X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:55:27 -0500 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from elasmtp-mealy.atl.sa.earthlink.net ([209.86.89.69] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.4.3) with ESMTP id 5356324 for lml@lancaironline.net; Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:23:17 -0500 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=209.86.89.69; envelope-from=colyncase@earthlink.net DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=dk20050327; d=earthlink.net; b=QvD6HFMn87z7/pYHRwrZFMJ0SY623RdruTSNBvPKNGtutOhSpaeK3tQ/XFgOYmHc; h=Received:From:Mime-Version:Content-Type:Subject:Date:In-Reply-To:To:References:Message-Id:X-Mailer:X-ELNK-Trace:X-Originating-IP; Received: from [72.73.82.72] (helo=[192.168.1.24]) by elasmtp-mealy.atl.sa.earthlink.net with esmtpa (Exim 4.67) (envelope-from ) id 1Rntp3-000659-GT for lml@lancaironline.net; Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:22:41 -0500 From: Colyn Case Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v1084) Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=Apple-Mail-41-787010786 Subject: Re: [LML] Re: [LML] Steam Gauge Replacement X-Original-Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:22:41 -0500 In-Reply-To: X-Original-To: "Lancair Mailing List" References: X-Original-Message-Id: X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1084) X-ELNK-Trace: 63d5d3452847f8b1d6dd28457998182d7e972de0d01da9404aa80caa1b9ba1e8f4bfb8e25d3457ef350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c X-Originating-IP: 72.73.82.72 --Apple-Mail-41-787010786 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 John, I don't know much about Castleberry. I do know they were the supplier = for Sporty's electric AI for a while and then I think what happened is = they decided they wanted to own the marketing themselves. The result = was a steep price increase and effectively lack of a product from = Sporty's. No doubt their volumes nose-dived as a result. I ended up with a mid-continent which has 1-hour standby and appears to = be in a similar price range once you count the battery. The = mid-continent battery is attached directly to the AI as you propose. = http://www.lifesavergyro.com/ Part of my reasoning is that the = conspicuous players in any industry have more to lose when they abuse = customers. I love mine and ended up buying one for the cessna also. I even prefer = flying behind it vs. the vacuum. (but I also have vac in the IVP with a wet pump. that's the backup) Colyn On Jan 19, 2012, at 9:01 AM, John Hafen wrote: Check out the attached. It's an electric AI with a battery backup, = that, I'm thinking, could be connected directly to the AI - bypassing = everything else that may get cooked by lightening or just fail. What = are your thoughts about this potential solution? On Jan 18, 2012, at 3:27 AM, Frederick Moreno wrote: =20 "I=92ve noticed that the term =91spinning mass gyro=92 is being used in = this discussion, as opposed to =91vacuum driven gyro=92. Does that mean = you all are comfortable with an electrically driven AI? That would make = sense if the AI contains only contains a simple electric motor which = consists of windings and permanent magnets. Those tend to be very = tolerant of voltage spikes." =20 Yup. But..... =20 "But if the electric AI contains even a single electronic component = (voltage regulator, integrated circuit, etc), wouldn=92t that make it = vulnerable to the same lightning strike that took out my fancy EFIS, = charging system, isolating diode, and backup battery?" =20 Aye, and there's the rub with an all electric airplane. (I own one.)=20 =20 Life is full of choices which means you have to make a series of = hopefully thoughtful decisions.=20 =20 One could choose a vacuum pump and gyro, but history shows that vacuum = pumps fail frequently, much more frequently than airplanes getting = struck with lightning. So I voted to dump the vacuum pump and use an = electric AI, and then follow the guidelines of current certified all = electric aircraft - dual alternators, dual batteries, alternate feed = pathways for power, Schottky diode pathways, and I added huge transient = suppressors (see Perehelion design). =20 I could not include the lightning protection put in certified aircraft. = So I put big ground lines in to all extremities of the aircraft in an = attempt to route any passing lighting bolt around the hot side of the = electrical system. Nonetheless, there is no question I could get nailed = by lightning taking out all the electrical systems. The defense if = obvious: if the Stormscope says there is a thunderbumper in the = neighborhood, the decision is to leave the neighborhood. That is = probably the most important decision of all. =20 I do have a vertical card compass front and center. If the lightning = leaves that alone, in theory I could use it to keep it pointed in the = right direction while I fly the back up steam gages for altitude and = airspeed. I have done so flying VFR while my Cheltons were inoperative = due to some GADAHRS work. =20 You pays your money and you takes your choices. You can reduce the = risk, but it will never be zero. Thoughtful decisions are very = important in the risk reduction process. =20 Fred =20 --Apple-Mail-41-787010786 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 http://www.lifesavergyro.com/ = Part of my reasoning is that the conspicuous players in any = industry have more to lose when they abuse = customers.

I love mine and ended up buying one = for the cessna also. I even prefer flying behind it vs. the = vacuum.

(but I also have vac in the IVP with a wet pump. = that's the = backup)

Colyn

On Jan = 19, 2012, at 9:01 AM, John Hafen wrote:

"I=92ve noticed that the term =91spinning mass gyro=92 = is being used in this discussion, as opposed to =91vacuum driven gyro=92. = Does that mean you all are comfortable with an electrically driven AI? = That would make sense if the AI contains only contains a simple electric = motor which consists of windings and permanent magnets. Those tend to be = very tolerant of voltage spikes."

Yup. But.....

"But if the electric AI contains even a single = electronic component (voltage regulator, integrated circuit, etc), = wouldn=92t that make it vulnerable to the same lightning strike that = took out my fancy EFIS, charging system, isolating diode, and backup = battery?"

Aye, and there's the rub with an all electric = airplane. (I own one.)

Life is full of choices which means you have to = make a series of hopefully thoughtful = decisions.

One could choose a vacuum pump and gyro, but = history shows that vacuum pumps fail frequently, much more frequently = than airplanes getting struck with lightning. So I voted to dump the = vacuum pump and use an electric AI, and then follow the guidelines of = current certified all electric aircraft - dual alternators, dual = batteries, alternate feed pathways for power, Schottky diode pathways, = and I added huge transient suppressors (see Perehelion = design).

I could not include the lightning = protection put in certified aircraft. So I put big ground lines in = to all extremities of the aircraft in an attempt to route any = passing lighting bolt around the hot side of the electrical = system. Nonetheless, there is no question I could get nailed by = lightning taking out all the electrical systems. The defense if = obvious: if the Stormscope says there is a thunderbumper in the = neighborhood, the decision is to leave the neighborhood. That is = probably the most important decision of = all.

I do have a vertical card compass front and = center. If the lightning leaves that alone, in theory I could use = it to keep it pointed in the right direction while I fly the back up = steam gages for altitude and airspeed. I have done so flying VFR = while my Cheltons were inoperative due to some GADAHRS = work.

You pays your money and you takes your = choices. You can reduce the risk, but it will never = be zero. Thoughtful decisions are very important in the risk = reduction process.

<= /span>

= --Apple-Mail-41-787010786--