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vik

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Everything posted by vik

  1. I have MVP-50P configured for IO-360 for sale with no rebates and no tax if anyone interested
  2. KLN94 uses CF card and not an SD one. In addition to the above mentioned CF card with the nav database, there is an internal flash memory chip and an external one, mounted at the back of the tray. The later two hold the configuration settings. There is an option in menu to save the current configuration to the external chip or to load the configuration from the external chip. All this to quickly swap the radio if needed. Looking at the KLN94 manual, it looks like U6 chip on the main board is kaput. Not sure the replacement part is available. Even if it is, it will be quite an exercise to resolder it You might want to look for a replacement unit or the main board. Vik
  3. The voice alerts are triggered by grounding the pins at the audio panel. If you can, check the condition of the wires going to those pins. They might be shorted to the airframe periodically. Vik
  4. I never opened Plane Power voltage regulator, but if it is done right, the over voltage protection circuit should be separate from the voltage regulating circuit even though it resides on the same circuit board. The voltage regulating circuit controls the current (not voltage) in the field coil to maintain 14V (or whatever the target voltage is). If everything works correct, this should be enough to avoid high voltage as the field current would be reduced to maintain the correct voltage under any load/rpm. If the current regulating transistor is shorted for example, the current thru the field coil will be constant, limited only by the resistors inside VR. Then, the alternator output voltage will depend linearly on the load and rpm. Once it gets over 16V at higher rpm, the over voltage protection circuit will step in and cuts the field current. The over voltage circuit can periodically try to release the current for few ms to check if the condition still present and if it see < 16V it will revert to normal operation. This might explain the alternator come back after the rpm drop. This is the theory. Practice can bring something more interesting or simple. Try resetting the circuit breaker that feeds VR first. They are known to drop the voltage under load. Given the symptoms, this is not likely in this case, but few seconds you spend on the test well worth it. Vik
  5. Well, do a test on your 2-3 year old AGM battery. Drain 16 Ah (using a light bulb for example) and try to turn on your avionics. See what will work and what does not - you will be unpleasantly surprised. Many radios and displays will not work even at 10V. The old lead-acid batteries, even the high quality and fresh ones, have a pretty high voltage drop as they discharge, not talking about Concorde or Gill certified batteries, which have surprisingly short life time and seem to lose capacity very fast. On contrary, a LiFePo4 battery will keep the voltage drop to the minimum almost to the full capacity discharge, allowing you to run all needed avionics. I did the discharge test on several older (2-5 years) Concorde and Gill batteries and the results were always not as good as I hoped. So, my conclusion is no IFR without the alternator if your Concorde or Gill lead-acid battery is more than 1 year old, but you have about 1:30-2 hours with ~10-7A drain from a LiFePo4 battery, even if it is several years old. Besides, forgetting your master switch on will be a frustrating experience, but will not damage your Li battery. Charge it with 15-20A current while making up an excuse why you are a bit late and forget the whole incident. Putting some aft ballast is a much harder to deal with mentally. We work so hard to make the airplane lighter to increase the useful load. An ELT and a remote transponder on the shelf right behind the battery should help a bit. Maybe a small ballast put as far aft as practical is reasonable solution too as it won't take much of a useful load off. Or getting a dog companion for the rear seat ... or it is time for another child Many solutions.
  6. 3 years is the end of life for Concorde battery anyway. I would upgrade to LiFePo4 battery at this point. https://earthxbatteries.com/product/etx900-tso/
  7. The worst I have seen was 0.5 gallons to the tank. Usually within 0.3 gallons. It took about 4 changes of the k-factor to get to it. I did not find it too time consuming. Just calculate the coefficient, than new k-factor and put it in. Very simple. Vik
  8. There is a lot of useful information in this document: https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC20-138A.pdf It talks about C129a and C144 etc, how 2 degree, 5 degree and 7.5 degree horizon mask should be used in the solution etc. Some C129a antennas were reclassified to C144 without any changes in hardware, firmware or part number. I guess simply because C144 included receiver compatibility requirements, which was not part of C129a. Using RAIM predictions outside of WAAS area is required for flight planning if the receiver is used under C129 for non-precision approach. It is available here: https://sapt.faa.gov/outages.php?outageType=129001450&outageResolution=0.5 In short, older antennas and cables will work given that it is a 5V active antenna with 26-27 dB gain. All I have seen that are used with Apollo, BK etc receivers, including popular KA-91 and 92 are. Now, as it was already mentioned here, the legality of the installation is a different issue. The antenna must be listed in the installation manual as approved. Technically, all C144 (and C129a reclassified as C144) antennas should be approved under C144 umbrella, but who the hell reads the entire manual! The details are usually listed on page XXXX in a small font note to a confusing table At the end, the IA who signs the installation is the final authority! If he says that the antenna/cable/whole airplane needs to be changed so be it!
  9. Really? I'd like to see how the "WAAS" antenna is different from "non-WAAS" and especially how the coax cable knows the difference between "WAAS" and "non-WAAS" information it is conducting!
  10. Of cause you can, but ... You will listen to only one stereo channel at the mono jack. A stereo headset like lightspeed have a switch to mono, so at least you will be listening to that single channel with both ears. Mono headset should do the same by default. Wiring the intercom just takes time. I would budget the whole day at the minimum. Double that if it is a Mooney
  11. Your V-dipole looks correct. And pay attention to what EricJ says as this type of antenna will not work without the balun. RG-58 cable is sufficient.
