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capacitive fuel probes

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Speedy11(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 9:35 am Post subject: capacitive fuel probes

Tom,

 If you have the Princeton probes, save yourself a LOT of grief and remove  them now and toss them in the trash.  Replace them with floats.   You'll be much less grumpy.

 I calibrated mine seven times.  They still are not accurate - not even  close.

 Stan Sutterfield

  

   	  Quote: 	
		  >All    I have to do to be ready for my DAR inspection is to calibrate my    capacitive

fuel probes. 

<snip>

 	  Quote: 	
		  -- 

Tom    Sargent


	




Hi Tom,



Which capacitive fuel probes do you    have?  I have the Princeton units that GRT

sells and haven't been able    to even come close to getting them calibrated.  Actually,

they went    through the calibration fine (5 set points), but the readings

are    completely erroneous.  Sometimes they read full when the tanks are 1/2    empty.

Sometimes they read empty when the tanks are full.  Sometimes    they read,

well, whatever; usually not the actual amount of fuel.     They are completely

useless.  I've talked with Princeton, and they've    offered no suggestions.



I'm not sure what to do at this point.     Replacing the senders will likely require

removing the tanks which is no    small job on the -7 and -8.  Ack, this sucks.

I sure wish I'd just    used the S&W float senders from Van's now.

Matt    Dralle

	


  [quote][b]

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martinaerodrome(at)gmail.
Guest

Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 5:08 am Post subject: capacitive fuel probes

Listers,

  

 I now have 1900 hours on my capacitance fuel level senders with ultra accurate results.  I did not use the rod type sensors.  When I built the tanks, I built them with flat plate sensors inside of the fuel tanks.  I realize this method should be done during the construction phase of the tanks.

  Dick Martin

 RV8 N233M

 the fast one

 On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 12:30 PM, <Speedy11(at)aol.com (Speedy11(at)aol.com)> wrote:

 [quote]   

 Tom,

 If you have the Princeton probes, save yourself a LOT of grief and remove them now and toss them in the trash.  Replace them with floats.  You'll be much less grumpy.

 I calibrated mine seven times.  They still are not accurate - not even close.

 Stan Sutterfield

  

   	  Quote: 	
		  >All I have to do to be ready for my DAR inspection is to calibrate my capacitive

 fuel probes. 

<snip>

 	  Quote: 	
		  -- 

Tom Sargent


	




Hi Tom,



Which capacitive fuel probes do you have?  I have the Princeton units that GRT

sells and haven't been able to even come close to getting them calibrated.  Actually,

 they went through the calibration fine (5 set points), but the readings

are completely erroneous.  Sometimes they read full when the tanks are 1/2 empty.

Sometimes they read empty when the tanks are full.  Sometimes they read,

 well, whatever; usually not the actual amount of fuel.  They are completely

useless.  I've talked with Princeton, and they've offered no suggestions.



I'm not sure what to do at this point.  Replacing the senders will likely require

 removing the tanks which is no small job on the -7 and -8.  Ack, this sucks.

I sure wish I'd just used the S&W float senders from Van's now.

Matt Dralle

	


 	  Quote: 	
		  



et="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV8-List

ttp://forums.matronics.com

_blank">http://www.matronics.com/contribution



	


[b]

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Jerry Grimmonpre'

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 144
Location: Huntley, Illinois 60142

Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 5:48 am Post subject: capacitive fuel probes

Dick,

 Your flat plate sensors sound very interesting ... would you  please sketch-out what you did and scan it to the RV8 list?

 Jerry

 [quote]   ---

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bifft(at)xmission.com
Guest

Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 8:53 am Post subject: capacitive fuel probes

On Wed, 26 May 2010, Jerry Grimmonpre wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   Dick,

 Your flat plate sensors sound very interesting ... would you please

 sketch-out what you did and scan it to the RV8 list?

 Jerry


	


  I'm not flying yet, but have installed the flat plate sensors ordered

from here:



http://www.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin/catalog.cgi?ident=1274891104-316-30&browse=ei&product=ei-fuelgauge

  Brian Huffaker, DSWL (bifft(at)xmission.com)

  RV-8A 80091

  1/4 Starduster II N23UT flying

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Terry Watson

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 290
Location: Seattle, WA USA

Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 9:50 am Post subject: capacitive fuel probes

I hope Dick will respond. I installed the flat plate sensors from Vans in my stalled RV-8A project and have been wondering about how I can convert the electrical information from the sensors to drive a fuel gauge or electronic engine monitor.  

   

Terry  

Seattle  

   

       

From: owner-rv8-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-rv8-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of Jerry Grimmonpre

 Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 6:29 AM

 To: rv8-list(at)matronics.com

 Subject: Re: Re: capacitive fuel probes  

  

  

     

Dick,  

    

Your flat plate sensors sound very interesting ... would you please sketch-out what you did and scan it to the RV8 list?  

    

Jerry  

   	  Quote: 	
		      

----- Original Message -----   

    

From: Richard Martin (martinaerodrome(at)gmail.com)   

    

To: rv8-list(at)matronics.com (rv8-list(at)matronics.com)   

    

Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 8:07 AM  

    

Subject: Re: Re: capacitive fuel probes  

    

   

    

Listers,  

    

ï¿½  

    

I now have 1900 hours on my capacitance fuel level senders with ultra accurate results.ï¿½ I did not use the rod type sensors.ï¿½ When I built the tanks, I built them with flat plate sensors inside of the fuel tanks.ï¿½ I realize this method should be done during the construction phase of the tanks.  

