How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

I purchased a couple of these scale lighting systems for use on some projects I am planning to build soon. This is my first foray into navigation lighting, but I can tell you that these systems are fantastic. The lights are bright, but not so bright they look out of place, and it is the only system I found that truly worked like a real lighting system with the colored navlights staying on solid, and white strobes that mount with them doing the flashing, as well as seperately switched landing lights.

http://www.scaleflying.com/product_p/avcp-av001.htm

My question is how do I make these lights switch on and off with one of the spare channels on my receiver. I am using a futaba 7C fasst system.

I know I can set up mechanical linkage with a micro servo, but that seems like it would be complicated and heavy. I was wondering is there some type of switch that can be controlled directly by the receiver without any mechanical linkage. Would a small cheap ESC such as the one below work for this application by wiring it inline in place of the mechanical switch??? Would it be as simple as wirining it in line with the lights, or is there more to programming an ESC for something like this.

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...0A_BRUSHED_ESC

Is there any cheaper easier method that can be used for this purpose.


Thanks

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

Why not use the throttle servo or retract servo to activate the landing lights? If you have fixed greag you can use a micro switch to activate te landing lights when the throttle is cut to landing speed.

Mike

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXCJD6&P=7

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

Wow that's pretty pricey. Not to question your expertise minnflyer, but will a cheap ESC like I showed not do the exact same thing??? I have never messed with an ESC, but in my mind can it not be set up in line with the light circuit, and more or less turn it on and off like a small motor being turned to full throttle, from a complete stop.???

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

I don't know if an ESC will work. I usually just have the throttle servo hit a microswitch.

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

Can you post a picture, or one of your great diagrams of this type of a setup, I am having a hard time seeing that working given the mechanical traval of a servo compared to a switch.

Thanks again for your advice.

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

what you can do it take a old beatup servo appart, where you only have the curcit board/motor and that funkey thing that u can turn (box or cylinder with little spinny thing. i cant remember the name...... [:@]

anywho plug the servo into the reciever and turn that thing, as you notice the motor will spin or stop depending on where it is, set your switch (on tx) to off and turn it so the motor stops turning (its very touchy be as precice as possible)
then once the motor isnt turning ca the turny thing in place, unsolder the motor and solder your light wires where the motor used to be. when you flip the switch the lights should come on. (make sure you have + - right)

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

These relays are operated from an unused channel on your receiver and work great. I have them in a couple of model planes. The larger one, http://www.robotmarketplace.com/prod...-BATTLSW1.html and the smaller one, http://www.robotmarketplace.com/products/0-PICOSW1.html . They are great little relays and are rated for up to a million cycles. You can't go wrong with them and weigh very little.

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

There is a micro switch that you can buy at Radio Shack for about 3 or 5 dollars (I forget exactly, but it's cheap)

Just mount it along side the servo so that the servo hits it when you want the lights to go on.

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

When setting up the switch with a servo you will have to use the ATV function on your 7C. The ATV function will allow you to match the servo throw to the switch. ATV is also really handy when setting up throttle linkages.

Cheers.

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

Minnflyer, you never fail to impress. Thanks for the graphic. I see what you mean, In my mind I was imagining the very small switch that is already part of the light system which only has a throw of maybe 1/8"

http://www.scaleflying.com/PhotoGall...&PhotoNumber=4

The switch you show above would work very well. Also see the below thread I started in the electrics area regarding the ESC as a switch. It just may work as well. Just needs a little more experimenting.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_9407704/tm.htm

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

I used a cheap 15 amp brushed ESC for remote activation of my nav lights on my Cessna. Works great, light, cheap, etc.

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

Deadeye, Can you give a description of how you wired it up. Did you use a seperate battery into the ESC with the lights on the output side, and the other connection to the receiver? if so do you leave the power wire to the receiver in place, or do you remove it to isloate the two power sources. I would experiment myself, but i am living in a hotel for work right now and my gear as well as the closest hobby shop are over 2 hours away. Just trying to figure it out during all of my spare time. Thanks

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

In order to tell you for sure, I would have about of 3 hours of tearing down my Cessna, and putting it back together again, but this is what I remember. The ESC serves as a switch, so it was wired in the positive side of the wiring. The ESC just plugged right into my RX. I run separate batteries for the lights. It is not really any different than a switch in the wall.

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

How about using one of these?
http://www.hansenhobbies.com/products/onboardacc/ners/

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

Thanks for all of you help, Looks like i have some experimenting to do once I get some time at home. I know that you can buy a switch for this purpose, but whats the fun in that. I was just thinking that a 5$ brushed esc that was in a drawer could serve this purpose rather than buying and paying shipping for a new switch that does the same thing, or buying a switch at radio shack and setting up a linkage for a servo. Just another way to skin a cat.

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

Certainly an electonic option to evaluate would be the Turnigy Receiver Controlled Switch. It can be used to switch a circuit with a secondary battery, or a load through the primary battery. In this way you would be able to power lights through the switch without drawing power from the Rx.

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...idProduct=8833

Should be an option. The MERS will also function in the same way I think, but the Turnigy is around 10 bucks.

RE: How do you Switch Nav Lights Remotely
 

Not to be a pedant but you would only switch landing lights on and off. If you have taken the effort to install navigation lights and a MARS beacon, then they would be on from chocks away to shutdown.