ordered and installed two Duckworths 100 watt halogens in the leading edge, but when it came time to do some load planning, I quickly realized my mistake. Duckworths makes a very good product, but I realized with two landing lights, I would be working my alternator a little too hard for my liking. I found that I can replace my 100 watt halogens with the ZTRON LEDs and operate them on less than half the power consumption of one halogen. I also found that the LEDs put off less heat and will not have as much effect on the plexi lens covers. The ZL-PSTL mounts easily to the Duckworth mount making this unit almost plug and play. To utilize the wigwag (recognition) mode, you will need to run an additional wire out to the light and wire as per the instructions. My plan is to adjust the mounts to use one side as a taxi light and the other as a landing light, and still use them in wigwag mode in the air. I too, also opted for the Nav / Strobes and tail light. I haven?t installed them yet, but during bench tests, they seem to work great. I also like the ability to adjust the flash rate. As I progress in my installation, I will try to provide updates.

Bob
RV-9A
 
Interference?

Bob,
Have you tested them with your radios? Are you seeing any interference? Are you using shielded wires? If so, where are you grounding the shield? How are the lights compared to your 100W Halogens? If you have pictures that would be great too.
I have the 55W square duckworks aligned to be Landing and Taxi lights and can only say that it is a good thing my airport has lots of lights, because my lights are pretty useless on ground taxi. I am very interested in these lights as they seem to be as close to plug n play as can be expected.

Thanks,

Dan
 
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Working on it

I have been working with Warren at ZTRON, trying to get a landing light designed for the wingtips of my rv8. We are not done yet, still trying to work out some details. I think it is doable and have paid for the landing and the nav and tail lights. They are not shipping until all the details on backplates, cooling etc have been addressed. So far they have been great to work with. I will keep everyone updated as to how it goes. They are in Everrett, Washington. My biggest problem so far has been trying to get a tracing of the actual opening in the wingtip to him. I think they are snowed in and they don't have a fax so that's out. I scaled it and made a photo then e-mailed it to him.


bird
 
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next week

I think we have addressed all of the challenges of fitting ztron's landing lights into the wingtip of my rv8. They are going to be built next week and hopefully shipped soon after. Looking forward to getting them.

bird
 
Tefzel cable

I'm trying to source some 18 or 20 ga 3 and 4 wire shielded cable to install in advance of ordering Ztron strobes & landing lights. Spruce has 3 wire, but I'm having trouble finding 4 wire in less than 100' spools. I would kinda like to get them from the same supplier...

Any ideas? We're in Canada but will order US if needed. Thanks
 
Ron

I have the ztron landing and nav lights on my 8, not flying yet. I used the 3cond w/shield on both. I did this by grounding to airframe at the outboard wingtip rib. So the conductors for landing lights are 1: power (red), 2: wig-wag(yellow wire) 3: synch (white), grounded the black at the rib and the shield grounded to battery ground via ground buss. The nav light conductors are 1: power (red) 2: ground (black) 3: white (sync). Shield grounded to battery ground via ground buss. Shields are left "open" or ungrounded at the wingtip end. I haven't gotten to the point to check for radio interference yet, but I'm confident that I will not have any static. Ztron has built in filters and only suggest to use shielded wire. By the way Ztron has been excellent to work with. I worked with Warren to get a solution for putting the landing lights in the wingtip instead of in the leading edge. Ztron gets an A+ in my rating.

bird
 
bird said:
I have the ztron landing and nav lights on my 8, not flying yet. I used the 3cond w/shield on both. I did this by grounding to airframe at the outboard wingtip rib. So the conductors for landing lights are 1: power (red), 2: wig-wag(yellow wire) 3: synch (white), grounded the black at the rib and the shield grounded to battery ground via ground buss. The nav light conductors are 1: power (red) 2: ground (black) 3: white (sync). Shield grounded to battery ground via ground buss. Shields are left "open" or ungrounded at the wingtip end. I haven't gotten to the point to check for radio interference yet, but I'm confident that I will not have any static. Ztron has built in filters and only suggest to use shielded wire. By the way Ztron has been excellent to work with. I worked with Warren to get a solution for putting the landing lights in the wingtip instead of in the leading edge. Ztron gets an A+ in my rating.

bird
Click to expand...

I am planning to use the Ztron nav/strobes and I am looking for a wing tip landing light to go with them. Can you post pictures of your setup?
 
engineer orange

pm me your regular email addy and I'll send you a bunch of pics. I don't know how to post pics on here, it says I don't have permission for attachments

bird
 
No, I don't thinks so. In the past this was an error on the ordering site, get in touch with Warren and they should fix that for you.

bird
 
Wing-tip landing light for the RV-7

Hey Tim,
What do you think the chances are that the landing light setup you have for your 8 will work on a 7?
 
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