So, I believed and hoped that I had made a wiring error.
Not so, my wiring was correct, the right wire was connected to the tip, barrel and ring. However, I had connected the jack as a stereo jack, believing that a stereo headset would not care about if you connected the left or right channel to radio. Not so, my headset seems to request that it gets an input on the tip/right channel.
I solved this by making a wire between the tip and ring on the headset jacks, easy to remove if I get a stereo radio or radio panel. To increase my chances of having a working transmit, I disconnected the audio input jack and the audio out jack.
I got perfect sound, now with the connectors fully in. People were reading me 5/5 on the ground, no time for a flight test today. Hopefully I will make the next flight this Friday.
I did find another problem, I could not use push to talk on the left side, my experience for all the problems I have had the last six months tell me that the stick, dsub connector should be the first place to check.
7/30/19
7/24/19
Flight 6 observer on board
After 5.2 mechanically trouble free hours I felt that it was ok to bring on another person in the plane. My wife is an approved observer for the test period. This was a flight to familiarize her with the AC and also to test the intercom.
My intercom does not work! there is a loop in them making the sound become louder and louder... we had to remove our headsets and turn off the intercom. Something is still wrong with my headset wiring.
Another not so good landing :/
Flew with 90% power for a while, topped out at 178 kt indicated in level flight!
My intercom does not work! there is a loop in them making the sound become louder and louder... we had to remove our headsets and turn off the intercom. Something is still wrong with my headset wiring.
Another not so good landing :/
Flew with 90% power for a while, topped out at 178 kt indicated in level flight!
7/23/19
Flight 5, touchdown video
Of course I made my first bounce when I finally got a touch down on video. But promise is promise so here you have it, the second "landing" was pretty much a spot on 3-pointer ;)
I reinstalled my headset connectors, making sure that they are isolated, made a radio check with the tower and got a "reading you 5". All was also well during taxi and take off but when returning tower reported "3 with a lot of static". So not done with this problem yet!
I reinstalled my headset connectors, making sure that they are isolated, made a radio check with the tower and got a "reading you 5". All was also well during taxi and take off but when returning tower reported "3 with a lot of static". So not done with this problem yet!
7/22/19
Flight 4
Lots of travel today. My wife and kids are staying at my in-laws summer house for another night or two, I got dropped of at a train station. Two train rides followed by two subway rides, one commuter train. another subway and then a 15 minute walk and I was home, 4:20 in total, ate lunch and then drove to the airport...
Removed the cowl and checked all connections in front of the FW, all still good and no new stains.
Tested if the manifold pressure sensor got power... no it did not! Checked the connector at the GEA24, the one I suspected would be bad... nope. Checked the other side, did not solve it, it was the actual wire that had broken. I made a new wire, routed it in another way and with a good slack between anything that could move. I got MP reading again!
On the ground I got reasonable transmissions and the time was after 20:20 so I decided to fly again, very low cloud base but I am already comfortable in my RV. Another hour in the air. After looking at the Savvy video Savvy, Breaking Good I decided to run the engine even harder, for about 30 minutes I ran it at 86%. Temps are great but I have not seen any definitive drop in the low CHTs yet.... the oil consumption is already low, is the break in done? I will run it hard a little longer.
One item of the list, no new problems. Might get time to investigate the com problem tomorrow :D
Take off number 4, I promise to film a landing at the next flight, I just cannot get a real 3-pointer, would like to se how far away the tail wheel is.
Removed the cowl and checked all connections in front of the FW, all still good and no new stains.
Tested if the manifold pressure sensor got power... no it did not! Checked the connector at the GEA24, the one I suspected would be bad... nope. Checked the other side, did not solve it, it was the actual wire that had broken. I made a new wire, routed it in another way and with a good slack between anything that could move. I got MP reading again!
On the ground I got reasonable transmissions and the time was after 20:20 so I decided to fly again, very low cloud base but I am already comfortable in my RV. Another hour in the air. After looking at the Savvy video Savvy, Breaking Good I decided to run the engine even harder, for about 30 minutes I ran it at 86%. Temps are great but I have not seen any definitive drop in the low CHTs yet.... the oil consumption is already low, is the break in done? I will run it hard a little longer.
One item of the list, no new problems. Might get time to investigate the com problem tomorrow :D
Take off number 4, I promise to film a landing at the next flight, I just cannot get a real 3-pointer, would like to se how far away the tail wheel is.
7/19/19
Testflight 2&3
Yesterday I removed the cowling and checked all wires and connections. Everything looked good and there was no new oil stains from the first flight. I now cleaned off the stains that came from the first engine start. In the evening I performed two more flights.
The first flight consumed less than 1/2 quarts of oil. Here is "the inside view" from the first flight.
I now have 3.2 hours airborne. There are two big squaks:
1. My radio transmissions are almost unreadable, I tried adjusting mic gain but now suspect a physical wiring problem most likely a short to ground at the headset connectors.
2. I lost manifold pressure reading! As I know what the fuel flow should be for 2500rpm and 75-80%, I continued the last flight as planned without MP reading.
All in all am am very happy but the above problems must be fixed before flight 4. The engine uses less than 0.5 quarts per hour and temps are very good. Unfortunately I forgot to take or copy the logs from the SD card so I do not have any data from flight 2&3 yet.
The first flight consumed less than 1/2 quarts of oil. Here is "the inside view" from the first flight.
