Matronics Email Lists :: View topic

Matronics Email Lists
Web Forum Interface to the Matronics Email Lists

Get Email Distribution Too! FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register

Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in

Grounding blocks

Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> AeroElectric-List

View previous topic :: View next topic

Author Message

james(at)etravel.org
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 6:38 am Post subject: Grounding blocks

I suppose that brass is a good all-rounder -- easy to solder, mechanically robust, reasonable conductor, fairly inexpensive -- whereas the others have their trade-offs, e.g. gold & silver being expensive, aluminium being difficult to join, copper being soft and work-hardening etc.Â  



Just a guess, but brass seems like a great compromise.



On 1 October 2012 15:21, Eric Marenyi <marenyi(at)gmail.com (marenyi(at)gmail.com)> wrote:

 [quote]--> AeroElectric-List message posted by: Eric Marenyi <marenyi(at)gmail.com (marenyi(at)gmail.com)>

  

 I am curious as to what a home made grounding block should be made of.

 I realize that B and C makes theirs out of brass but I wonder why when

 it seems there are other more easily obtained metals with better

 conductivity, according to the charts on this site:

 

 http://metaldetectingworld.com/conductive_order_metals.shtml

 

 I have seen grounding blocks made of aluminum, copper, brass, etc.

 What is the benefit of one over the other?

 

 --

 Eric M.

 

 ===========

  -

 ric-List" target="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?AeroElectric-List

 ===========

 MS -

 k">http://forums.matronics.com

 ===========

 e -

  Â  Â  Â  Â  Â -Matt Dralle, List Admin.

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

 ===========

 

 

 

 [b]

- The Matronics AeroElectric-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?AeroElectric-List

nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 7:34 am Post subject: Grounding blocks

At 09:38 AM 10/1/2012, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  I suppose that brass is a good all-rounder -- 

easy to solder, mechanically robust, reasonable 

conductor, fairly inexpensive -- whereas the 

others have their trade-offs, e.g. gold & silver 

being expensive, aluminium being difficult to 

join, copper being soft and work-hardening etc.Â



Just a guess, but brass seems like a great compromise.


	


    .  .  . correct . . . and further re-enforced by

   availability of parts/materials for fabrication.

   Don't know where one might get fast-on tabs fabricated

   from a "better" material.



   Yes, materials in the grounding tab ADDS to total

   loop resistance. But so to do the terminals, crimp joints,

   bolted joints, wire, plating on the wire, pin-to-pin

   interface, etc. etc.



   Research the "galloping ammeter" phenomenon common to

   older airplanes and discussed here on the list at

   length. Some owners of nice old 172's complained that

   a costly new master switch fixed the problem for only

   a short time.



   This is because the SUM TOTAL of all resistances in the

   regulator sense wiring between bus and regulator has increased

   over time. Replacing the switch dropped total loop resistance

   below the stability threshold . . . but steadily increasing resistance

   in the new switch or (more likely) other components drove

   the resistance up past the stability threshold. I've

   advised owner/operators to replace/renew ALL joints and components

   in that pathway to achieve the same resistance as delivered

   from the factory. Only then can one expect the repair to last

   as long as the as-new condition.



   The design goal is two-fold (1) keep total loop resistance

   so low as to be insignificant to system performance and

   (2) make sure is STAYS low by the fabrication of gas-tight

   or other fabrication techniques that keep moisture laden with

   corrosives out of the joints. Meeting these two goals with

   skill goes toward a more pleasurable, low cost-of-ownership

   experience with your airplane.

   Bob . . .

- The Matronics AeroElectric-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?AeroElectric-List

email(at)jaredyates.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:00 am Post subject: Grounding blocks

Does it help that brass is relatively soft and allows for some

deformation at the point of contact with a fast-on?  It seems like I

remember reading that this was part of the gas-tight equation.  I used

the $1 terminal strips from Stein combined with a small piece of brass

stock from the local hobby shop to make mine, so brass was very

available.  Are those sources available to you Eric, or are you

somewhere far away?

On Mon, Oct 1, 2012 at 11:33 AM, Robert L. Nuckolls, III

<nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com> wrote:

 	  Quote: 	

 <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com>

 At 09:38 AM 10/1/2012, you wrote:

>

> I suppose that brass is a good all-rounder -- easy to solder, mechanically

> robust, reasonable conductor, fairly inexpensive -- whereas the others have

> their trade-offs, e.g. gold & silver being expensive, aluminium being

> difficult to join, copper being soft and work-hardening etc.Ä€

>

> Just a guess, but brass seems like a great compromise.

    .  .  . correct . . . and further re-enforced by

   availability of parts/materials for fabrication.

   Don't know where one might get fast-on tabs fabricated

   from a "better" material.

   Yes, materials in the grounding tab ADDS to total

   loop resistance. But so to do the terminals, crimp joints,

   bolted joints, wire, plating on the wire, pin-to-pin

   interface, etc. etc.

   Research the "galloping ammeter" phenomenon common to

   older airplanes and discussed here on the list at

   length. Some owners of nice old 172's complained that

   a costly new master switch fixed the problem for only

   a short time.

   This is because the SUM TOTAL of all resistances in the

   regulator sense wiring between bus and regulator has increased

   over time. Replacing the switch dropped total loop resistance

   below the stability threshold . . . but steadily increasing resistance

   in the new switch or (more likely) other components drove

   the resistance up past the stability threshold. I've

   advised owner/operators to replace/renew ALL joints and components

   in that pathway to achieve the same resistance as delivered

   from the factory. Only then can one expect the repair to last

   as long as the as-new condition.

   The design goal is two-fold (1) keep total loop resistance

   so low as to be insignificant to system performance and

   (2) make sure is STAYS low by the fabrication of gas-tight

   or other fabrication techniques that keep moisture laden with

   corrosives out of the joints. Meeting these two goals with

   skill goes toward a more pleasurable, low cost-of-ownership

   experience with your airplane.

   Bob . . .

- The Matronics AeroElectric-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?AeroElectric-List

Display posts from previous:

	Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> AeroElectric-List	All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

Jump to:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum