r0ckst4r

Looks great! Did you decide on a resistor?

Actually that was my mistake. The second check I described was something else. Yes, I have one alternator. So it would seem that if you follow the POH segment I posted above but instead of keeping on the battery with the highest voltage as described just switch it once which will check both voltages and also switch to the battery not used last flight. Does that fall under having a load on the battery or is that more when the engine is on and the alternator is charging?

In the POH the first time it says to switch batteries is in the pre-flight prior to engine start and prior to powering up avionics or turning on the Alt field switch to check voltage. So this would be in line with what you are saying here. It also appears again in the prior to takeoff section where the engine is on, Alt field in on, and avionics is on and tells you to switch the batteries to ensure that they are both showing positive charge (>26.5v). So from what I am gathering here is that the first check with only the master switch on is ok but the second check during run up should be omitted? The only difference between your method and the POH (pre-flight check) is that the engine is on when you do it however with the Alt field switch off it should not matter if the engine is running or not. Does that follow?

That doesn't assess that one of the batteries hasn't died in the time since the last flight at all though. Isn't this the whole point of the preflight check in the POH?

Flicking the Master switch on and off a couple times to switch the batteries seems like it's not great for the electronics either.

Thank you for the info!

This may seem like a silly question but I had read that that the landing light is inboard and the taxi light outboard on the wing (2 lights each wing). Mine seems to be reversed. I was getting ready to put in some LED lights but now I'm a little confused on if I should keep them in the order they are in or put them back where they should be (if they really are supposed to be that way). Is it supposed to be landing light inboard and taxi light outboard or the other way around?

Under load as in with Master switch turned on (engine off) during preflight? So do you just ignore the POH and never check the batteries during preflight?

In the preflight inspection section of the POH it says to switch the batteries and leave on the battery with the highest voltage. Well for me it always seems that one battery has a slightly higher voltage than the other. I know that both batteries are charged during flight but do you guys ever alternate batteries at all despite one having a slightly lower charge? Does it even matter? I guess I just feel slightly neglectful flying around on the same battery all the time and never going to the bullpen lol.

Yes indeed. A great machine. Still a lot to learn.

Nothing fancy just a standard O1 tail

My CFI was an air force pilot. He called those a "Welcome Aboard!" poking fun at the Navy pilots who essentially plop down on the carrier and hope the wire catches them.

This is definitely something I learned the first few landings. Everyone is always harping about landing with too much airspeed in a Mooney but coming in with not enough results in you plunking the nose wheel down. @Blue moon Here are my two cents that you have already probably figured out by now and reiterates what people have already mentioned. My experience comes from my M20R and not sure how it applies to the rest of the fleet but I imagine it's not too far off. 1) If you use full flaps you should be almost fully nose up trimmed by the time you land. You'll notice those flaps will point you right at the ground without it. 2) I don't stall on the landing and don't yank the yoke all the way back. I trained on a Cessna 172 like most people so my first few landings I was pulling back farther on the yoke, hearing the stall horn, and really trying to hold the nose wheel off the ground. You can't unless you have more speed and as you have experienced when stalled it will just plunk down. With a little more speed and less nose high attitude she will come down on the mains and the nose won't drop 5 feet to the ground.

This is correct. The resistor basically does nothing. Here is the current with an LED at 21.6v.

This is correct. The resistor basically does nothing. Current with an LED is 21.6v

Also a question for you folks replacing your lights with non PMA LEDs. Since the original GE incandescent wasn't PMA either are you making a logbook entry or just replacing it and moving on? Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post.

I'd like to see some pictures of this if you have them.

The AutoLean device look very interesting but as I have been finding out the despite what the POH says a specific EGT temp like 50 LOP or 50 ROP does not seem to always result in the correct mixture given all the variables.

As per the instructions provided by SavyAnalyisiPro I leaned to the onset of roughness then enriched slightly to smoothness. From what I have been reading finding peak backwards from the lean side is described as being safer for the engine and avoiding more time in the red box or fin. I do notice that I have to adjust the mixture quite slowly for the instrument readings to "catch up". Which makes more more comfortable doing that after the big mixture pull and already on the lean side.

On the rear tie down ring?

I have started using a rope tied through the hollow tubes on the main gear and using the winch hook on that. It works but I have to admit I'm a little nervous about my knots when I see how much tension is on that rope. Probably too much for the rear tie down ring.

I managed to do some flying this week and followed those instructions. Here is what I ended up with: 9,500 ft, WOT, MP 21, 2500 RPM 100 ROP my fuel flow was 15.0 LOP (as described in the instructions) about 11.0 The LOP mag test was fine, The engine ran just mildly rough on the left or right mag alone but not overly rough and smoothed out on both. I'm thinking that I was just overthinking the numbers and should just pay attention more to the article that I linked in the original post. I also have stated to adopt the technique described in it with a relatively fast mixture pull and slowly finding peak "backwards" from already LOP and finding -50 (or roughness) that way.

For the comments on a motorized tug. I have a Robotow and I am thoroughly disappointed with it. On flat surface it works well but even the slightest incline and all it does it slip and shred my tire even with downward force on it. I can line the plane up with the hangar but it will not go in without some additional force such as someone else pushing or a winch.

I have a slight incline to get my M20R into the hangar. As you know this is a heavy aircraft. I have a winch in the back of the hangar and it seems like the obvious point to connect this to is the rear tie down hook. I would just like to confirm that people have used this and I am not going to cause any damage.