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Anybody have suggestions on how to build or buy lights for the 30 size Century Hughes 500E? Now that I have it flying, I am considering future upgrades. I ran across a 5 light harness some time ago, but can no longer locate the info.
Blusaber
02-19-2008, 08:45 PM
Perhaps these would work out for you
http://www.tjtrc.com/Liglow.htm
Gary
Those look pretty nice - Thanks.
Rodan
02-20-2008, 07:44 AM
I used a kit from Maxx Lights www.myxlights.com for my MD 500. After that, I decided I didn't want to pay $50.00 for $5.00 worth of lights, so I bought a bunch of LEDs, resistors, etc. For about $30 you can buy enough parts to do 5-6 helis.
I just ordered a "Mini Flash" programmable controler from DIY RC http://www.diyrc.com/
It's the most reasonably priced unit I've seen, and the results are excellent. I'll be using it on a 60 sized JetRanger I'm currently working on.
For a 30 size heli, look at 3mm LEDs, the 5mm might be too big...
Dr.Tim
02-24-2008, 11:53 AM
have a look here.
http://www.starwoodmodels.com/products/cs/SCE002overview.php
Dr.Tim
Thanks guys. I think I am going to give the tjtrc lights a try. HIs vid of the setup in the Hughes 500 is the same as I have (yeah - I know I said 30 size, but it is really the 50 size bird - my mistake). I'll let you know how they work out. You can see a pic of my bird at http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=58770
Thanks again.
flight21
02-27-2008, 02:09 PM
tinybritelights.com, they will make anything you want, super bright, and small
Well - I have the tjtrc lights installed. Nice kit, quick response. In bright sunlight you can see them, but not very well unless looking directly into the LED line of sight (then it is VERY bright). The strobes show up OK, and the landing light is bright. At dusk - they show up REALLY well. I have a short vid, but it is in .mov format (quicktime). Anybody know how to convert to .mpg or other more usable format? And how to post? If anyone is interested that is.
If you want to see the LED's better I found that sanding them with 400 grit wet & dry gave them a frosted look and evened up the light output, also does not blind you when looking stright at them. Hope this helps.
JEB123
10-17-2008, 03:34 PM
Here's what I used for the strobes. It makes them look like lamps and disperses the light so it can be seen from the sides.The LED's clip right into them. Careful when ordering, there are different sizes for different size LED's. Check the datasheets. There's also different colors, try no L30001 for red.
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail?name=L30002-ND
Spidious
10-18-2008, 08:58 AM
I had the tj leds on my Hughes 500E before I crashed it. I saved the lights to put in my Agusta A109.
You can see what they look like in my Hughes at the link below..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwn_8HiRxpg
JEB123
10-18-2008, 05:57 PM
I had the tj leds on my Hughes 500E before I crashed it. I saved the lights to put in my Agusta A109.
You can see what they look like in my Hughes at the link below..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwn_8HiRxpg
Hey are you sure the strobe goes at the top of the tail and the one in the middle is a fixed lamp? Where did you see that lighting scheme?
Spidious
10-19-2008, 02:51 PM
Found it on a real heilcopter I saw. The solid one in the back was actually red (looks white in the video) and the one on the top rear was a flashing white anticollision light.
Really do kind of miss flying it !
JEB123
10-20-2008, 10:39 AM
I always thought the bottom one was the flashing?! Oh well, it's only a model!
daniel reese
10-30-2008, 04:02 PM
Ive used the TRTJ LiGlow lights on all my scale helis (recently posted pics of them on the "Show bodies" thread. The video of the blue/silver MD500 on his website is one of them- what makes his lights so cool is that they're also a LiPo battery alarm- yeah, even for the 22v main battery on the TRex600!
One trick to get the LEDs to show better is to make a "reflector/lens" from a short chunk of fuel tubing. Sounds wierd but it worked out great for my .50/.60 sized MD500s. The LiGlow used to come with 3mm LEDs which are just a bit small compared to the strobes on the real thing but if you cover the 3mm LED with about a 1/8" length of red fuel tubing and put a drop of CA on it to hold it- the fuel tubing lights up like a reflector lens and looks much more scale like. It works great for the strobe on the belly located just beneath the left front seat, also for the red strobe on top of the doghouse and for the red strobe at the back of the tail. Use clear fuel tubing for the white light at the top of the T Tail which, generally speaking, is a solid anti-collision light.
