---------------------------------------------------------- AeroElectric-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Thu 09/24/09: 8 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 06:53 AM - Re: Ground Loop posibilities (Angier M. Ames) 2. 06:53 AM - Re: Ground Loop posibilities (Angier M. Ames) 3. 08:21 AM - Welding cable (rvg8tor) 4. 09:55 AM - Re: Welding cable (Sam Hoskins) 5. 12:25 PM - Re: Welding cable (Robert L. Nuckolls, III) 6. 03:31 PM - Diode numbers (rvg8tor) 7. 04:05 PM - Re: Welding cable (Robert L. Nuckolls, III) 8. 05:43 PM - Re: Welding cable (rvg8tor) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 06:53:43 AM PST US From: "Angier M. Ames" Subject: AeroElectric-List: Re: Ground Loop posibilities In my Lancair, I have two Odessey batteries and the - terminals are wired as follows: 1. 4ga cable from A bat to B bat and from there to starter ground. 2. 10ga cable from A Bat to B Bat and from there to ground buss forward of the panel. This ground buss is electrically isolated from the rest of the airframe as it is mounted on glass. I can demonstrate continuity between the ground buss and any point on the instrument panel and avionics stack as well as any of the control cables which penetrate the firewall and attach to the engine. This would seem to be made possible by the ground path from the batteries directly to the starter ground point. From a ground loop point of view, is this anything to be concerned about? Given all the cables which attach to the engine and pass through the firewall to the panel, I don't see how it would be possible to isolate the starter ground cable path to the panel. Maybe this is a non issue and I should just get on with building. All comments appreciated. :-) Angier Ames N4ZQ ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 06:53:43 AM PST US From: "Angier M. Ames" Subject: AeroElectric-List: Re: Ground Loop posibilities In my Lancair, I have two Odessey batteries and the - terminals are wired as follows: 1. 4ga cable from A bat to B bat and from there to starter ground. 2. 10ga cable from A Bat to B Bat and from there to ground buss forward of the panel. This ground buss is electrically isolated from the rest of the airframe as it is mounted on glass. I can demonstrate continuity between the ground buss and any point on the instrument panel and avionics stack as well as any of the control cables which penetrate the firewall and attach to the engine. This would seem to be made possible by the ground path from the batteries directly to the starter ground point. From a ground loop point of view, is this anything to be concerned about? Given all the cables which attach to the engine and pass through the firewall to the panel, I don't see how it would be possible to isolate the starter ground cable path to the panel. Maybe this is a non issue and I should just get on with building. All comments appreciated. :-) Angier Ames N4ZQ ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 08:21:14 AM PST US Subject: AeroElectric-List: Welding cable From: "rvg8tor" My van's kit came with MS 2 awg cable for big wires, but the stuff is too stiff for my application, I have very short runs from my battery to the contactor. I know welding cable can be used, a friend found some "200 amp inverter cable" at Harbor Freight that he is using in his airplane. Does anyone know if this is the same stuff as welding cable. The connections I want to use this flexible cable for are all behind the firewall, I will use the mil spec stuff to run power forward to the starter. Thanks for any help with this. -------- Mike "Nemo" Elliott RV-8A QB (Fuselage) Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=264699#264699 ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 09:55:22 AM PST US Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Welding cable From: Sam Hoskins I don't know about the Harbor Freight stuff, but when I was looking for welding cable, I did find a variety of quality in insulation. Some had an inner jacket, which I took to be a better quality, and some had not. Sam www.samhoskins.blogspot.com On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 10:19 AM, rvg8tor wrote: > > My van's kit came with MS 2 awg cable for big wires, but the stuff is too > stiff for my application, I have very short runs from my battery to the > contactor. I know welding cable can be used, a friend found some "200 amp > inverter cable" at Harbor Freight that he is using in his airplane. Does > anyone know if this is the same stuff as welding cable. The connections I > want to use this flexible cable for are all behind the firewall, I will use > the mil spec stuff to run power forward to the starter. Thanks for any help > with this. > > -------- > Mike "Nemo" Elliott > RV-8A QB (Fuselage) > > > Read