JohnB

Ok, I have had to replace two panel rocker switches, alternator, and one other one and now am looking at two more that need replacing. Boost pump and taxi light. Each one of these switches is no less than $300 and they take 3-4 weeks to get. Does anyone know of any aftermarket switches or any other solution? I mean, it's just a flipping switch, and why should it cost 300-$800 a piece and take forever to get? Sure would like some company (hint hint) to start making switches we can use on our mooneys when they need replacing. I am hoping this gets better when mooney starts making planes again next year, but if anyone knows a switch supply, please share!

I actually fly lots of dogs in my Mooney for pilots and paws all of the time so I actually know this one. I have fit up to 12 animals on one flight in my Bravo. The largest crate was a 600 series which I can put a 50 pound dog and her puppies in it and had room for another crate next to it. The trick is to clear out your baggage compartment, put half of the large crate in through the front door, put the dog in, then put the top on over the dog and assemble it in the plane. Reverse on the exit from the plane. 300 or 400 series fit fine almost anywhere and you don't need to assemble them inside. The question would be, how big are the dogs you want to carry, and if it's more than 80 pounds, a harness tends to work the best. Using the same technique, I think 700 or 800 series crate would fit (barely) but yes, the bigger crates fit much better in the baggage compartment, but if you are really trying to transport an adult ostrich, that would not be possible or safe for the animal, as any crate needs to be large enough for an animal to stand and turn around in, otherwise it could be seriously injured.

Thanks Lacee, you bring up a question though. I have two bulbs on each mid wing (one landing and one taxi on each wing). If I bought two spot LEDs for my landing lights, would it get two circles on the runway? Was your configuration spot bulb on left side and flood on right? I'm thinking I might do the full Monty and replace both landing lights with spots, and both taxi lights with floods, then if I get runway circles with the landing lights, I'll just also turn on my taxi lights on landings. So I'm debating, one spot on left and the rest floods, or two spots and two floods.

I am VERY interested in this topic, as LED lights are on my next wish list for landing and taxi and interior lights. As my current lights barely light a runway even when I am around 5-10 feet above it, I have my sights set on Whelan Super LED lights http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/whelen462l.php which look great on paper, and these im looking at have 6 extra LED elements in it compared to the other LED lights. Im wondering if these can be too bright? Well anything more would be a huge step forward, so Im interested in anyones opinion on LED lights, good or bad. Thanks!

Larry, I think your first solution using an inverter will work. Having gone through several 24 volt to 12 volt adapters, 24 v adapters, 12& 24 volt adapters with usb charging ports on my iPad retina, none of them prevented battery discharge, and they all had the same rate of discharge. The inverter solution using the factory 120 volt adapter was the only one that allowed my unit to actually charge while in full use. Also I noted when using my inverter with direct AC to power supply, when I used a cheap knock-off 120v to usb adapter, it discharges. It is only when i use either the apple brand 120v AC power adapter or one thats exactly compatible. This leads me to conclude that it is something in the apple (or compatible) 120v AC power plug that will allow the unit to run full while charging and not the input voltage of the adapter. John

Thanks Bob! at your inference, Just looked up the story of Al Mooney and is other 19 designs, very interesting, if anyone else (other than me before today) hasn't yet read this, it's interesting! http://www.mooneyevents.com/review.htm

Ok. Ill bite, M must stand for mooney, not sure what the 20 is for, FAA type designation perhaps, but what happened to M 1-19? Do you know Bob? This is all great info everyone, very educational.

Mitch, you mean you know the answer and are gonna make me wait until next year to find out? Be nice! Spill the beans!! heh eh That actually makes sense, could it be better rudder control in landing and takeoff attitude? As on a mooney airplane our usually forward sloped rudder rudder would be straight up and down at landing and takeoff attitude, whereas everyone elses rudder would be sloping backwards. i could go with this one.. are we getting close? It is way more cool no doubt! But wouldnt the drag be the same if the vertical fin's height and width are the same? I tried to involve a theory about less yaw as most of the anti yaw surface area would be in the front of the fin and a straight edge might have it more evenly distributed from the top to the bottom of the fin, but then realized that it would just be applied to a slightly more aft portion of the fin if the areas were similar.. and after that, it all got all swimmy...

Ok, I thought of this and couldn't come up with an answer. Does anyone know why our tail design (straight leading edge) compared to a sloped leading edge on non-Mooney airplanes is more aerodynamic or efficient? If it is more efficient, I wonder why havent airlines or other commercial carriers adopted it, because they think it would look funny to passengers or? If someone has a link or reference that someone has done wind tunnel tests to prove it that would be great, or is this just a signature mooney trademark? Not that Im complaining about our cool tail, but would like to know why, if anyone knows. Or if this is one of those "it's just better because someone did a test" with no physics explaination answers, I can go with that too.

Woo hoo! It works! Ok.. I have my Ipad plugged into a 24v to 110V AC inverter, bluetooth on, wireless on, pretty full bright screen. and it went from 96% charge to 98% charge after 2 hours use! When I stopped for a snack and used the battery dropping it to 88%, when I used it plugged in the plane it charged again during use!. No hum, no radio noise, ipad stays usual temperature. I even checked for radio / nav interference and noted none on vor/ gps or ils approaches. Now I can get my stratus and not have to worry about my ipad battery going out. As on the pic below, the inverter handily fits into my right side pouch. Thanks everyone!

I have a 93 Bravo, and had a very similar issue. My entire lower panel of lights and several backlights on instruments didn't work. First mechanic changed fuses and bulbs without success. Took it to an avionics shop who found that there was a faulty ground wire to this circuit, and the wire was replaced and it works fine now.

