X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:13:29 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from mail-yx0-f177.google.com ([209.85.210.177] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2.16) with ESMTP id 3878653 for lml@lancaironline.net; Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:03:28 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=209.85.210.177; envelope-from=bobatbmackey@gmail.com Received: by yxe7 with SMTP id 7so5882384yxe.25 for ; Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:02:52 -0700 (PDT) DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:sender:date:x-google-sender-auth:message-id:subject :from:to:content-type; b=Z2QXFvCndWS9HRJLsqzxo54MXzKoI0R3VtfuTZD0BUaAEI8VLfhsHndwtFTlc71bJJ OdAQTmSDTERaL7q8V31YYwuiV4fHxOVuIO+IE8DMYEHLVtnGXmPakCoNtbPU3eShzhQI IdMYUucd40JxUxbVST99WYoGVJkIMCeTDbh80= MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Original-Sender: bobatbmackey@gmail.com Received: by 10.101.7.17 with SMTP id k17mr989931ani.181.1254992572667; Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:02:52 -0700 (PDT) X-Original-Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 02:02:52 -0700 X-Google-Sender-Auth: 64024437d62274df X-Original-Message-ID: Subject: re: ALT FLD CB Problem From: bob mackey X-Original-To: lml@lancaironline.net Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 The first time the circuit breaker popped, it was because of some electrical fault. As others have described, the faults could have been battery, circuit breaker, voltage regulator, ground wire, etc... The second, third, and fourth times the circuit breaker popped, it was because it had been reset by the pilot. The circuit breaker is installed instead of a switch so that excess currents don't overheat the wiring. Consider the possibility that the circuit breaker was good, and there was a short to ground on the field wire. Further suppose that the short was heating enough to catch the oily wire on fire right next to the other oily wires... or a fuel line. In a 45 minute flight, a healthy battery should see you safely to the completion of the flight. Especially if you shed any unnecessary loads. If the battery itself is the problem, the handheld radio should get you back to a (VFR) airport. -bob