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Panel wiring, circuits, breakers, switches, etc.

Are you guys done yet?!? :wink: Just kidding...all this info, although over my head, will surely help somebody's search in the future, which is what this site is all about :smile:



Just to be clear, as far as the electrical components I will be incorporating an underseat Odyssey battery in a F. Atlee Dodge battery tray, and a B&C 40A alternator STC...The solenoids are mounted underseat as well. Steve, I plan to incorporate your methods for avoiding ground loops and such, your schematic is easy to follow in that regard.

Some interesting things I learned today whilst continuing with my project:
Upon closer inspection of the original starter cable, I cut into it thinking I would see the silver colored aluminum wire, only to find out that it was a blue #4 copper auto cable, sheathed in a white shrink tubing (12' worth)....still discovering sins of the past!! Doesn't really matter as I will be replacing with #2 cable from the underseat battery to the starter anyways.

The starter solenoid (seen in a previously posted pic), although looks different from the master solenoid, has the same part number and looks to be a continuous duty solenoid as opposed to the correct intermittent duty solenoid necessary for a starter solenoid...looks like another order to Spruce.:roll:

Attached is my latest version of the wiring diagram...I've simplified it a bit to show only the basic diagram, hopefully this will satisfy the Feds for my Field Approval, keeping it close to a stock (later model) super cub wiring diagram. I think I have it pretty close on this attempt...please correct me if I'm wrong.
View attachment 10348
Thanks a bunch guys!!

What qsmx440 said and...

Below are a few additional suggestions... (too long to write them out)
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1. Consider sharing the starter c/b with your 12V outlet.
2. Consider a starter solenoid with a dedicated ground terminal.
3. Protect wiring between bus and batt. with a 50A c/b at both ends regardless of where you put the master relay.
4. Protect wiring between bus and alt with a 50A c/b at both ends. (If your alt has built-in overcurrent protection you don't need the 50A alt c/b ahead of the F/W.)
5. You might need a 15A (or more) c/b for your radio master
 

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Reading aviator's post I just had to come up with a few nit picks and a question for aviator.

Helmetfire you didn't indicate where everything was to be located. IMHO both relays, 50 amp circuit breakers and the master switch belong at the battery box although I would have two separate compartments to keep gassing battery's away from sparking switches and relays.

Aviator: If the 12 volt auxiliary is wired on the starter relay side of the 5 amp fuse, let's pretend you have your Ipad (insert favorite electronic device here) plugged into the auxiliary, you push the starter button and for some reason the 5 amp fuse blows, what happens to your Ipad when the inductive kick from the relay is impressed on the 12 volt jack with no battery to absorb the overvoltage?
 
Just food for thought, the Tripacers had the master toggle switch under the seat next to the battery. Then the starter relay was manual with a button on it so that your finger pushed the contacts closed. This was operated with the left hand. If you are going to install the battery under the front seat you could copy the Tripacer installation and eliminate a lot of the above wiring.
 
... Aviator: If the 12 volt auxiliary is wired on the starter relay side of the 5 amp fuse, let's pretend you have your Ipad (insert favorite electronic device here) plugged into the auxiliary, you push the starter button and for some reason the 5 amp fuse blows, what happens to your Ipad when the inductive kick from the relay is impressed on the 12 volt jack with no battery to absorb the overvoltage?

I suppose it could be covered under operating procedures: don't plug anything into your aux until after engine start. Doesn't sound like a costly tradeoff to save a c/b and put to work one that's otherwise getting a free ride. Personal choice - I guess. I for one never start the engine with anything turned ON that's not needed - or plugged in the aux.
 
I suppose it could be covered under operating procedures: don't plug anything into your aux until after engine start. Doesn't sound like a costly tradeoff to save a c/b and put to work one that's otherwise getting a free ride. Personal choice - I guess. I for one never start the engine with anything turned ON that's not needed - or plugged in the aux.

OK that I agree with you. Procedures in a plane eliminate that problem which was remote at best and in fact you do save weight. I always started my aircraft first and then turned everything on and turned everything off first before the master on shut down. That procedure also eliminates the inductive kick from the starter (way worse than the relays) from wiping out the avionics. You have to forgive me. It's been a while since I've had a "real" airplane. I've gone over to the "dark side" so much I'm thinking Halls airspeed indicator for my clone. Tcrafts dash looks like it's out of an airliner to me. :)
 
This is probably a dumb question, but if a "Shunt" is a fuse, couldn't you use a circuit breaker in its place?

