---------------------------------------------------------- RotaxEngines-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Fri 04/27/18: 2 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 08:58 AM - Flickering Alt Light (h&jeuropa) 2. 09:12 AM - Re: Flickering Alt Light (Ken Ryan) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 08:58:38 AM PST US Subject: RotaxEngines-List: Flickering Alt Light From: "h&jeuropa" 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 _____________________________________ Time: 09:12:23 AM PST US From: Ken Ryan Subject: Re: RotaxEngines-List: 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 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 > > =========== =========== =========== =========== =========== > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message rotaxengines-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/RotaxEngines-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/rotaxengines-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/rotaxengines-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.