From: RWolf99@aol.com
Message-ID: <a9.96f0834.26c0f23f@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2000 01:18:55 EDT
Subject: Instrument Lights
To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
Reply-To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
Mime-Version: 1.0

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My Cessna 150 has four different instrument lighting methods.  Here are my 
comments -- make your own choices.

1)  The two Nav heads (one is a King KI-209 and the other is a Narco Nav 121) 
are internally lighted and dimmable and they are superb.  This is the 
standard to meet.

2)  My attitude indicator has a NULITE which I installed when I started IFR 
training -- we did a lot of flying at light.  This is better than nothing, 
but not much.  I'd say its almost halfway between internally lighted and 
nothing at all, closer to the nothing at all end of the spectrum.  It was 
cheap ($35) and easy.

3)  The mag compass has a red light, dimmable with the overhead red light.  I 
don't read it very much, but I don't recall any problems.  I like the white 
lights much better.

4)  The other instruments have nothing.  I have to use the overhead red light 
(which is useless.  I think it preserves your night vision because it's 
useless as a lighting source.)  OR, I turn on the white overhead light.  I'll 
often do this on approach, since the airports I fly to are well-lighted.  
Torrance is especially blinding, so the overhead white light is not a problem.

I haven't tried the UMA lights.  They look better in the display at Oshkosh, 
but it's hard to tell.  Given a choice between UMA lights and a set of 
NULITE, I'd take the UMA lights, especially if I was going to do several 
instruments.  A single NULITE is a lot cheaper, but with a whole set of them, 
the cost is about the same.

I'm planning on getting all internally lighted instruments on my Lancair.  
Sure, it's $100 per instrument, but it's worth it.

- Rob Wolf
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