flyrotary@lancaironline.net Mailing List Archive

Could be a bad breaker, Rusty. But since those are fairly simple devices, I wouldn't expect it to reset if busted. I will report what I find as always - busted alternator OR busted circuit breaker {:>)

Ed Anderson
RV-6A N494BW Rotary Powered
Matthews, NC

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

From: Russell Duffy

To: Rotary motors in aircraft

Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2004 7:13 PM

Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Back from Sun & Fun

Adding to the fuse vs Circuit break debate. I had my alternator field coil circuit breaker pop three times during the flight home. I reset it and it generally ran another 1 1/2 hours before popping again. Don't know what the problem is until I dig into it, but it kelp producing 14 volts while it ran so was plenty good to get me home. Could not have reset a fuse, so while I do use fuses or non flight critical items (such as instruments) all my flight critical systems are with circuit breakers.

Can't wait to hear what you find. Maybe a bad breaker, which will certainly add to the fuse vs breaker debate, but not in the way you expected :-)

Cheers,

Rusty (my brain is a fuse)