JANUARY, 2007 AVIONICS, ELECTRICS, & CONTROLS

A lot of what I am doing right now is wiring related toward getting the engine ready to start.   If it's general supporting wiring, it's on this page.   If it's strictly engine wiring, it's on the engine  page, so be sure to check there for details. 

Jan 1 - finishing up on the console for now.

Jan 2 - ordered a bunch of color choices in 22 ga wire (and some 20 ga) from SteinAir.  I have plenty of the other sizes, but not much in 22 ga.

Jan 3 - got a reply from Dynon about the dead internal battery.  They suggested that I first try reseating the internal battery connector,  upgrading to the latest firmware, then recharging, to see if that helps.  In the evening, I made up cables to connect the Dynon EFIS, EDC (remote magnetometer), power, and PC.  I installed the Dynon software, as well as all my other plane-related documentation, onto an old unused laptop.   That laptop will now be my "shop computer".  It will be handy to have the computer right there in the garage with the plane.  I then attempted to install the Dynon upgrade to the EFIS and EDC, but it kept failing.  It saw both the EFIS and EDC, and passed the version checks for both OK.  However, when I told it to upgrade, it did something to make the EDC quit working.  I tried this a couple times and gave up on it.   Will email Dynon about it.  2.0 hr

Jan 4 - sent email to Dynon about EFIS battery problems and EDC problems.   Dynon said "send it back".  Emailed Eric at Perihelion to see what's up with the LVWAABMM I sent him a couple weeks ago.  He replied that he found nothing wrong with the module, and he's returning it to me.  I don't know why it wouldn't work for me, but Eric says he will help me figure it out.  Packed up Dynon EFIS and EDC to return to Dynon.  After exchanging a few more emails with Eric at Perihelion, it came out later in the day that the panel warning LED is in SERIES with the onboard LED.  So, that explains why I thought the module was bad - the onboard LED wouldn't light, and I'd assumed the external LED was optional, especially for testing.   Sure hope it isn't the same "user error" on the Dynon problem, as it cost me about $30 to ship it back insured. 

Jan 6 - received LVWAABMM back from Eric at Perihelion.  After diddling around retesting it, I finally realized that BOTH the test lamp (replaces contactor coil for the test)  AND the remote panel LED must in at the same time for either warning LED to work.  I had been testing separately with 2 power sources in different locations - one 12v and one 14v.  Once I tested it all together, it worked fine, so I reinstalled it.  Then it didn't work, but I soon realized that was because I did not have an aux battery connected to the aux (engine) contactor.  After putting power to the aux contactor, everything worked fine.   2.25 hr

Jan 7 - hook up switches for fuel pumps and EIS.  Install alternator field circuit breaker.  Ready to START ENGINE.   0.75 hr

Jan 9 - remove switches subpanel and press captive studs into bottom flange of instrument panel, for mounting the switches panel.  Trim switch panel holes.  0.75 hr

Jan 10 - reinstall switches into switches subpanel and reorganize switch wiring.  Temporarily wire up panel LED warning light for LVWAABMM module, so the "auto" position for the aux battery switch works properly.  I was nervous doing my first Molex pin crimping, as I had no spares with my LVWAABMM kit, but they crimped perfectly.  1.75 hr

Jan 15 - start wiring Perihelion LOVP module.  I need this completed in order to get my alternator charging system to work.  The hardest part is converting the electrical drawing to a physical layout.  Ended up making a physical layout drawing.  1.0 hr

Jan 18 - put away Wicks exhaust hardware order, as well as test leads, mini switch, and LEDs I bought at Radio Shack.  0.5 hr

Jan 20 - worked on LOVP wiring and wiring documentation.  Tested flashing LED vs wide angle LED warning lights for LOVP.  Decided to go with the flashing one.  2.5 hr

Jan 21 - finish LOVP wiring, secure switches wiring.  Document wiring changes.  Reinstall removable panel, instrument panel, switches panel.  Re-ran engine.  Alternator and battery charging is working fine now.  Worked additional 2.5 hr on updating wiring diagrams in TurboCAD.   7.0 hr

  The local porcupine has now moved to a hemlock tree just outside my garage.  He munches away all day on the tree.  Note eaten bark at upper LT of pic.

  Here's a closeup of the porcupine, chewing away on a small branch in his front paws.  When I was a kid, NH had a bounty on these, as well as most carnivores, but not now.  He just sits up in the tree all day, munching on the bark and needles.  He's a good climber - look at his big claws.  I believe he is living under my porch.  I haven't seen him under there, but that's where his tracks come from every day.

Jan 23 - too cold to work in garage (below zero at night).  Using TurboCAD to update wiring documentation.  4.75 hr

Jan 24 - more TurboCAD updating wiring documentation.  I checked in at the Blue Mountain discussion site.  I haven't been there for quite awhile.  They were announcing a discounted deal on trade-ins toward their new G4 (gen 4) EFIS.  Apparently they have phased out the one I bought - the one they are now calling the "gold box" EFIS.  It also seems they are still "talking" about their weather module and doing something about the terrain scaling.  They were promising the weather module about 2 years ago, when I last checked in there.  Grand Rapids has had theirs out for quite a while now.  This news is quite unsettling, and does not help the growing uneasiness I have about the state of readiness of Blue Mountain  vs Grand Rapids.  Oh well, as I said in my post, asking about future support for the "gold box", I've paid for the BMA EFIS, so I'll just have to make the most of what I have.  I got a reply, saying in part:  The scalable terrain, while not exactly what we wanted, should be shortly after SNF (will require a flash card upgrade and require the discontinued use of terrain on the ADI). Will we continue to support the "gold box"?- You bet- there's too many out there to be abandoned. However will the level of support probably change- to be realistic - yes. Microsoft doesn't support Win 98 anymore does it? The gold box software is very stable and there really isn't any need to tweak it any more, unless something comes up.   It's quite disappointing that they STILL seem to be talking about and promising the same stuff they were promising 2 years ago.   And of course it sucks to find out that my "gold box" Blue Mountain Avionics EFIS/One is going to be orphaned before I ever get to use it.   2.0 hr

Jan 25 - more TurboCAD wiring documentation.  See my avionics main page for a current summary of my wiring docs.  I also started working on the TurboCAD layout for my warning lights.  4.5 hr

Jan 26 - received my EFIS D-10A back from Dynon.   They had initially emailed me that they couldn't duplicate my problems with it, which was very disappointing, but then they wrote back and said they duplicated and fixed it.  So, my EFIS, EDC (magnetometer) and internal battery are all working OK now.

Jan 28 - Put liquid insulation onto Schottky diodes array.  Starting to lay out wiring for prop controller wiring.  Did some more TurboCAD work on warning lights layout.  1.75 hr

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