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View Full Version : Voltage regulator/rectifier on 582



Jwayneball@aol.com
01-30-2015, 03:34 PM
I have a KF3/582 equipped with a KeyWest regulator/rectifier. The regulator went bad about a year ago and I replaced it. Now, it seems to be going bad again. Sometimes my voltage shows nearly 14, hand swinging slightly with strobes on the it drops to 8 and is dead still, no rocking. I've checked grounds and all connections and find all ok. I have about 50 hrs on this regulator. Do they burn out with so short a life? Could the alternating drain of the strobe lights be causing it to burn out quickly? Anyone else experience this problem?
WAYNE
Maple Valley, WA

Av8r_Sed
01-30-2015, 05:00 PM
Any idea on how much current you're drawing, with and without the stobes on? The regulator has to dissapate a fair amount of heat. How is it mounted? It should be in contact with the firewall if possible, or at least with good free air flow around it.

JimS
01-31-2015, 11:55 PM
I went through a couple of the epoxy potted ones in about 200 hours, then bought the one with the cooling fins (cost twice as much) and that one lasted til I sold the engine at 600 hours. (Just my experience).
JimS

Av8r_Sed
02-01-2015, 07:35 AM
For what it's worth, I'm using a motorcycle regulator (Yamaha Shindengen FH020AA) with MosFET technology. It provides solid voltage regulation and dissipates less heat than the original Rotax unit I had. It's designed for a three phase stator, but I'm only using a single phase.

EBay listing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/YAMAHA-SHINDENGEN-FH020AA-REGULATOR-W-CONNECTORS-REPLACES-FH012AA-/380705241034?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3AYamaha&hash=item58a3ccf7ca&vxp=mtr

Caution! Like a lot of Chinese electronics, counterfeits are prevalent. Try to find a standup vendor.

t j
02-01-2015, 08:09 AM
My kit came with the epoxy pot regulator. I's still in the box. I bought the high dollar Rotax finned one instead. It lasted about 35 hours. Instructions said if it goes out you can hook up the other yellow wire and go again. I didn't do that, just got a Key west. Something over a hundred hours on it now and no problems.

inzersv
02-07-2015, 12:16 PM
The one that came with my engine is the Ducati with fins. Is this the one that isn't lasting very long? Since I have it, I will install it, but keep an eye on it. The instructions say to place it just aft of the firewall on the fuselage structure. This would seem to give it good air flow. Where have others put it without any problems?

WWhunter
02-17-2015, 08:33 AM
Is there any possible way to check one of these regulators while it is not connected.
Last fall when I was about to go for a flight, all of a sudden the guages went wild with needles jumping all over the place. The voltage was going up and down at a fast rate. I shut the plane down and yanked off the regulator.
I was leaving for the winter so I brought the regulator with me in hopes of getting it checked.
It is the finned Ducati with just over 200 hrs. on it. I have noticed a couple of times a fluctuation in the voltage but it would quickly stabalize.
This is what is stamped on the regulator:

9509 12VDC
DUCATI energia
343620

Av8r_Sed
02-17-2015, 11:15 AM
Try this:
http://pointsforpilots.blogspot.com/2012/12/testing-rotax-912914-generator-and.html

And to go with, there's a schematic here:
http://www.aeroelectric.com/Mfgr_Data/Regulators/Ducati_Rotax/Ducati_Regulator_Wiring_1.pdf

WWhunter
02-17-2015, 04:08 PM
Paul,

Thank you! Unfortunately I can't test it on the plane since I am currently in MD and the plane is in that frigid arctic state called Minnesota. I won't be home until late April or early May. Maybe I can find a Rotax guru somewhere over in this area that can check it out.

catnipp
04-28-2016, 10:18 PM
will this work> http://www.ebay.com/itm/MOSFET-motorcycle-Aluminum-voltage-regulator-rectifier-For-HONDA-CX650E-TOP-/251868152990?hash=item3aa483049e:g:5-AAAOSwNSxVCPH2&vxp=mtr
AMie



For what it's worth, I'm using a motorcycle regulator (Yamaha Shindengen FH020AA) with MosFET technology. It provides solid voltage regulation and dissipates less heat than the original Rotax unit I had. It's designed for a three phase stator, but I'm only using a single phase.

EBay listing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/YAMAHA-SHINDENGEN-FH020AA-REGULATOR-W-CONNECTORS-REPLACES-FH012AA-/380705241034?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3AYamaha&hash=item58a3ccf7ca&vxp=mtr

Caution! Like a lot of Chinese electronics, counterfeits are prevalent. Try to find a standup vendor.

