Larry Anglisano, Author at KITPLANES https://www.kitplanes.com/author/larry-anglisano/ The Independent Voice for Homebuilt Aviation Tue, 02 May 2023 16:13:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.3 Zip Ties No More: DMC’s LaceLok Tool https://www.kitplanes.com/zip-ties-no-more-dmcs-lacelock-tool/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=zip-ties-no-more-dmcs-lacelock-tool https://www.kitplanes.com/zip-ties-no-more-dmcs-lacelock-tool/#comments Sat, 29 Apr 2023 15:00:30 +0000 https://www.kitplanes.com/?p=193440 KITPLANES avionics guru Larry Anglisano was at the Aircraft Electronics Association show last week and caught up with DMC Tools for a demo of the LaceLok. It’s a combination of zip ties and conventional lacing methods in a pre-fabricated form. A trigger tool tightens and then snips the ends of special lacing bundles that use […]

The post Zip Ties No More: DMC’s LaceLok Tool appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
KITPLANES avionics guru Larry Anglisano was at the Aircraft Electronics Association show last week and caught up with DMC Tools for a demo of the LaceLok. It’s a combination of zip ties and conventional lacing methods in a pre-fabricated form. A trigger tool tightens and then snips the ends of special lacing bundles that use a low-profile buckle to maintain the clamping force. Waxed lace, used for years in aviation, is easier on wire bundles than plastic zip ties, which can eventually wear through the insulation.

The post Zip Ties No More: DMC’s LaceLok Tool appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
https://www.kitplanes.com/zip-ties-no-more-dmcs-lacelock-tool/feed/ 2
Shopping for Batteries https://www.kitplanes.com/shopping-for-batteries/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=shopping-for-batteries https://www.kitplanes.com/shopping-for-batteries/#comments Fri, 21 Apr 2023 15:00:47 +0000 https://www.kitplanes.com/?p=192586 Concorde and EarthX are standouts.

The post Shopping for Batteries appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
It isn’t much to ask. Cold starts, hot starts, flooded starts and starts away from home. We want a ship’s battery that boosts confidence. And since we’ll maintain it by connecting it to a smart battery tender when it’s parked (and maintain a healthy charging system), we expect it to last more than three years. Treated with kid gloves, our tendered motorcycle batteries last twice that long, even parking the bikes for long periods in New England’s harsh climate. The way we see it, the airplane’s battery should offer the same longevity.

Based on our recent battery satisfaction survey, not surprisingly, there are some brands that do just that. Others disappoint. The main stats and a few words about our polling can be found below.

Avionics bootcampFirst, LiFePO4—the latest lithium iron phosphate battery tech—is worth a review. It’s gaining momentum in a relatively slow-to-evolve market, and for those used to old-school battery tech, the latest lithium aircraft batteries confuse the buying decision.

LiFePO4 101

For ship’s power, think beyond the general wide-reaching term “lithium batteries,” because it’s actually lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP) batteries that suit typical piston engines. The batteries have four individually packaged 3.3-volt cells (eight cells for 24-volt systems) connected in series for a nominal voltage range between 12.8 and 14.4, compared to a traditional six-cell (2-volt-per-cell) lead acid battery. Since saving weight is a high priority for most kit builders, manufacturers boast that most models are nearly 80% lighter (that could be more than 10 pounds lighter) than typical lead acid and nickel cadmium cells. LFP batteries generally have a 4000-charge cycle life (versus 350 for a typical lead acid battery), they resist freezing and boiling over and they are flexible to install. Even mount one inverted, if you must—it won’t leak like an old-school flooded lead acid can.

Forget everything you know about lead acid batteries when you take apart a LiFePO4. The cells have a low discharge rate, making them good for machines that sit for long periods.

Good news if you park your aircraft in a harsh climate for longer periods: LFPs have a low self-discharge rate and a wider operating temperature range. And, when corrosion is a concern, an LFP won’t sulfate. It can sustain a higher starting voltage while the engine is cranking (always a good thing), plus the discharge voltage is constant. While lithium iron batteries have a fairly steep drop-off when discharged, consider that a healthy 12-volt LFP battery can provide full cranking voltage (and amperage) until it’s depleted. Worth mentioning is that while it varies among equipment, in a 14-volt electrical system most avionics will go dark below 11 volts of power input. Put a meter across a fully charged 12-volt EarthX ETX series battery and you’ll measure 13.3 volts.

The individual cell’s charge level will diverge with repeated charge/discharge cycles and age. This condition reduces the performance (capacity) of the battery. Essentially, the battery’s charge level is only as good as the charge level of the weakest cell.

A confusing (and loosely used) term that’s front and center in the LFP tech is BMS, for battery management system, and its primary task is monitoring the voltage of each cell. These are micro-controlled smart batteries, with internal circuitry that senses when a cell’s charge is greater than another, balancing them out so the charge level of all the cells is even. BMS protection is a necessity since LFPs are relatively intolerant to overvoltage and overdischarge conditions, although not all BMS protocols are the same.

EarthX puts sizable effort into battery quality control. The latest LiFePO4 tech is smart enough to store condition/use data for download in its BMS.

Using the EarthX BMS as another example, during an overdischarge condition, the BMS disconnects the battery from the load if it is drained to less than 5% of its remaining charge. On a 12-volt battery, that’s less than 10 volts. If the BMS disconnects the battery, the voltage reading of the battery will be zero. The BMS also has excessive cranking protection logic—current, temperature and time monitoring to limit high-current use (like during excessive engine cranking) to 10 to 30 seconds in any 60-second period.

There’s also short-circuit protection and some models use thermal runaway containment when the battery heats to around 518° F. If the battery terminals are shorted (or a low impedance load is connected across the terminals), which causes the battery volts to instantaneously tank to a low level, the battery will disconnect from the load to protect the cells and BMS circuitry from damage. If the BMS disconnects due to excessive cranking protection or short-circuit protection, the BMS will automatically reconnect after a cooldown period (typically around 3 minutes). The BMS is designed for short-circuit protection higher than an eye-widening 1000 amps.

An internal BMS circuit (like the one used in the EarthX line) is even smart enough to output a discrete signal to trigger a remote panel annunciator or warning on an EFIS display when there’s an issue with the battery’s charge status.

Speaking of issues, some batteries have a thermal runaway containment system, which generally includes a vent tube to move smoke and vapor outside of the cabin. For LFP batteries installed inside the passenger cabin, you’ll want a configuration with venting. EarthX considers this an essential safety feature. Aerolithium, for its parts, says its LFP batteries don’t require a vent tube when mounted inside the cabin.

By nature, lower-voltage LFP cell packs don’t flame, but instead make an impressive amount of electrolyte and smoke for several minutes. Over in the certificated aircraft world, venting and fault monitoring/display is a sharp focus of the TSO and STC process—probably for good reason.

EarthX Hundred Series

Colorado-based EarthX has roots deeply planted in the motorcycle/powersports market since the late 2000s. EarthX batteries ended up in Experimental aircraft even before the company focused on the market. But when company founder Reg Nicoson realized his lithium iron phosphate motorcycle batteries were going in aircraft, he went to work to improve on the design, with a sharp focus on safety. Today, EarthX works directly with a variety of aircraft OEMs, including Van’s, Sonex, Pipistrel, Glasair, Kitfox, Zenith, RANS, CubCrafters and Vashon.

The EarthX lithium iron phosphate battery line includes both Experimental and STC/TSO-approved models. They all have a smart BMS and good product support.

EarthX has a useful utility on its website that cross-references engine models to compatible battery models. EarthX’s marketing director, Kathy Nicoson, said that the $449 13.2-volt model ETX900 has become the most popular battery for most kits. It has 400 CCA (cold cranking amps) and 840 PCA (peak cranking amps) and it weighs 4.9 pounds. It’s 6.5×3.0x6.6 inches and has a 15.6 Ah (ampere hour) rating.

The typical EarthX battery weighs roughly 5 pounds and is available in a compact casing. They pack a punch at 320 CCA.

Another common model is the $379 13.2-volt ETX680 (and compact ETX680C, priced the same), rated at 320 CCA/680 PCA and 12.4 Ah and weighing 4.0 pounds. It’s the same dimensions as the ETX900, but the ETX680C is 5.9×3.4×4.5 inches. The ETX680 series is intended for use with 60-amp (and smaller) alternators.

