Today's Message Index:
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1. 05:11 AM - Homebuilt Regulations ()
2. 06:03 AM - Recommendation against buying B & C fuse holders ()
3. 05:12 PM - Switches and Lights? (mosquito56)
4. 07:35 PM - Re: Switches and Lights? (Fiveonepw@aol.com)
5. 11:23 PM - Re: Switches and Lights? (mosquito56)
Message 1
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Subject: | Homebuilt Regulations |
12/3/2007
Hello Fellow Listers, I thought that this letter on AVWEB may be of
interest.
'OC' Says: "The best investment we can make is the effort to gather and
understand knowledge."
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Homebuilt Regulations
Your question this week about homebuilt regulations compels a more detailed
response (QOTW, Nov. 29).
The regulation and certification of small aircraft in the U.S. is seriously
flawed and in some ways actually reduces safety. Burt Rutan with
SpaceShipOne showed the direction we need to go. In Burt's case, an
incentive in the form of a prize was offered to trigger innovative minds to
come up with new solutions. It has been true for years that many people in
the homebuilt community are motivated to participate not because they want
to build an airplane but because they are not able to acquire the
cutting-edge technology they want in an airplane elsewhere.
The high regulatory barriers to certification of aircraft and
aviation-related products produces new aircraft and products that cost great
sums of money or the products are not available at all. Safety is reduced
because new technology cannot be introduced promptly and at an appropriate
cost. All the new certified diesel engines for aircraft are now produced
outside the U.S. If new regulation to expand the homebuilt options is
possible, it is a good place to start. But it is only a start.
I recently had overhauled two Slick mags for my Cessna 140. My kids are
getting their licenses in this aircraft. In one mag the coil went bad at 700
hours since new. To overhaul and replace both coils cost $1000. It will last
another 700 hours! Because of regulation, no market forces exist forcing the
manufacture to improve this product or permit competing products. New
technology has existed for 75 years and exists in the homebuilt area but is
not permitted in my aircraft. Clearly the safety of my aircraft is reduced
because of the limited reliability of the available products.
Any reduced regulation that permits new technology to be introduced faster
and with more freedom in new and existing products is welcome and needed.
The market will demand and produce innovation that increases safety and
performance far in excess of what regulation will produce.
In Rutan's case the prize was needed. Here the market forces exist; the only
thing needed is for the regulators to get out of the way!
Joe Halsmer
Message 2
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Subject: | Recommendation against buying B & C fuse holders |
I normally try to avoid using inline fuse holders as bad memories come
back to me from crawling under my 70's something car trying to patch one
more stupid engineering trick.
When I came across the IFH-2 on the B & C site for $3.00 I thought I'd
give them another try. Well, they suck too. They are nothing more that
two fast on connectors set in an injection mold. Not that this is bad in
itself (they could have used a real buss base instead), but they aren't
even set strait. Both of those I bought have base connectors which sit
at least 20 off of center one way or the other.
The reason I bought these was for testing not installation. So, after
wrestling the first fuse into the socket, I then wanted to test using
another fuse. While trying gently pulling out the first fuse to change
it, the tab on my fuse broke and it was a b&(*( to pull it out.
Bottom line - like a lot of this stuff, take a look down the street
before jumping at the avionics wizards. Except for tefzel wire which
they don't carry (they can probably order) I found a lot of this stuff
at my local NAPA store. NAPA fuse holders, while slightly more $ are
twice the quality and you don't need a lineman's pliers to get the
broken fuse tabs out.
NAPA also carries a premium line of fast on connectors which are well
priced. Don't buy the cheapo blue/yellow jacket ones, but the red ones
are very good. And they don't charge shipping.
The other thing I am learning is that there is no rocket science
involved here. Use the right wire, the right amperage and make pretty
connections. Leave the fancy internals up to Garmin.
Live and Learn
Message 3
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Subject: | Switches and Lights? |
I purchased some rocker switches from aircraftspruce. On the back it says they
are rated for 20 amps. Can I use one each to run my landing, strobe and position
lights?
I was talking to a well known person and he said that rocker switches don't
handle high current loads very well. Did I accidently get good switches? I figure
this well known person knows what he is talking about so I thought I would
check here.
Part K-4 12v 20amp on-off
14-308
Don
--------
Don Merritt- Laredo, Tx
Apologies if I seem antagonistic.
I believe in the freeflowing ideas and discussions between individuals for assistance
in this thing we call life.
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=150263#150263
Message 4
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Subject: | Re: Switches and Lights? |
In a message dated 12/03/2007 7:14:47 PM Central Standard Time,
mosquito-56@hotmail.com writes:
I purchased some rocker switches from aircraftspruce. On the back it says
they are rated for 20 amps. Can I use one each to run my landing, strobe and
position lights?
>>>
I showed Bob N. examples of my cheesy $8 Autozone LED pilot-light rockers
(also rated 20amps) at his Nashville seminar back in '03 and his comment was
basically that they should do just fine- just buy several spares in case of future
failure since the market continually changes and replacements may not be
available 10 years hence...
BTW- no failures yet in 500 hours- using them for all the circuits you
mention, among others-
Mark Phillips RV-6A N51PW
_http://websites.expercraft.com/n51pw/_
(http://websites.expercraft.com/n51pw/)
**************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest
products.
(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)
Message 5
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Subject: | Re: Switches and Lights? |
Glad to hear, I like the looks of rockers better than simple pole switches.
Don
--------
Don Merritt- Laredo, Tx
Apologies if I seem antagonistic.
I believe in the freeflowing ideas and discussions between individuals for assistance
in this thing we call life.
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=150309#150309
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