Intermittent Strobe Light

[Cardiff Kook]

I don't know anything about how the pictured strobe light works- but it's gone intermittent on me.

I can hear it going "click, click, click" very quietly, but it's not firing.

Then it will fire/light out of the blue.

Is it the bulb? if so, where do I get another and is now a good time to switch out for LED?

[wireweinie]

It's always a good time to switch to LED's.

You most likely have a bad strobe tube. To verify that, swap it out with the opposite strobe tube. If the problem follows, the tube is bad. If the problem stays, the power supply is bad. But you HAVE to troubleshoot before you start buying parts.

Web

[Cardiff Kook]

Understood. Could the tube be bad and work intermittently, or do they work or not work?

It's always a good time to switch to LED's.

You most likely have a bad strobe tube. To verify that, swap it out with the opposite strobe tube. If the problem follows, the tube is bad. If the problem stays, the power supply is bad. But you HAVE to troubleshoot before you start buying parts.

Web

[wireweinie]

They can sometimes come on steady but very dim, and then flash once in a while. Swap the tubes side to side and see what happens.

Web

[frequent_flyer]

Understood. Could the tube be bad and work intermittently, or do they work or not work?

There is a description of some failure modes in this article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashtube

More here -

https://www.beauphoto.com/demise-of-a-flashtube/

[Grant]

I have these tubes coming out of my ears if someone needs one.....

[wireweinie]

Dr Randy might have a shot to cure that . . . .

Web

[SJ]

I thought strobe lights by design were intermittent?

sj

[wireweinie]

I thought strobe lights by design were intermittent?

sj

I want to see how you drive through an intersection with a flashing red light!

Web

[SJ]

I want to see how you drive through an intersection with a flashing red light!

Web

Very carefully....

[Superbill]

I thought strobe lights by design were intermittent?

sj

I checked out this thread just to see who was going to say it!

[Cardiff Kook]

I thought strobe lights by design were intermittent?

sj

Nice!

[Supercruiser46]

I have these tubes coming out of my ears if someone needs one.....

Hey Grant, do you still have some of these? I have one that keeps stopping and taking a break every few seconds too so I'd purchase one if still available.

Mike

[Grant]

Yes - PM Sent

[stewartb]

Has anyone ever had an intermittent strobe that was caused by the flash tube? Failure of electrons to reach the tube, yes, but in my life tubes either work or they’re done. No middle ground.

[wireweinie]

Has anyone ever had an intermittent strobe that was caused by the flash tube? Failure of electrons to reach the tube, yes, but in my life tubes either work or they’re done. No middle ground.

I've seen them fail a couple of ways. Some will come on as a steady, dull glow, with no flash. The other way is for them to come on and flash a couple of times and then nothing. Occasionally, that type of failure may flash once in a while, if you just leave the switch on.

Web

[Cardiff Kook]

It's always a good time to switch to LED's.

You most likely have a bad strobe tube. To verify that, swap it out with the opposite strobe tube. If the problem follows, the tube is bad. If the problem stays, the power supply is bad. But you HAVE to troubleshoot before you start buying parts.

Web

finally got around to swapping tubes. The tube works on the other side- so its not the tube.

The power supply was new in 2019- any chance it is something else?

[Cardiff Kook]

And shouldnt there be no continuity between two wires on a light when the switch is closed? I have continuity with a closed switch on both nav and strobe on both wings with all switches off.

[wireweinie]

finally got around to swapping tubes. The tube works on the other side- so its not the tube.

The power supply was new in 2019- any chance it is something else?

Single power supply for all strobes or separate power supply for each?

If single power supply, the power supply is bad.

If separate power supplies, you'll need to troubleshoot the power and ground wires. Ground the black lead of your meter to the spar. With the master 'on', the strobe switch 'on', and the power supply connected, there should be battery voltage at the power supply connection and zero volts on the ground connection. Less than battery voltage at the power connection means a bad connection on that circuit. If you sea any voltage on the ground wire, it means a bad ground terminal.

Web

[wireweinie]

. . . . with a closed switch on both nav and strobe on both wings with all switches off.

A 'closed' switch is in the 'on' position unless its a magneto switch.

Web

[Cardiff Kook]

A 'closed' switch is in the 'on' position unless its a magneto switch.

Web

I meant “open switch.”

The strobe and master switch are off

[Cardiff Kook]

Single power supply for all strobes or separate power supply for each?

