Re: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: Alternator Warning Light

Actually, I found exactly what I was looking for at an RC Helicopter web store (Google to the rescue again!). It was $6 and has an LED and an audible alarm. It's about 1" long, 3/4" wide and 1/4" thick. It has a solid blue LED if the battery is >11.3 volts, a flashing blue LED if the battery falls to between 11.2 and 10.2 volts, a flashing red LED if the battery goes below 10.2 volts and a solid RED LED and an audible alarm if the battery falls below 9.2 volts. I rigged it temporarily so it plugs into the cigarette lighter and have it attached to the panel with velcro. Now if the belt breaks, the alternator stops working or the idiot pilot forgets to turn the Alternator and Field switches on (a repeat of which in my case is very unlikely), the radio failure won't come as a sudden surprise.

 

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

From: flybellaire2004

To: Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 9:50 AM

Subject: Light-Sport Aircraft Yahoo group Re: Alternator Warning Light

 

Hi,
No desire to step on toes.. I didn't read all the posts on this. Having an extensive background in electronics, there ARE Digital bar graph integrated circuits, which will drive a bar graph LED. They consume about 20 ma (almost non existent power wise), and the needed voltage to operate is only 5 volts. They can also be operated with a separate battery.. but why? If your A/C battery is down to 5.. then it really doesn't matter. They could also be made to illuminate an additional "front and center", brighter warning light.. or horn. The bar graph LED can be as small as 3/8" x 3/4".. so very little panel space is needed. And just as easily can be made to endure significant spikes or over-voltage conditions.

Jerry

--- In Sport_Aircraft@yahoogroups.com, "Bill" <wrhobson@...> wrote:
>
> What with our ever-increasing reliance on airborne electronic gear I'd like to install a simple (cheap) alternator warning light in my plane. Something that would maybe blink and/or produce an audible alarm when the battery discharged below a pre-set level would be ideal. Has anybody run across such an item? Thanks.
>

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