Warning

Dangerous Voltages. This equipment generates voltages that are dangerous to personnel. Use appropriate caution while operating or servicing this equipment.
Capacitors can retain a substantial charge even after power has been removed. Allow at least one minute after turning off the power for the capacitors to be drained of charge–then check the safety lamps inside provided for this purpose.
Do Not Depend on Interlocks. Never depend on an interlock switch alone to render the equipment safe. Always look for the condition of the High Voltage Indicating Lights and check circuits with a voltmeter.
Do not disable the safety interlock switch.

Scope

This manual contains Installation, Operation, and Maintenance information for Unidirectional Runway Approach Lights manufactured by Strobe Approach Lighting Technology (SAL Technology®), Manlius, NY, USA.

Carton Labeling

Each carton contains one complete light consisting of a power supply and a flash head. The contents are identified by external labeling. A REIL system typically consists of two cartons, one labeled Master and the other labeled Slave. In addition to a power supply and flash head, each carton contains two frangible fittings with short EMT couplings for power supply installation. An Owner’s Manual is included in the carton containing the master unit.

Unpacking

Inspect each shipping carton for external damage immediately upon receipt. There could be damage to the contents if the carton is damaged. Promptly file a claim with the freight carrier if you have received damaged equipment.

Tools Recommended

#2 Phillips screwdriver; 10-inch shank.
1/4-inch, flat blade screwdriver; 10-inch shank.
1/8-inch, flat blade screwdriver; short shank (for circuit board potentiometer adjustments).
Waterpump pliers opening to 3-inches (for 2-inch EMT compression fittings).
Wire strippers.
Wire cutters (for small gage wire).
Volt-Ohm meter; 1000-volt range.

General Information

Installation consists of mounting the power supply onto previously prepared supports and making electrical connections. Some installation details could depend on site drawings and specifications originated by others. Basic requirements are given below. If you are installing a system with sequentially flashing lights you should place each light in its assigned position. Light #1 is intended to be nearest to the runway threshold. Light #2 is intended to be next, and so on. 

Installation - Mounting the Power Supply

The power supply requires two, 2-inch NPT base supports at ground level such as NPT flanges anchored in concrete at a spacing of 8.00 inches center to center, or a burial can cover with threaded entrance holes at the required spacing. The power supply itself is provided with two attached, 2-inch, EMT compression fittings. Frangible fittings shipped with the equipment have male threads at one end and 2-inch EMT compression fittings at the other.  Installer must furnish two short (2-½ inch) lengths of EMT by which they may be coupled to the compression fittings on the bottom of the power supply enclosure.  The frangible fittings must first be screwed into the ground supports and securely tightened. The EMT couplings must be adjusted to extend out of the frangible fittings by 3/4 to 1-inch and the compression nuts securely tightened. Set the power supply down over the two EMT couplings and securely tighten the compression nuts. A power supply with a co-mounted flash head meets the maximum height restriction set by the FAA when installed as described above and as shown in Figure 2. The 2-½ inch long EMT sections may be replaced by slightly longer sections if local conditions require raising the elevation of the light source by a few inches. This is not recommended for a substantial increase in light center elevation; mounting the flash head on a separate support while leaving the power supply close to the ground is recommended instead. Please note that separate flash head mounting is not intended as a field option. The method of flash head mounting should be specified when the equipment is ordered. 

Power Hookup (L-849-I-A/E Current-Driven)

Each light requires an L-830–10 (300 watt) Isolation Transformer connecting the power supply to the Series Lighting Circuit. This transformer is normally supplied by others, although it can be purchased from SAL Technology® and shipped with the equipment as an optional item. A 72-inch long L-823 Cord Set is provided as part of each power supply and pre-attached at the factory. The cord set has a molded plug compatible with the molded socket on the secondary winding of an L-830 transformer. The cord set is arranged to conveniently exit through the 2inch EMT support on the LEFT side of the power supply (as you face the opened cover). Connecting primary power therefore consists only of feeding the two-wire cord set through the EMT support and plugging it into the mating socket on the L-830-10 transformer. Each power supply should be grounded locally for protection against lightning damage. An external grounding lug on the bottom of the power supply enclosure is provided for this purpose.  A grounding rod should be installed at each power supply for the best protection. 

