Voltage Regulator Failed

[Reynard]

On 19/5/2025 at 4:32 PM, skippydiesel said:

Found another aftermarket offering -  https://www.aeroakku.com/REGULATORS/Schicke-Regulator-GR6b-OVP-12V::1901.html?language=en

 

Shicke GR6b-OVP is a compact AC rectifier-regulator useable for Rotax😈

Anyone have any experience with the Shicke regulator ? From its appearance I believe that’s what I have, but there are no markings on it at all……and yes, I think I have a regulator problem.

[skippydiesel]

No experince.

 

Good looking unit with all that heat sink/cooling area. 

 

This may have been one of the units that are not available in Australia - so didn't do any research on them.

 

The VR's with the best  (on line) reputation are:

 

• CARMO CARR5115 MOSFET. (What I have.)  Some mucking about with wiring. Smaller mounting "footprint" than the Rotax/Ducati, so will require fabrication of adapter mount, if you don't want to drill more holes. Does not need capacitor. Highly regarded Dutch manufacturer. Australian agent.
• Silent Hektik DE -  Very highly regarded in Europe. Similar to CARMO, does not need capacitor. You will need a contact in Europe to purchase for you. Alternatively you may find a Euro motorcycle shop that will work with you.
• B&C PMR1C-14 regulator - Much loved by American pilot/owners. Probably the most expensive. Uses the recommended Capacitor. Plug & Play .

Forgot to mention: If you are into fiddling & good with a soldering iron, you may be able to repair your Rotax/Ducati VR - go back through his threaded for instructions.

😈

Edited June 9 by skippydiesel

[Reynard]

Thanks.

I believe I have a Schicke, not a Ducati VR.  
Since 2025, Schicke VRs are made by ILec GmbH who are not represented in Australia.
 

[facthunter]

Regulating a Permanent Magnet device is Not an easy task. Nev

[Moneybox]

That one I put in the Parts List is one from China, looks the part and is an exact plug-n-play if you are replacing the Ducati one. Mine is working well since I replaced the capacitor.

Edited June 9 by Moneybox

[Moneybox]

[danny_galaga]

11 minutes ago, Moneybox said:

That one I put in the Parts List is one from China, looks the part and is an exact plug-n-play if you are replacing the Ducati one. Mine is working well since I replaced the capacitor.

I'm glad it's still going well, but when it comes to electronics, never determine its veracity by whether it 'looks the part '. In the long run, what will determine this parts veracity is you reporting back from time to time. Google is the judge of its veracity for any other potential user 🙂

[Reynard]

It was suggested to me that over-voltage protection should be separated from the regulator rather than integrated internally within it. Any comments, anyone ?

[Moneybox]

1 hour ago, danny_galaga said:

I'm glad it's still going well, but when it comes to electronics, never determine its veracity by whether it 'looks the part '. In the long run, what will determine this parts veracity is you reporting back from time to time. Google is the judge of its veracity for any other potential user 🙂

danny, if the original part was reliable I'd have bought one but history shows that it will most likely fail. Apart from that it's not really a critical component. 

[danny_galaga]

2 hours ago, Moneybox said:

danny, if the original part was reliable I'd have bought one but history shows that it will most likely fail. Apart from that it's not really a critical component. 

Totally agree. But 'looked the part' could be your epitaph after it caught fire because it was dodgy 😄

[Moneybox]

2 hours ago, danny_galaga said:

Totally agree. But 'looked the part' could be your epitaph after it caught fire because it was dodgy 😄

My point is the Ducati item is dodgy. If you want good electronics/electrics you don’t look to America, Germany Italy or the UK. The Asians lead the way.

[danny_galaga]

6 hours ago, Moneybox said:

My point is the Ducati item is dodgy. If you want good electronics/electrics you don’t look to America, Germany Italy or the UK. The Asians lead the way.

This is a terrible generalisation. Didn't I post here about the dangers of fake mobile phones chargers? The genuine ones AND the fake ones are made in China. All I'm saying is the looks don't make the electronics work 

[BurnieM]

All correct.

Unfortunately OEM or 'good brand name' cannot be relied on either.

 

[onetrack]

The unfortunate part about our manufacturing regime today, is that "brand names" get vast amounts of their "premium products" made in China - they often try to hide that fact - and they don't necessarily have major oversight into, or control of, the Chinese manufacturing processes and QC.

[danny_galaga]

1 hour ago, onetrack said:

The unfortunate part about our manufacturing regime today, is that "brand names" get vast amounts of their "premium products" made in China - they often try to hide that fact - and they don't necessarily have major oversight into, or control of, the Chinese manufacturing processes and QC.

They do. Big name brands set up the whole factory. Quite often bringing in German or American machinery. They don't hide it. Look at a genuine iPhone charger for instance. It has made in China written on it.

 

Where the quality Chinese manufactured parts get a bad rap is from people buying a counterfeit part. It LOOKS the same, but is made by some fly by night company, they spend just enough to make the exterior look the same, but if it's electronics, then the design is inferior and/or uses inferior components. If it's mechanical, then, as before, they make sure it LOOKS the same, but the materials are inferior.

 

And people keep pushing this nonsense about them all coming from the same factory. Usually the sellers, spinning a yarn about it being the same but they can sell it cheaper because it's not through an official channel, fallen off the back of a truck yadayada.

 

Counterfeits do not come from the same factory as the genuine products. Just the same country.

 

All this aside, I don't think there could be a worse design than the genuine Ducati regulator, so even a cheap Chinese knock off, in this particular instance, would probably be an improvement 😄

 

I went with the Carmo. I think it cost MORE than the Ducati, but is designed and manufactured by a reputable Dutch aftermarket outfit. Because it was a new build, I just wired it to suit that regulator.

