Converting Your Strobes to LED
Some Notes on the Conversion
The Whelen LED strobes do not require the use of a power pack. The power pack high voltage discharge
used for the flash tube days are completely gone with the LED technology. The LED strobe simply needs
your +12 and a ground. You do not need to shield Whelen LED lights.
Understanding what you have
You may have one or more power packs driving your Xeon strobes. Some have one pack driving all
strobes. Some have one pack for each strobe. Some have a combination. You need to locate all your
power packs in the airplane. Regardless of the pack type, Whelen or otherwise, the process is the same.
As you follow along, check the box that you have completed the task.
First get to your packs. When you find your packs the wiring should look similar to figure 1
below. You may have more than one output connector connected. This is a clue to how many
packs you may have. If you have 3 strobes, and 3 output connectors with wires, you have
probably found the one power pack. The number of outlet connectors should match the number
of strobes you have. Else you have more than one box.
Turn on your strobes and verify they are working. Turn them off.
Unplug the input connector(s) of each pack. Turn on your strobes. Verify they are all now not
working. If any are still working, you have not found all the packs. Find all the packs and repeat
this process until all the strobes are not working. Turn your strobe switch off.
Remove the old strobes from their location. Disconnect the connector at the strobe and remove
completely. The wiring for your nav light will be unchanged. Meaning you will wire your new nav
light to the same wire your old nav light was on.
Mark the input connector as input on each pack “input”
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Pin 1 of the input is the +12v supply that comes from your switch. Pin 1 of EACH of the output
connector(s) is the red wire that is part of the heavy shielded cable that goes to your old
strobes. Cut each output pin 1 red wire at the molex connector. Cut the input connector red
wire at the molex connector. Connect the 1 input red wire +12 volts to each of the output
connectors red wire going to your old strobes. A set of fast on crimp connectors does just fine.
You have now connected the +12v from your switch to the red wire in the shielded cable wire.
Pin 2 of the input connector is the ground supply. DO the same as you did above. Connect the
input black wire to each of the black wires of your output connectors. This is now supplying a
ground out to your new lights.
If you want all your new strobes to flash together, connect all the white wires in the cable
together. Otherwise, The white wire and the braided shield wire are not use and can be safely
tied off. Whelen LED’s do not need to be shielded.
Remove the power packs completely and marvel at the dead weight that will not be going back
into the plane.
Install your new Nav/Strobe lights into their mounting location.
Verify your nav light +12 and gnd wires at the light with a volt meter by operating your nav light
switch. Connect the new Nav/Strobe light orange wire to your +12 nav wire you just verified.
You have now wired your +12 nav light wire.
At the light(s), connect the red wire in the shielded wire cable to the Red ACL (anti
Collision/strobe) wire of the Whelen 600 series light. You have now connected +12v from your
switch to the LED strobe +12v input of the light.
Connect the black wire in the cable to the black wire of your new Whelen light. You have now
provided a ground source to both your nav and strobe lights.
If you are syncing the lights together, connect the white wire in the cable to the yellow sync wire
of the light.
Turn your nav light on and verify it works. DO the same for the strobes. Scream Yeah! Your
done. Button her up.
I recommend you order a couple of 4 pin molex connectors to connect up these lights at the wingtip if
you do not have some already. Found here. Ease of removal of the wingtip is important to serviceability.
Order 1 per light.
http://teamaerodynamix.com/shop/aviation-lighitng/accessories/molex-.093-connectors
And a molex pin crimper if you do not have one already.
http://teamaerodynamix.com/shop/aviation-lighitng/accessories/sargent-universal-crimper-1026ct
Those Amazing Performers LLC 110 Aviation Lane
678-571-9319 Cell
Gold Hill, NC 28071
v1
2|Page mike.ste wart@tea maerody namix.com