shajen

Check it out before you give it back to the owner. 🤣🤣🫢

Yes, using the Trig. I’ve got the sidetone set in the middle, perhaps I’ll play around with it a bit and see if it makes a difference. Didn’t think of that

I’m really happy today!!

The wiring we did actually works! It was as you said, incorrect wire going to instrument bus bar instead of battery. We changed that around and put in the inline fuse. Went for a fly yesterday and about 80% fixed. We can both hear each other, hear transmissions and others can hear us.

There is still a slight problem , when I transmit I can’t hear myself speaking and my passenger also can’t hear the transmission. When he makes a call it’s the same for me, I can’t hear what he’s transmitting.

I’ve still got to get the relay put in, too.

But basically my radio problem is sorted, I can live with the rest for a while.

Just wanted to say thankyou to everyone who gave advice and supported me.

RFGuy, I’d still love to drop in to Cowra sometime and meet you.

Happy flying everyone😀

So do you think the damage might already be done with the voltages being so high?  Is it likely this crowbar effect will continue even once earthing and fuses are fixed?

It’s a SP500, 19-3346.

We intend using diagram 1.  We can do the fuses and check earthing.

There is a guy who is good at avionics who is willing to check our work and put in the relay, but he’s on holidays till Nov. He’s the guy who had the VSWR

meter and checked the voltages against his machine.

The radio sounds great on the ground, but in the air under power, you just get noise and no radio. Initially when I first flew it home to Benalla, there was SO much static and screeching in my ears that I took the headphones off! Had such a headache when I got home.

Found out a cheap USB plug causing a lot of that, and since then we just keep finding other faults.

Funny how this all started by a radio issue that has been stumping us for a month. Along the way we’ve found and fixed quite a few other possible wiring problems. Earth wires not connected, intercom not connected, pilots headphone Jack needed replacing, no earthing on either headphone jacks, pins missing and in incorrect places on radio install, no fuse on radio. These were all on the inside of the firewall (cabin side). 
They all needed fixing, or would still be possible causes of interference and noise.

Hopefully once we fix wiring and earthing issues in front of the firewall I will have a safe and functional aircraft and a radio that works.

The help and suggestions and advice that I’ve got from everyone here has been phenomenal! Everyone’s busy , but so many people have spent the time to help me get this radio issue sorted.  Can’t thank you all enough!

if any of you ever fly to Mansfield, lunch is on me!

You’re a good nan, Glen! THAT makes it much easier!

This is photo taken a few weeks ago, doesn’t show the regulator. 
Note there is no yellow wire going to the battery.

Is the thing on the firewall the main bus? Is that where the isolator should go?

The red power wire from the regulator is where I’m guessing the 20 amp fuse should go. Does it matter where along the wire it needs to go? Ie close to battery, or close or regulator? Does it matter?

Ok, so I’ve got the fuses and relay. I could only get 5 amp blade fuse, not 1 amp.  Tomorrow Shane and I will do the following:

1 put the yellow wire from the regulator direct to positive on battery

2 ensure the earth wire is connected to engine block or the negative on the battery.

We still need to determine where the 20amp fuse needs to go and the isolator. I have some wiring diagrams downloaded that may help.

We will get these first two parts done anyway, and ask around the gliding people and see if anyone can help during the week!

Hopefully this is where most of the interference has been coming from.

Thanks again

Ah ha! That answers that question, mine is new!

Thanks Mike

Hey Glen,

looking at the regulator wiring diagram from Jabiru, I’m a little confused. 
Jamie at Jabiru said the yellow should go direct to the positive on the battery via a 1amp fuse. But the diagram shows the yellow goes to the main bus and red goes to battery positive. 
Am I missing something?

Ok, will go shopping tomorrow! 
 

Actually, that’s a great idea. There are heaps of gliders here!

thanks

Glen, thanks for that!

I’ve done none of the work myself, all done by my L2 and another guy there who does avionics on RAAus aircraft.  I won’t mention where, but I don’t think that avionics man knew what he was doing.  I haven’t been back to him but am now using a guy from AY who is quite switched on. But he’s flat out and doesn’t go to Benalla. So that’s why I’m asking so many questions and trying to find people locally who can test stuff, 

But if I shouldn’t fly until I get this fixed, I’m stumped! I wouldn’t even know how to wire anything, let alone put a fuse in.

maybe I can find a friendly auto electrician around here.

will let you know how I get on🤞

I agree! Definitely overcharging!

Jabiru has said this could be because the yellow wire from the new regulator isn’t connected back to the battery. Causes the regulator to constantly increase the charge as it’s not being earthed correctly. (Or something along those lines, sorry I’m not up with electric stuff).  He said that may be causing the issues.  
 

This will be the next thing to check next time I’m at the aircraft. 

Trig has said there are no issues with the radio, didn’t think there would be, but it’s nice to have that eliminated.

I do hope if anyone else has a similar issue they might find something useful from all this😀

Thanks Blueadventures!

Hi Guys,

this time I had a proper check of the voltages, not just the glance like last time. They are definately way too high! At 1000 rpm it’s on 14.4 without anything on, and then peaks at 15.8 when flying. When I got back down my friend put on a gauge to check if volt meter reading correctly. It is correct. 
He also checked the AC current, it was reading 30.3.  He didn’t think it should have been reading anything.

Spoke to my avionics guy, he thought it may be faulty regulator, perhaps still a bit of a grounding issue too. And at worst it may be a problem with the alternator. I hope not … that would mean the engine having to come out again! But I guess it should be a warranty issue. 
 

we noticed when flying that it does seem to cut in and out. Ocassionally we can actually hear, although most of the time not.

Ok!

Blueadventures, I do have a 5v usb in the dash, but it doesn’t get used for anything.

RFguy, agree that’s it’s been a combination of a few things. I can order more ferrite clamps easy enough.  And will look for the DCDC connector.

Blueadventures, I can get some photos organised next week, thanks

Sealed, lead acid.

Haha, my maint book had NOTHING in it until I bought it. Spent heaps getting all the SDs etc up to date and getting everything “right”.  Taken 18 months!  He had all sorts of weird stuff in the dash such as house electrical wire!

Anyway, will check next time I’m over there! 
So glad there are people on this forum willing to give advice:))

RFGuy, it’s a Gen 4 3300 engine. Battery is 18 months old, think it’s called Full River. It is the correct one for my engine.

RFGuy, I’m not sure about DCDC converters. I’ll have to ask someone where to look.

I bet in the end it will be something like you say, fairly simple, but wrong thing in the wrong place!

will get back to you next week when I’m back there.

Blue adventures, yes I have looked at it, and I think there has been more than one issue. The ferrite clamps have actually reduced some of the noise. The noise is now more that the noise from the engine overrides what I can hear at higher rpm. I’m probably not describing it very accurately.

Rf guy, new regulator fitted with new engine at the same time as new radio.

checked voltages yesterday, 1000rpm 14.4, runups at 2000 14.4 and 2300 about the same. All what is expected, nothing higher or spiking, and nothing below 14.