---------------------------------------------------------- Kitfox-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Thu 12/08/05: 6 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 02:37 AM - Re: Low fuel alarm for header tank (Colin Durey) 2. 05:24 AM - Low level fuel sensor (Fox5flyer) 3. 03:40 PM - Re low fuel sensor (Rex & Jan Shaw) 4. 07:06 PM - Re: Re low fuel sensor (John King) 5. 07:06 PM - Re: Re low fuel sensor (John King) 6. 07:27 PM - CO Exposure (John King) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 02:37:44 AM PST US Subject: Re: Kitfox-List: Low fuel alarm for header tank From: "Colin Durey" --> Kitfox-List message posted by: "Colin Durey" Rex, Don, et al, The optical sensors you need are available from a company called GEMS sensors. They sell via the web, and will ship anywhere, with most products available ex-stock. I have used a number of their products in some of the medical equipment I design. Their web site is www.gemssensors.com. On their home page click on Products & Markets -> select Online Product Catalog -> select Liquid Level Sensors - Ultrasonic - Electro Optic... Under Electro Optic, select Standard Products. This, finally, presents you with a page of products to choose from. The devices most likely to suit what you need are the ELS-100, and the ELS-900 (around $50.00 USD). The ELS-900 group are made from Polyethersulfone, which should be fine for fuel, even ethanol loaded fuels. They are available in 1/4 NPT, 1/2 SAE and M12 threaded. There is a 12vdc version, which you could use to operatre a LED directly. I think they have both wet and a dry active switched versions (WET = ON when liquid present -- DRY = ON when NO liquid present). You could use the DRY version directly with a 12v flashing LED, or, with a buzzer if you interpose a small, low current relay, or an Optocoupler (OPT417, etc). If you want a circuit, let me know and I draw one out for you. Regards Colin Durey Pacific Technology Corporation Ltd +61-418-677073 (M) +61-2-945466162 (F) ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 05:24:55 AM PST US From: "Fox5flyer" Subject: Kitfox-List: Low level fuel sensor --> Kitfox-List message posted by: "Fox5flyer" This low level fuel sensor issue has been around a long time. Lots of archive stuff on it. For you considering the optical units, below is a quoted Kitfox List post from the "late" Ray Volk about his experience with the factory optical unit. He switched to the mechanical lever-arm reed switch. Below his message are some sources for various switches. The reed switch ES15-650-AC available from several sources like Wicks seems to have a pretty good record. Hope this helps Deke In a message dated 1/26/00 Ray writes: "I assume from your comment "installing gas gauge with float type sensor in header tank", you are referring to a low level fuel sensor, and not actual float type gas gauge. I think an actual gauge in the header tank is a little too little, a little too late. If you are using car gas, at least the car gas I've used so far, the factory sensor will not work, the gas will soften the optical sensor, it will cold flow and suddenly it is not an optical sensor anymore. I am now using a magnetic reed sensor with a float. It is made by a company in California, Compac Engineering Inc. Paradise, CA. Part number is1 5-650-AC. It connects up to the factory wiring the same way the original sensor does. In a Series 5 header tank, you simply unscrew the lower of the two brass fitting in the side of the header tank, and screw the new plastic sensor right into the same hole. The sensor is a red plastic, supposedly made for car gas. They also have a white plastic sensor but I am told, not good for car gas. I have been using this system for about 6 months now and no problems yet. I test it by turning both wing tank fuel valves off after I am in the air and make sure that the low fuel warning light & sounder go off after a couple of minuets. Pushing the test button on the panel only shows that the light and sounder are functional, not the low level sensor itself. Hope this helps Ray Volk" McMaster-Carr.com pg 470 Compac Engineering http://www.iprocessmart.com/erecta/erecta.htm Wicks Acft http://www.wicksaircraft.com/catalog/product_search_results.php/searchRldTLTE Their part # is FWS-1 - it's $29.59 You'll need the indicator light - # GW-326 is $6.87 Erecta Switch http://www.iprocessmart.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?ScreenPROD&Store_CodeSEC01&Product_CodeES15-650-AC Durable controls http://www.durablecontrols.com/plastic.htm ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 03:40:19 PM PST US From: "Rex & Jan Shaw" Subject: Kitfox-List: Re low fuel sensor --> Kitfox-List message posted by: "Rex & Jan Shaw" -Hi Rex, Thanks for all that information on the low fuel warning, Another gentlemen on the list told me to look at the one sold on www.MurleWilliamsAviation.com, go to catalog sales, It looks very much like what you are talking about, don"t know if they will ship to you or not, I,m in Canada and I don,t know if they ship here or not, but I may look into it. Great talking to you, let me know how you make out. Best Regards, Don Hi ! Don, Rex Shaw here from Australia. Yes I have looked at that unit on Murle Williams website. That tube or small tank above his fibreglass header tank is the idea I am talking about. This just avoids trying to do the sensing in the tank. I can't tell from his website though whether he is using an optical sensor or a float. From the size I suspect it's a float. His price for the whole setup at $95 is good. My