RFguy

anyone finding that with all this high pressure and low temperatures, they are needing more right pedal on TO climb that they usually do ? I am ! Cowra was 1000' below sea level yesterday mid morning..... (instead of 1000' above)

Both Goulburn and crookwell have challenging weather. I was considering moving to goulburn but I decided the weather was too foggy too often (compared to cowra where fogs are the exception rather than the rule) . In summer at Crookwell, with an easterly, you better have done your numbers if the grass is between mowing.. Goulburn at best $3mil. the strip and need need work.

Brendan, yeah there are quite a few parts on the PCB to do this, but the incremental cost of parts on a PCB being machine placed is very low. There are two ways of doing it, You either make every terminal capable of any function, and route using transistors to the 'output' pins (IE the known interface like a connector for a Tig or garmin or whatever) , or a matrix crosspoint switcher of miniature relays is used- very reliable because the relays which are rated for millions of cycles only get a cycle every time the plane is powered up, it it might get 10,000 cycles in its life.... With the relay crosspoint switcher, it still needs to route the signals from some processing to get audio levels right , PTT etc levels translated . but its all low tech. While there's alot of parts on said board , its still cheaper and more so, probably shorter time than waiting for a rare avionics person to do it (properly) . The relay crosspoint switcher- if it needs to switch anything to anything needs Nsquared crosspoints(relays) . These are solid state relays, about 3mmx3mm and less than 30c each . The universal terminal method, where any terminal can function as a audio input, output, ptt, or ground, needs a bit more design finesse but probable more adaptable especially if you get up to 4 intercom places OR multiple AUX inputs ( multiple radios, efis warnings, ipod , etc) The user wires up every terminal (with impunity) and a fairly basic algorithm goes out and discovers what it is on the end of everywire. that's fairly simple electronics, there's just alot of it for alot of pins..... .probably worth a patent. Someone still has to make up a cable to go from the box to whatever the radio you are using is , but that's a straight through cable, nothing special, just pin to pin. It's possible that a standard (one for all) cable could be used out of the box to a radio and use a printed circuit board connector to plug directly into the radio, (the traces on the PCB are such for the radio) so there is NO non standard cables or wires. Said box would/could also function as a intercom etc, since it is doing signal processing and routing. -glen

comes from the demonstrated need for people to get their radios and intercoms fixed and installed, with very few competent to do it....

Hi Mike, thanks fore the offer, but my parts and stuff has to to stay in australia, I am a strong supporter of making stuff in australia, and wont entertain other possiblilities. So much so , EMily (partner) isnt 'allowed' to buy Italian pasta at the supermarket. over my dead body. I am not completely dormant though, just having a few frustrating moments..

Currently in my system I have a few aviation projects on the go. 1) I suspended the radio out of my schedule in March due to other commitments, and that I was feeling a bit of feature creep, and this was turning it from a simple radio into to a complex design with multiple parts, and such things cost alot of time and this isnt a high value product. So this week I've got back to it and cut it down a bit- UHF CB is now not simultaneous (you can switch to it) - it was putting too many screws and complexity on the aviation band design to have it do both simultaneously and stay simple. also, I wont have it receiving ADSB anymore, more stuff too complex,. if this is going to get out the door, it needs to be more basic- still has the 4 simultaneous receivers and 10W TX /1W switchable TX power radio, and intercom etc. Also, I was planning to use an existing radio platform I have which is a bit too big to fit into a small panel hole, like Trig, Microair etc, so I was going to run it as two boxes. But two boxes (panel and main unit together with cables, connectors, extra microprocessor for the panel display ) is another complexity , so that goes. which has meant going smaller on the PCB. The upshot of that is that this triggers a design overhaul and it will now all go into a panel hole, which simplifies everything. So, on with that show ! 2) "anywire interface" . there's a big problem with getting a new radio/intercom installed these days, is gettign someone to do it.... maybe we can skip that problem----. It is quite feasible to make a box that you connect every wire, but it doesnt matter what wire is what, IE you just connect the wires in no order and the box figures it out for connection to radios on a standard harness for that radio. IE doesnt matter where you connect grounds, mic, ptts etc nothing. 3) I'm making some Jabiru targeted alternator regulators. the big plus, they'll generate useful charge from 600 RPM upwards, instead of 1500 RPM. and they wont overcharge batteries etc, and can be told about the chemistry. They will run warm instead of red hot (at full load) , and will have no chance of going short (which generates a stator fire) .... 4) Collision warning/ aircraft proximity warning. I built one. Has triple GPS and triple barometer so it doesnt care if it has a poor view of the sky- (skyecho can generate up to 300m error if it doesnt get a good view of the sky. . has basic adsb receiver also. apart from an audio output (into aux, or a mixing port so it can go in series with the intercom/ headset with failsafe relay bypass) , the $64 question is how do you display it ? Do you send it out like the skyecho talkes to the tablet, or have some custom screen ? anyway, that's what is cooking. glen

yeah recession - that would have been picked up if done every 25 hours but maybe the loss of compression was marginal so was not investigated I don't know. It takes very little pressure loss of the valve against the seat to completely kill the heat transfer.... the older exhaust valves have a definite life, also. chuck them at 500 hours I say. newer jab valves are much more heat hardy - different material..... (and they're also 3x the price), so its possible the valve just saw too many tension x temperature cycles. I am guessing for a 912 to fail, with valves < 2000h, that indicates an abused engine.

