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LED Light Strip from SteinAir

tkirk

tkirk

Active Member
I just installed one of the new LED light strips that SteinAir is now offering. I used velcro and ran the strip under the dash, and power comes from the dimmer...very easy to install. I brought my kids out last night to show them. When I turned off the garage light, they turned the light strip on and all they said was "WOOOOW! That is sooooo cooool, Dad!" With the tip up raised, it even lights the bagage area. It will save me from having to install another light back there. It dims nicely, too, and I can see the instruments without any problem.
 
Light Color

What color do most folks find the best. I see Stein has both blue and red. I have an EL planned but it's not too late to go the LED route.

Jim
 
Ordered

SteinAir said:
Yep...they are one in the same! Funny how that happens - we often end up with some of the same goodies you won't find many other places! But - I need the money worse than Van does :)

They are pretty neat and draw almost no current...

Cheers,
Stein.
Click to expand...

Thanks Stein.... order placed.... :) You can have a beer on me now... :)

I was thinking of the EL strips, but these LED strips seem easier to handle and probably brighter....

gil in Tucson
 
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az_gila said:
I was thinking of the EL strips, but these LED strips seem easier to handle and probably brighter....
Click to expand...
But do the LED's light as evenly and as warmly as the EL strips? I'm genuinely asking anyone who has seen them or used them, because I'm planning to use one or the other and need to decide relatively soon. Thanks.
 
SteinAir said:
Yep...they are one in the same! Funny how that happens - we often end up with some of the same goodies you won't find many other places! But - I need the money worse than Van does :)

They are pretty neat and draw almost no current...

Cheers,
Stein.
Click to expand...


Now thats and honest opinion that deserves the utmost respect. I wish you many sales Stein!!! If I hadn't already bought some jiky lighting strip I'd be ordering it right now.

-Jeff
 
I'm not sure what shade of blue the LED strips are, but I can say that NVG-compatible lighting in military aircraft is blue. 675nm wavelength is the figure that's stuck in my head for the NVG-compatible blue light, but I could be wrong about that.

I started flying in the Corps in a squadron equipped with a mix of the last few red-lighted CH-53E's and blue-lighted 53's, and I never noticed any negative effects of blue-light vs. red-light interiors.
 
I have used white LED's for a number of years on various RV's. The color rendition is very good and I have not found it bother my night vision. Of course if they are turned up really bright they will, but to see the knobs and markings in the instruments they don't have to be very bright.
 
I just receved one of the blue/white led strips from Stein but I haven't tried it yet.m I chose the blue one because I have never been able to see well with red light. I tried it when I was sailing for looking at my compass but it jsut didn't work well so I always had to turn on the regular light.
 
Blue vs Red lighting

In the family cars, have blue in one VW and red in the other. Blue is a lot easier (to read and focus) on at least my eyes, which have done a LOT of night flying, airline/military, notwithstanding the NVG issues. I now have mild presbyopia? I see the FAA included NVG quals in their latest NPRM. Oh boy.
 
For those considering EL vs. LED's:

Last night I got my first flight after ripping out my EL lightstrip from my glareshield and installing a new Red LED strip of the same length that I bought from Stein. The LED's are basically almost identical in brightness to the
EL strip, and you don't need to us an inverter. I did like the glow from
the EL strip, but it bugged me having known AC inverter power near all
my instruments. I did hear just the slightest whine when the EL's were turned on, but the LED's are of course silent.

My installation also included a pair of the red swivel lights also from Stein, and now that I have those in too, I can say I've got exactly what I was looking for in cockpit lighting. It just took me a while to decide what to do.

Tim
 
Blue vs Red

Here is a post from another mail list:
"Without getting into a discussion of photoreceptors and how the eye works, his response is "if you are primarily interested in seeing outside the cockpit go with red lights. If you are more concerned about reading maps, charts, etc in the cockpit go with blue lighting."

Larry
RV-10
#356
 
Blue mo better...

The airlines and the military quit using red lights back in the 70's. After using both, I agree if you want to see out red is better, but we have lights in the cockpit so we can see stuff inside also...
 
I just wanted to mention that these strips (if identical to EL) are not bright enough to see the bottom of your panel i.e. unlit labels on rocker switches. IMHO

almost but not quite enough. I'm ALWAYS grabbing a flashlight to verfy a couple labels on my panel for switches.

and I can't read charts with them either. At least not where I have the two EL's in blue mounted.

I bought a swivel light and can't find it to install.

