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occom
Joined: 26 Aug 2006
Posts: 404
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 Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:18 pm Post subject: Hour meter device |
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I'm sure a few people have looked at a device sold by Aircraft spruce that will run your hour meter only when the engine is actually running. I knew about it but didn't really pay much attention until I saw it again yesterday. I thought it would be handy to not run up hours anytime I power on the master and thought about what this device might do, with only three wires for rect + in, battery + out and a lead to the hour meter (and apparently any other DC device like lights you might want to run). I thought about this and it seemed to me that a single power diode would accomplish the same task. If I put the rectifier output to the diode and fed the same leg to the hour meter it would only run while the engine did. The other side of the diode to the battery would take care of charging duties normally. I wonder if there's something like a TO 220 in that little can?
Do not archive.
[quote][b]
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dave
Joined: 22 Sep 2006
Posts: 1382
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 12:01 am Post subject: Re: Hour meter device |
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Dave,
Tiny tach has built in hour meter if you do not have one already plus I find them very accurate. The Rotax supplied Tachs I have found to be erratic.
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Float Flyr
Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 5:17 am Post subject: Hour meter device |
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Erratic... Dave you have a gift of the understatement! Mine read a
consistent 20% too high across the board. Getting my plane off the water
was always tricky and I didn't have any big hills or trees to worry about,
not to mention the pond is only about eight feet above high tide.
On installing the Tiny Tach the plane became a real performer. Takeoffs
became thrilling. Initial climbs were just under 2000'/min and sustained
climb to two thousand feet was just over a thousand feet a minute using an
Ivo IFA prop.
My advice is take the kitfox tach out, cut two notches in it and call it an
ashtray.
Noel
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lcfitt(at)sbcglobal.net
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:05 am Post subject: Hour meter device |
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To each his own, I guess. I, as well, found the Rotax Tach, or at least the
one supplied with the early kits to fluctuate with temperature. Winter, one
reading, Summer, another. I bought an inexpensive model airplane optical
tach, glued a conversion chart on it's back (a little spreadhseet work) and
mounted a thumb wheel over the adjustment screw on the panel tach and could
and did calibrate the original tach regularly - while in flight. For some
reason I like the looks of the round instruments, especially the glance at
the analog dial telling me what I needed to know without interpreting tiny
numbers, and the traditional look of the panel. It worked for me.
Lowell
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occom
Joined: 26 Aug 2006
Posts: 404
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 10:56 am Post subject: Hour meter device |
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I like the tiny tach, I have nothing against the Rotax one either. I was
more thinking of this one device and what might be inside a piece of
squashed tube that would accomplish the desired task. I figure there a a
number of Schottky diodes in TO-220 package that would fit.
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akflyer
Joined: 07 May 2007
Posts: 574
Location: Soldotna AK
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 12:18 pm Post subject: Re: Hour meter device |
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You can just get an AC tach and splice in a wire to it from the coil output. This way power only goes to the meter when the engine is running. That is the way my brothers kitfox was set up. When I was replacing the voltage regulator on his, I glanced at the wire going through the fire wall and thought to myself... dang, there is nothing in the plane that runs off AC so I snipped the wire and put heat shrink on it..... then we noticed the hour meter no longer worked. I dug into it a little deeper, traced the wire and felt like an idiot.. It really is not too bad feeling that way, I am getting used to it.
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Soldotna AK
Avid "C" / Mk IV
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thesupe(at)hotmail.com
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:28 pm Post subject: Hour meter device |
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There is also a vibration activated hour meter that you can buy. It runs when the engine causes the panel to vibrate. No wires to hook up. Wag-Aero has them for $34. in their last catalog. Jim Chuk Avids Kitfox 4 Mn
[quote] From: occom(at)ns.sympatico.ca
To: kitfox-list(at)matronics.com
Subject: Re: Re: Hour meter device
Date: Sat C 11 Apr 2009 15:55:40 -0300
--> Kitfox-List message posted by: "Dave G" <occom(at)ns.sympatico.ca>
I like the tiny tach C I have nothing against the Rotax one either. I was
more thinking of this one device and what might be inside a piece of
squashed tube that would accomplish the desired task. I figure there a a
number of Schottky diodes in TO-220 package =======================
Rediscover Hotmail®: Get e-mail storage that grows with you. Check it out.
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