Av8r_Sed
04-29-2016, 06:32 AM
will this work> http://www.ebay.com/itm/MOSFET-motorcycle-Aluminum-voltage-regulator-rectifier-For-HONDA-CX650E-TOP-/251868152990?hash=item3aa483049e:g:5-AAAOSwNSxVCPH2&vxp=mtr
AMie

Answer: Unknown without a data sheet. I think this particular one is unlikely to be your solution. You need to know how many amps it can deliver. A good match for the lighting coil would be somewhere around 13-15 amps.

If you want to hit the easy button on this, just get the Key West unit, install and go flying.

catnipp
04-29-2016, 07:58 AM
ok, i have a kw, it getswa rm, i was told they kill staters lol so i put the dam rotax one in and it got hot, so hot i couldnt touch it and is heatsinked! so today the kw is going back in! it has always worked fine. i just always second guess my self. I am running it on my 447. so yea 16A is enough. i have a 12ah lifepo battery, small but enough for the starter and i run fuel gage, strobe and radio, the rest is just charge to the battery, it shows 14.6V so its all working. I was concerned about the shunt action of this type of reg. but it seems that is the way the stater is run. I have it in my head it should float, or just go open when it cuts off the need from the source. Just makes heat and drag, seems to be a waste to me. but if thats how they are designed to work its going back in as is. the kw gets warm to touch but not HOT. thanks AMie :)
P.S. the old guys have talked me out of hanging the 503 on the kf lite too. this 447 is strong free air and performs well, i thought i wanted duel ignition but they tell me it will just create other problems to hang the 503 which is a drop in setup for me. :)



Answer: Unknown without a data sheet. I think this particular one is unlikely to be your solution. You need to know how many amps it can deliver. A good match for the lighting coil would be somewhere around 13-15 amps.

If you want to hit the easy button on this, just get the Key West unit, install and go flying.

tx_swordguy
04-29-2016, 05:18 PM
Not sure how the 503 would create any new problems other than a slightly more HP, dual ignition is nice and will give a slightly higher rpm and a couple more hp over non dual ig. The KW regulator says it works even without a resistor, but if you are not running anything off it, it doesn't like it much because it has to disipate the excess electricity itself and it does it in heat. If you are not running much off of it you might put a resistor on the output side to stabilize the charge and give it as much air as possible.

catnipp
04-29-2016, 08:42 PM
I put a 10 ohm 15W ceramic resistor between the line at my main switch so it has a 1 amp draw so even when the batt is full this way the reg should not have to work so hard and deal with heat. it got just warm today when i flew some. always some crap! I will need to re work the free air scoop for the 503, the rest is pretty much drop in. dont need more power but redundancy is what i am looking for. after some tweaking it ran the best it has ever the past two times I went up. cruise speed is 65-67 at 5050 rpm!! egt 1000 and cht 290-300! even wide open egt didnt go past 1025! only goes up like it should on decent but never past 1150! seems to be dialed in just right.



Not sure how the 503 would create any new problems other than a slightly more HP, dual ignition is nice and will give a slightly higher rpm and a couple more hp over non dual ig. The KW regulator says it works even without a resistor, but if you are not running anything off it, it doesn't like it much because it has to disipate the excess electricity itself and it does it in heat. If you are not running much off of it you might put a resistor on the output side to stabilize the charge and give it as much air as possible.

Av8r_Sed
04-30-2016, 06:16 AM
I haven't heard of the KeyWest killing stators. I'm not sure why that would be. I believe the design is superior to the original Rotax unit, but it's still a shunt regulator and will waste power for no useful purpose.

When I did have the Rotax regulator it was mounted on the cabin side of the firewall on a big heatsink with thermal compound and all.

Do you know what your normal running current draw is? I tried to minimize mine by installing LED lighting which helped a great deal. Also, the motorcycle type MOSFET regulator I'm using burns less power and regulates better than the original Rotax without the load resistor.

Captdill
06-20-2016, 05:50 AM
I'll resurrect this thread to tell you my woes. I run a 503 with Rotax finned regulator. It charged nice but lots of radio noise. All I did was relocate it and shield some wires. Now its dead. OK, first flight I forgot to install the fuse in the line to the battery, Was wowed by the lack of radio noise, but obviously no charging. Reinstalled fuse, still no charging.

"Instructions said if it goes out you can hook up the other yellow wire and go again."

Thanks for that comment Tom, I have long since lost the instructions.