The Hundred Series batteries have redundant internal circuitry and battery fault indicators on the chassis. For full-time fault monitoring, EarthX sells an optional panel-mounted fault indicator lamp for wiring to the battery’s discrete output interface—a single wire with a quarter-inch insulated female quick-connect terminal. You can also wire the battery into an EFIS display’s general-purpose discrete input. There’s also an RS-232 serial connection on some models.

Care and Feeding

EarthX says a fully charged battery can be kept in storage for up to one year without charging, and it should be disconnected if the aircraft will sit for longer than six months. To keep it healthy when it’s in service, the advice says not to crank the engine for more than 15 seconds within a 1-minute period, and to charge it annually.

EarthX says you can use a lead acid battery charger if it does not have a desulphation mode, which means it will pulse higher than 14.6 volts. The installation/maintenance manual mentions the Optimate model TM391 (6 amp) or TM275 (9.5 amp) chargers but any LiFePo4 charger is appropriate. If the battery has been overdischarged (and subsequently BMS-disconnected), the voltage at the battery terminal should be near zero volts if the battery still has a load on it. If the battery is disconnected from the load, it will automatically reconnect and the terminal voltage will return (remove the load by removing the positive or negative cables from the battery). In this case, simply connect the battery to a charger to restore charge (charge for 20–30 minutes), and then recheck the voltage. If the voltage is 13.2 volts (or 26.4 volts or greater for a 24-volt battery) and holding a charge, the battery should be OK and can be fully charged. If you are using the Optimate lithium charger, the charger should start charging in the Save mode. It may require several attempts. If the battery still will not charge, contact EarthX tech support—which should yield good results, in our opinion.

“It’s lightweight, works well and EarthX has great customer service,” said one survey respondent. “EarthX has an amazing product and great customer support. I replaced two Odyssey batteries with EarthX models and will never go back,” said another. Several respondents said they plan to switch to an EarthX model simply to save weight and because of positive feedback on forums.

But we fielded a sour report from one EarthX owner who wouldn’t buy another one for his E-LSA, saying he had two defective batteries and “I’ve been accused of neglecting the battery, but that’s not the case.” EarthX told us it works hard to support the customer, and it has the ability to extract stored trend data from the battery’s BMS when it comes back to the factory. Contact EarthX at www.earthxbatteries.com or 970-674-8884.

Aerolithium

Texas-based Aerolithium was founded in 2008 and company principal Andy Harris (a retired A&P and ATP) reminded us that it was Aerolithium that brought the first ship’s LiFePO4 battery to the Sebring LSA expo in 2011. Today, the company custom builds to order LFP batteries for a variety of applications, including piston, turbine and electric applications. Our survey turned up only 33 respondents who own Aerolithium batteries, but comments were favorable on the company’s dry-cell batteries that have a three-year warranty (with a five- to 10-year usable lifespan) and are repairable.

We like Aerolithium’s custom-build approach, the Model 680 Series’ affordability and dedicated field support.

“My Aerolithium 980 battery has been very reliable and easily spins my IO-540 engine for quick starts,” said one survey respondent who flies local and cross-country flights a couple times per week.

Harris told us product support is important, offering customer service seven days a week. Someone in our survey vouched for it, saying: “Aerolithium has great customer service, even on weekends.”

The low-impedance 12-volt 680-Series batteries (available in 12- and 18-Ah and compact 7- and 12-Ah versions), according to Harris, are the most popular Aerolithium models for typical Experimental kits and are priced between $225 and $475, depending on the build. They’re intended to drop into common lead acid applications and are waterproof and shockproof tested to SAE and AS9100 standards. Options include an internal heater circuit, subzero supercapacitor for ops in freezing temps, an app for reviewing charge and discharge history, a tricolor LED status indicator and a key fob for what’s called the “second-start” or auto-jump option.

The auto-jump feature is essentially a lifeguard energy supply that enables the battery to reserve enough power to start the engine if the master is left on or something else drains it. Again, the smart BMS kicks in and stops any drain at a level higher than the normal low-voltage disconnect (LVD) or around 9.6 volts on a 12-volt battery. Press the key fob (or hardwired switch) and then start the engine within 60 seconds. Harris said that since the LVD is higher with the second-start option, he recommends a second backup battery. The option is only available on the regular-size Aero 680.

Aerolithium’s BMS capabilities vary depending on the type of battery a buyer wants. All BMSs have overcharge and overdischarge protection, over/undercurrent protection, over/undertemp protection, charge current limit protection, short-circuit protection and cell balancing. USA-built Aerolithiums are designed with a 2000-plus discharge cycle, and Harris noted that his batteries come standard with 8 AWG wire versus thinner 10 AWG wire found in others.

The company custom builds 28-volt batteries for turbines, plus lithium copies of legacy lead acid batteries from Concorde, Gill and Odyssey. Harris told us there’s a “12-volt model in the skunkworks that runs on a single cell providing 100% reliability and simplicity.”

“The Aerolithium battery’s capacity, storage, output current and charging current are all well controlled by the battery management system and far superior to the lead acid battery it replaced. I couldn’t be more pleased with Aerolithium,” said another respondent. He flies over 250 hours per year and parks in an unheated hangar.

For custom-build pricing and options, contact Aerolithium at www.aerolithium.com or 850-844-8987.

Concorde

California-based Concorde Battery Corporation is a recognizable name in the aircraft battery market, with roots stemming back to 1979 supplying its valve-regulated sealed lead acid (VRSLA) models to military, OEM and aftermarket customers. The Concorde RG line of absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries is the core GA product and is manufactured in the USA. AGM batteries contain a special glass mat separator that wicks the electrolyte solution between the battery plates. The material enables the fiberglass to be saturated with electrolyte, storing the electrolyte in a suspended state instead of in a free liquid form.

Concorde’s sealed lead acid Platinum Series batteries come in 12- and 24- volt versions. Concorde rated high for owner satisfaction and supportability.

A flagship model is the maintenance-free 12-volt, 22-Ah RG-25XC, street-priced around $400. Spec’d at 350 CCA (cold cranking amps), it weighs 23.5 pounds and measures 7.5×4.9x 7.7 inches, has non-removable overpressure vent valves and ships fully charged and installation ready. The 12-volt RG-25 has 225 CCA and is street priced at around $350. Consider spending the extra bucks for the higher-CCA XC model. Describing it as a “real aircraft battery for LSAs,” the 13-pound RG-12LSA model has 200 CCA and is street priced around $370.

While Concorde has a good aircraft battery application utility on its website, it leaves out most if not all Experimental kits. Concorde batteries have FAA-PMA approval. Concorde provides a six-month or 300-hour (from date of first installation) full warranty. For batteries for piston engine aircraft, Concorde offers a prorated warranty based upon a pro-rata usage from 180 to 730 days (or 300 hours to 1200 hours). The pro-rata charge is calculated by determining the percentage of the useful service life of the battery prior to the failure. Do a capacity check before the end of the first six months in service.

As for Concord’s real-world performance, we heard good things about reliability and performance, but a crummy story about a Concorde warranty deal gone sour when “the distributor kept the warranty money instead of forwarding it to me,” a respondent answered. Still, he’d buy another Concorde and says using a temperature-controlled battery minder seems to be making a difference in longevity.

“I have used both Gill and Concorde batteries over the years. The Gills always lived a short life, while the Concordes have always been reliable for me,” said another respondent who stores the aircraft in an unheated hangar, doesn’t keep the battery on a tender and doesn’t service the batteries per the manufacturer’s instructions. He does, however, use external power when the master switch is on for avionics programming.

“My next most recent Concorde AGM 12-volt battery lasted almost 10 years—superb! But my most recent Concorde lasted less than three years—unsatisfactory. My A&P replaced it three months ago with another Concorde 12V AGM battery, so we’ll see,” said another respondent of his $500 RG35AXC Platinum series batteries, rated at 440 CCA. He flies it a few times per month, keeps it serviced per the instructions, stores it in an unheated hangar and keeps it on a battery tender.

“I have two aircraft batteries, both Concordes, and they seem to fail exactly on the warranty expiration date, which is 24 months,” a respondent said. He keeps them in a heated hangar, on a battery tender, services them per Concorde instructions, uses external power when fiddling with the avionics when the engine is off and monitors the charging system with a JPI engine display.

Another respondent dinged Concorde because the model he bought that was supposed to fit his battery box didn’t. “Would not take the battery back even though it didn’t fit under the cover,” he said, and ended up modifying the box to make it work.

