LED nav lights and USB charging ports

[cptndavid]

Just had Glenn Lawler and his great crew ( Huey and Christen) install new LED nav lights and USB charging ports on my DA42. very excellent job ,you now can see the airplane so much better and very low current draw. The USB ports allow one to plug your i pad ,stratus and other stuff into the ports and maintain a charge.

[Colin]

He installed the USB ports in my DA42 and I love them. Two in the luggage area, one by the pilot's knee.

[mdieter]

Which USB charging device did you purchase? Could you post a picture of the installed unit?
Thanks.

[Colin]

https://www.truebluepowerusa.com/ta102/

Those are the units Glenn put in for me.

[Antoine]

These LED strobes are really nice and bright.
There is a catch though: they are supplied with the assumption that the aircraft is made of metal and not composites. When I bought mine, no one told me about the importance of preserving the continuity of the galvanic circuit that provides an entry/exit path for electrical discharges from the airframe.

In the factory installation (non LED), an aluminum part serves this purpose.
When I installed LED units on the DA40 I decided to re-use it. It had an attachment point on the old Whelen units which I removed, but this was not available on the new LED units. I had to reshape it to make it fit the base of the LED unit ( I think I posted pics here). The part connects to the aluminum tube that shields the wiring. At the "inboard" end, this aluminum tube is then caught under one of the screws attaching the wingtip to the wing.

In the DA40, the wingtip is made of glass fibre composite, a bad electrical conductor.
I don't know if this is also the case in the 42. One thing is sure: it is important to preserve galvanic continuity as otherwise the factory's strike protection design is interrupted.
It may or may not be dangerous but it is uncharted territory. And I think it will cause the airframe to fail the galvanic check due at the 1'000 hour inspection.

[cptndavid]

I did use the blue power USB ports $450.00 per each , they are a dual package so you get two plugs per unit. One unit is installed on the left side panel next to the pilots leg near the flash light holder and the second unit is behind the right rear seat in the trim panel.I will take photos and try to figure out how to post them. There is a kit for the DA 42 LED install to provide lightning protection ,I do not know about the DA 40. The DA 42 winglet is also carbon fiber.

[rwtucker]

Perhaps another example of the need for FAA revisions. I have one of these mounted on a small tractor where it is subjected to heat, vibration, water, dust and the handiwork of an occasional mud wasp. Works perfectly and most likely with the same PC board as the True Blue unit. $25.

https://powerwerx.com/panel-mount-dual- ... igh-output

[ememic99]

One thing is sure: it is important to preserve galvanic continuity as otherwise the factory's strike protection design is interrupted.

It is important.