There's too much variability in light locations on MD/Hughes 500/530 helicopters to get too wound up about locations but since I kicked over that can of worms, here's some general observations glened from thousands of pictures of the real things:
Generally speaking on the E models, there's a switchable landing light recessed into the nose
1 red strobe beneath the pilot seat (generally 500s are piloted from the left seat)
An optional red strobe on top of the "doghouse" roughly halfway or 2/3rds of the way back from the main mast on the helicopter's centerline. Though its optional, it is overwhelmingly common to have this strobe installed.
Lights at the back of the tail boom are pretty variable. The FAA wants a steady white light at the back. If there is only one light on the tail, it will be a steady white light on a small bracket extending from the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer, just above the tail rotor gearbox. However, owners have the option of putting a red strobe in that location. If they have a red strobe there, then the solid white light will be mounted at the top, center, trailing edge of the horizontal stabilizer.
1 green solid light IN the left skid tip that is covered/shielded on the inboard side so it is only visible from the front and left sides
1 red solid light IN the right skid tip that is covered/shielded on the inboard side so it is only visible fromt he front and right sides.
Those In-The-Skid-Tip lights are easy enough to do on the TT models by using a dremel to cut the plastic skid tip in half along it's vertical centerline and inserting the LED, routing the wires down the skid pipe and up the underside of one of the legs into the fuselage.
But,as mentioned earlier- it IS just a model and you should do what YOU want!
JEB123
10-30-2008, 10:09 PM
Ive used the TRTJ LiGlow lights on all my scale helis (recently posted pics of them on the "Show bodies" thread. The video of the blue/silver MD500 on his website is one of them- what makes his lights so cool is that they're also a LiPo battery alarm- yeah, even for the 22v main battery on the TRex600!
One trick to get the LEDs to show better is to make a "reflector/lens" from a short chunk of fuel tubing. Sounds wierd but it worked out great for my .50/.60 sized MD500s. The LiGlow used to come with 3mm LEDs which are just a bit small compared to the strobes on the real thing but if you cover the 3mm LED with about a 1/8" length of red fuel tubing and put a drop of CA on it to hold it- the fuel tubing lights up like a reflector lens and looks much more scale like. It works great for the strobe on the belly located just beneath the left front seat, also for the red strobe on top of the doghouse and for the red strobe at the back of the tail. Use clear fuel tubing for the white light at the top of the T Tail which, generally speaking, is a solid anti-collision light.
There's too much variability in light locations on MD/Hughes 500/530 helicopters to get too wound up about locations but since I kicked over that can of worms, here's some general observations glened from thousands of pictures of the real things:
Generally speaking on the E models, there's a switchable landing light recessed into the nose
1 red strobe beneath the pilot seat (generally 500s are piloted from the left seat)
An optional red strobe on top of the "doghouse" roughly halfway or 2/3rds of the way back from the main mast on the helicopter's centerline. Though its optional, it is overwhelmingly common to have this strobe installed.
Lights at the back of the tail boom are pretty variable. The FAA wants a steady white light at the back. If there is only one light on the tail, it will be a steady white light on a small bracket extending from the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer, just above the tail rotor gearbox. However, owners have the option of putting a red strobe in that location. If they have a red strobe there, then the solid white light will be mounted at the top, center, trailing edge of the horizontal stabilizer.
1 green solid light IN the left skid tip that is covered/shielded on the inboard side so it is only visible from the front and left sides
1 red solid light IN the right skid tip that is covered/shielded on the inboard side so it is only visible fromt he front and right sides.
Those In-The-Skid-Tip lights are easy enough to do on the TT models by using a dremel to cut the plastic skid tip in half along it's vertical centerline and inserting the LED, routing the wires down the skid pipe and up the underside of one of the legs into the fuselage.
But,as mentioned earlier- it IS just a model and you should do what YOU want!
Wow! Thanks for that plethera of information! I did ok i guess, I have my red strobe under the pilots seat, one high intensity LED for a landing light, and I have the rear bracket you describe on the T-tail above the gear box, I'm gonna put a white strobe there just for variety. It should look pretty cool. Thanks again! :thumbup:
lotaloi
12-01-2008, 02:43 PM
Guys,
I need a single flash like it is used in heli. Not that double one. The strobe will be same as camera's flash light.The strobe duration will be like cam flash & single. I didn't find it. Can anyone tell me which one could do that or nothing can give like that camera flash? Thanks.:Bang