Lighted rockers would have fixed my problem with a couple swivels mounted somewhere. The lighted rockers where too large for my taste but I miss them now.

I would recommend some type of mounted light (over your shoulder?) you can switch on like a small flashlight LED whatever to read charts and flight guides at night.

In addition to the strips providing background type lighting.

Actually with my two EFIS; I could have skipped to strips but they look so cool and should be a good selling point.

If I had four in the plane I gusee that would be an improvement.

IMO
rv-7a
277 hrs.
8 hrs night
 
Pictures of Red LED light strip

I took some pictures of the strip on a white couch to give some idea of the light pattern. These are more than bright enough to light up your entire cockpit. You will need a dimmer in line.

I've had an EL strip in my plane for the last two years and have also found it is not quite bright enough. It also just went on the fritz and I'll be replacing it with this strip.

reference photo showing strip facing straight up


with no flash:


reference photo with strip facing back of couch - very close.


with no flash:


This is a shot of the strip face down, with me lifting the left side up away from the cushion.


And finally, just a shot of it chillin' on the couch.
 
LEDs became EL....

az_gila said:
Thanks Stein.... order placed.... :) You can have a beer on me now... :)

I was thinking of the EL strips, but these LED strips seem easier to handle and probably brighter....

gil in Tucson
Click to expand...

Hi Stein... I think you need a word with your Shipping Dept..... :)

I just got my package, but the red LED light strip is in a bag labelled "EL Lighting Kit RED", and doesn't have any LEDs....

... and, since the inverter is not in the package, I can't even try it out... :)

I think you owe me the beer now.... :D

gil in Tucson ... waiting to test out the LEDs...

PS packing slip was correct....
 
Well...I guess I'm going to have a pull a Donald Trump on someone here next week. The few left over EL strips that we have are supposed to be "surplus only" and are replaced with the new LED strips that are in stock. Someone obviously screwed up here - you know what they say about wanting things done right - I tell you, some days.......

Cheers,
Stein.
 
Blue versus Red

Hey Stein,
Just curious why the blue strips are more expensive
than the red? Can you get the map light with blue
LEDs or just green and red?

Wiring an 8 in LA{Lower Albama}
Pat
 
I'm not entirely sure why the Blue's are more expensive than the Red's, but perhaps the LED's are more expensive or something. I'm not smart enough to actually know why, but since they cost me more - so then they cost you more!

About the Map Lights, I just ordered some last week with the Blue LED's in them, they should be here in a week or two. I actually had some blue ones made for my own plane, and after a few people saw them in blue they wanted them, so I'll start stocking them. But....guess what, they are going to be higher priced!

Cheers,
Stein.
 
SteinAir said:
I'm not entirely sure why the Blue's are more expensive than the Red's, but perhaps the LED's are more expensive or something.
Click to expand...

Bingo. Blue LED's are fairly new; white LED's of usable brilliance are even newer. Lots of R&D to pay for...
 
Red vs blue vs green

Red, blue, and green affect night vision less than white, of course, and we have used red forever but all of our warning lights are red and you can't see them with red lighting. Blue type, I'm not sure about blue lighted type, is the hardest to read because its wavelength doesn't hit the ack of the eye the same as other colors. So, that is why I went with green panel lighting. Works fine and Stein has red, blue, and green listed for $19.99 regardless of color.
 
Hangar 1271 said:
….Blue type, I'm not sure about blue lighted type, is the hardest to read because its wavelength doesn't hit the ack of the eye the same as other colors. So, that is why I went with green panel lighting. .
Click to expand...

All depends. When I was 45, first signs of presbmyopia (far sightedness) were when I noticed that anything close, in red light, was blurry.
 
I used an led kit from Walmart. It's multicolor and has a controller that let's me pick whatever color i want.
 
Well, if we are talking sources, I got a 16 ft of waterproof, dimmable, green 1/2 inch wide strip for $9.99 from Amazon. Works fine but the very low end on the dimmer isn't quite a dim as I would like but very acceptable.
 
BobTurner said:
All depends. When I was 45, first signs of presbmyopia (far sightedness) were when I noticed that anything close, in red light, was blurry.
Click to expand...

Bob, presbyopia isn't really far sightedness, but that aside, in print and signage practice is to avoid blue type unless it is important to a brand or a designer that doesn't know or care about the impact of blue. Again, I'm not aware of blue light's effect on clarity. But, if the Air Force uses it, I presume they have studied the subject.
 
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