EL Panel removal?

[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.

[Rick Erwin]

wslade2:

The Nimbus turnaround time was about 3-4 weeks. I installed the refurbed panels upon their arrival back to me. I am just late getting back to close the loop at the end of the project.

From what I could see there was no way for "me" to replace the bulbs myself. I'm pleased with the job Nimbus did. The really do look like they are brand new.

As for the bulbs, I don't think it's a matter of "can upgrade to LED", I think it's a matter of "must upgrade to LED", as in no other option but LED, from what I understood from both Nimbus as well as Air Capital Dial. I didn't see a way to access the bulbs myself. I'm thinking they are visible once the finish is removed from the panels. They repainted the surface and the lettering on the panels. I'll try to get a picture of the finished product and post it here sometime.

I suppose, if you're very crafty with stripping paint, repairing tiny electrical circuits, screen printing and repainting, it could be a DIY job. It was certainly beyond my ability though.

Rick