problem would be that I still need lots of modification to use it as my tank is a one of aluminium.so I'm still looking for an optical sensor. In any case I really don't have room to mount such a big tube or tank above my header tank. I think if one had that header tank though it would be a good answer. Being already developed it should have the bugs ironed out. Hope you soon work out what to do and if you do find an optical sensor please let me know. I could make one but the glass envelope is the tricky bit and I would prefer something proven in this situation. Rex. rexjan@bigpond.com ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 07:06:05 PM PST US From: John King Subject: Re: Kitfox-List: Re low fuel sensor --> Kitfox-List message posted by: John King Rex, I purchased a early warning fuel system for my Kitfox from Blue Sky Aviation. It consists of a small tank with a float switch mounted on top of the header tank. I runs off 12 VDC and has a light on the panel. I found it very satisfactory. I see that it is still on their web site at $99.00. Click on the following URL and access their catalog. -- John King Warrenton, VA Rex & Jan Shaw wrote: >--> Kitfox-List message posted by: "Rex & Jan Shaw" > >-Hi Rex, Thanks for all that information on the low >fuel warning, Another gentlemen on the list told me to >look at the one sold on >www.MurleWilliamsAviation.com, go to catalog sales, >It looks very much like what you are talking about, >don"t know if they will ship to you or not, I,m in >Canada and I don,t know if they ship here or not, but >I may look into it. Great talking to you, let me know >how you make out. Best Regards, Don > > >Hi ! Don, > Rex Shaw here from Australia. Yes I have looked at that unit >on Murle Williams website. That tube or small tank above his fibreglass >header tank is the idea I am talking about. This just avoids trying to do >the sensing in the tank. > I can't tell from his website though whether he is using an optical sensor >or a float. From the size I suspect it's a float. His price for the whole >setup at $95 is good. My problem would be that I still need lots of >modification to use it as my tank is a one of aluminium.so I'm still looking >for an optical sensor. In any case I really don't have room to mount such a >big tube or tank above my header tank. I think if one had that header tank >though it would be a good answer. Being already developed it should have the >bugs ironed out. > Hope you soon work out what to do and if you do find an optical sensor >please let me know. I could make one but the glass envelope is the tricky >bit and I would prefer something proven in this situation. > >Rex. > >rexjan@bigpond.com > > ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 07:06:05 PM PST US From: John King Subject: Re: Kitfox-List: Re low fuel sensor --> Kitfox-List message posted by: John King Rex, I purchased a early warning fuel system for my Kitfox from Blue Sky Aviation. It consists of a small tank with a float switch mounted on top of the header tank. I runs off 12 VDC and has a light on the panel. I found it very satisfactory. I see that it is still on their web site at $99.00. Click on the following URL and access their catalog. -- John King Warrenton, VA Rex & Jan Shaw wrote: >--> Kitfox-List message posted by: "Rex & Jan Shaw" > >-Hi Rex, Thanks for all that information on the low >fuel warning, Another gentlemen on the list told me to >look at the one sold on >www.MurleWilliamsAviation.com, go to catalog sales, >It looks very much like what you are talking about, >don"t know if they will ship to you or not, I,m in >Canada and I don,t know if they ship here or not, but >I may look into it. Great talking to you, let me know >how you make out. Best Regards, Don > > >Hi ! Don, > Rex Shaw here from Australia. Yes I have looked at that unit >on Murle Williams website. That tube or small tank above his fibreglass >header tank is the idea I am talking about. This just avoids trying to do >the sensing in the tank. > I can't tell from his website though whether he is using an optical sensor >or a float. From the size I suspect it's a float. His price for the whole >setup at $95 is good. My problem would be that I still need lots of >modification to use it as my tank is a one of aluminium.so I'm still looking >for an optical sensor. In any case I really don't have room to mount such a >big tube or tank above my header tank. I think if one had that header tank >though it would be a good answer. Being already developed it should have the >bugs ironed out. > Hope you soon work out what to do and if you do find an optical sensor >please let me know. I could make one but the glass envelope is the tricky >bit and I would prefer something proven in this situation. > >Rex. > >rexjan@bigpond.com > > ________________________________ Message 6 _____________________________________ Time: 07:27:01 PM PST US From: John King Subject: Kitfox-List: CO Exposure --> Kitfox-List message posted by: John King Deke & Michel, You asked a question earlier on symptoms of long time carbon monoxide exposure. There is a website (www.webdr.com) that answers lots of medical questions. Just do a search on "carbon monoxide". The following URL provides some info. -- John King Warrenton, VA John King wrote: > Deke, > > I don't know about a mild case of CO2 poisoning, but the doctor told > me in my case that the headache was the first symptom. > >-- >John King >Warrenton, VA > > > Fox5flyer wrote: > >>--> Kitfox-List message posted by: "Fox5flyer" >> >> >>What are typical symptoms of mild CO poisoning? >>Deke >> >> >> >