[Bill]

ILEC have been well known to the gliding community for many years as manufacturers of electronic instruments and engine control units.

https://ilec-gmbh.com/en/about-us/

They did take over the manufacture of the Schicke voltage regulator.

https://ilec-gmbh.com/en/gr6b-generator-regulator/

[facthunter]

As I said a while back. It's not easy to regulate a PERMANENT magnet  device by it's very nature.  Everything else is regulated by electro-magnet strength controlling the Output.  A relatively easy task, that doesn't create a lot of Heat.   Nev

 

[FlyBoy1960]

Could it be that the Ducati regulator/rectifier is being used well outside of its original functional specifications?  Answer = YES
 

 A bit like the regulator used in the Jabiru. Originally designed for garden equipment like ride on lawn mowers where it only had to recharge the battery after starting and sometimes control the outputs to the lights etc. Then someone finds it is really cheap and we can throw it in an aeroplane and expect it to work with all of the additional loads like avionics, strobes etc. then, we wonder why it fails so often.

 

Just my $0.10 worth. 

 

Ducati never made  aircraft, and therefore, never designed an aircraft regulator.  Ducati Energia very openly states that these regulators are only intended for permanent magnet alternators commonly used on to wheel and 3 wheel vehicles as well as stationary engines operating off 12 V and 24 V. It was never designed for high continuous electric loads, long operating periods or high engine compartment temperatures.

This was part of the Rotax philosophy at the time when the 912 was being developed. They kept using proven automotive and motorcycle components where they could to keep weight and cost down.

[skippydiesel]

"Ducati never made  aircraft, and therefore, never designed an aircraft regulator."

The Rotax 9 is mostly automotive in inspiration/origin. The brilliant part, is how its all combined to deliver a quite extraordinary power plant😈

[skippydiesel]

One thing about Rotax 9's that I don't understand is why more reliable and/or effective components don't replace the following:

 

• Ducati Voltage Regulator - There would seem to be many, hopefully more reliable/durable systems, now available - why stick with the Ducati?
• The Bing 64 carburettors - Simple & reliable (to a point) yes but a fiddly to tune/balance and due to actuating cable changes, hard to keep in tune/balance?

😈

 

 

 

[Moneybox]

7 minutes ago, skippydiesel said:

One thing about Rotax 9's that I don't understand is why more reliable and/or effective components don't replace the following:

 

• Ducati Voltage Regulator - There would seem to be many, hopefully more reliable/durable systems, now available - why stick with the Ducati?
• The Bing 64 carburettors - Simple & reliable (to a point) yes but a fiddly to tune/balance and due to actuating cable changes, hard to keep in tune/balance?

😈

 

 

 

My Chinese knock-off regulator will never be really put to the test in the Zenith with very little electrical accessories fitted. I still have the Ducati one because in the end the problem was a stuffed capacitor.

 

I think the carburettor balance problem could be easily fixed. Balance them with the balance tube shut off then fit a little larger balance tube, that's if it really is a problem. 

[facthunter]

Just WHAT automotive application is Rotax 9xx Inspired ?

[FlyBoy1960]

1 hour ago, skippydiesel said:

One thing about Rotax 9's that I don't understand is why more reliable and/or effective components don't replace the following:

 

• Ducati Voltage Regulator - There would seem to be many, hopefully more reliable/durable systems, now available - why stick with the Ducati?
• The Bing 64 carburettors - Simple & reliable (to a point) yes but a fiddly to tune/balance and due to actuating cable changes, hard to keep in tune/balance?

😈

 

 

 

They have changed these,  Think fuel injected version.   No Ducati Regulator and no Bing carbs.

[danny_galaga]

4 hours ago, FlyBoy1960 said:

Could it be that the Ducati regulator/rectifier is being used well outside of its original functional specifications?  Answer = YES
 

 A bit like the regulator used in the Jabiru. Originally designed for garden equipment like ride on lawn mowers where it only had to recharge the battery after starting and sometimes control the outputs to the lights etc. Then someone finds it is really cheap and we can throw it in an aeroplane and expect it to work with all of the additional loads like avionics, strobes etc. then, we wonder why it fails so often.

 

Just my $0.10 worth. 

 

Ducati never made  aircraft, and therefore, never designed an aircraft regulator.  Ducati Energia very openly states that these regulators are only intended for permanent magnet alternators commonly used on to wheel and 3 wheel vehicles as well as stationary engines operating off 12 V and 24 V. It was never designed for high continuous electric loads, long operating periods or high engine compartment temperatures.

This was part of the Rotax philosophy at the time when the 912 was being developed. They kept using proven automotive and motorcycle components where they could to keep weight and cost down.

It's designed for what, 15 amps? If you keep your load under that, an amp is an amp. A modern motorbike runs a headlight/s, electronic instruments and EFI etc. it's not like Ducati design the regulator to just work for an hour or so. It should work as long as the engine is running. If it can last 3 or 4 hours, it should just as easily run twice that long. Yes, it's true that many pilots  are running their system close to the max, but it still seems to me to be poor design to not reliably run at its top end. As witnessed by my Carmo and moneybox Chinese copy.

[Blueadventures]

29 minutes ago, danny_galaga said:

It's designed for what, 15 amps? If you keep your load under that, an amp is an amp. A modern motorbike runs a headlight/s, electronic instruments and EFI etc. it's not like Ducati design the regulator to just work for an hour or so. It should work as long as the engine is running. If it can last 3 or 4 hours, it should just as easily run twice that long. Yes, it's true that many pilots  are running their system close to the max, but it still seems to me to be poor design to not reliably run at its top end. As witnessed by my Carmo and moneybox Chinese copy.

I think the heat within the engine bay dosen't help; I put mine on cabin side of the firewall.