$429 Dimmer Switch

Jay Honeck wrote:
: Hope that helps describe why they went to it.

: Thanks, Cory!

: Do you know if there's a legal way to put LEDs in my plane?
: --
: Jay Honeck
: Iowa City, IA
: Pathfinder N56993
: www.AlexisParkInn.com
: "Your Aviation Destination"

I believe there's a company that make little plastic ring doodads to go around
the instruments. Not cheap, though. The trouble with LED's is that they don't work
the same as light bulbs. They're a current-controlled device, and a bulb is roughly a
voltage^2-controlled device. If you have some of each, it'd be tough to get them to
dim at the same "rate." As far as getting stuff approved, depends on your friendly
neighborhood FSDO, I guess. You just fixed yours... leave well-enough alone!

Wait a minute... didn't you taunt the airplane gods a week or two ago about
how *everything* on your plane worked? :P~~

-Cory



--
************************************************** ***********************
* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************

Wait a minute... didn't you taunt the airplane gods a week or two
ago about
how *everything* on your plane worked? :P~~

Yep. This repair was part of the procedure that got everything to work -- I
only just received the bill for it, now.

At the moment, everything STILL works!

:-)

(Of course, it's too damned windy around here to fly -- again. Windiest
March I've ever seen...)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

OK, I did what you said. I read your App. Note 1. Also googled around for
other things you have written. I guess I still don't "get it."

Your App. Note 1 references an AC that was superseded back in 1996, AC
20-62C, which is now AC 20-62D. The current version says in the definition
of "Acceptable Parts": "(2) Parts produced by an owner or operator for
maintaining or altering their own product and which are shown to conform to
FAA-approved data." So how can an owner's home-made dimmer circuit can be
installed without any approved data?

You have cited the "Chief Counsel" on several occasions. Do you mean, by
any chance, the "Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulation letter dated Aug. 5,
1993 " referred to in http://www.awp.faa.gov/new/fsdo/ans_jan2_98.htm? I
would like to see that letter, if you know anywhere that it is published.
Unless it is publicly available, it would be hard for someone to cite it as
an authority.



"Jim Weir" wrote in message
...

I've been answering this same exact question for thirty-three years
exactly the
same way, and I'm not going to go into the song and dance here again. You
can
google the answer if you like, or you can download Applications Note 1
(the one
I wrote back in 1972 as amended through last year) from
www.rstengineering.com
if you want the long answer.

Or, I can reproduce it here if you all would like some flame bait.

Jim


"Dan Thompson"
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

-Wouldn't replacing an approved dimmer assembly with a home-made one be a
-"major alteration" that would require a Form 337, and field approval of
the
-data, for return to service?



Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

Jay Honeck wrote:
Ray has explained to you, twice in this thread, why transistors are used.
If you can't understand the technology, stop commenting on it.
Wow, we normally can't find anyone here to defend the high-tech 1974 Chevy
Nova technology found in my Piper -- thanks!

Using that logic, we'd might as well disconnect our yokes, and roll a
brand new plane underneath them. It's not practical to redesign
everything on our planes, just because you don't like the way they did it
in 1974 (or '64 or '54).

Your view is, um, refreshing, somehow. Kinda like the Amish, I suppose, but
I guess I could get used to it.

My engineering degree trumps your silly little english degree when it
comes to commenting on technology.

Actually, flying a 30 year old airplane, I have little choice. :-(

Exactly, now your gettting it.


--

__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino ! ! !
http://www.oceancityairport.com
http://www.oc-adolfos.com

My engineering degree trumps your silly little english degree when it
comes to commenting on technology.

My Dad -- a high school grad -- used to have a word for all the engineers in
his department.

He called them "employees."

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Gene Kearns" wrote in
:

broke within 1 hour because the mechanic (1) couldn't solder and (2)
had no notion of how to properly suppport soldered wires against
vibration.

Not to mention prohibition against soldering (unless absolutely
unavoidable) that most A&Ps have been taught.

Unfortunately, you are right. Lots of A&P's (and IA's) work more off of
old wives tales like this than facts.

Studies have found that *correctly* formed connections, both crimp and
soldered, have virtually identical (and low) failure rates in aviation use.
Only the mode changes - crimps fail from corrosion or pull, *sometimes*
from breakage at the connector. Soldered connections, improperly done,
fail from breakage at the connector and from cold solder joints.

The only real advantage to crimp connectors is that it is a little easier
to *automate* the job, and hence they may be better in the hands of someone
without training. Otherwise, both have their proper place.

-----------------------------------------------
James M. Knox
TriSoft ph 512-385-0316
1109-A Shady Lane fax 512-366-4331
Austin, Tx 78721
-----------------------------------------------

"James M. Knox" wrote:

Unfortunately, you are right. Lots of A&P's (and IA's) work more off of
old wives tales like this than facts.

No, A&Ps work with the methods and procedures defined in AC.43. The "bible" says
no soldering unless absolutely necessary.

George Patterson
Battle, n; A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that would
not yield to the tongue.

Ya know, this has all been great fun, but a huge time sink. I'll take the
thread up again next weekend, but I won't waste valuable engineering time with
folks who have an honest difference of opinion. Opinion, mine as well as yours,
are like assholes...everybody has one and most of them stink.

See ya after hours...

Jim
Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

G.R. Patterson III wrote:
: No, A&Ps work with the methods and procedures defined in AC.43. The "bible" says
: no soldering unless absolutely necessary.

While this is not an unreasonable limitation, it is not possible to attatch
wires to a potentiometer without soldering (the initial problem that the
A&P mechanic was to fix), so I had (erroneously) assumed that this mechanic
was knowledgeable about the proper practices of soldering and wire support in
high-vibration environments. Sadly I was mistaken, but the ruins of the
installation were recoverable with proper soldering technique and wire
dressing.

Perhaps we are (I am) expecting too much of one man. This particular mechanic
is extremely knowledgeable about structures and most powerplane issues. He's
less knowledgeable about electrical problems, and not at all comfortable with
electronic items - I helped him diagnose some bad engine monitor probes (not
in my plane). If he had told me "I do not think that I can perform this
repair" I would have been perfectly happy, and would have gone elsewhere.
--
Aaron Coolidge (N9376J)

Not to mention prohibition against soldering (unless absolutely
unavoidable) that most A&Ps have been taught.


I was never prohibited from soldering and spent hours doing it. Granted this
was 20 years ago.

One thing about these aircraft dimmer switches is that there is typically very
little service loop in the wire bundle so very often you have to lie on your
back and solder upside down. I have also seen installations where it could
take nearly an hour just to expose the switch for soldering and more to put it
back together correctly.

It always amazes me how often things were designed without any thought to
future maintenance requirements.

John Dupre'