STI Farm Fox Build Log

[Kitfox Pilot]

EarthX is great IMHO. Im replacing my first battery after 600hrs and five years of use. Just last month I ran that battery dead by leaving my panel on too long during an update on the Garmin stuff while I did other stuff in the hangar. I used my EarthX jump pack to start it. Worked beautifully. I had the lead already installed so I just hooked the jump pack to the lead right inside the oil door. Simple . After that, I started to experience my G3x shut down on engine start from time to time. I now turn my backup battery on during engine start. I just received a fresh EarthX yesterday. EarthX customer service is great as well so I figured I could give them props here while I had the opportunity.

So far I like my first Earthx at 2 years of age, good to hear yours has made it to 5 so far.

[airlina]

Here is my solution for a backup starting solution that I installed several years ago. Like Jim posted above I am a big fan of the original Earth X jump pack . As you can see in the picture its a small but powerful solution for my needs. My Series 5 is powered by the Continental IO-240 engine which requires my Odyssey battery to be empennage mounted for wt&bal requirements. The battery cable runs the length of the fuselage which is not ideal for starter OPS especially in cold weather. As you can see in the pics I have the Earth X plug connection below my throttle quadrant in the cockpit, so its a simple matter of plugging the small battery into the plug when needed. It spins the Continental like a turbine. I have actually used the jump pack to start my snowplow truck on occasion and other pieces of equipment , so i keep it in my truck at all times except when flying. Thats the good news, the bad news is that they don't sell this particular unit anymore , but have replaced it with a bigger unit (more expensive too) Hoping mine lasts a long time as I have found it ideal for my ops,. Bruce N199CL

[Kitfox Pilot]

Here is my solution for a backup starting solution that I installed several years ago. Like Jim posted above I am a big fan of the original Earth X jump pack . As you can see in the picture its a small but powerful solution for my needs. My Series 5 is powered by the Continental IO-240 engine which requires my Odyssey battery to be empennage mounted for wt&bal requirements. The battery cable runs the length of the fuselage which is not ideal for starter OPS especially in cold weather. As you can see in the pics I have the Earth X plug connection below my throttle quadrant in the cockpit, so its a simple matter of plugging the small battery into the plug when needed. It spins the Continental like a turbine. I have actually used the jump pack to start my snowplow truck on occasion and other pieces of equipment , so i keep it in my truck at all times except when flying. Thats the good news, the bad news is that they don't sell this particular unit anymore , but have replaced it with a bigger unit (more expensive too) Hoping mine lasts a long time as I have found it ideal for my ops,. Bruce N199CL

That is amazing that small battery will start a IO 240 engine. Should not have any problem with a rotax. Thanks Bruce, like I said before I was not aware they even made a jump pack.

[Kitfox Pilot]

I'm adding a master solenoid on the plane and the one that came with the firewall forward kit is mounted on plastic. The Lamar that I bought for the second one is bare metal mount. Is there any reason to be mounted on plastic spacers.

[Geek]

Hey Harlan - So the first thing I gotta ask is if you purchased a continuous relay or an intermittent one cause they look the same but different internals. Going to assume it's continuous (P/N X61-0028). The relay we got for our firewall forward used a ground from the switch to activate it. One side of the coil was hooked internally to 12V (hence only one external post to hook the switch to) and the isolators are there as a secondary protection to guard against a direct battery short to ground if the coil were to short to the case of the relay. Here's a diagram of the Lamar connection. Without having the relay here to measure, I would assume that by the name "non grounded metal contactor" that one side of the coil is NOT connected to the case of the relay.

lamarsolenoidinstall.jpg

You need to check if the case of your Lamar relay is shorted to either side of the coil (0 Ohms) (posts C and D in the illustration). I don't think it is but check. If it isn't shorted to the case, then you're OK to put the 12V on the coil and send a ground from your switch and it will work. I will admit however when it comes to switching that much current, I like having the relay isolated from the chassis with the back up isolators as well. I have seen some of these type relays when they fail and they can short to the case internally causing bad juju (technical term for 'sparks').

Hope this helps.

Gary

[Delta Whisky]

Harlan - just a thought but if you didn't have one on your first installation, this would be a great time to add a fly-back diode if you don't already have one in the circuit. The schematic that came in my instruction manual didn't show one but they really add to the life of a solenoid. While you are at it, you might want to put one on your starter solenoid as well. BTW - the news I'm seeing suggests that it is pretty cold in your neighborhood. (Please don't send it my way.)

[Kitfox Pilot]

Very cold here Darrel. I do have the diodes on my solenid.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catal...?clickkey=5006
Gary,This is the one I bought. It says floating ground case. I have replaced alot of solenoids, not on airplanes, but never one with the plastic on the mounts. Thanks for helping with my ignorance on this. I just wanted to be sure before putting it on and trying it.
I will be connecting ground to master switch to activate. Thanks Harlan

[jrevens]

….The schematic that came in my instruction manual didn't show one but they really add to the life of a solenoid….

Actually the diode is to protect/extend the life of the switch that activates the solenoid. Like Darrel said, the starter solenoid will benefit from one too. Actually, any component that uses a switch to activate a magnetic coil. The potential damage to the switch contacts occurs when the switch is turned off, causing the magnetic field to collapse and a momentary spike of high voltage, which can cause a damaging arc across the separating contacts.

[Shadowrider]

Hey Harlan just curious why your adding one?

[Kitfox Pilot]

Dustin, I am adding a backup battery and I have decided to add one that will start the plane while I am at it because I go to a lot off very off airport spots by myself and have no friends with planes that could land on the smaller places I go. I decided to add another master while I was at it to double the things I have backed up.