|
A few guys asked for fotos of the modified EC100
and remote button.
Attached are several fotos of the
modified Vision Micro System EC100 Announciator device. The buttons
on the device are difficult to push when you are in a turbulant situation with
your arm outstreatched and running through an emergency checkoff
would be very difficult and cumbersome for the same reason SOOOO We added a
parallel button on the control stick to scroll down through the checkoff
list.
Foto No 1 Shows the front panel of the EC100 and
the populated PC board with the mounted chips and the four white push control
buttons. We are going to parallel the last button on the right which is
used to scroll down through checkoff lists with a push button on the right top
of the menzheimer control handle.
Foto No 2 shows the back side of the front panel
showing a piece of double sided foam tape to act as a spacer between the front
panel and PC board. This was needed to true up the finished installation.
For some reason the button would reflex backwards when depressed. This might
have been caused by our heavier wire guage.You may not need to do
this.
Foto No 3 shows a close up of where we drilled into
the PC traces and soldered the wires. I cannot recall which trace did
what. You must use a VOM and test this circuitry out to determine each
trace function and connect it properly to the DPDT solid state
relay.
Foto No 4 shows the external parallel solid state
relay on the bread board. The red and black wires power the relay. The
fitting end plugs into the pilot handle wire bundle for the push
button.
Not shown is the top cover plate for the
EC100. We cut a rectangular hole in the cover plate to pass the bread
board and relay through it as we were uncomfortable forcing the wires (a strain
relieve issue) out the back end of the EC100. Result of poor planning. You
should add another connector or mount a connector on the box.
Foto No 5 shows that the EC100 installed in
the instrument panel immediately above the attitude indicator and
altimeter just under the glare shield right in front of your face. Also,
all warning lights, (canopy open, stall warning, gear warning above the ILS
marker beacon), ILS marker beacon, fuel guages, and fuel pump lights are
just under the glare shield again right in front of your face so there should be
no excuse to see these important indicators in your vision cone. This has proven
to be an excellent idea, as commented from many lancair pilots, especially the
fuel guage and pump lights. Many fellas mount the fuel guages low on the
consul above the valves and pump switches. My approach was "out of site, out of
mind". Keep it in the forefront and you will not forget.
As an aside, there are other (warning lights
installed.) Just below the Cessna master switch is a red light. and two
DPDT switches. The switches are the Bob Nuckells left, right mag and start
switch concept using DPDT. With right switch off and left switch
momentarily up the starter engages and the red light is on. When running,
turn on the right mag on and release the left switch to center normally
on. The red light goes off when power to the starter is
disconnected. THUS, if the starter relay is stuck the light is on, the
starter is running but you may not hear it above the prop and engine noise so
the response is to shut down if the red light stays on.
Just above the Cessna master switch is a small
green LED which is on when the battery switch is on. Not show but
connected to the same circuit is a pressure switch located on the canopy latch
mechanism with a chime. The chime alarms when battery switch is on and canopy
latch unlocked. This has saved my battery many times.
The gear switch assy is mounted on the aluminum
cutout for the altimeter and installed in the smaller standard size
hole. We thought this was a more appealing design. The lights
and switch are a single round assembly. At 11 O'Clock from this assy is a green
light wired to the normally closed side of the gear air safety pressure
switch. This light is a safety light indicating to you that when it is on,
the ground gear retraction is safe. At 70 KTIS the light goes
out.
These comments reflect some of the safety warning
features on N94RJ.
Bob Smiley
N94RJ
|