Sister publication Aviation Consumer asked Concorde about bringing lithium-ion models to market, and while it plans to, it will be for limited applications. “When used for aircraft applications, which is a more severe environment, the service life may be significantly less. Given the possibility of short service life, it is hard to justify the higher price, especially with regards to replacement batteries and retrofitting aircraft,” a company spokesperson said in an interview. He also made a good point that since lithium-ion batteries are shipped as hazmat, this has to be factored into the price. While the popular Concorde brand did well in the satisfaction survey, we heard complaints about rising costs. Contact Concorde at www.concordebattery.com or 626-813-1234.

Teledyne Battery (Gill)

A longtime OEM battery provider, Gill was purchased by Teledyne Industries and rebranded the Gill line under Teledyne Battery Products. Do a search and you’ll find more than 55 Gill models for aviation applications, although the company’s web search leaves out Experimentals.

Street priced at around $300, The 12-volt, 300-CCA sealed model 7025-20 is advertised for “extreme cranking,” weighs 22.6 pounds and measures 7.5×4.9×7.7 inches. The 7025-20 is often advertised as a sealed lead acid upgrade to the popular 225 CCA wet-filled Gill G-25 lead acid model, priced around $250.

You’ll pay around $300 for a Gill 7025 LT series sealed lead acid battery. Rated at 300 CCA, it weighs roughly 26 pounds.

Speaking of wet-cell tech, one respondent made an observation after flying his Cessna over 10,000 hours: “Seems newer-model low-maintenance flooded lead acid batteries have a shorter life than they did 20 years ago. Modern permanent magnet starters tend to start IO-520 engines easier than earlier variants, so stress on the battery should be less,” he wrote.

TBP’s battery warranty requires that only Teledyne-manufactured electrolyte may be used in the battery. All models have to be registered within 30 days of installation, and dry-charged batteries must be installed within five years of the manufactured date and within 30 days of initial electrolyte addition. A warranty replacement battery is provided by an official TBP distributor or direct from TBP, limited to batteries that have been inspected and maintained in accordance with TBP’s applicable Component Maintenance Manual (CMM)—proof can be established by a maintenance log attached and/or logbook entries. Its flooded models are generally warrantied from nine to 15 months and sealed ones have prorated coverage from 12 to 24 months or 600 to 1200 hours.

“My Gills only lasts about two years, even with a quality battery minder on them all the time,” one respondent said. He seems to be doing everything right, including keeping them up per manufacturer’s instructions, using external power while on the ground and storing the plane inside, although the area isn’t heated.

“Teledyne/Gill insisted I do three deep discharge recovery cycle attempts, but that only got the battery back to 83% capacity,” a respondent reported. The battery is less than three years old; he keeps it on a battery tender, flies long-distance trips every couple of months and services it per the guidelines. “Gill sent a replacement battery that was as bad as the first one,” said another respondent.

We reached out to Teledyne Battery to learn more about the Gill line—and a chance to respond to some negative feedback the Gill brand got in our survey—but repeated phone calls and emails were unanswered. That’s disappointing, but we’ll certainly follow up if the company ever responds. Contact Gill at www.teledynebattery2.com or 909-793-3131.

Odyssey

A big player in the powersports market, Odyssey is popular for Experimental aircraft (sold through Aircraft Spruce and a number of parts suppliers). Odysseys are sealed AGM batteries with an eight-year (best-case) design life. Odyssey boasts it’s the only battery in its class that is capable of delivering a large number of deep cycles (up to 400 when fully discharged or up to 500 when discharged to 80%), plus it’s a good fit for aircraft since it’s specially designed for high-vibration applications. Need to store it? Odyssey says its batteries will maintain as much as 50% charge after sitting for two years at 77° F—and maybe longer when it’s cooler.

Born in the powersports market, Odyssey Extreme series batteries get high marks for reliability and price.

“Odyssey AGM batteries have an incredibly low self-discharge rate. I often do nothing to the battery, then start it after several months of sitting dormant, and it cranks right up, even in the Alaska winter,” said one respondent, who checked the box saying he would buy another Odyssey. On the other hand, when asked if he was satisfied with the outcome of a warranty situation, he said he wasn’t and that “the company was unhelpful.” When it comes to batteries, we think buying from a responsive distributor is a good plan. We heard positive feedback about working with Aircraft Spruce and Wicks Aircraft.

Advertised as having a three- to five-year service life, another said his two-year-old 170-CCA Odyssey PC680’s life expectancy was shorter than he expected, saying, “This is my second PC680 and the cells seem to deteriorate quickly.” He told us he flies it locally twice per month, stores it in an unheated hangar and doesn’t keep it tendered.

On the other hand, we heard of one Odyssey battery surviving the test of build time: “While building the aircraft, I bought the battery to provide dimensions for the battery box and mounting. During that time (several years), I regularly discharged the battery partially with the load of an LED landing light, then recharged the battery. I did this several times a year for three years. When the aircraft was finished, the Continental O-200 lit off before one complete revolution of the prop. Can’t expect any more from a battery than that!”

“Bulletproof—it works in any position and it’s relatively light,” one responder said of his Odyssey PC680 series. It’s eight years old, stored in an unheated hangar and isn’t connected to a battery tender; the pilot doesn’t use external power, but he does fly several times per week. We think that makes a difference.

A properly wired battery tender (not a charger) is a proven way to keep a battery healthy when the airplane sits. This is the aircraft-specific BatteryMINDER product.

A popular Odyssey model is the 12-volt Extreme AGM16CL, street priced around $190. With 220 CCA, it weighs 12.2 pounds and measures 6.7×3.0x7.0 inches. Another is the AGM15L (street priced around $150), weighing 11.4 ounces and spec’d for 150 CCA. It works in tighter spaces, measuring 6.7×3.3×5.1 inches. Visit Odyssey at www.odysseybattery.com.

The Takeaway

No one can predict how long any ship’s battery will last, and no two applications are identical, especially when it comes to storage, climate and aircraft use. But we still think one of the best things you can do for any battery is keep it on an appropriate battery tender. “I currently have five Concorde batteries in four planes, and I typically get five to seven years when using battery tenders. Some have lasted 10 years,” one respondent said. We’ll look at battery tenders in a separate article.

External ground power is a good failsafe for flattening a battery. The Audio Authority White Lightning line of portable ground power units get high marks for quality and features.

For certain, climate plays a big role. “The Florida heat has been brutal on all of my aircraft batteries, no matter the brand,” said one responder. “I’m based in Arizona, and it seems the heat is the death of most of my batteries. From July to September, the internal temperature of my hangar gets to 150° F. The battery, mounted in the tail baggage area, usually measures 120° F,” said another.

Last, pilots are good at flattening batteries, made easier by long periods of messing around with avionics programming. When possible, connect to external power and simply fly the aircraft as much as you can.

Photos: Larry Anglisano and courtesy of the manufacturers.

The post Shopping for Batteries appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
https://www.kitplanes.com/shopping-for-batteries/feed/ 3
Aithre’s Healthview Multifunction Display https://www.kitplanes.com/aithres-healthview-multifunction-display/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aithres-healthview-multifunction-display https://www.kitplanes.com/aithres-healthview-multifunction-display/#respond Sat, 01 Apr 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.kitplanes.com/?p=192405 Aithre Aviation has been sharply focused on smart cabin biometric products and this year at the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, it brought its latest product called Healthview. The first of its kind, and approved for all Part 23 (including pressurized) aircraft, Healthview monitors a wide range of pilot and passenger health […]

The post Aithre’s Healthview Multifunction Display appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
Aithre Aviation has been sharply focused on smart cabin biometric products and this year at the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, it brought its latest product called Healthview. The first of its kind, and approved for all Part 23 (including pressurized) aircraft, Healthview monitors a wide range of pilot and passenger health stats, and also automatically controls the company’s built-in oxygen system. In this video recorded for our sister publication Aviation Consumer, Larry Anglisano takes a close look at the Healthview with Aithre’s Jim Ruttler in the company Van’s RV-10.