I know I'm supposed to suggest some adsb type equipment, as its cheaper usually, but I would consider one of the active traffic system panel installs, as may be more up front, but will give you more information by far than any adsb solution out there now, and won't depend of what the government does or doesn't do with adsb information in the future. I have a Ryan 9900bx active traffic system that was already installed in my airplane when I purchased it. It is fantastic. I have seen traffic 20 and 30 nm away. Since it will detect anything with a transponder, I don't think I'll have a need for adsb in, as it will also come redundantly with the stratus I plan on purchasing soon, but I will get adsb out when the time comes to remain legal and to be a good citizen to let people know where i am who dont have a TAS system, but I certainly like seeing all traffic today, not just adsb equipped traffic.

Yikes , well I certainly hope heat or humming isn't a n issue. Any adapter I expect will get warm after a while, which is why I bought the inverter with a cooling fan, should have the 24 volt one next week, but if that hums on my radio or something, I already have a 12 v one I can use with the converter suggested by Boreal as I'm waiting to return that one.. I do have some back up batteries, but the problem with that, if I'm doing a quick turnaround flight with no time to charge my iPad, when the iPad gets low, I plug the battery in, and it just slows the rate of discharge, on any battery setting, and won't recharge while flying with batteries plugged in and turned on. I wanted to solve this issue before I invest in a stratus, as if I can't, I may just have to go with the 796 solution and pay for my weather monthly but I sure like the flight planning you can do on your iPad from a hotel room, your house or wherever and keep all sorts of manuals and very nice aviation apps on it.

An update. Boreal, the 24v to 12 volt converter and the Griffin USB adaptor, although my iPad discharged slower, with minimal brightness and apps turned off, didnt work. But I thought of another solution and just tried it in my car. First, I tried foreflight at home plugged in to the wall output and it charges even when foreflight and many apps open and full brightness. So it must be the adapter circutry itself that can handle charging with a heavy ipad load while the usb lighter adapters can't. So I wondered if I can do this in my plane.. and yes! So I tried a power inverter that I had from long ago that I got for my car. Ok here was my setup. Had a cigarette lighter splitter, where my iphone in one port and my power inverter in the other one which is a 12v cigarette to 110 V AC outlet, and then plugged in my regular iPad charger into the 110V outlet. Turned on my iPad retina display full bright, wifi on, (simulating stratus) and bluetooth on connected to my extenal gps. Started at 44% iPad power, drove around in my car for around around 30 minutes (It was interesting to see the hazard advisor keep flashing red when I reached 40mph) and at the end of the short drive, it read 47%! Not only does it not discharge, it charges on full use of foreflight and other apps! So Im returning the 24 to 12 volt converter and getting a 24 volt to 110 V power inverter. This should work, iPad chargers only need 10 watts to operate. http://www.dcacpowerinverters.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=ML400-24 Ill try this in my plane once I get it sent to me, If anyone is interested to know if this solution works, ill post it here, but I am convinced it has to work.

Great Thanks Boreal! thats close enough, im ordering it thanks! If this works ill owe you a beverage!

That's fantastic!! Ok just before I order the converter you suggest, just confirming that when youre running your full size retina display iPad in flight, your iPad battery doesnt discharge at all? If so, I am absolutely getting one, as if im going to use my ipad as my in flight weather display, I need a solution that I can keep on all of the time in flight otherwise, theres no point for me in getting Stratus real time weather, if i have to turn off my display to save battery in flight. I think I even have a mount that wouldnt fit on the pilots side, but im hoping that angled on the copilot's side might work! Thanks everyone, im getting some great ideas from perusing these forums.

Xftrplt, Have you figured out a way to fit a regular ipad in a mooney somewhere other than your knee? Are the details on the forum somewhere?

Boreal, Did you say 5 amps? Wow...im interested. What kind of setup do you use to go from your converter to your ipad and laptop? Im thinking the dual usb cigarette lighter adapter isnt able to put out enough power.

Bill, great suggestion. Ill try it next flight and only turn on location for Foreflight.

Ok I have a 24v cigarette lighter outlet in my Mooney (ok who ever thought smoking while flying in a Mooney was a good idea? , and would like a solution that i can run my ipad from airplane power (and in the near future my Stratus II) without draining the ipad battery. I bought a Scosche dual usb adapter (supposedly both 2.1 amp outlets) and one other one and both when the ipad is plugged in, cellular off, using internal GPS, dimmed to the point where I can barely read everything, and the ipad battery still discharges. I read one of sporty's comments on someone else who had the same issue with the Scosche charger and they said.. Sporty's Response The electrical drain of an iPad in use can be larger than the output current of any charger. This is often the case when using a newer iPad with a retina display on full brightness and bluetooth running for an external GPS. This requires more than the 2.1 amps that a charger will provide. Dial back the screen brightness, or turn the screen off when not in use to preserve battery life. With all of us ipad users, and im sure some of you have 24v outlets like me, there must be a solution for this, as i also wanted to eventually add stratus and would like the convenience of not having to charge the units by AC electircal power only. I have an ipad retina display unit. Is this just the way it is with any adapter as Sporty's says? I suppose if it is, ill just have to keep turning it on and off which is an annoyaance, but Im hoping there's a solution that someone has found out there. When I add stratus and need to turn on Wi-fi, will that make this battery life issue worse? Permanent USB install in aircraft? Any working solutions would be highly appreciated!