Subject: [FlyRotary] Overvoltage solved - tip to remember if yours goes bad

 

I am pretty sure I solved my overvoltage issue.  I drowned the alternator with electrical contact cleaner and after it dried I started it up.  Voltage was now reading 14.0-14.2 volts and it stayed that way throughout a couple of flights.  That is down from 14.5 to 14.8 volts which was setting off the alarm on the previous flight (verified with 2 volt meters.

Hi, Dave;

 

I’m trying to figure how the contact cleaner affects the output voltage. You know; typical engineer, I don’t just want to know it worked, I want to know WHY it worked. The only contacts in there are the brushes; which should not affect the voltage regulator.  Maybe there was a coating of dirt on the regulator which made it run hotter, which could affect the voltage.  But when I had a similar problem, and replaced the regulator, I didn’t find the one I removed to be dirty.

 

Be interesting to see if the fix continues.

 

Al G

 

P.S.  Getting the smoke system installed?