The post Aithre’s Healthview Multifunction Display appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
https://www.kitplanes.com/aithres-healthview-multifunction-display/feed/ 0
Superior Custom Instrument Panels https://www.kitplanes.com/superior-custom-instrument-panels/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=superior-custom-instrument-panels https://www.kitplanes.com/superior-custom-instrument-panels/#comments Thu, 30 Mar 2023 11:00:43 +0000 https://www.kitplanes.com/?p=192462 These days, major avionics upgrades include sourcing a new instrument panel to accommodate large flight displays. It’s a pricey and time-consuming effort that many shops outsource or take a long time to do themselves. Texas-based Superior Aircraft Components has the process down to a science and not only design and produce high-quality custom panels, but […]

The post Superior Custom Instrument Panels appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
These days, major avionics upgrades include sourcing a new instrument panel to accommodate large flight displays. It’s a pricey and time-consuming effort that many shops outsource or take a long time to do themselves. Texas-based Superior Aircraft Components has the process down to a science and not only design and produce high-quality custom panels, but the company pumps them out in an impressively short amount of time. Aviation Consumer Editor in Chief Larry Anglisano stopped by the Superior booth at Sun ‘n Fun where company founder Kranston Kincaid talked through the process and showed off some impressive work.

For more information: superioraircraftcomponents.com

The post Superior Custom Instrument Panels appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
https://www.kitplanes.com/superior-custom-instrument-panels/feed/ 1
Garmin Updates Product Availability from Sun ‘n Fun https://www.kitplanes.com/garmin-updates-product-availability-from-sun-n-fun/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=garmin-updates-product-availability-from-sun-n-fun https://www.kitplanes.com/garmin-updates-product-availability-from-sun-n-fun/#respond Tue, 28 Mar 2023 21:29:50 +0000 https://www.kitplanes.com/?p=192395 Our avionics expert Larry Anglisano talks with Garmin’s Jim Alpiser at Sun ‘n Fun to get an update on supply-chain issues, product availability and the upcoming end of support for legacy GNS 430/530 products.

The post Garmin Updates Product Availability from Sun ‘n Fun appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
Our avionics expert Larry Anglisano talks with Garmin’s Jim Alpiser at Sun ‘n Fun to get an update on supply-chain issues, product availability and the upcoming end of support for legacy GNS 430/530 products.

The post Garmin Updates Product Availability from Sun ‘n Fun appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
https://www.kitplanes.com/garmin-updates-product-availability-from-sun-n-fun/feed/ 0
Sporty’s Latest PJ2+ https://www.kitplanes.com/sportys-latest-pj2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sportys-latest-pj2 https://www.kitplanes.com/sportys-latest-pj2/#respond Sun, 26 Feb 2023 16:00:11 +0000 https://www.kitplanes.com/?p=191054 With more power, a better display and a noise limiter, Sporty’s improves a good design.

The post Sporty’s Latest PJ2+ appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
Priced at $250, the latest PJ2+ transceiver attempts to improve upon what we thought was an already good product. Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, has several first-generation PJ2s in its long-term test pool, and they have survived hard duty for years. We covered the PJ2 in the March 2020 and May 2021 issues.

As a follow-on, Sporty’s has done what we would expect, flying with the radio and collecting data from other users for an improved PJ2+ model, made by Japanese Rexon. We’ve been passing around a few new demo units, and here’s a report.Avionics bootcamp

Power, Display Boost

Those are words we like hearing about any portable rig, especially when using them with portable rubber antennas in sun-splashed cabins. Portable transmitters are limited by regulation to 6 watts, and the PJ2+ got a one-watt boost to the max from the old 5 watts in the PJ2. As we would find out in the air, the extra watt makes a difference.

We tried the PJ2+ in a few low-wing aircraft, including a Cirrus and Piper Archer. Unless using an external antenna, the radio needs to be held (or permanently positioned) so that there is a line of sight between it and the receiving station. In other words, transmit through the aircraft’s transparencies, not the aluminum skin. On the ground, we had no problem talking with ground controllers even when tucked behind a set of hangars a few thousand feet away.

In the air and in the climb (a couple thousand feet), we tuned the receiver to an ATIS broadcast that was roughly 12 miles away and the reception was loud and clear, and it had the same performance receiving the control tower’s transmissions. Transmitting from a 10-mile range to the tower, we were told the transmissions from the PJ2+ were a bit weak and scratchy, but still readable.

The large button is the push-to-talk switch. The frequency flip-flop button is above the PTT switch and the backlighting button is below it.

Worth noting is that we used a combination of headsets with the radio—from a passive David Clark to a Bose A20—and found the phone audio to be quite good. At close range and at low altitude when flying inbound for landing, the radio worked fine at all the airports we used it at.

Our sense is the extra power in the PJ2+ does boost performance and as long as there are no terrain obstructions, and when positioned properly, the PJ2+ should transmit at least 10 miles without an external antenna, or when using the supplied flexible “duck” antenna. Still, if the radio will be used as a primary (or if you plan to use it as an IFR backup while enroute), we would use an external antenna.

If we had a nit to pick (and it’s a minor one), we wish the radio’s push-to-talk switch was easier to feel—especially while wearing gloves. On the other hand, the switch being mostly flush with the side of the chassis is a good backstop for inadvertently keying the transmitter—something that’s easy to do with a portable radio. The radio does a have a key lock.

The backlit LCD display and illuminated keypad make it easy to use the PJ2+ at night. The high-contrast display is also easy to read in bright sunlight.

We like the LCD display on the PJ2+, and it’s a better performer than the original. It has higher contrast, making it easier to see in sunlight, and it also does a good job of cutting glare. The viewing angle is wider too, so if you plan to mount it someplace in the cockpit you have more options. Its display has a night mode, high and low backlight adjustment and you can tweak the LCD’s contrast. To save battery life, you can deactivate the screen and keypad backlighting.

Battery Pack, External Power

The PJ2+ comes standard with a six-AA alkaline battery pack. For portable radios, we like alkalines over rechargeables because they have good storage life. Toss the radio in a flight bag or in a map pocket and you might not use it for months. But you can always carry extra batteries or take them out of the radio when you aren’t using it. Battery life will depend on how often you key the transmitter, and Sporty’s also offers an $80 rechargeable pack.

The PJ2+ comes standard with a six-AA alkaline battery pack (left). Sporty’s also offers an $80 rechargeable pack. Once the batteries are loaded, you slide the pack onto the radio’s rear chassis until it snaps into place (right).

The radio comes with a USB-A to USB-C power cable for external power. For full operation, the unit requires 2.4 amps of power input; anything less and it will receive, but not transmit. And when using external power (2.4 amps from the USB input), the transmitter is limited to 5 watts.

Sporty’s said the battery case has been beefed up over earlier models, where the plastic release latch on the housing might snap under force. Once the batteries are loaded, you slide the pack onto the radio’s rear chassis until it snaps into place.

Use caution with the thin plastic cover that goes over the batteries, making sure it sits flush. It kept coming out of position in our demo unit, jamming the battery pack on the radio’s chassis. We just can’t seem to get along with the battery design on these radios.

Same Feature Set—Plus

The arrow points to the new 3.5mm headphone jack.

The PJ2+ feature/control set is unchanged over the earlier model, although the latest one has a 3.5mm four-pole earbud/headset jack. Plugging in to this jack disables the radio’s speaker and microphone, but you can still key the transmitter and have mic audio from a compatible earbud/headset. You’ll also get sidetone (the sound of your voice as you transmit/modulate), just as you do when plugging in aviation headsets.

The radio has 20 visual memory channel storage and a scan feature for all that are stored, a 121.5 emergency frequency button, an NOAA weather band and a frequency flip-flop key to switch between your last tuned and current frequency. The radio does not have 8.33 kHz frequency channeling and there are no plans to include it for European ops.

As with the first-gen PJ2, a shallow menu structure without unnecessary features makes the PJ2+ easy to use. We think most users will be able to pick it up and use the basic functions without thumbing through the user’s manual. For a radio that might be used in an emergency situation, that’s imperative.

One of our evaluators commented that the manual could be better written, noting some errors and ambiguities. You might need the manual for working with the frequency storage feature and also for tweaking the display settings.

Worth mentioning is the radio’s ANL or automatic noise limiting feature, which can be turned on and off and works to battle external noise interference by attenuating a 6-dB gain in audio output level.

Still a Solid Value

With a straightforward feature set and enough smart features (including direct plug-in for headsets), we think the PJ2+ is still a good value priced at $250. Sporty’s has long proven that it knows how to support its products and communicate with the customer—not insignificant, no matter the price. For more information visit www.sportys.com.

