Hygain Rotator Controller Light Replacement Notes

The light on the direction indicator died long ago. Without the light the unit did not seem complete, and operating at Field Day now required additional light.


I bought the Rotor Illuminator kit from Idiom Press the kit was very simple, but be sure to read the instructions before starting. Especially relating to the capacitor placement ;-)


Just to be safe I checked to see if there still was voltage on the light socket. I measured 27 volts AC.


Here is a shot of the entire kit unassembled. Note the burned out bulb is also shown at the lower right.


Here is a shot of the assembled board before installation. Notice how the old light bulb actually melted the clear plastic on the meter.


I did not trim the LED leads immediately. The instructions suggested putting the board in place before trimming the LED leads in case you need to adjust the length. I was happy with the length I had chosen.


Here is the kit installed. I was a little leary of the sticky dots used to hold it in place, but they seem to work just fine, and I am now a believer. I covered the old light bulb socket with red electrical tape as the voltage is still available inside.


Here is the finished product. I chose the jumper setting that produced the highest brightness. I am happy with how it turned out! It is a little darker in the middle as a result of the melted spot on the meter. If you look closely you can see the old light bulb actually melted the case a bit. The LEDs should run much cooler, and last a very long time!

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