LED Notes

A short note on LED lights

The new technology out there is amazing. Understanding a few things about LED's will go a long way to ensuring the longevity of your Light kits. Below are a few basic points to be aware. 

First things first - Excessive heat shortens the lifespan of LED's. The cooler we keep them the longer they last. 

Second - Airflow is one of the absolute best methods of cooling LED's.

LED's have a pretty narrow voltage where they are happy to operate. Slightly over voltage and they will warm up quick, right under rated voltage and they will run forever and ever. 

This means, when first plugging in freshly charged packs it's important to limit the time between plugging them in and flying. Even the smallest amount of airflow will almost immediately dissapate heat. 

Once you land, the voltage will have dropped and the lights will be more tolerant of sitting still. 

As a guideline, the lights should not be plugged in on the ground for more than a minute. 

With even just 15 mph of airflow, the light will cool off to ambient temperature almost immediately.