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What MIP and Christmas have in common?  ;)

Yes, MIP may look like lit up Christmas tree:

(https://www.cockpitbuilders.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi700.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww8%2FOldElephant100%2F737NG%2FMIP%2FP1140869_zps8879de97.jpg&hash=a9536f14016badac956ce3f45c94c1506d9a4345)


Yet there is another more direct connection.
My MIP that I bought had annunciator boxes  but no LED lights/panels. So I needed some DIY solution. And I bought nice panels from Opencockpits. Then, for the actual LEDs I turned my eyes to cheap and inexhaustible source - Christmas lights.  :idiot:

(https://www.cockpitbuilders.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi700.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww8%2FOldElephant100%2F737NG%2FMIP%2FP1140595_zpse6defe8e.jpg&hash=36c6d854eac2944cfd827b6bd09694b5e50e0291)


(https://www.cockpitbuilders.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi700.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww8%2FOldElephant100%2F737NG%2FMIP%2FP1140597_zps160d00a4.jpg&hash=5bf4ab21a5b7f0cf9dc8ea9fffec57ace826e931)



(https://www.cockpitbuilders.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi700.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww8%2FOldElephant100%2F737NG%2FMIP%2FP1140616_zps28d07c6a.jpg&hash=b06322210e717f019b4255220160a998e8a01f11)

The leds from Christmas lights are typically for 3.1-3.6 v, so they will not work well with FDS cards - they will be too dim. But they are perfect solution for those who use Pokeys cards, however Pokeys itself can guarantee only 4 ma current per output, so LED lights need LED extension board that can be build yourself, like I did:

(https://www.cockpitbuilders.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi700.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww8%2FOldElephant100%2F737NG%2FMIP%2FP1140687_zps938c5dac.jpg&hash=82b81011f2d4780ed78d6f7445b35d712d93dac1)

or such board can be bought from www.flightsimparts.eu (http://www.flightsimparts.eu)

Note also, that Pokeys card outputs need a common plus, not ground. In case of using LED extension boards the outputs go through ULN2803A chip then limiting resistor (560 Ohm in my case for +12v) then through DB-25 cable to MIP that has common +12 connector for LEDs.
Another detail is that Opencockpits annunciator LED panels have pair LED connection in series, not in parallel like FDS cards do.

I actualle had to rework my FDS 6-packs when I decided to replace LEDs in them to the ones from Christmas lights. I had to reverse the LEDs so they could have common + instead of common ground. Those 6-pack LEDs are powered from dedicated 5-volts LED Extension board (with 120 Ohm resistors), as well as AFDS single LED lights.

(https://www.cockpitbuilders.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi700.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww8%2FOldElephant100%2F737NG%2FMIP%2FP1140706_zps4252fd05.jpg&hash=6d7edfb6ff78355cc8ca0ab4692b82f4e7d59328)


(https://www.cockpitbuilders.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi700.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww8%2FOldElephant100%2F737NG%2FMIP%2FP1140715_zps27d95614.jpg&hash=77acbaa75cbd93d044398d2960a5b2a5a7c69c25)


So, this is how Christmas lights are connected to MIP.  :)
Now would be a good time to get them on sale.  :angel:

P.S. BTW, I now have unused FDS SYS4X card for sale, if anybody interested.  (Update: card SOLD)

Pm sent