bushpilot

G Great news D! We also find them very good to deal with us on this sort of thing - although our issues have only been relatively minor. Can you elaborate on what they did for you? I'm sure a few owners have been following your story here...

Looks a bit like a cut-down Airvan to me....

SOLD! and gone to a good family.. Thanks to all those that have enquired. Our fleet is now J160, J170 (new config without large ventral) and 2, J230s. All available for private hire as well as training.. (Unpaid advert. :-)

Found the source of our hard starting J230 problem: A dying battery cell. Jabaru replaced under warranty, no quibbles. But to make sure, we now have battery maintainers connected to both our J230s when temps are expected to go below 5 C over night (i.e. most nights here in Bathurst at this time of the year!). We have suspended them from the hangar ceiling, so that there are no cords to trip on and they plug staight into the Jab external Anderson plugs. Works well and the bonus is they condition and extend the life of the batteries.

We applaud this idea..

So, how do we present all the constructive feedback to the RAA Exec? It needs to be a compilation of the best of the ideas - but who judges the 'best' ideas? I would suggest staying clear of venue and date change suggestions - and focus on making what we have a better event, without blowing out the cost too much..

Q to anyone that was there - I had to leave half way through: The 'usual' oil is Shell Huile Aviation 20w-50w. Did Keith mention an alternative?

Just because you "haven't seen" them doesn't mean they are not out there. Of the Jab motors serviced by our L2 (all have done / are doing circuit work) : * 3 have gone full TBO * 1 has 840 hours with nothing more than normal services * 1 has 400 hours with nothing more than normal services * 1 has 340 hours with nothing more than normal services

I flew in from Bathurst on both Friday and Saturday - returning each evening. Missed Thursday instructors forum due to weather. My views: Landing and parking support - superb. (Brickbat to the RV pilot on Friday morning who joined witha minimal radio call and cut off a Jab on late final, forcing the Jab to go-around..) Exhibitors generally of good standard - and well staffed. Forums good. Needs more PA speakers near the runway fence, where most gather to watch. Need temporary street (finger) signs on the West end of each internal road with the forum hangars shown. Have a sun-shade in the middle of the open area 50m SW of the Temora Aero Club building with "Meeting Place" signage; to make it easier to find people or re-group after splitting up earlier. I never found the RAA registration tent. Nor the Cessna Skycatcher display - where was it?

Hey David - This is huge help - especially in the educative sense. And I'm sure others will benefit from your summary. Thanks a lot. Hopefully you will have some knowledge of battery technologies as well. We have been doing some research to try and establish if we can use jump starter packs that are designed for 'normal' lead-acid batteries in cars, boats etc. on the sealed gel type used by Jabiru and other a/c. (Chargers are not an issue as there are several designed specifically for gel batteries - eg CTek. These are brilliant - tough and technically smart: http://batteriesdirect.com.au/shop/product/10571/multi-xs4003.html Here is one view on jump packs; you might care to comment on it: Gel cells and Absorbed Glass Mat batteries are similar to conventional lead-acid batteries, except that: - the acid electrolyte is in a jelly material or soaked into fibreglass mats (AGM) - this means that they can be used in any orientation, so suitable for aircraft - they are "sealed" which means that in normal charging and use, any small amounts of hydrogen and oxygen which are produced via electrolysis are kept within the cell, and are able to recombine into water - however they do have a safety release valve so that if the battery is charged too fast, which results in too much electrolysis hence too much hydrogen and oxygen building up, the gases can escape rather than rupture the battery - if the hydrogen and oxygen escape instead of recombining, then the electrolyte dries out and eventually the battery fails So the risk of using a battery booster pack is that the charging current will be unregulated, (especially jump packs with dead battery compensators - ie more punch) hence probably too high, which may cause electrolysis, hence battery damage. It might be possible to avoid such damage by only plugging the booster in for short periods while starting.

This is now a brilliantly helpful thread; thanks guys for all your thoughtful suggestions.. The only reservations I have about trying an A/M solenoid is that we cannot change from factory 'approved' items when the a/c is used for training - which is all 3 of our Jabs. But what I am really interested in is DavidH10's dialogue on electrical inputs, outputs and resistance; he clearly knows more about spark making than I ever will. Yet when I talk to the local LAME about how to check that all of these things are in order in our Jabs, I get a shrug. So, David, would u be good enough to provide some insight as to how the electrical performance and condition of a Jab motor (or I guess any motor) can be tested? I mean which instrument to use on which part of the system in which order and what readings are normal. That has to be a better way than trying a heap of things and never knowing what actually fixed the problem....

Thanks for going to the trouble to dig up this info, SBF.. Brian - Ref your suggestion - you are pretty handy with things mechanical - so why do u think spinning it on the starter with mags off first helps? I would have thought that that would take the edge off the battery... It needs the full 12.8V to produce the 300rpm on crank, to start.

SBF, What solenoid did you put in yours? And where did you get it? And what motor is it?

Hmmm - Winter has arrived and now our J230s dont like these cold mornings - even with all the recommended Jab factory mods - drilled choke jets (1.2mm), 19 thou plug gaps, earth wire and fully charged batteries. Even a 900 amp jump pack wont kick one on the 230s into life. Leave it til later in the day when air temp goes above 10 degrees and they both start just fine. Our J160 is fine all the time. Anyone had recent experience with overcoming 2 degree morning starts??

Anyone got any update news on the "new" (long-nose) J170; info or 'spy' pics?

Deferral of sale - need aircraft until late April - but will now include 'new' 1000 hour motor - by Jabiru factory in April. (Engine is running fine, but will include top-end overhaul in the deal). Same price: $55,000 + GST http://www.recreationalflying.com/classifieds/aircraft-recreational-1/bargain-j160-499/

Belated post - but Bacchus Marsh turned out to be the perfect parking station with access to Melbourne. Easy to get in to; no landing or standing costs; avgas; 40 min train ride into Melbourne city - Southern Cross. And a very friendly and helpful group of RAA fliers! Thanks Brian and Linda! (And dont forget to start a thread covering your current project!)

Talking with a school that has fitted the mods to their J170 in last few weeks - and they have had 2 instances of ventral strike already.. Any other early experiences out there??

Hi Kaz - Been travelling, hence the delayed reply. I need to be in Melbourne for a conference next Sunday evening.. from Bathurst, NSW. So after looking at the charts, and transport options to the CBD, Bacchus Marsh, or even Ballarat, are looking good; but probably the former. Now just waiting to see what the weather brings b4 locking in - and locking QANTAS out.. :-) Cheers Chris

Thanks for all the tips folks! (No more 'Mexicans' talk - I promise..) Some good suggestions here - and one that came in by PM - Bacchus Marsh - only 50ks from Melbourne city, with train and rental cars: http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/bacchusmarsh/transport/

Our J160 has 720 hours with no issues -and good compressions; a J230 with 370 hours and another J230 with 290 hours - both good as new on comp's.

I should have been clearer: The approach is to loosen one at a time with the others left firmly in; that way the head wont move whilst lubricating the thread. Then screw that bolt back in and pull up to 20ft lb and repeat with the next bolt. That's what we do - but others should check with their L2..

Anyone know if there is a field at Daylesford? It's not in ERSA, but I thought there was.. I guess Ballarat would have a good train service to Melb. - but still need to get from airport to station.

I agree. In fact each time you torque the head bolts, it's best to take them out one at a time and brush a bit of anti-seize on the thread, then reinsert. Otherwise they tend to grab and over-tightening is more likely.

Can any Mexican out there suggest the best airport for RAA a/c to fly into with reasonable public transport access to the Melbourne CBD? Or access to rental cars? Thanks