EL Panel removal?

[Rick Erwin]

Has anyone here ever successfully tested one of your EL panels by connecting the two small gauge wires coming out of the back of the panel directly to 120V AC line voltage from the electrical grid?

Rick

[patrolpilot]

The Invert-Pak is out on my airplane; all three EI panels went out simultaneously, so following the maintenance manual, the shop is replacing the "Pak." I have part #71254-6 in hand to replace it but cannot find the inverter up under the panel.

With your EI panel out, Rick, would you see if you can locate it?

[Rick Erwin]

Yeah, that’s the same one I have also.

For the location on my plane, read my message to Mark below.

I’m now trying to determine how to test the inverter. I replaced it with a new one but I still can’t read 120 volts out of it. I’m may not be hooking the meter up correctly, or I might have two bad inverters.

Rick

[patrolpilot]

Thanks, Rick. Got it... "directly behind the top of the throttle pedestal." I'm leaving a week-long trip in the airplane, and I will, along with my mechanic, get into this when I return. I sure appreciate your post, very timely.

[Rick Erwin]

You’re very welcome, good luck with your repair.

Let me know it it works our for you as I’m still fighting mine…

Rick

[Learjetter]

Originally Posted by Rick Erwin

Has anyone here ever successfully tested one of your EL panels by connecting the two small gauge wires coming out of the back of the panel directly to 120V AC line voltage from the electrical grid?

Rick

Rick,
According to Cessna Pilot's Association Mag (Vol 16, No 12, December 1999), in an article by Steve Ells titled Cessna's Transistorized Instrument Lighting Systems, he writes: "EL panels can be tested for operation by plugging the leads to a 110V AC wall socket."

For those of us trying to repair transistorized lighting:
1) CPA Article above
2) CPA Article (Vol 19, No 1, Jan 2002) by Mike Busch titled: Lights...Rheostats...Transistors
3) Cessna Service Information Letter SE84-19 titled: Instrument Light Dimming Circuit Troubleshooting
--in SE84-19, Cessna recommends against 2N3055 transistors, and instead using 2N6576 transistors since they have higher gain thresholds.

Inverta-Paks are available from Cessna at $900 or so, or often found on ebay in untested used conditions.

If you choose to completely rip out the existing lighting system wiring and start fresh, Seaton Engineering makes MicroDim solid state controllers that can run all three circuits (EL Panel, Flood lighting, and post lighting) without the need for the heat-sink and transistors and existing rheostats. Still need the darn inverta-pak, though. After fussing with my lighting for 3 months...I think I'll order some miniDim controllers (1 dual, 1 single) and remove the heat sink and run new wiring to the floods, the EL panels, and the posts. If it works as advertised, that'll be the end of the lighting woes.

[Rick Erwin]

LearJetter, thank you for the info.

Interesting info about the transistors and the rheostats.

I had ordered a used inverter and it was DOA, so I was refunded the purchase price. The next inverter I received worked and served to highlight that the two EL panels needed some love. The switch panel one is intermittent, and the flaps panel has a strip down the middle that is dead.

I'll be sending both of them off tomorrow to be repaired. I hope this takes care of my problems with this system and that your problems are solved soon also.

Rick

[wslade2]

What about repair of EL panel. Mine are cracking and surface peeling, let alone working.

[Rick Erwin]

wslade-

If your only problems are the EL panels, I've found two companies that refurbish them:

Air Capital Dial in Wichita, KS
and
Nimbus Aviation in Jacksonville, FL

I just shipped mine off to Nimbus this morning.

Rick

[Rick Erwin]

Just to close the loop on my repair:

The refurbished EL panels I received back from Nimbus are just like new and work great!

The integral incandescent light bulbs that were in the OEM panels have been replaced in favor of LEDs ... so, the color temperature of the light coming from the panels is a cooler white vs. the warmer white of the OEM panels.

[wslade2]

So looking like should expect a turn around time of 5 months for panel refurbishment. And can upgrade to LED. So there’s a bulb in there? Brings up the question of local/diy repair.