--
Kelly Troyer
Dyke Delta/13B/RD1C/EC2





Just had to say something about alternators and regulators. If
you really want an education on regulators call Femi at Hazotonics,
use to be his companies name. He may have changed it but it is in
Trade-A-Plane. He owns the company that makes after market regulator
replacements, and also repairs them. He is not Electronsonics. That
company is something entirely different. He is real interesting to
talk to on regulators, and anything electrical. Here is a tip if you
want to catch a alternator before it eats up your regulator. Once a
year grab your digital volt ohm meter. Hook it up to the aircraft DC
bus system. Now don't set it to DC, set it to AC. When the alternator
diodes start to break down from age, and heat they start loosing
their ability to chop off the AC output from the alternator and you
still get your DC current but it will have AC voltage riding on top
of the DC. It is kind of cool to read it. Normally the alternator has
about .1 or .2 volts AC showing on the Volt ohm meter on a brand new
alternator. That's the best the diodes can do to make it a clean DC
output. I have seen people put on brand new regulators, and have them
destroyed in short amount of flight time due to the diodes starting
to go. When the alternator diodes start to go, the AC reading jumps
all over the place showing higher voltages of ac like 4, 7, 6,3, 1,2,
back to one then back up again to a random number above the .1 or .3
volt range of your meter, all bad readings are over a volt in the AC
range on the meter . You could also tell this if you have a Loran
installed if you check the signal to noise ration in the Loran it
would get so bad it would knock the Loran chain out, that you were
using. Saw it on a helicopter I use to maintain.