 

 

Power Hookup (L-849-V-A/E Voltage-Powered)

Refer to the image below to find the locations of TB1 and TB5 mentioned in the text that follows. Note that TB5 is found only in a master unit. A slave unit does not have a TB5 terminal block. Power is brought into a REIL system through the master unit where it is connected to terminal TB5 as shown in The second image down. Power distribution wiring for an ALS would be shown on a customized drawing prepared for each particular site, but in general, ALS units are connected just as described for REIL slave units. In either case, a neutral wire is required only for units powered by 120 volts. A neutral wire is not required for 240 volt units, but if 240 volt power is supplied in a 3-wire format, the neutral wire may be connected to position 2 on TB5. It is not necessary to carry the neutral wire to any of the 240 volt slave units. 

 

 

 

A slave unit does not have a TB5 terminal block, but all units, whether master or slave, have a TB1 terminal block. Primary power is distributed from TB1 in the master unit to TB1 in a slave. TB1 is labeled differently in a 240 volt unit than in a 120 volt unit as shown in the image below The terminals labeled “To next unit” are used in a master unit, and the terminals labeled “From previous unit’ are used in a slave. Additional slave units, as in an ALS, can be connected as shown in the second image down.  Terminals 1 and 3 are used for 240 volts; Terminal 2 is unused.  Terminals 1 and 2 are used for 120 volts, and Terminal 3 is unused. Units for 230 volts, 50 Hz, are wired as shown for 240 volts. Units for 60 Hz are not interchangeable with units for 50 Hz.      

 

Wire Size Guidelines For Primary Power: Wire size (gage) depends on the primary voltage, the length of the run, the total electrical load, and the permissible voltage drop due to resistive loss. To determine wire size for a REIL system (two lights) use a load of 300 watts (total for two lights) and a voltage drop due to wire loss of not more than 10%. For systems with sequential flashers use a load of 150 watts for each light. Routing system power through the master unit for a system containing more than 7 lights is not recommended. Consult the factory for power distribution details pertaining to large sequentially flashing systems. 

Control Line Hookup (L-849-I-A/E Current-Driven)

A two-conductor control line must be run between all of the power supplies. These conductors must be twisted together to minimize effects from electrical fields in close proximity, and especially from power conductors. The ideal control line consists of two stranded AWG 12 conductors twisted together with 3 to 4 twists per foot. A shielded cable is neither required nor recommended. AWG 12 wire is cited only for its mechanical strength; it is not an electrical requirement because the control signal current is very low.   Control line connections are made at TB1, Terminals 3 and 4, in each power supply. Terminal 3 carries the driving signal, and Terminal 4 the return. Terminal 4 is also tied internally to the equipment chassis. Be sure the wires are inserted into the terminal block cavities between the two clamping plates. The clamping screws must be firmly tightened to assure long-term reliability. Always tug on the wires after the terminal block screws have been tightened to test them for secure holding.  This is especially important when more than one wire is inserted under a clamp. 

The above image depicts typical control line connections in a REIL system (two lights). When there are multiple slave units (ALS, for example) the control line must be “daisy chained” from one slave unit to the next as inferred in the image in Power Hookup (Current Based) above. Since the daisy chain connections are made at Terminals 3 and 4 there will be two conductors at those positions in all but the first unit (the master) and the last slave unit in the chain.   

Installation - Control Line Hookup (L-849-V-A/E Voltage-Powered)

A two-conductor control line must be run between the power supplies. These conductors must be twisted together to minimize effects from electrical fields in close proximity, and especially from power conductors. The ideal control line consists of two stranded AWG 12 conductors twisted together with 3 to 4 twists per foot. A shielded cable is neither required nor recommended. AWG 12 wire is cited only for its mechanical strength property; it is not an electrical requirement because the control signal current is very low.   Control line connections are made at TB1, Terminals 7 & 8, in each power supply. Terminal 7 carries the driving signal, and Terminal 8 the return. Terminal 8 is also tied internally to the equipment chassis.  Be sure the wires are inserted into the terminal block cavities between the two clamping plates. The clamping screws must be firmly tightened to assure long-term reliability. Always tug on the wires to test them for secure holding after the terminal block screws have been tightened.  This is especially important when more than one wire is inserted under a clamp. 

Figure 5 depicts typical control line connections in a REIL system (two lights). When there are multiple slave units (ALS, for example) the control line must be “daisy chained” from one slave unit to the next. Since the daisy chain connections are made at Terminals 7 and 8 there will be two conductors at those positions in all but the first unit (the master) and the last slave unit in the chain.   