It is consumer grade, My guess is the BoM and MFR cost together is less than A$150. I've already fixed a bad solder joint in mine. Although mine has been dropped from a meter onto a wooden floor (not good for it) . that's the other problem with portable electronics, they get dropped and they're not built to survive that sort of thing .... So, there are good reasons to have fixed equipment. I wouldnt do a portable version for same reason- critical devices getting mishandled. My cost structures dont lend themselves to this sort of thing, my capable volumes are too low, there is only me, there's a limit to what I can do. Australia is hard. insufficient labour, relatively high labour costs, and no tax incentives from being outside the big cities, and the need to be in cities to get services and facilities you need for sophisticated manufacturing (unless you have it all inhouse) .... Part of me is half giving up on mfr in australia. I need scale, and I dont have deep enough pockets to get scale.

quite alot of recession visible, this head has been overheated for some time. I wonder if it was a hydraulic lifter that ran out of adjustment length (due to recession and jabiru factory supplying wrong pushrods from the factory and not telling anyone) , and thus the valve never closes properly, hangs open and overheats .......

SKyecho devices are built super cheap ! It's quite obvious that there is a real cost drive in production by looking at the insides with a microscope. absolutely lowest cost production.... do not be surprised when they stop.

"I've decided to grab the GTX 345 with an Aera 660 to act as my GPS/traffic monitor. I was wondering how much is 345" deciding before knowing the cost ? I'd suggest a GTX335 for the 200W ADSB output and continue to use a skyecho for traffic-in talking to a tablet machine for displaying traffic. You want a large screen for displaying traffic, and one that can be zoomed. You'll spend $29,000 getting an equivalent garmin screen on a EFIS etc Suggest a GTX335 with GAE12 encoder . be sure the GTX335 has the internal GPS option, otherwise it expects to get GPS from some other garmin

why such a large difference between approach speed and landing speed ? (240/150kts) ?

Maybe the blanking logic doesnt work or something, but I'd expect the blanking isnt connected etc, or blanking signals not compatible.. Uavionix seem to know what they're doing, having had direct conversations with their chief of engineering.

yeah, but naa but the same error may apply with the logic.

hmm because they retained their old transponder and didnt wire up the blanking wire to the transponder ?????

Referring to the original post with the illustration/graph What happens if you do : GA, motorcycles, diving, MTBing and rock climbing ? Do the probabilities all add up ? Note I have not done any rock climbing for 20 years. Well I'm not going to die in my plane. Biggest danger is distraction by a passenger these days .

cool. I've got the bigger winged 180A (still Hershey Bar - Archer 1 ) compared to straight 180hp cherokee. I'll be particularly interested whether holding off putting out the 25 flap until 45 kts does anything for ops on SWS....

Note Bosi, the J230 doesnt have the granuality of performance data like the J160. The J160 was a VH registerable airplane (not sure how with the electrical system design) , and had the P-charts that you provided for the forum. Still, there's enough data in the J230 book to extrapolate, together with empirically obtained data - see below - One of the things I am going to do soon is, with the Piper, do a few SF TO runs on the grass at Cowra (which can get very grassy between rain and cutting cycles) , with someone observing the precise TO point, to get some better empirical data on how long it takes my plane to get airplane with particular techniques used. In reality, KA would never have known exactly how much extra TO drag there would be, it might have looked like dry short grass from above. That's the reason why the other day I visited Camden Haven by foot, to check out exactly what sort of surface I would be in for. (next to the river, in the shade all winter- it was slow)

Yeah, BUT - you dont know exactly how soft and how wet - it is not a fixed parameter. I ithink on some soft wet surface (SWS) I have encountered, I'd add 50%, not 7% to the TO roll......

GREAT decision KiwiAV ! you live another day. A good pilot makes decisions in advance and is not overly optimistic. And great that you actually STOPPED when you got to your abort decision point. Many wouldn't. they'd be overly optimistic. I had this experience in a mate's jabiru down on some lake flats. took a long time to get airborne, used up 800m... Has anyone landed at Camden Haven, NSW? when I went to Port last week, I drive down to that ALA and it's in the shade all winter and about 30cm above lake level... was quite soft . not sure I'd get the Piper out of there comfortably , needs to dry out in summer (but then, higher temps... )

