bradp Posted December 7, 2016 Report Posted December 7, 2016 ...And have a "cessna"-style three prong ground power plug. Can the battery minder be plugged in to the aux power plug via one of these or is a direct connection to the battery terminals required? In general terms - are these aux power plugs directly connected to the battery or is there a circuit that energizes / de-energizes depending on the master switch or some other variable?http://m.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/jumperplug.php Thanks and take care. Brad Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
DonMuncy Posted December 7, 2016 Report Posted December 7, 2016 I have not tried it, but my belief is that this plug does not connect to the battery directly, but requires that the power source activate a relay to make that connection. And a battery minder does not have enough oomph to activate the relay and hold it shut in order to charge the battery. Quote
peevee Posted December 7, 2016 Report Posted December 7, 2016 Don is correct as usual. You need enough current to close a relay and the minder doesn't do that. I asked a year or two ago and you would have thought it was the dumbest question ever asked from the responses. I guess some guys like removing the avionics bay panel every time they fly. Others route the cable up into baggage. Quote
ArtVandelay Posted December 7, 2016 Report Posted December 7, 2016 Yes you can, I connect a battery (starter type with built in jumper cables), which closes the solenoid, then attach battery charger. I don't leave it like that, just use it as required. Quote
DonMuncy Posted December 7, 2016 Report Posted December 7, 2016 3 minutes ago, teejayevans said: Yes you can, I connect a battery (starter type with built in jumper cables), which closes the solenoid, then attach battery charger. I don't leave it like that, just use it as required. Have you tried "turning off" the jumper battery to see if the Battery Minder has enough power to hold the relay shut? When connected as you describe, it would appear that the BM would then be simultaneously charging both the aircraft battery and the jumper battery. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Quote
ArtVandelay Posted December 8, 2016 Report Posted December 8, 2016 28 minutes ago, DonMuncy said: Have you tried "turning off" the jumper battery to see if the Battery Minder has enough power to hold the relay shut? When connected as you describe, it would appear that the BM would then be simultaneously charging both the aircraft battery and the jumper battery. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. I don't have a BM, just a cheap harborfreight auto battery 12v charger. I don't use it overnight, just when I have power on for maintenance or its been a while since I've flown. Yes, charging both is not a problem. Quote
LANCECASPER Posted December 8, 2016 Report Posted December 8, 2016 It won't hold the relay shut. I have the plug which connects to the battery minder (which sits on the floor of the hangar) zip tied and accessible through the oxygen filler door. I have the two batteries on a Battery Minder 210-AY splitter connected to one Battery Minder. Quote
mooniac15u Posted December 8, 2016 Report Posted December 8, 2016 The external connectors that you plug into the power port are typically wired with the positive and the relay power connected together. As a result, once the relay is engaged the airplane battery will continue to power it because electricity can flow back through the relay and through the connector to the relay circuit. The relay will stay powered through the connector even with the charger shut off. You have to physically remove the connector to power down the relay. Once the relay is engaged, the battery charger will just sense the total draw from the battery and the relay and will provide up to that amount of power. If it doesn't have that much capacity I guess you will drain the battery. Even if the charger can provide that much power it isn't a good idea to leave it connected that way for long periods of time because the charger won't sense when the battery is charged and at some point you will probably burn out that relay. Quote
DMJones Posted December 8, 2016 Report Posted December 8, 2016 This forum is great. I never even considered this, until I saw this thread. I have the two prong plug. All of the above still applies? Quote
Bob_Belville Posted December 8, 2016 Report Posted December 8, 2016 The one linked it the OP is indicated for Cessna and it for receptacles with 3 conductors, I believe. I think you might want this one for standard Mooney receptacles which have a jumper to the solenoid from the + pin and only require 2 pins. (I've just retrofitted an external power receptacle for my old E.) Lee Layton, EE, who has his 201 in the hangar behind me has this ASpruce adapter. http://m.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/plugnjump.php?recfer=11804 Quote
Yetti Posted December 8, 2016 Report Posted December 8, 2016 And the three prong plug can be found at other places such as Grainger and McMaster-carr. The cessna connectors are a Cole Hershy brand that can probably be found at Big Truck supply stores. And a hint if you are running your own wiring or hooking up a charger. The positive lead comes out of the battery box and goes to the Master relay. Hook them up there and leave the battery box intact. BE careful as the metal side of the Master relay is ground. So slip something along side the terminal and the side of the case, there if you are working on the hot battery. Nut drivers are your friend not metal wrenches or ratchets. Quote
bradp Posted December 8, 2016 Author Report Posted December 8, 2016 This is helpful... wiring diagram for the Aux power plug for J models. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
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