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  • Steve

RV-8 and the WigWag Module

3/27/21 I finally got around to installing the WigWag module from the Flyleds that I got with the lights I ordered earlier in the year.


As everyone said, it was quite easy to install, but it was not so easy for me to figure out how to install it. I'm sure that the instructions are perfectly adequate for anyone who knows how to read them. Unfortunately, reading schematics and wiring diagrams is not my strong suite. In particular, translating what is written in the diagram to the actual physical wires and things to what is actually in the airplane.

Single Switch installation.

In this case, all I had to do was add the three orange connections and a ground. Sounds simple, right? Again, it is simple, unfortunately, so am I. The two lines going to the "L" and "T" symbols were what threw me. Since they terminated in grounds, I thought they were referring to the ground wires on the back of the switches. NO. Of course, that doesn't even make sense since the lights are locally grounded at the wing tips.


The very first thing I identified on the back of the switches were the power wires going out to the lights and yes, those are the ones I was supposed to use. Armed with that knowledge, I sallied forth.


Once I had that figured out, the only remaining trick was to figure out how to get the two wires on the terminal on the right switch. I wasn't sure two 16 gauge wires would fit in one terminal. Since I needed some terminals anyway, I went to Stein's web site, Steinair.com, where I found the perfect thing, something that I hitherto was unaware of the existence of. It's called a "Piggyback" terminal.

"Piggyback" terminal

That made the double connection easy. In short order I had all of the wires and connections properly connected. Now, one of the most appealing, to me, features of this system is that you can use the existing switches without having to add any, of course, there are many ways to wire this in, including using other switches. I think the best way would be to replace my current switches with on-off-on switches for each light, that would allow them to be operated completed independently with of without WigWag. In my case, however, I didn't want to replace those switches and since they are lighted rocker switches, they aren't exactly cheap.


In this configuration, the left switch will turn on both the left and right lights. Turning the switch off and then off really fast switches to WigWag mode. I was a little concerned about how this would work and if would be finicky and not reliable. I was further discouraged that when I first turned them on it didn't seem to work. I could get them to either be steady or to WigWag, but not both.


It took a bit of time to figure out, but when they say turn the switch off and back on within one second they mean "super fast". I was moving too slow. With a little practice I was able to turn the Wigwag on and off at will and it looked a little something like this. The right light can still be turned on by itself with the right switch. So I can have both steady, both Wigwag or the right one steady.


All in all I am very happy with the lights and the Wigwag module and the help I received from Paul at Flyleds.

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