    

Dick Martin  

    

RV8 N233M  

    

the fast one  

    http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV8-List 	
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       [quote][b]

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Larry Bowen

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 802
Location: NC, USA

Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 10:25 am Post subject: capacitive fuel probes

I had the flat cap. plates from Van's in my RV-8 and they worked fine with the EI fuel gauge. Â You need a converter between each tank and the gauge, also from Vans. 



Capacitive frequency converter (one per tank required)

 Part Number = IE P-300C

Price = $45.00

I have the float gauges in the current project because it's a quick-build.

 --

Larry Bowen

Larry(at)BowenAero.com

http://BowenAero.com

  



On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 1:50 PM, Terry Watson <terry(at)tcwatson.com (terry(at)tcwatson.com)> wrote:

[quote]              

I hope Dick will respond. I installed the flat plate sensors from Vans in my stalled RV-8A project and have been wondering about how I can convert the electrical information from the sensors to drive a fuel gauge or electronic engine monitor.  

Â   

Terry  

Seattle  

Â   

Â       

From: owner-rv8-list-server(at)matronics.com (owner-rv8-list-server(at)matronics.com) [mailto:owner-rv8-list-server(at)matronics.com (owner-rv8-list-server(at)matronics.com)] On Behalf Of Jerry Grimmonpre

 Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 6:29 AM

 To: rv8-list(at)matronics.com (rv8-list(at)matronics.com)

 Subject: Re: Re: capacitive fuel probes  

  

  

Â     

Dick,  

    

Your flat plate sensors sound very interesting ... would you pleaseÂ sketch-out what you did and scan it to the RV8 list?  

    

Jerry  

   	  Quote: 	
		      

----- Original Message -----   

    

From: Richard Martin (martinaerodrome(at)gmail.com)    

    

To: rv8-list(at)matronics.com (rv8-list(at)matronics.com)   

    

Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 8:07 AM  

    

Subject: Re: Re: capacitive fuel probes  

    

Â   

    

Listers,  

    

ï¿½  

    

I now have 1900 hours on my capacitance fuel level senders with ultra accurate results.ï¿½ I did not use the rod type sensors.ï¿½ When I built the tanks, I built them with flat plate sensors inside of the fuel tanks.ï¿½ I realize this method should be done during the construction phase of the tanks.  

    

Dick Martin  

    

RV8 N233M  

    

the fast one  

  Â Â http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV8-ListÂ  	
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_________________
Larry Bowen
RV-8 SOLD,
RV-7QB in progress...

dan.pat.b(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 3:39 pm Post subject: capacitive fuel probes

Hi:



This email is intended for Richard Martin, RV-8, N233M



I'm one of those who is having problems with insanely inaccurate fuel level

readings on my GRT screen fuel gauges.  I installed the flat plate,

capacitive sensors in the fuel tanks of my RV-7A at the time of

construction.  Of course they measure capacitance, which the GRT EIS unit

cannot read.  A set of Princeton converter units change capacitance to

voltage (0 to 4 volts as I recall) and feeds those values to the EIS box.

 I'm not very technical but I understand that much.

In this latest exchange of emails on this subject I learned for the first

time that there are in fact two types of capacitive sending units: the flat

plate version (which I installed) and the rod version (a new one on me).

 Now I'm wondering  if the converter units which I installed are compatible

with the flate plate sending units.  Neither Todd nor Sandy at GRT have ever

mentioned anything about two different types of sending units; and, you'd

certainly think they'd read the same capacitive value for a given fuel

level.  And of course the converter boxes couldn't care less about flat

plate or rod type sending units; they just convert farads to volts.   I do

know that there are two types of converter units; one has five set points

and one has two (that's the one I have.)  Maybe I've got the wrong

converters.

Am I on to something here or is it just wishful thinking driven by

frustration?  What's your take on this?  Maybe yet another call to GRT is in

order.



Dan Bergeron

RV-7A - N307TB

146 hours since first flight on 8/4/09



On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 2:16 PM, Larry Bowen <larry(at)bowenaero.com> wrote:



[quote] I had the flat cap. plates from Van's in my RV-8 and they worked fine with

 the EI fuel gauge.  You need a converter between each tank and the gauge,

 also from Vans.

 *

 *

 *Capacitive frequency converter (one per tank required)*

 Part Number = IE P-300C

 Price = $45.00



 I have the float gauges in the current project because it's a quick-build

- The Matronics RV8-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

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martinaerodrome(at)gmail.
Guest

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 5:32 am Post subject: capacitive fuel probes

Jerry, call me (at) 920 619 6968 and we can discuss this better.Â  Dick Martin



 On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 8:29 AM, Jerry Grimmonpre <jerry(at)mc.net (jerry(at)mc.net)> wrote:

 [quote]  Dick,

 Your flat plate sensors sound very interesting ... would you pleaseÂ sketch-out what you did and scan it to the RV8 list?

 Jerry

  [quote] ---

- The Matronics RV8-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV8-List

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