If single power supply, the power supply is bad.

If separate power supplies, you'll need to troubleshoot the power and ground wires. Ground the black lead of your meter to the spar. With the master 'on', the strobe switch 'on', and the power supply connected, there should be battery voltage at the power supply connection and zero volts on the ground connection. Less than battery voltage at the power connection means a bad connection on that circuit. If you sea any voltage on the ground wire, it means a bad ground terminal.

Web

Thanks. Pardon my ignorance here but what what is the positive lead of my multimeter connected to? Do i want the bulb in or out or not matter?

[Cardiff Kook]

And what happens if i hook the multimeter up to the powersupply output? Or is too much voltage?

[mvivion]

And what happens if i hook the multimeter up to the powersupply output? Or is too much voltage?

That output is VERY high voltage.

MTV

[wireweinie]

Thanks. Pardon my ignorance here but what what is the positive lead of my multimeter connected to? Do i want the bulb in or out or not matter?

The red lead goes to each of the connections described, i.e. power wire or ground wire, at the power supply.

And leave the strobe tube connected.

Web

[wireweinie]

And what happens if i hook the multimeter up to the powersupply output? Or is too much voltage?

Unless you own a very expensive meter with special high voltage leads, very bad things will happen.

Web

[Trimcable]

I just removed a strobe power supply. I am redoing the wiring on my experimental-12. If you need a replacement I have one to part with.


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[Cardiff Kook]

The red lead goes to each of the connections described, i.e. power wire or ground wire, at the power supply.

And leave the strobe tube connected.

Web

I think i got it- so i need the power in connected and need to get a multimeter at that connection- probably using the needle to slide under the connector.

Bear with me here as this is foreign to me.

Why would a voltage at the ground indicate a faulty ground?

[wireweinie]

[QUOTE=Cardiff Kook;850999

Why would a voltage at the ground indicate a faulty ground?[/QUOTE].

Your black lead is on the spar which is ground. A bad connection of the ground wire to the airframe ground creates a high resistance which, in turn, is indicated by a voltage.

Web

[Cardiff Kook]

Single power supply for all strobes or separate power supply for each?

If single power supply, the power supply is bad.

If separate power supplies, you'll need to troubleshoot the power and ground wires. Ground the black lead of your meter to the spar. With the master 'on', the strobe switch 'on', and the power supply connected, there should be battery voltage at the power supply connection and zero volts on the ground connection. Less than battery voltage at the power connection means a bad connection on that circuit. If you sea any voltage on the ground wire, it means a bad ground terminal.

Web

web- i am seeing 12.6 at battery and 12.4 at the power supply in connection. Is that my issue?

[Cardiff Kook]

Actually battery is 12.9 and drops off at battery when strobe on

[wireweinie]

web- i am seeing 12.6 at battery and 12.4 at the power supply in connection. Is that my issue?

Where did you place the leads to measure that voltage?

Web

[Cardiff Kook]

Where did you place the leads to measure that voltage?

Web

On battery on pigtail for trickle charger.

At strobe on power in lead with negative clipped to a small part of the wing frame. Not sure what it was.

[wireweinie]

Those are good readings, then.

Web

[Cardiff Kook]

Those are good readings, then.

Web

So is that an issue? The opposite side has similiar readings and it is operating fine.

[wireweinie]

No issue with the voltage.

Do you have a single power supply for all strobes or do you have one power supply each strobe? As you said earlier, you swapped the tube to the other side and it worked. So that leaves the power supply.

Web

[Cardiff Kook]

No issue with the voltage.

Do you have a single power supply for all strobes or do you have one power supply each strobe? As you said earlier, you swapped the tube to the other side and it worked. So that leaves the power supply.

Web

one power supply each side. Power supply was brand new 4 yrs ago so hard for me to believe it is shot.

[wireweinie]

one power supply each side. Power supply was brand new 4 yrs ago so hard for me to believe it is shot.

OK. So explain to me why it can't be the power supply when you have the correct voltage to the power supply and the tube has been tested good on the other wing.

Web

[Cardiff Kook]

OK. So explain to me why it can't be the power supply when you have the correct voltage to the power supply and the tube has been tested good on the other wing.

Web

i cant. I just dont want it to be the power supply🤣.

[dgapilot]

So to confirm, move the power supplies side for side and see if the problem follows the power supply!


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