Accu-Trak field approval DONE!

[Cervelorod]

Finished the ground testing and flight testing today and our IA put the magic signature on the 337 that brings our F model back into airworthy status with the Brittain Accu-Trak navigator installed.  It's only navigation source right now is the KX-155, but it did a stellar job tracking VOR radials in the gusty winds today in testing, and Frank(?) at Brittain said it would take several flights to dial in the sensitivity just right...  It will be great on the longer VFR flights to have a wing leveler than can be trimmed out and on IFR flights to track VOR to VOR.

Brittain was fantastic to work with, and kudo's to our IA and the Spokane FSDO who was great to work with and very encouraging to us to go forward...

Rod

68 M20F

[Yetti]

They were a factory option so not sure why it needs a 337. An updated W&B make sense.  Just a PP

[Cervelorod]

Never installed in an F model according to Brittain.

[Yetti]

This one   http://www.brittainautopilots.com/navigational-tracking.html

[N601RX]

The Accutrak is covered under STC from Brittain for the F model. Are you sure you have an Accu-Trak?  Several members with F models have installed them. 

Stc SA1172WE

[Browncbr1]

Mine is going in soon too.  Yea, STC for the F.  I'll be installing alt hold, accuflite and accutrak in one shabang.   Can't wait to get it dialed in!

[Cervelorod]

Yes and No.  We are not using the complete B-11 system, but parts from the original PC wing leveler system and parts from the B-11.  I think the main difference is the servo control valve.  Why would Brittain not sell me the paperwork for the STC if they could, and provide us the guidance on the field approval if it would have been unnecessary under that STC.

Either way, Brittain provided a great service, and for less than 1 S-Tec servo I have a VOR tracking navigation system.

I'm happy and don't care....  LOL

Rod

[Hank]

Congratulations! I love my AccuTrak!! I sometimes even fly with it turned off, other than takeoff, departure and the last thousand or two feet of descent.  

[B-LO]

Hi Rod,

I have a 67F and I too bought the servo control valve to upgrade my wing leveler to an accutrak. However I had Matt Love at Midwest Mooney do the installation 6 years ago and it's never worked, not even the day I got the plane back from him. When I tune in a vor and select that radio on the accutrak, it doesn't nav to it. The only thing that works is when I turn the accutrak knob, it turns the plane.

 

Can I ask who performed your installation? Maybe it's time I get the installation fixed. I never brought it back to Midwest Mooney because getting the plane to their remote location and leaving it with then was a logistics challenge.

 

Brian

 

 

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard B-Lo.

Midwest and Accutrak are pretty well known and appreciated names.  I'd bet we can figure out what isn't working quite right...

You may need to give a little more detail, regarding what works and what doesn't...

 

Best regards,

-a-

[N601RX]

On April 9, 2016 at 0:12 PM, B-LO said:

Hi Rod,

I have a 67F and I too bought the servo control valve to upgrade my wing leveler to an accutrak. However I had Matt Love at Midwest Mooney do the installation 6 years ago and it's never worked, not even the day I got the plane back from him. When I tune in a vor and select that radio on the accutrak, it doesn't nav to it. The only thing that works is when I turn the accutrak knob, it turns the plane.

 

Can I ask who performed your installation? Maybe it's time I get the installation fixed. I never brought it back to Midwest Mooney because getting the plane to their remote location and leaving it with then was a logistics challenge.

 

Brian

 

 

Quote

 

It sounds like it is mostly functional if the knob will roll it left and right.  For it to track a nav signal the knob has to be in the center.  It also has to be turned on with sensivity probably set to high and the nav selector set to the correct source.  If your nav source has a selectable scale set it to the smallest value.  If it still doesn't work the installer may have accidentally bumped the pot that sets the gain.  If it is turned all the way down it will not track the signal.  It's easy to access and set, it is best done while flying so it can adjusted a small amount and see how it responds.  

If it still doesn't work then Brittain could bench check the box to verify the box is ok or it could be a wiring issue between the box and nav source or cdi. It's only a pair of 2 wires and should be easy to verify visually or with an ohm meter.

The gain is controlled by the vertical pot directly behind the turn knob