This review originally appeared in Aviation Consumer. For more information, visit www.aviationconsumer.com.

The post Sporty’s Latest PJ2+ appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
https://www.kitplanes.com/sportys-latest-pj2/feed/ 0
Trig’s New Nav/Coms https://www.kitplanes.com/trigs-new-nav-coms/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=trigs-new-nav-coms https://www.kitplanes.com/trigs-new-nav-coms/#respond Wed, 23 Nov 2022 16:00:36 +0000 https://www.kitplanes.com/?p=187853 Trig’s new TX56 has smart features and good compatibility. A built-in GPS would make it better.

The post Trig’s New Nav/Coms appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
Shadowed by GPS, the VHF nav/com could be making a return. Scotland-based Trig Avionics sees a demand for its new TX-series radio, which it introduced at AirVenture last summer. Sporting a generous feature set and an open architecture, the TX56 is positioned to compete directly with Garmin’s GNC 255 nav/com.

Let’s take look at the new Trig radio, with some tactical advice on why you might choose one.Avionics bootcamp

Trig TX56: Not Grandpa’s Nav/Com

The TX56/57 share the same chassis as the com-only TY96/97, but add a digital VHF receiver for VOR, localizer and ILS nav. The TX56 is 10 watts, while the TX57 is a 28-volt version with a 16-watt transmitter.

The TX56 isn’t exactly a budget buy at $4175, but it is generous on features and saves space thanks to a slim footprint, standing 1.3 inches tall and 9.1 inches deep. Check that against the 2.05-inch-tall venerable King KX 155, a radio that Trig hopes the TX56 will replace in big numbers, as there are still plenty of these rigs in service.

The TX56 rear chassis has a 25-pin connector for the com radio and a 42-pin connector for the nav. The round outboard connectors are antenna inputs.

For jump in, fly now, the radio’s basic functions are straightforward enough to work without a manual, with stone-simple frequency tuning and volume adjustment. But there’s a lot more to the user interface—more than any standalone radio. (It has 8.33 kHz and 25 kHz frequency channeling.) We think Trig did a good job designing the hardware and the bezel controls have a durable and positive feel. There is no touchscreen. The left bezel knob serves double duty as an on/off switch and volume control for the com and nav receivers. The radio can be wired for a basic two-seat intercom, plus it has aux input for external alerts and an input (with volume adjustment and muting) for piping in a music source.

The Trig radios have non-touchscreen LCD backlit displays that are small, but bright enough for sun-splashed cabins.

You’ll immediately notice the USB port on the front bezel, but unfortunately it can’t be used for charging your smartphone. Instead, it’s used for loading data into the radio, including three types of databases with frequencies and station identifiers for com and nav frequencies. One data bank is stored in the radio and configured by the pilot. Another is a list of the 10 most recently used frequencies and will be populated automatically at start-up. The third data patch is only available if the radio has been connected to a compatible GPS receiver (Garmin and Avidyne will work), and it contains frequencies loaded from the GPS database, based on position. To that end, we think a version of this radio with a VFR GPS would offer sizable utility when replacing vintage nav/coms.

The com and nav radios include a dual-frequency listen feature, and pressing the Mon button toggles this feature on and off. The monitor mode can even be enabled separately for the com and nav radios by simply pressing the Mon button while on the appropriate screen. This monitor function provides good utility when you only have a single radio because it’s almost like having dual receivers. There’s even a scan mode. The Play button on the upper left of the bezel is for the built-in audio recorder. Pressing it will automatically replay the previous transmission received from ATC. During playback the PB icon will be displayed on the screen. If a new transmission is received during playback, the playback is canceled and the live transmission will be heard instead.

Although the Trig radio has a built-in CDI and To/From flag, you’ll need an external CDI for glideslope.

Trig makes good use of the limited display area. In navigation radio mode, the dividing bar moves to the left and the navigation radio window occupies most of the LCD backlit screen. VOR and ILS navigation isn’t an afterthought; in nav mode the primary knobs and buttons specifically control the function of the navigation radio. If you don’t have a CDI connected, the built-in OBS display serves as an integrated CDI for lateral course guidance. The left/right movement of the on-screen needle indicates the course position relative to the aircraft position. When the needle is in the middle, the aircraft is on the selected course. A To/From flag will be shown to indicate whether the course is inbound or outbound. The right knobs (tuning knobs) act as OBS knobs and allow you to select the desired VOR radial. In com radio mode the dividing bar moves to the right and the com radio window occupies most of the screen.

As a shortcut, if the tuned VOR is in range, pressing on the end of the tuning knob will slew the OBS value to match the current radial. With the Dual Watch nav feature, the radio displays the radial to/from the VOR station in the secondary frequency window by periodically sampling the secondary VOR signal. This is intended to identify a crossing radial.

We like that the Trig radios are compatible with a variety of external CDIs. That’s Trig’s TI106 on the left and a King KI209 on the right.

Open Architecture, Easy To Install

Trig understands the importance of cross-brand compatibility because of the wide variety of nav indicators that are in existing panels—everything from modern EFIS displays to analog CDIs. That’s a dollar-saver for existing panel upgrades and enticing for new kits. With composite analog nav, an OBS resolver and RS-232 serial outputs, the Trig is likely compatible with a legacy nav indicator that may already be in place—maybe a King KI 209 as a common example.

At the Trig kiosk at AirVenture, the demo was saddled up to an Aspen EFD1000 Pro Max PFD and the second radio was connected to Trig’s own TI106 mechanical CDI. Trig said it designed the radios to also work with Garmin G3X Touch integrated flight displays (and the GI 275 EHSI) and Dynon SkyView displays. Since the radio has an RS-232 output, it can display left/right course data on the uAvionix AV-30 flight instrument. Got a King KN 63 DME? The Trig radio will channel it. Thumbs up to Trig for good compatibility.

That’s a full Trig radio stack and wiring.

If you want out with the old CDI, Trig’s TI106 3-inch solid-state mechanical CDI can be used for primary course guidance. Priced at $2600 and made by Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics, the LED backlit TI106 has a striking resemblance to the Garmin GI 106A. It has OBS course resolver output, which provides the compass card position as a phase reference electrical signal. It also has built-in annunciation for displaying To/From/BC/Nav/GPS mode status. With the appropriate switching relay, the indicator can be used with the Trig radio and a GPS. In fact, the radio’s lateral and vertical nav outputs can simultaneously drive up to five indicators.

When it comes to installation, Trig’s mechanical and electrical interface is straightforward and what you would expect with a modern nav/com. There’s a 25-pin D-type connector for the communications radio and audio system, and a 44-pin D-type connector for the navigation receiver. There are two RF antenna connectors—one for the communications radio and one for the navigation receiver. If the VHF nav portion of the radio will share a nav antenna with another radio (maybe a Garmin GNS 430 or another nav/com), you’ll need a nav antenna coupler. This is also a good time to run new coaxial antenna cable for the com and nav, if your installation still has the older non-shielded cable. Assess the condition of the existing antennas and replace them, too, if there’s any doubt about their performance. Old nav antenna systems can be a big source of signal loss.

The recommended signal combiner/splitter is the frequency-independent Minicircuits ZFSC-2-1-B+ (Trig Avionics part number 02309-00). Because it is frequency independent, it can combine and split both VOR/LOC and glideslope signals on the same coax antenna cable. Remember, every time you pass through a splitter/combiner, the signal strength is reduced.

To help with troubleshooting receiver failures, a catastrophic internal failure triggers a fault warning, with a brief statement of the problem. The fault may be cleared by recycling the power to the radio. Try that with your KX 155.

Conclusion

In a market with very few options for new traditional VHF nav/coms, we think Trig cleanly struck a series of high notes with the TX56/57. We’re particularly pleased that it has an open architecture for working with a variety of flight displays and nav indicators, uses rugged high-quality installation hardware and has plenty of useful features as standard. Moreover, Trig has a decent U.S. support network in place, has proven good quality and the radio has an industry-standard two-year warranty.

But if you’re convinced that you’ll never have a need to use ground-based VHF navigation, we think Garmin’s GNC 355 touchscreen GPS/com could be the better investment. On the other hand, at $7595 (not including an indicator) it’s priced considerably higher than the $4175 TX56. For basic VFR flying, with the added capability for flying a ground-based ILS—even for instrument training—we think the TX56 is a solid value.

