While I like my (shameless commercial plug www.engalt.com/aviation.htm ) fiber optic instrument lights for lighting your instruments without glaring off the rest of the panel or putting out to much light and ruining your night vision, the lights Dana pointed out are also a good addition since you can aim them. Lights that you can aim are a big help, especially for looking at charts and finding the pencil you just dropped when you need to write something down. I don't like them in place of instrument lights, but they are a great addition when they are on their own switch for when you need them.
I had a halogen aimable light hanging from the top of my turtledeck that was a big help. If I did it again I would still have the instrument lights, but instead of the halogen from the turtledeck I would use one of these http://www.susquehanna.com/susq/hella/mplmp.htm gooseneck lights. They come in a 7" or 12" gooseneck and they work great. We have been using them at work for years for lighting on ship's bridge consoles. They come with a clear or red filter and they have a switch right on the head of the light so you can put them on the same panel switch as your nav and instrument light switch, but still turn it off right at the light when you don't need it on. The link I gave has both the 7 and 12" in either cigarette lighter or permanent mount and there are also a bunch of other places that carry them if you search on hella gooseneck light. Dana Overall wrote: I am still going to install on a temporary basis, the red string lighting under my glareshield. Brian also has those post lights listed with Aircraft Spruce. I just got in two small cockpit lights that I will permanently install as they have a great history of success.
