---------------------------------------------------------- AeroElectric-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Fri 08/31/07: 8 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 02:29 AM - Re: Icom A-200 dimming () 2. 01:22 PM - Re: How to check and alternator?? (Robert L. Nuckolls, III) 3. 02:14 PM - No charge () 4. 02:26 PM - Re: No charge (Gilles Thesee) 5. 04:48 PM - Thermoelectric Generators (Richard Tasker) 6. 05:48 PM - spade lug failure. (sarg314) 7. 06:04 PM - Lightspeed spark plug wires (sarg314) 8. 07:05 PM - Re: Lightspeed spark plug wires (mkejrj@comcast.net) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 02:29:04 AM PST US From: Subject: AeroElectric-List: Re: Icom A-200 dimming Ernest from the installation manual: Pin "B" is +14v for light Pin "1" is GROUND for pin "B" This may what you want. Do some bench test. It sounds like a discrete ground for the light! Dimming is nice but you don't know until you fly at night with it. I fly a bubble canopy (RV) and it can reflect light. Sounds like you PWM will work off the ligt ground on PIN 1. Good Luck George >From: Ernest Christley >Subject: AeroElectric-List: Icom A-200 dimming > >posting to this list on 2/13/06 indicates that only the positive >side of the lighting circuit is exposed to through the connector. > >My first question is, "Is this correct? > >There's no easy access to the lighting circuit's ground lead?" > >The second question, "Is a dimmer necessary?" --------------------------------- Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos & more. ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 01:22:04 PM PST US From: "Robert L. Nuckolls, III" Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: How to check and alternator?? At 09:24 PM 8/27/2007 -0700, you wrote: >Thanks for messages. > >Here's the answer to your questions. > >I have a Chief Aircraft +/- 40 ammeter with a 40amp shunt. > >I think my alternator is 35 amps but can't remember - I'll have to look >that up. I am running Nav lights, strobe lights, wig wag lights, and a >full Garmin stack so I'm thinking I may need to upgrade my >alternator. Will have to add that up before first flight to see the load. > >The ammeter has a positive and negative terminal on the back. The >positive is connected to to the small screw on the shunt which also has a >large screw on the same side which is wired directly to the main power bus >which also splits to a wire between the master and starter relay. The >negative side on the back of the ammeter is connected to the opposite >small screw on the shunt which also has a large screw which is wired >through a 60amp circuit breaker to the main power bus. > >Kinda hard to explain without a picture. I followed the Bingeles book >when I wired it up a few years back so maybe I messed something up. > >I do know that the volt meter reads barely under 14 volts with the engine >running. > >Thanks for the help!!!! The -zero+ reading ammeter is a BATTERY ammeter. When things are running normally (alternator carrying ship's loads and battery fully charged) then it SHOULD read at or near zero. Turn some things on with the engine not running. Let them run of the battery for 10 minutes or so. The ammeter should be showing a (-) value - energy is coming out of the battery. Take a voltmeter reading. Now, start the engine and turn the alternator on. Note the bus voltage. We would LIKE to see 14.2 to 14.6 volts but 13.8 or 13.9 would still charge the battery. After the alternator comes on, if you see a rise in bus voltage, then the alternator IS working to some degree. Its set point may be too low . . . but it is working. Now the ammeter should show a decided (+) reading - energy is being stuffed back into the battery. Turn all the accessories off and observe the ammeter which should begin to move back toward zero indicating that the battery is topped off. For the moment, nothing you've written suggests that the system is seriously malfunctioning. It may need adjustment of voltage. Bob . . . ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 02:14:43 PM PST US From: Subject: AeroElectric-List: No charge I'm having charging problems again. Using the Z16 diagram with Rotax 912 ULS. I had a charging problem before and found my "C" wire connector from the Voltage Regulator was not properly seated. When I made good connection I got a charge. Today there's no charge again, according to the Dynon & GRT voltmeters. I believe I have a good connection to the regulator but not sure how to test. Suggestions? Other possible problems to consider? Thanks Frank McDonald ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 02:26:31 PM PST US From: Gilles Thesee Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: No charge frank.phyllis@mindspring.com a crit : > Using the Z16 diagram with Rotax 912 ULS. > I had a charging problem before and found my "C" wire connector from the > Voltage Regulator was not properly seated. When I made good connection > I got a charge. > Today there's no charge again, according to the Dynon & GRT voltmeters. > I believe I have a good connection to the regulator but not sure how to > test. > Franck, Have you checked the regulator ground wire ? It should be the same size as the positive wire, since it will carry the 18-20 A current. Best regards, -- Gilles, Z16 with dual battery http://contrails.free.fr ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 04:48:12 PM PST US From: Richard Tasker Subject: AeroElectric-List: Thermoelectric Generators I don't know how many your "hand-full of watts" are but here is a source of thermoelectric generators in the 2.5 to 19 watt range. Certainly wouldn't run an all electric airplane, but might keep your radios running. They also offer a DC-DC converter to provide a regulated 12V output. Dick Tasker Robert L. Nuckolls, III wrote: > > > I'm not aware of any thermoelectric products that go beyond > a hand-full of watts capability. That technology goes back a > very long way. Here's a small step back in time to when thermoelectric > power generation became commercially practical technology: ________________________________ Message 6 _____________________________________ Time: 05:48:17 PM PST US From: sarg314 Subject: AeroElectric-List: spade lug failure. I have been wiring my plane using some high quality (well, at least they're expensive - $0.65 each) T&B insulated fast-on type connectors and an Ideal crimping tool (not expensive as crimpers go - about $50). A couple days ago I found a #22 ground wire that simply didn't conduct. I removed it from the plane and sliced away insulation near each end to expose the wire just before the connectors and determined which one wasn't conducting. It looked fine. The wires were just visible sticking out of the spade lug end and I could touch them directly with my continuity tester, but they weren't connected to the rest of the wire. Using a dremel tool, I removed the plastic covering and part of the crimp. A little bit of the insulation extended into the part of the barrel that crimps the copper wire. Apparently what happened was that the act of crimping it cut thru the wire, but NOT thru the insulation. The connector was held on by the insulation. That tefzel is pretty tough stuff. I made a new wire and got things working, but I have to wonder if more of my wires aren't in the same or nearly the same condition. Am I doing something wrong here or was this probably just a 1 in a 1000 fluke? Do I need to check the connections that seem to be working? If so, how? -- Tom Sargent, RV-6A Electrical system ________________________________ Message 7 _____________________________________ Time: 06:04:50 PM PST US From: sarg314 Subject: AeroElectric-List: Lightspeed spark plug wires I am not mounting my ignition coils on top of my engine, so the spark plug wires I got with the Lightspeed unit aren't the right lengths. Are these ordinary automotive sparkplug wires or something special? How does one get wires of non-standard lengths? I emailed Klaus but have not received an answer. Thanks, ---- Tom Sargent, RV-6A ________________________________ Message 8 _____________________________________ Time: 07:05:50 PM PST US From: mkejrj@comcast.net Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Lightspeed spark plug wires Tom, I had an identical situation. I returned the supplied wires along with my specs for the replacements. Klaus fabricated the new wires at no charge. Dick Jordan RV 8A N888BZ -------------- Original message -------------- From: sarg314 > > I am not mounting my ignition coils on top of my engine, so the spark > plug wires I got with the Lightspeed unit aren't the right lengths. Are > these ordinary automotive sparkplug wires or something special? How > does one get wires of non-standard lengths? I emailed Klaus but have > not received an answer. > > Thanks, > ---- > Tom Sargent, RV-6A > > > > >
Tom,
 
   I had an identical situation. I returned the supplied wires along with my specs for the replacements. Klaus fabricated the new wires at no charge.
 
Dick Jordan
RV 8A
N888BZ
 
arch &
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