 

The post Trig’s New Nav/Coms appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
https://www.kitplanes.com/trigs-new-nav-coms/feed/ 0
ForeFlight Sentry Plus https://www.kitplanes.com/foreflight-sentry-plus/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=foreflight-sentry-plus https://www.kitplanes.com/foreflight-sentry-plus/#respond Mon, 01 Aug 2022 20:30:41 +0000 https://www.kitplanes.com/?p=184411 At AirVenture 2022 at Oshkosh, ForeFlight was showing a new portable ADS-B receiver called the Sentry Plus, which has decent battery life and better power management, plus a new digital display. The company was also showing some useful features to the Mobile app, including an enhanced weight and balance utility and hazard awareness for preflight […]

The post ForeFlight Sentry Plus appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
At AirVenture 2022 at Oshkosh, ForeFlight was showing a new portable ADS-B receiver called the Sentry Plus, which has decent battery life and better power management, plus a new digital display. The company was also showing some useful features to the Mobile app, including an enhanced weight and balance utility and hazard awareness for preflight planning. Larry Anglisano stopped by the ForeFlight booth and prepared this product minute video.

The post ForeFlight Sentry Plus appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
https://www.kitplanes.com/foreflight-sentry-plus/feed/ 0
Engine Monitors https://www.kitplanes.com/engine-monitors-2022/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=engine-monitors-2022 https://www.kitplanes.com/engine-monitors-2022/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2022 16:00:27 +0000 https://www.kitplanes.com/?p=182983 Good options, but the installation is more important than the model.

The post Engine Monitors appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
Retrofit standalone engine and fuel monitors soldier on, serving panels not yet upgraded to a primary EFIS. Straight up, we think an entry-level EFIS with a built-in engine and fuel interface is money better spent. (For a primer on EFIS features see “Big Screen EFIS Buyer’s Guide,” June 2022.)

Avionics bootcampNo matter what you choose, nailing the complex installation is critical to performance and safety. Here we’ll scan the market for standalone monitors, where little has changed (except a worsening supply chain) since we last looked at them in August 2020. This time we’ll focus more on installation tips and traps to avoid when you’re putting these systems in. Let’s start with the easy part—the metal work.

Physical Installation

Here’s an example of Garmin’s EIS displayed on an entry-level G3X Touch EFIS display. For aging eyes, the ability to spread out all of the data easily bests a small-screen standalone engine monitor.

A good engine monitor installation starts with a healthy dose of planning, and that means finding the best spot on the panel to house the control head. There may not be many good options without moving stuff around—which could be worth the effort. Think about it: A monitor that’s placed outside of your primary scan (especially ones with smaller LCD displays) could mean missing critical warnings and alerts because these are interactive systems. Do you really want to be reaching across the panel to get to it? The pilot’s instrument panel is generally the best spot, especially if the unit has fuel flow and even fuel quantity functions. The center radio stack might work too, but we would keep it up high, leaving enough space behind the panel to access and work with the mating connectors. Most systems have audio outputs for streaming alerts into audio systems—a worthwhile interface and good reason for an audio upgrade while things are taken apart.

For existing kits still sporting round-gauge flight instruments, installing the monitor in an existing instrument cutout is easiest because you might not have to make any panel cuts, and the display should be nicely placed so it gets your attention.

Electrical Installation

As with any installation, start with the most current version of the installation manual, and have available the engine maintenance manual. This may seem obvious, but we’ve fixed enough engine and fuel computer installations where it seems neither was available.

Start by deciding how the system will be circuit-protected. Use high-quality push/pull breakers (we favor Klixon) properly rated for the unit. We’ve seen some installations where the engine and fuel monitor were on the avionics bus, rather than on the primary bus where it’s almost always preferred.

Plan the harness installation. On either side of the firewall, properly secure wires that can chafe or vibrate and provide adequate service loops, separating small-signal wires from high-voltage wires. Bundling high-tension leads (ignition wires) along with the temperature probe thermocouple wires causes induced voltage into the thermocouple wires because of the EMF (electromagnetic field) created by the high voltage passing through the ignition harness. This results in rapid fluctuations in readings.

Also, if the drawing calls for shielded wire, use shielded wire. Keep in mind that some sensors (including critical flow transducers) are susceptible to electronic noise, and shielded wire will improve their performance. Carefully follow the install manual guidance on which end of the shield to terminate (i.e., connect to backshell).

One common trap with Garmin’s EIS (Engine Instrument System), as well as with standalone monitors, is not grounding the engine case to the same ground point as the engine monitor. This ground strap is essential for good electrical performance of the sensors. You can ground all the sensors to the engine, but if the engine is still isolated from the avionics ground by the rubber mounts, it’s simply not a good ground.

Paul Stanczyk, a support engineer at JP Instruments, pointed out that one common error on metal airframes is thinking you have a complete circuit by grounding anywhere on the airframe. Because it’s an all-metal aircraft and an airframe ground was made somewhere else (maybe behind the instrument panel), the ground becomes a “floating ground.”

“When installers check a fuse or circuit breaker (or the ‘hot’ line to a device) they use a light tester or multimeter. One side of the light tester or multimeter is grounded somewhere on the airframe close to the wire being checked for ‘hot.’ Think about all those individual pieces of metal in between the airframe ground at the panel and the ground on the device you are checking for power. In flight the airframe is moving, and that ground near the device goes the shortest route it can find to the source ground at the panel. As you fly, the many pieces move and a shorter path may occur, which changes the amount of resistance in the circuit and thus the voltage,” Stanczyk explained.

JPI uses “K” type or what is referred to as grounded probes. These are faster than “J” type or ungrounded probes. Because of this, it is preferred that the engine data management system (EDM) is grounded at the engine block on the case-half spine through-bolt. The accessory drive case works most of the time; however, there are those times it doesn’t.

Back to the floating ground issue behind the panel: Think of the points of contact that the ground has to make going back to the engine; each contact point on the ground side has a voltage drop potential that can add up fast, which causes errors in the readings.

Stanczyk also had some good advice for making connections with fuel senders. Here, the floating ground issue is critical. He sees a lot of amateur installers taking shortcuts and not going all the way out to the sender with the ground wire of the EDM’s P6 harness. You might run into problems during fuel quantity calibration where the output value is changing constantly due to the ground being put on the wing root instead of going all the way to the sender. This is even more problematic when utilizing the highly accurate CIES digital senders.

CIES digital fuel senders have proven accuracy over aging analog senders.

“You are talking about measuring millivolts from the senders. In the case of CIES frequency senders, a direct connection to the ground wire of the sender to P6 harness is made,” he advised.

Sensor Installations: Beware of Engine Variations

Members of the Garmin Team X Experimental avionics engineering team had good advice for installers working with the EIS, and much of it holds true for any engine monitor install. Again, go deep in the manual and look specifically at the requirements for the particular sensor being installed. Installers often call the support line looking for specific “pin numbers” for wiring the external sensors to the EIS unit. Garmin warns that looking at the pin-out list in the manual is useful, but it does not tell the whole story about the requirements for each sensor or component.

When it comes to engine sensors and probes, follow the installation manual carefully, while routing wires away from areas where they could strain, chafe or burn. Always use fire sleeving on fuel connectors.

A better source, according to Team X, is the interconnect diagram, which is a visual wiring diagram that shows the sensor and all of its associated wiring, so there’s no guesswork. And get your specific engine right—Garmin has sensor wiring examples for Lycoming, Continental, Rotax and Jabiru engines, with a drawing for UL Power FADEC as well. On a side note, in the early gen G3X engine monitor product, Garmin used high-density contact pins—notoriously difficult for amateurs to work with—but they’ve since been changed to standard-density pins. Garmin said that when making the transition to the newer system (it uses a different EIS module—the GEA 24), installers shouldn’t have to re-pin the entire system end to end.

Clockwise from left: An rpm sensor, cylinder head temp sensor and a carburetor temperature probe—all used in JPI engine monitor installs. These are high-quality and highly accurate when installed properly.

As for individual probes and sensors, engine manufacturers will usually have guidance for physical installation of their required or recommended sensors. Thankfully, Garmin provides fairly detailed general guidance for installing sensors it sells in the G3X Touch installation manual. You’ll find it in Section 24, under the Engine/Airframe Sensor Installation subhead. There may be some flexibility to use third-party sensors. Many temperature probes (CHT, EGT and oil temp) are classified as a certain type of thermocouple, and even Garmin’s EIS will read any standard Type K or Type J probe for most applications. Also, the G3X works with several different brands of fuel flow indicators (Electronics International and FloScan, to name two). For new installations, Garmin’s kits will get you started for major items like EGT/CHT and pressure sensors, but you may have some probes that come with the engine or other probes that you source. They might work—but the manual is the final authority.

