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Greetings,

Filled up with=20 gas, and took off to buzz the beach. =20 At this point, I decided that the engine was trustworthy enough = to=20 venture out, even if it meant flying over the bay at 1400 ft. After blowing past a = Cherokee=20 that departed ahead of me, I got to about the middle of the bay, about = 10=20 miles away, and noticed that my volt meter was reading 11.5V. Hmmm, that should be = 14.5V. I wonder how long the = alternator has=20 been out? Immediate 180 = turn, 60=20 degree bank, and back to the airport, = passing=20 the Cherokee going the opposite direction this time. I turned off all the = non-essential=20 stuff, and called a straight-in precautionary landing to 36. The voltage never went any = lower, and=20 everything kept running just fine as I taxied back to the hanger.

Upon=20 inspection, I found the 100A fuse to the alternator blown. This doesn=92t exactly give = me a warm=20 fuzzy feeling, especially since I can=92t see anything wrong except = for the=20 blown fuse. Replaced = the fuse,=20 but didn=92t have a chance to test it since it was getting dark. I=92ll be really surprised = if the=20 alternator itself is bad, but I=92ll find out when I run it = again. Fortunately, I already have = the rev-2,=20 smaller alternator that can be mounted now if necessary.

As a side=20 note, the engine didn=92t run all that well in descent, so I may have = done more=20 harm than good with my prop-off dual map calibration attempt. FWIW,=20 Tracy said I could scratch = out=20 that paragraph in the instructions about calibrating this with the = prop off=20 :-)

On another note, Tracy also said that he's = hoping to=20 ship the first EM-2's around the end of Nov! The year was not = specified=20 though :-)

Rusty (I need a new job- Hello GE=20 Medical...)

Good Catch, Rusty!

Not a good place to = practice=20 your engine out procedures - at 1400 MSL over the gulf {:>) = One=20 good thing, you can get further on a dying battery in a fast airplane = than you=20 could with a slow one.

I have a big indicator = light right=20 in front of me on my instrument panel that comes on when abnormal = voltage=20 conditions exists (Low or High). I presume that Tracy's = EM2 has=20 some sort of announciation alarm for such things. Now, that I = only have=20 one battery rather than two, I find myself monitoring my voltage a bit = more=20 often

Keeping alert for abnormal = operations is=20 what its about - ask me.

Ed Anderson

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