vik

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/

EDM-700 + your labor to install.

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

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!

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!

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

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.

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 ...

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.

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

PM sent about Lightspeed and Bose headsets.

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

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

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

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

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

Alternator field circuit breaker.

I powder coated the covers. Hard as rock! No need to worry about scratching. They are small, so you can do it by yourself in your kitchen oven. Just be sure that your wife is not home

Why should a different chemistry battery hurt anything? All your electronics see the battery as huge capacitor. It does not care how it s made. Capacitance is a capacitance. Since they got STC, the voltage is within acceptable range. LiFePo4 chemistry helps a little here. You can also shoot LiFePo4 with a bullet while under load or charging. It will die slow and probably painful death, but it does not show its pain by heating up or catching fire. Really brave!

Really? Your lead acid battery actually has only 1/2 capacity stated on the sticker. And this is only when it is new. On contrary, Li-ion battery can be discharged all way down and it will keep higher voltage through the whole discharge cycle. And your ancient battery probably has much lower real capacity after couple of years. It is often dead after 3 years. Check for yourself. Discharge it by connecting a bulb that will consume ~ 3A current (like 55W halogen headlight) and check the discharge current you will get after 3 hours. Compare with the charts. You will be surprised. EarthX battery comes with STC for about $700 last time I checked.

As far as I know it is designed to work with the same voltage regulator.