  12. Looking at the other gauges I think the picture is taken with the master switch on, means they are powered. First thing to check if the wires are reversed at the shunt. This might be the cause why the gauge shows below zero. Chances that this is the cause are small, but the check is easy. I would start here. It is definitely possible to fix the gauge if it is broken mechanically, but one has to remove it from the cluster first and look inside to tell what needs to be done. They are simple, but delicate. Sometimes cleaning with alcohol and adjusting the limiters is all that is needed to prevent pegging. The limiters get dirty with age and the needle tends to stick to them. I see people started to talk about currents and voltages, electric and magnetic fields etc. I can talk about Maxwell's equations all day long, but this is not the best place. Mooneydreamr asked how to fix a simple broken gauge, not why (nabla)xB ~ j + epsilon0dE/dt ...
  13. Absolutely! You will be very happy to know how much fuel you are left with at the destination in hour and minutes! It is only three extra wires to connect! GNC355 will talk to EDM830 with no problems! If you are interested, I have MVP-50P sitting on the shelf with all sensors and wiring configured for IO-360 engine. You will be able to remove your old mechanical gauges and the price difference will be much less than 830 installation costs.
  14. Stop guessing and file SDR right away and let FAA determine the cause: https://sdrs.faa.gov/ There might be other cases of the filter failure and FAA will take the appropriate action. Vik
  15. PM sent about Lightspeed and Bose headsets.
  16. All symptoms point to either a broken or stuck oil ring. If found broken, be sure to measure the grooves in the piston to be sure it is still within the tolerance. A broken ring can also ruin the piston. If new piston is needed, call Combustion Tech with the weight of your old piston. They weight the pistons after production and will try to find one close to yours. Vik
  17. Good recommendations! I totally support consolidation of three instruments in one - either EDM700/800 or EDM730/830. I have EDM730+ installed in my other plane talking to GPS and really like the combination. Single screen for everything, even though oil temp and oil pressure are not primary. Fuel management is easy with GPS. Go for it. 900/930 or MVP-50P are in another league. More $$$$ to buy and more work to install (equivalent to more $$$$ for many). Vik
  18. Check the type certificate for your specific model. You do not need any kits or STC if the alternator is listed there as an option. Just get all the parts together and install as a log book entry. You can install any alternator which was approved as a replacement for the one listed in the type certificate. Talk to your IA first of cause. He might have different opinion. A kit is convenient as all parts are provided, but it also falls under STC as the basis for the installation, which means filing 337. At least most IAs would want to do it. Vik
  19. Well, only half of this statement is always true - expensive. Sellers of the planes with good panels/avionics know about year long waiting lists and very sloooow shops the potential buyer will have to deal with to upgrade the panel later. They price good stuff accordingly. These days, trying to discount a good panel 50% means you are passing on that plane and will have to deal with the upgrade later, and, most likely, pay more. Significantly more. Do not forget to add the price of that rental C172 over several months you are without your plane to the total bill! And plan to ground yourself for some time once all is done and paid - to recover from a sticker shock Vik
  20. Looking at how BK handled the AeroFlight KI 300 emergency AD from August 2020 it is way to optimistic to expect any reasonable support for AeroCruze/TruTrak. KI300 AD is still not resolved after 3 years, so the folks who have it are still flying with INOP sticker. I think there is market for permanent "INOP" stickers for BendixKing avionics!
  21. The idea is that the weight of the single atomic layer of the above mentioned coatings is much less than the dust accumulated naturally on airplane surfaces, including the control surfaces. Orders of magnitude less. If you do not have to rebalance the control surfaces between the washes, you do not have to worry about it with the above mentioned coatings. So, the question is: do those coatings really work as advertised or I'd better stick to the old fashioned polish and wax approach? To answer that question one probably has to have an electronic microscope and some knowledge about the material structure.
  22. Anyone here have a degree in Chemistry and can weight on relatively new ceramic and graphene coatings? The coating should be a mono-molecular layer, so no affect on balance of the control surfaces. I met with Konstantin Novoselov more than 10 years ago when he came to UCLA and had a chance to talk a bit about graphene between the beers and sushi So, I have a vague idea about graphene properties, but I have serious doubt that simply diluting it in something and then spreading on the surface with a sponge will form that atomic layer hexagonal nanostructure needed. All those graphene coating products smell like a snake oil to me. As for the ceramic coatings, I have no information besides ads from the manufacturers. Some companies claim they can restore the gloss of a badly oxidated paint and provide 5 year protection for a fraction of the cost of repainting. Anybody tried? If this works, it would be better than a coat of clear as one does not have to worry about rebalancing the control surfaces. Vik
  23. If somebody is interested, I have an instrument cluster for the later model years. The one that have 6 separate instruments. It is not interchangeable with what gmonning have, so check which one is in your plane.
  24. What about the pictures of exhaust valves #1,2 and 3? The carbon deposits on #4 exhaust look suspicious. No obvious sign of one side overheating/burn thru, but not a complete circle as well. On the other hand, a problem with the valve would show up on the leakdown test. It might also worth to do a valve guide test for (partially) stuck valve following Lycoming SB.
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