Dynon’s Michael Schofield said the company tries hard to make the install installer-proof. “We find that amateur builders are generally pretty good with our systems because we have color-coded harnesses that make wiring pretty simple. Generic mis-wires—or having a probe that isn’t wired even when the installer thinks it is—are probably the most common problems. Having the wrong sensor selected for a sensor channel ranks up there too,” he said.

“The SkyView ships with reasonable defaults, but people have unique needs. Calibrations, whether fuel level, flaps/trim or adjusting the K-factor for fuel flow/computer, are probably the other things that trip installers up,” Schofield told us. But that goes back to our point: Many of those issues would be solved if builders simply followed the manual.

Critical Fuel Flow Interfacing

No matter which system or on which engine you’re installing it, pay close attention to the installation techniques when it comes to fuel flow transducers. Fuel flow is the amount of fuel that flows past a given point in the fuel system at any given time, usually depicted in gallons per hour. Fuel flow is measured by a fuel flow transducer—a device installed in the fuel line that’s essentially a turbine that converts to a digital signal using light optics.

Many fuel flow computers use common flow transducers, and one popular one used in a wide variety of fuel computers is made by FloScan. If your engine is equipped with a fuel return line from the carburetor back to the fuel tank, you will need to install two fuel flow transducers—one in the feed line from the fuel pump to the carburetor and one in the return line from the carburetor back to the fuel tank. This applies to certain Continental engines and Rotax 912 ULS and 914 engines.

Using Garmin’s fuel flow install as a general example, if there is a fuel return line, Garmin provides the necessary software and hardware interface to account for two fuel flow transducers. But this applies to most all systems; both transducers need to be installed in the aircraft per the fuel flow transducer manufacturer’s instructions. In general, the fuel flow transducer should be installed in a straight section of the line, and a distance of 6 inches on each side is desirable. It also needs to be installed downstream of a fuel filter in the engine bay and also not directly secured to the engine to avoid excessive vibration. And whatever you do, protect the transducer and the fittings by covering them in high-quality fire sleeve.

JPI sees plenty of fuel transducer installations gone bad, and its advice echoed Garmin’s Team X. Vibration is the enemy. You want to avoid “hard mounting” and “vertically mounting” the fuel flow transducer. The impeller inside rotates on jewels to allow a virtually friction-free rotation, and orientation is a requisite for longevity. You want to minimize vibration by “hanging” the transducer—or having a hose going into and a hose going out of the transducer.

It’s also worth mentioning that oil pressure and manifold pressure transducers generally don’t last long when exposed to vibration.

Electronics International says the Red Cube FT-60 is more accurate and less susceptible to debris than other fuel flow transducers.

Electronics International says its Red Cube FT-60 fuel transducer has considerably less pressure drop than other units on the market, and a blocked rotor does not affect pressure drop. The overall accuracy and linearity of the Red Cube FT-60 is superior to most other flow transducers, too. The Red Cube FT-60’s design vacates bubbles and is not nearly as susceptible to debris as other units. Garmin says that EI’s transducers are used in some of its EIS applications.

Do not hard mount pressure sensors anywhere on the engine or cooling baffling. The best place for pressure transducers is on the firewall. Having a 90° bend ahead of the fuel flow transducer is also not recommended. The bend creates turbulence in the fuel, hence an inaccurate fuel total.

Fuel Quantity Is Not Fuel Flow

This seems simple enough, but some amateur installers simply can’t separate the two concepts. If the engine monitor has fuel quantity capability, you’ll either use the existing fuel tank senders or install aftermarket digital senders—generally recommended, even over having the old senders repaired or overhauled. We like the CIES digital senders.

We asked Garmin for some tips on getting the EIS fuel quantity function accurate out of the gate. Besides starting with known-accurate fuel senders, nail the calibration process. Two fuel calibration curves are supported: the standard flight-attitude calibration curve and an optional on-ground or ground/taxi attitude calibration curve. The ground/taxi calibration curve can be used for aircraft that have a significantly different attitude when on the ground, such as tailwheel aircraft. As you might expect given the nature of measuring the amount of fuel splashing around in the tanks, selecting the wrong attitude can be a time-consuming and frustrating mistake.

Worth mentioning is that the Garmin GEA 110 interface adapter really has only two ways of measuring a fuel quantity value: by being a voltmeter or by being a digital frequency counter. If you aren’t using something stone simple like standard float gauges, make sure you understand what your fuel quantity sensor is actually doing. Sometimes they will be marketed as “digital” but will actually output a 0–5V analog signal, as one example. Read the calibration section of the manual before you start.

Garmin says that float senders will hit the top of the tank before it’s full in most aircraft. Don’t fret about it—your tank will read full until a certain amount of fuel burns off, and this is normal. Over at JPI, its tech support knows what we have for years: Setting the K-factor is critical. The correct K-factor (the number is found written on the side of the transducer) must be inputted into the EDM. Each aircraft has a unique fuel system and may need adjustment or fine tuning of the K-factor. Stanczyk at JPI reminds us that the pilot’s guide has the formula to fine-tune the K-factor. You’ll likely need it. The chore usually consists of taking three flights and recording how much fuel you boarded after each flight and how much fuel the flow totalizer says you boarded.

Finally, if there’s any question about your ability to work with the aircraft/engine’s fuel system during the installation, we suggest lobbying the help of a mechanic or shop to backstop the work. We’ve seen ugly engine fires as a result of doing things the wrong way.

This completes our primer on how to install an engine/fuel monitor correctly. What follows is a summary of standout Experimental standalone systems.

The Electronics International MVP-50P is more of a systems monitor than engine monitor. We especially like its ability to monitor lighting, flaps, landing gear and pitch configuration, to name a few functions.

Electronics International

There are two specific models that are the most popular for Experimentals. One is the non-certified version of the big-screen MVP-50P.

As standalone monitors go, the MVP-50P is big—5.6 inches wide, 5.2 inches high and 2.4 inches deep—and mounts from behind the instrument panel, which means the TFT color screen sits flush. It isn’t a touchscreen. There are multiple components including MVP display, engine data converter (EDC-33P), the engine probes, transducers and modules, and the wiring and extension cables. The EDC is a smart box, converting raw probe and sensor inputs to serial data, which is then provided to the MVP-50P via two-wire RS-422.

This system is more than an engine and fuel monitor. Think of it as a systems monitor, with lots of data sprawled out on various pages. We especially like the System page and its ability to see the disposition of the landing gear (on retracs) and flaps configuration. As much as we like this system, we think it’s about time for an upgrade to touchscreen.

We like the Electronics International CGR-30P for its high-quality display, configurable feature set and fair price point.

The EI CGR-30P is an easier install since it fits in a 3-1/8-inch instrument cutout. The system comes standard to display rpm, EGT/CHT bar graph, fuel remaining, tach time, local time, fuel used, GPS/fuel flow data, external caution and warning, and data recording. You can also choose five additional parameters from the list of manifold pressure, oil pressure, oil temperature, fuel flow, fuel pressure, fuel level (left and right tank), aux fuel level, TIT, carbon monoxide detector (a $495 option), vacuum and volts. The CGR also has a fuel totalizer and can monitor fuel quantity. It’s smart enough to know which fuel tank you are drawing from and can estimate how much fuel is remaining in each. A nifty on-screen graphic depicts the total fuel remaining in all tanks.

Taking the interface one step further, both the MVP and CGR can interface with the company’s AV-17 voice annunciation system. This remote system provides up to 17 verbal warnings through the headphones via the aircraft’s audio panel or compatible intercom.

Last, for the most basic all-in-one monitoring, EI has the bar-graph style UBG-16, which fits in a 2-1/4-inch instrument cutout. It has minimal user controls to cycle among three major displays modes: Normal, Normalized and Lean. There are a total of 16 input channels on the UBG. The columns of bars can display EGT, CHT, TIT or oil. Other functions will be indicated only in the digital display. While viewing the digital readout for the last column of bars, you push the Step switch to the right to display the next temperature or function connected to the UBG’s input channels. Bare-bones, but functional just the same.

