Essential Bus

[henrysamson]

Hank,

Good info for all. Can you post a link to the solar panels you used?

Greg

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...clickkey=13768

The larger one. I have it mounted in a manner that makes it very easy to remove. There is extra cable at the panel so I can, if needed remove the turtle deck, remove the panel and place it a few feet away, outside the aircraft and pointed directly at the sun. Never have had to use this feature although if I was really stuck in a remote location with a dead battery I would. It is covered by the Kitfox Aircraft cover which I usually put on the aircraft when parked overnight on an airport ramp. Which is too bad but I like to have the plane covered.

The output from the solar regulator is connected to the battery through a 15 amp line fuse using a molex plug. I can disconnect the solar regulator and have adapted a battery charger so I can plug it in at the same location. Makes it easy to give the battery a couple of hours of charge if I have not flown it for a while. I don't have to remove the cowlings and the battery box cover. The fuse is to avoid problems if there is a short.

I can also plug the solar panel directly into a usb adapter that allows me to charge my tablet computer or phone In the desert, after flying I often plug my tablet in to let it charge for the afternoon.

Any idea on why the cap blew up? What was its voltage rating, value, type and how old was it? I've got an aluminum electrolytic in mine and I'm not fond of in-flight surprise explosions.

The capacitor was provided with my firewall forward from Skystar back in '03 and flying since A/C completion in May '13. I still have it and will take a look next time I am at the airport and give the specifics and take a picture. The new one is the one sold by ACS and is much larger. I think that perhaps the extreme heat in the desert had something to do with it. It is pretty brutal. I also flew trough a lot of rain on the way there and perhaps some moisture made its way in although I had no other problems. Everything was working fine until it blew. I have an over voltage "crowbar" that would take the alternator offline on the DC side if the voltages go over about 16.3 volts.

Another pilot at the burn is an A&P and an authorized Rotax mechanic. He said that some of the newer light sport aircraft that he works on have dispensed with the capacitor completely. Perhaps the regulator/rectifier is not as sensitive as the earlier ones were reported to be. Also, I did use my radio, intercom and music after the regulator came back online and without the capacitor and there was no audio noise which is one of the reasons for having the capacitor in the first place. Along with protecting the regulator/rectifier.