this topic online here: > > http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=264699#264699 > > ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 12:25:07 PM PST US From: "Robert L. Nuckolls, III" Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Welding cable At 10:19 AM 9/24/2009, you wrote: > >My van's kit came with MS 2 awg cable for big wires, but the stuff >is too stiff for my application, I have very short runs from my >battery to the contactor. I know welding cable can be used, a >friend found some "200 amp inverter cable" at Harbor Freight that he >is using in his airplane. Does anyone know if this is the same >stuff as welding cable. The connections I want to use this flexible >cable for are all behind the firewall, I will use the mil spec stuff >to run power forward to the starter. Thanks for any help with this. No good way to know details of this product. Welding cable is really inexpensive. Pick up what you need at a local welding supply store. Also, 2AWG is REALLY oversized for an RV with battery on the firewall. If it were my airplane, 4AWG welding cable would be used for all fat wires that carry starter current. Bob . . . --------------------------------------- ( . . . a long habit of not thinking ) ( a thing wrong, gives it a superficial ) ( appearance of being right . . . ) ( ) ( -Thomas Paine 1776- ) --------------------------------------- ________________________________ Message 6 _____________________________________ Time: 03:31:24 PM PST US Subject: AeroElectric-List: Diode numbers From: "rvg8tor" I have an electronic supply store in my town so I went out to get the diodes that go on the battery and start relays. I asked for the 1N5400, after looking up in a book the guy gave me an NTE-5800. Near as I can tell from looking on-line they are the same type of diode. Is there anything quality wiser or otherwise I should be aware of when buying these things? They only cost .38 each, so after ring terminals and some heat shrink I might have a buck into them, not bad. -------- Mike "Nemo" Elliott RV-8A QB (Fuselage) Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=264814#264814 ________________________________ Message 7 _____________________________________ Time: 04:05:10 PM PST US From: "Robert L. Nuckolls, III" Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Welding cable At 11:51 AM 9/24/2009, you wrote: >I don't know about the Harbor Freight stuff, but when I was looking >for welding cable, I did find a variety of quality in >insulation. Some had an inner jacket, which I took to be a better >quality, and some had not. > >Sam Thanks for reminding me of that Sam. A guy at a welding store told me that the two-layer cable lasted longer in the field. Little nicks in the outer jacket tended to propagate cracks through to the strands when the cable was flexed/ stretched. By making it two layers, the gap was a "crack stopper" while the inner layer maintained environmental integrity. http://aeroelectric.com/Pictures/Wire/4AWG_Welding_Cable_1.jpg It seems a logical explanation. Of course, the cables in our airplanes don't get stretched across gravel drives and run over by dump-trucks. The Anchor brand welding cable illustrated above has an HDPM outer jacket which is revered for its flexibility and toughness. Here's an excerpt from a wire catalog describing this insulation. Emacs! Bob . . . --------------------------------------- ( . . . a long habit of not thinking ) ( a thing wrong, gives it a superficial ) ( appearance of being right . . . ) ( ) ( -Thomas Paine 1776- ) --------------------------------------- ________________________________ Message 8 _____________________________________ Time: 05:43:24 PM PST US Subject: AeroElectric-List: Re: Welding cable From: "rvg8tor" I found my local welding shop and bought some 4 AWG. Man this stuff is flexible, I can't believe I was trying to wrestle with the mill spec stuff for those short runs. It is not the double insulated stuff you showed in the picture but it seem tough. it is labeled as "Heavy Duty Welding cable 600V -50 degrees C to 105 degrees C. I will use a crimp on ring terminal, I have the tool from ACS for this but should I solder the end before crimping, there are a lot of fine wires in this cable. I will have to check the AEC Bible, I seem to remember reading something on this subject. -------- Mike "Nemo" Elliott RV-8A QB (Fuselage) Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=264836#264836 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message aeroelectric-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/AeroElectric-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/aeroelectric-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/aeroelectric-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.