JPI’s EDM-350 (left) and EDM-930 are both full-featured monitors that trickle down from the company’s
flagship monitors. They have proven reliability and the sensors can be ordered to fit a wide variety of engines.

JP Instruments

In a recent interview, JP Instruments said the Experimental-focused EDM-350 represents only 5% to 10% of JPI sales and seems focused on the certified market. Still, at a time when other companies are backordered because of the chip shortage and JPI itself has some parts backorders, it’s shipping product on time.

The EDM-350 is a no-nonsense color monitor that fits a standard 3-1/8-inch instrument cutout and has a 3.5-inch square bezel. You can orient the display for a landscape or portrait view, and a simple bar graph and numeric readout for EGT and CHT is in the main area of the screen. When optioned, rpm and manifold pressure are at the top.

The 350 trickles down from the TSO-certified EDM-730 system. You can order it basic or in what JPI calls a full-featured model with a P5 connector that handles fuel quantity, fuel pressure and amps options. The base-model EDM-350 has EGT/CHT only and is priced at $1200 for four-cylinder engines and $1450 for six-cylinder installations. Simply add plug-and-play options, including rpm, manifold pressure and oil pressure ($299 for each), plus other options like the FloScan fuel flow transducer ($595 for carbureted and $490 for fuel-injected engines). There’s also a $95 remote warning annunciator.

Worth mentioning is the built-in diagnostic mode, which helps find sensor issues when the system boots. Any newly installed options are found and logged in at this time. If a probe problem is found, diagnostic indications will be presented on the display. The EDM compresses and records all displayed parameters once every 6 seconds in long-term data memory. (You can change this rate to be 2 to 500 seconds.) This data is retrievable by inserting a USB drive into the jack on the front of the instrument.

JPI still sells the EDM-930 Experimental—an all-in-one big-screen monitor with a price that tops $7000 with popular options. That’s tough to compete with an EFIS install, in our view. Still, it has a brilliant display with data that’s logically presented and customizable. The chassis fits in a 3-1/8-inch instrument cutout (it can also be flush mounted), but its large display bezel means it will occupy a lot of panel real estate that may be better served by an EFIS.

Grand Rapids EIS

The Grand Rapids EIS is a good stepping stone because it can stand alone or interface with the company’s EFIS units.

First, the Grand Rapids EIS. Think utilitarian. This system has been around since the 1990s and it shows, with its 32-character LCD display. Still, we like that it can remain in a Grand Rapids EFIS install as a secondary display. The EIS line includes the model 2000, 4000, 6000 and 9000 EIS (nomenclature corresponding to the number of cylinders), and each has five pages of scrollable data on a rectangular control head, which measures 5.9 inches wide, 2.8 inches tall and roughly 3.0 inches deep with electrical connector. The system has both engine data storage and download capability. The EIS can work well, even as a standalone fuel computer, when connecting a fuel flow transducer. The basic M4000 package for a four-cylinder Lycoming is $1295 and includes wiring harnesses, bayonet-style CHT probes and adapters, EGT probes, oil pressure sensor and oil temp sensor. For $1881 you get fuel flow and fuel pressure sensors, plus manifold pressure, while a remote EIS for EFIS connection is $1774.

MGL Xtreme EMS

MGL’s Xtreme EMS has a logical feature set and decent display.

MGL’s Xtreme EMS is made to fit a 3-1/8-inch instrument cutout and has a 4.3-inch high-res color TFT LCD display. Installation is straightforward with a single D15 input connector on the rear chassis, and the system has provisions for a GPS input (for fuel endurance calculations).

The control set is focused around a rotary control knob and five bezel buttons, and the left- and right-most soft keys are used to cycle through the EMS pages. There’s a dedicated menu for adjusting the display backlighting on the fly, and it’s controlled with the rotary knob. Pretty simple.

Garmin GI 275 EIS

Garmin’s certified GI 275 (right) has penetrated the Experimental market because it can display Garmin’s EIS without having to cut the instrument panel.

While not an Experimental engine monitor, we think the Garmin GI 275 EIS (Engine Instrument System) is one worthy choice if you don’t want to cut metal. That’s because the GI 275 drops into an existing 3-1/8-inch instrument cutout. Keep in mind that a Garmin EIS is essentially the same whether it’s displayed on a G3X Touch (we suggest pricing this out) or on a small GI 275.

Engine, fuel and electrical data for the EIS goes through Garmin’s $745 GEA 24 engine interface module. The basic package with the GI 275 starts at $4495. But the common misunderstanding is that any GI 275 can function as an EIS. While the hardware may be the same, the software isn’t. This means that a GI 275 configured as a primary attitude instrument or electronic HSI/DG can’t function as an EIS.

Moreover, Garmin’s target audience for the GI 275 is buyers who want to replace each individual round-gauge instrument (in certified aircraft) with GI 275s—one of which might have EIS functionality. Think standalone engine and fuel monitor. And as such, it packs a big punch in a small chassis, including the Lean Assist, calculated percent power and exceedances alerting. Still, even the entry-level single-screen G3X Touch integrated avionics system is worth considering, given the added utility.

Wrap It Up

Two systems that made our last roundup—JPI’s EDM 740 and Dynon’s EMS-D10—have been discontinued, perhaps reinforcing that even the most basic EFIS options with built-in engine, fuel and electrical data are simply more popular.

If we had to pick a basic standalone monitor, it might be the Electronics International CGR-30P. We think it has an intuitive user interface, a good display and useful functions as standard.

Photos: Courtesy of the manufacturers.

Model Price w/ Basic 4-Cyl Lycoming Probe Pkg. Display
(in)
Mount.
Hole
Dim
(in)
EGT/
CHT
Chan.
Engine
Speed
Man.
Pres.
Oil
Pres.
Oil
Temp
Fuel
Flow
Fuel
Level
Data
Link
Data
Log
Electronics International
CGR-30P Basic $3,798 3.0
color
3-1/8 4-6 Y Y N N Y N RS-232 Y
CGR-30P Premium $4,598 3.0
color
3-1/8 4-6 Y Y Y Y Y Y RS-232 Y
MVP-50P $6,000 5.7
color
5.5×5.1
x 2.4
4-6 Y Y Y Y Y Y RS-232 Y
UBG-16 $1,698 2.0, LED 2-1/4 4-6 Y Y Y Y Y Y RS-232 Y
Garmin
GI 275 EIS $4,830 3.0
color
3-1/8 4-6 Y Y Y Y Y Y RS-232
/CAN
Y
Grand Rapids
EIS $1,295 2.0×3.0
dot matrix
5.13×2.6 2-9 Y Y Y Y Y Y RS-232 Y
JP Instruments
EDM-350 $1,200 3.0
color
3-1/8 4-6 Opt Opt Opt Opt Opt Opt RS-232 Y
EDM-930 $6,100 5.0
color
6×4.5 4-6 Y Y Y Y Y Y RS-232 Y
MGL Avionics
Xtreme EMS $1,820 4.3
color
3-1/8 4-6 Y Y Y Y Y Y RS-232 Y

The post Engine Monitors appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
https://www.kitplanes.com/engine-monitors-2022/feed/ 1
Built-in Smart O2 System From Aithre https://www.kitplanes.com/built-in-smart-o2-system-from-aithre/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=built-in-smart-o2-system-from-aithre https://www.kitplanes.com/built-in-smart-o2-system-from-aithre/#respond Sun, 31 Jul 2022 12:10:35 +0000 https://www.kitplanes.com/?p=184052 Aithre Aviation has made huge progress in cockpit biometrics over the past few years with a variety of safety-enhancing portable products, and now it has a complete and scalable smart oxygen system that can be retrofitted in both experimental and certified airplanes. Aviation Consumer Magazine Editor Larry Anglisano took a look at the system with […]

The post Built-in Smart O2 System From Aithre appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
Aithre Aviation has made huge progress in cockpit biometrics over the past few years with a variety of safety-enhancing portable products, and now it has a complete and scalable smart oxygen system that can be retrofitted in both experimental and certified airplanes. Aviation Consumer Magazine Editor Larry Anglisano took a look at the system with Jim Rutler in the company RV-10 at AirVenture 2022.

The post Built-in Smart O2 System From Aithre appeared first on KITPLANES.

]]>
https://www.kitplanes.com/built-in-smart-o2-system-from-aithre/feed/ 0