HELP with 28 Volt project

Hey gang..... I recently came across a batch of surplus aircraft cockpit lights from the viet nam era. I want to build some gadgets to make these lights work. The problem is that they are all 28v. What would be the best route to take to make these work. This probably seems like childs play to most of you but this will be my first attempt. This board has really got me hooked on light gadgets.

If these are cockpit lights then they were wired into the plane, right? So you're talking about stationary not portable, right?

(For portable, you could always use 9 123s in series )

For stationary you'll need a 28V power supply. 28V aircraft power is nominally 28V but varies, I suspect, not 100% sure--like a 12V car is really 14.4V. Since these are older items, perhaps you don't want to stress them all that much. I would suggest running them on 24 volts and they'll last a long time AND it will be easier to find a power supply.

You don't need regulation and you could run them off a 24V transformer--but since these are older, you might choose a regulated power supply.

How many watts of lights do you have here?

We might be able to find some power sources, etc. on a Web search, but if you browse through www.mouser.com you should find both power supplies and transformers. I don't know if you're using a lot of light if you'll find the ones with the correct amperage, but a 5A supply should get you started (120W at 24V) for at least playing with these things. See if you can get SOME range of adjustment. Power One is a source of power supplies.

Cheers,

Richard

Thanks....here is a pic of the lights. http://www.members.aol.com/LegionOne9/private/Light.jpg