Today's Message Index:
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1. 08:58 AM - Flickering Alt Light (h&jeuropa)
2. 09:12 AM - Re: Flickering Alt Light (Ken Ryan)
Message 1
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| Subject: | Flickering Alt Light |
The alt light (its a LED, not incandescent) on my Rotax 914 (over 900 hours) has
started to flicker even when at cruise (5000 rpm). It has often flickered when
at low rpm and it always turns full on when the engine is not running. I
have two Hall amp sensors but I can only display one at a time. At cruise, the
amps being delivered by the Rotax system are about 8 to 10 which I what I expect
given the loads turned on. At cruise the amps measured at the battery are
roughly 0, the indication will vary a little from +1 or 2 to 1 or 2 which I
take to be instrument error. The bus voltage is around 13.3 prior to engine
start. After start it slowly climbs to about 14.4 after 20-30 minutes of cruise.
The aircraft is wired in accordance with AeroElectric Z-16. The battery is an
EarthX ETX680 and its monitoring circuit does not show any problem. I switched
from lead acid to EarthX ETX36 in 2014 and in March 2017 changed to ETX 680C.
Ive only had this problem recently. Everything was normal at first after installing
the ETX680C.
In 2014 I added external diodes to supplement the original Ducatti (PN 343620)
regulator/rectifier and a few months later I replaced that Ducatti R/R as the
alt light was illuminating while operation seemed normal. The replacement was
the later model Ducatti (PN 362001) but I left the diodes in place.
I discovered (I think during 2017) that the Rotax system was not delivering a high
enough voltage to keep the EarthX fully charged. I added a diode in series
in the C lead to boost the voltage. While troubleshooting the charging problem
I changed back to the original Ducatti which has operated fine until the recent
flickering issue.
I cant decide if I have a battery problem or a Rotax/Ducatti problem.
Jim Butcher
Europa XS
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=479596#479596
Message 2
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| Subject: | Re: Flickering Alt Light |
One thing to check would be the regulator-rectifier connector. There have
been reports of bad connections and even connector melt downs associated
with poor installation and/or inadequate strain relief at that point.
On Fri, Apr 27, 2018 at 7:58 AM, h&jeuropa <butcher43@att.net> wrote:
> butcher43@att.net>
>
> The alt light (it=99s a LED, not incandescent) on my Rotax 914 (ove
r 900
> hours) has started to flicker even when at cruise (5000 rpm). It has oft
en
> flickered when at low rpm and it always turns full on when the engine is
> not running. I have two Hall amp sensors but I can only display one at a
> time. At cruise, the amps being delivered by the Rotax system are about
8
> to 10 which I what I expect given the loads turned on. At cruise the amp
s
> measured at the battery are roughly 0, the indication will vary a little
> from +1 or 2 to =93 1 or 2 which I take to be instrument error. T
he bus
> voltage is around 13.3 prior to engine start. After start it slowly clim
bs
> to about 14.4 after 20-30 minutes of cruise.
>
> The aircraft is wired in accordance with AeroElectric Z-16. The battery
> is an EarthX ETX680 and its monitoring circuit does not show any problem.
> I switched from lead acid to EarthX ETX36 in 2014 and in March 2017
> changed to ETX 680C. I=99ve only had this problem recently. Everyt
hing was
> normal at first after installing the ETX680C.
>
> In 2014 I added external diodes to supplement the original Ducatti (PN
> 343620) regulator/rectifier and a few months later I replaced that Ducatt
i
> R/R as the alt light was illuminating while operation seemed normal. Th
e
> replacement was the later model Ducatti (PN 362001) but I left the diodes
> in place.
>
> I discovered (I think during 2017) that the Rotax system was not
> delivering a high enough voltage to keep the EarthX fully charged. I add
ed
> a diode in series in the C lead to boost the voltage. While
> troubleshooting the charging problem I changed back to the original Ducat
ti
> which has operated fine until the recent flickering issue.
>
> I can=99t decide if I have a battery problem or a Rotax/Ducatti pro
blem.
>
> Jim Butcher
> Europa XS
>
>
> Read this topic online here:
>
> http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=479596#479596
>
>
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