A complete wiring sketch for installation is shown above in Power Hookup (Voltage Based).  

Dipswitch Configuration

The master and slave should both be the same as the image of SW1 below, while SW2 should be slightly different from master to slave as shown below

 

Installation - Remote Control Hookup (L-849-V-A/E Optional)

If equipped with the remote control option, connect the remote selector switch or L-854 radio receiver to the control module terminals in the master unit. This option allows remote intensity selection.

General Notes on Setup

The equipment was set up at the factory to comply with sales order details concerning flash intensity and current level (CCR Step settings) or voltage control. It will likely be necessary to “fine tune” the adjustments in the field due to the many variables that can affect these adjustments, such as the type of CCR driving the SLC (3-step or 5-step), and the presence of other loads. This is especially true of CCRs that do not produce a sinusoidal current waveform. Some applications require only one level of intensity. 

Setup - L-849-I-A/E Current-Driven

Three Levels of Intensity From a 3-Step CCR. The factory adjustment for a 3-step CCR is for High Intensity at Step 3, Medium Intensity at Step 2, and Low Intensity at Step 1.
Three Levels of Intensity From a 5-Step CCR. The factory adjustment for a 5-step CCR is for High Intensity at Steps 4 and 5, Medium Intensity at Step 3, and Low Intensity at Steps 1 and 2.
Single Intensity Setup. Some applications require only one level of intensity.

The equipment is set up at the factory for three levels of intensity while driven by a five-step, pulsed (chopped) waveform CCR, unless it has been ordered for single intensity operation. The tables below show the typical settings for three-step and five-step CCRs. The flash mode response does not necessarily have to be the same as those shown in the tables. You can customize the response at your site by making new adjustments.

 

 

It is likely that the switching levels will have to be fine tuned upon installation due to specific conditions at your site such as the type of CCR in use and other loads that may be driven by the same CCR. Adjustments are made at the CSM-112 Current Sensing Module in the Master Unit

Refer to: Set Up Procedure for a 3 Step CCR 

Refer to: Set Up Procedure for a 5 Step CCR 

Refer to: Set Up Procedure for Single Intensity 

 

Setup - L-849-V-A/E Voltage-Powered

Three Levels of Intensity From a 3-Step CCR.
Three Levels of Intensity From a 5-Step CCR.
Single Intensity Setup.

Flash intensity may be controlled at the master unit by a selector switch on the control module, or remotely by a selector switch or L-854 radio receiver. The control module is also available with an option that enables the system to be controlled by a Series Lighting Circuit.

 

A Series Lighting Circuit (SLC) can also be used for remote control. This requires an optional module in the master unit and should be specified when the equipment is ordered. The wiring connections are shown in Figure 8. The L-823 cord set shown from terminals A & B is part of the optional equipment, but the L-830-1 Isolation Transformer shown in Figure 8 is usually provided by others. This option may require initial setup adjustments in order to attain flash intensities at specific levels of SLC current.

 

Setup - SLC Flash Control

The equipment is set up at the factory according to sales order instructions when the system is ordered with the option of intensity control from a Series Lighting Circuit. A five-step regulator is used at the factory for these initial adjustments, and the system is set up for three levels of intensity unless it has been ordered for a single intensity application. The tables below show the typical factory settings for three-step and five step CCRs. Bear in mind that the flash mode response does not necessarily have to be the same as those shown in the tables. You can customize the response at your site by making new adjustments. You can select any three CCR steps for three levels of intensity, but the current for a higher intensity must always be greater than the current for a lower intensity. For example, you cannot set Low intensity to occur at CCR Step 2 if Medium intensity has been set for CCR Step 1.

 

 

Although the switching levels are initially set up at the factory it is likely that they will have to be fine-tuned upon installation due to specific conditions at your site such as the type of CCR in use and other loads that may be driven by the same CCR. Adjustments are made at the current sensing module shown below. This module is part of the CMV-111 Controller when Series Circuit Control has been purchased as an option.

Refer to: Set Up Procedure for a 3 Step CCR 

Refer to: Set Up Procedure for a 5 Step CCR 

Refer to: Set Up Procedure for Single Intensity 

 

 

Airport Lighting Company | L-849-V-A/E / L-849-I-A/E Unidirectional Runway Approach Lights - Installation and Setup Instructions