CTAFs being too common. gahhhh. When you are in circuit at Cowra, you share CTAF with Parkes, Forbes, Young, Cootamundra.. and others. If i need to make a call 'now' and there is someone talking on the radio 50-100nm away , I just transmit over the top ......... I dont wait. The locals over there 50-100nm away will here that aircraft , and locals where I am , will hear me. I've made my complaints that Cowra is in the centre of 5 other CTAFs and needs to move. Turbs, I liked what you said, "Another way of saying this is: "If you're aware of traffic in the area it might be safer to add additional traffic-specific communication." and I will preach to others- you've come up with a good way to describe the variation . Given that I never join on base, my joining calls are always downwind (with approx position, like "Early downwind"), or, joining midfield Xwind. And if I have to overfly the circuit on the hot side into the cold side to do a steep descending 180deg turn (on the dead side) then join midfield Xwind, I'll make sure everyone knows my intentions and position with an additional call-- just in case someone else is climbing on the downwind after TO , or also joining midfield xwind from the other side.... Lot's of potential conflicts !

flying into Cowra on Tuesday. nothing going on ....although I know a few trainers are out on navs because we all left together an hour back. .... ....10 mile call, then just before join, I glance at the tablet , cant see any aircraft...... then I decide to have a look around, it seems too quiet..... before I press PTT for circuit join call.......... and FFS...... I see a Warrior coming towards me mid field cross wind same altitude. No calls. golly, so it is useful to lookout the windows !...... I ask for identification/intentions and it all gets sorted out. he went #1, I #2, but then I lost him (sight) late downwind. where has that aircraft gone ????? now I get more concerned... I call turning base. I eventually pick him up coming turning final , he must have done really deep downwind. That's fine. Lots of trainers in the air at Cowra, you really DO need to keep a good eye out because circuit adherence is a bit hit and miss, as are radio work. expected. people are learning. There are times in the training intake cycle (6 weeks -3 mo) where its pretty hazardous , where students are just flying their first circuits in dual, and circuits and radio work is all over the shop. I think they (training co) , at times, let their students have a bit too much rope, not enough attention by the hour building young instructors, IMO.... But it's a double edged sword I know between too much intervention , and not enough..... ( by the instructor) I gather this is the same elsewhere, where there are intensive training ops (6-12 aircraft in the air) in the vicinity. I try to have some airmanship influence when I can, by, example, by offering to other students (waiting) holding short or following if they want to back-track with me, or want me to extend etc... trying to show how to all get on and accomodate eachother . I think the minimalise casa calls" is completely horsesh1t. Calls should be made whenever required or conducive to avoiding airspace conflicts.

which radio calls to make on approach..... That depends on the situation. 1) The below are not always my rules, but I ask myself- "what should-could I say that is useful, to assist another pilot " ? 2) Additional calls beyond minimum 10 mile and joining - make those extra calls concise and quick. Minimum air traffic. a) Even if NOTHING is happening minimum 10 mile call and joining circuit call. where ever that it is. b) other aircraft approaching and joining - additional calls to resolve potential conflict early ---- - position(approx bearing NW/W etc , distance, altitude) when a couple of miles out just before joining, and turning base or turning final. c) an aircraft waiting to take off , or backtracking etc- provide them some extra info , is late downwind, turning base call , maybe a turning final call etc. Not too much though !. When entering/ holding short - even if I know roughly where at aircraft is, I'll ask for other aircraft position if I have any doubts. d) 5 aircraft in circuit (not uncommon at cowra - calls are usually base turning crosswind, late downwind, turning base leg, turning final leg ). e) sometimes, radio is busy when you might otherwise make a turning call.....so in that case, its reasonabl to mention which leg.... IE : just "DRF is base, Cowra" if the radio was busy at the time you were turning base. Downwind calls should have an additional word (early, mid (or abeam RWY) , and late) . Aircraft on RWY can be seen by aircraft in circuit, so no extra call required by those ACFT except entering RWY etc in those cases. Sometimes an aircraft is waiting waiting waiting holding short to get out. If you are feeling generous and there isnt anyone behind you to screw up their approach, I will tell that waiting aircraft I will extend my downwind and slow down a bit to give them some time to get out (and do it regardless whether they said yes please or no, because I have to assume that they heard or think I will be extending my downwind. turning (leg) calls are useful because it pins your position in another pilots mind (and helps them know where to look) glen

Turbs you've hot the nail on the head with "but I've never seen an Instructor come on here and say "This is easy, I should be able to get you through that in x hours." That's really what needs to happen. The person is already competent on the radio, talking to Centre, etc, it is really a very small extra step I believe to run the radio procedures. But it does need the pilot to have good recency - fly regularly, use radio regularly, be used to all the chatter on Centre for it all to run smoothly. If the pilot in training cant deal with a bit of extra workload and radio work they they probably should not be in CTA.

WT. To get CTA access would require doing a CTA endorsement. This requires instruction and a flying test. To get an RPL, that's a couple of hours for a flying test in a Cherokee, plus the above CTA instruction which *could* be done at the same time. If you've had your RAAus-XC for a while, you know how to talk on the radio, and talk to Center. C is easy. D you need to know local procedures, so I guess the test is about looking up procedures (and if you comply!). I'm guessing there is a case where there isn't easily a GA aircraft available to do this, Although in an area where there is a class C or a class D, there's surely a busy enough aerodrome that there would be GA instruction and aircraft available. But in support of RAA-aus options- Really , the CTA endorsement should be able to be done in any aircraft that has the minimum equipment.