And another: why do you need a "shunt" at all if you have a breaker sized for the alternator/generator?
 
This is probably a dumb question, but if a "Shunt" is a fuse, couldn't you use a circuit breaker in its place?

And another: why do you need a "shunt" at all if you have a breaker sized for the alternator/generator?

In my case, the shunt is used to locate my ammeter clear on the far right side of the instrument panel without having to route the big 8ga. wires to and from it. Also, since its a 60A shunt, as a fuse, it would be too large a fuse for 8ga. wire that's used in this application....
 
This is probably a dumb question, but if a "Shunt" is a fuse, couldn't you use a circuit breaker in its place?

And another: why do you need a "shunt" at all if you have a breaker sized for the alternator/generator?

The only dumb questions are the ones never asked. A shunt is not a breaker or a fuse. It's a calibrated metal bar (a manganin resistor of known resistance). When current flows through it, the voltage difference between the two ends is displayed as amps on an ammeter. (The ammeter is actually a voltmeter.)
 
This is probably a dumb question, but if a "Shunt" is a fuse, couldn't you use a circuit breaker in its place?

And another: why do you need a "shunt" at all if you have a breaker sized for the alternator/generator?

Paul this is probably my fault. I said to put the shunt right at the battery to measure total current and "act as a fuse". That is erroneous advice. Aviator is correct it is not a fuse. I was unfortunately thinking while writing of how in my own aircraft I would calibrate a sensitive voltmeter across a main fuse "fuse of last resort". I don't even know if I could make that work. It was just a thought and should not have been written. I'm going back and delete that and my earlier schematics which were for illustration only.

I can't edit or delete those earlier posts! I had planned on doing that all along? Damn! What's up with that? Maybe I should say something political and get this sent to R&R. :) Might save life.
 
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Got the panel cut out yesterday. An A&P friend of mine cut out all the round holes on a HOMEMADE CNC machine!! Talk about cool!! Thanks to Darrel Starr for sending me his panel cad drawing, with that info he was able to copy the instrument holes and make my custom panel fairly easily...


Still lots of work to go, but at least I can see some progress now...



D67D433B-9A1B-4096-8472-FCA42C29CEA6-1395-0000027A756C5008_zpsdaffcbf6.jpg


25E1D4F5-1A06-40EF-9041-BF968C86B84F-1395-0000027A7ECD5C2F_zps86e856f7.jpg


9C883B05-84AB-4C2B-97A8-70B474664666-1395-0000027A94D3F7AD_zpsed293334.jpg


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OK, here is the latest try for my wiring diagram. Theres still a couple areas that need fine tuning...one is the panel light dimmer, not sure how that wires into the system, I should know more today when I get to the hangar. Also realized I need a couple more C/B's on my panel layout too, one for the Master switch, and one for the Low Volt annunciator.

Let me know what you think...will I fry everything as soon as I connect the ground?!?!
This is confusing to me. The Master Solenoid (MSol) in this diagram is activated to close by what source? MSol design is to activate by grounding. This way you do not have a 'live' wire going forward to the Master Switch. (past the fuel tank!)

Oops, I just noticed that this was all responded to on the thread already.
 
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Meaningless picture, but I’m eating spaghetti!
jk
 

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this has been great reading, I do think that a lot of information on here shows the experience that may have. Which leads me to a couple of questions about a certified installation, doesn't the CAR's require a disconnecting contactor at the battery? would some prefer a volt meter over a shunt and amp meter? Thanks, Tim
 
CAR 3 specifically calls out some type of disconnect close to the battery. It doesn't specify what kind of device, so you can use a switch, relay, or mechanical switch.

But it's sketchy with info on volt meters or ammeters. Anybody else find a reference to them in CAR 3?

Web
 

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Great to see this thread resurrected after 8 years lol. I probably posted a picture of the finished panel somewhere else, but in the interest of closure, I’ll post one here too.

Wish I could say I still have this cub, but like a dummy, I sold her for a Cessna 180 :lol:

Funny this panel seems so basic now with all the fancy avionics now available. Still flew great tho ;-)
 

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