I now have 3.2 hours airborne. There are two big squaks:
1. My radio transmissions are almost unreadable, I tried adjusting mic gain but now suspect a physical wiring problem most likely a short to ground at the headset connectors.
2. I lost manifold pressure reading! As I know what the fuel flow should be for 2500rpm and 75-80%, I continued the last flight as planned without MP reading.
All in all am am very happy but the above problems must be fixed before flight 4. The engine uses less than 0.5 quarts per hour and temps are very good. Unfortunately I forgot to take or copy the logs from the SD card so I do not have any data from flight 2&3 yet.
7/17/19
No, yes, maybe, no, yes!
Woke up to a low cloud base and rain! Checked the forecast several times before lunch, it looked like there could be a 3 hour break. Of to the airport and after a hopeless hour I refueled but put the RV back into the hangar, the chances of flying was very slim.
Installed my now overhauled 35R and it started looking better again. As there was so little traffic I decided that I did not need a dependable 4000 feet cloud base, an initial cloud base of 3000 and a worst case scenario for landing at 1500 would be enough.
Of I went. For the first hour I could fly at between 4000 and 2500 feet AGL and for the last 30 min at 2000-2500.
The only real squawk was that my com transmit became worse as the flight continued. I could hear everyone else fine but they got lots of static from me. After 30 minutes of bad coms I decided that 1:30 airborne would have to be enough for the first flight.
I will try to make a better movie later on, all onboard GoPros was out of power after about an hour so no onboard media from the landing.
Vans will be notified tomorrow :D
Installed my now overhauled 35R and it started looking better again. As there was so little traffic I decided that I did not need a dependable 4000 feet cloud base, an initial cloud base of 3000 and a worst case scenario for landing at 1500 would be enough.
Of I went. For the first hour I could fly at between 4000 and 2500 feet AGL and for the last 30 min at 2000-2500.
The only real squawk was that my com transmit became worse as the flight continued. I could hear everyone else fine but they got lots of static from me. After 30 minutes of bad coms I decided that 1:30 airborne would have to be enough for the first flight.
I will try to make a better movie later on, all onboard GoPros was out of power after about an hour so no onboard media from the landing.
Vans will be notified tomorrow :D
7/14/19
Closing in
Today I prepared for the new manifold pressure sensor.
I disconnected everything and laid out tools and parts for a quick installation of the new sensor as soon as it arrives. I took some pictures of the removed sensor, more on this later.
Then performed several task that are not really necessary for the first flight but nice to have, I mounted two RAM balls for a camera and phone/tablet on the left side of the panel. I put one GoPro mount on each wing and cleaned up the wiring some.
When I got home I looked at the picture of the removed sensor and discovered that it was a P4055-5025-3 sensor. That is for fuel pressure, not manifold pressure! So the question is now, did I mix up these sensors and is my manifold pressure sensor sitting where it measures oil or fuel pressure?
I disconnected everything and laid out tools and parts for a quick installation of the new sensor as soon as it arrives. I took some pictures of the removed sensor, more on this later.
Then performed several task that are not really necessary for the first flight but nice to have, I mounted two RAM balls for a camera and phone/tablet on the left side of the panel. I put one GoPro mount on each wing and cleaned up the wiring some.
When I got home I looked at the picture of the removed sensor and discovered that it was a P4055-5025-3 sensor. That is for fuel pressure, not manifold pressure! So the question is now, did I mix up these sensors and is my manifold pressure sensor sitting where it measures oil or fuel pressure?
7/11/19
Frustrating
So I have had all needed permit since almost a week now. There is only one "show stopper" preventing the first flight:
- my manifold pressure sensor does not work. After trouble shooting for several hours including completely rewiring the connection, I have given up on it and have ordered a new sensor.
My faulty transponder is still travelling to the retailer but that will/would not prevent me from making a first flight in uncontrolled airspace. Pretty sure I will not fly this weekend, I think Tuesday the 16th is the first realistic possibility for the first flight :/
- my manifold pressure sensor does not work. After trouble shooting for several hours including completely rewiring the connection, I have given up on it and have ordered a new sensor.
My faulty transponder is still travelling to the retailer but that will/would not prevent me from making a first flight in uncontrolled airspace. Pretty sure I will not fly this weekend, I think Tuesday the 16th is the first realistic possibility for the first flight :/
7/4/19
One of three still needed permits received
I just got a copy of my "Certificate of registration" and information on that the original is in the mail. this also means that my two other remaining permits are on its way.
To be allowed to fly I also need the flight test permit for the aircraft and the radio license. I do not think that I will get up in the air this weekend even if I get the permits on time, to many other activities planned. But sometime next week if the weather cooperates. :)
To be allowed to fly I also need the flight test permit for the aircraft and the radio license. I do not think that I will get up in the air this weekend even if I get the permits on time, to many other activities planned. But sometime next week if the weather cooperates. :)
7/2/19
Expecting permits any day now
I should receive all needed permits any time now. While waiting I am performing smaller improvements. Today I started exchanging some of the EGT/CHT sensor wiring. I had mixed the HI/LO wires and when starting to solve the problem I just decided that the cables are to short.
My transponder is on recalibration/repair/exchange so currently I am limited to days/time when the airport is closed and thre is uncontrolled airspace up to 4500 feet. Next slots that also fits my calendar are early on Saturday or next Tuesday evening...
I have one new/remaining show stopper, my manifold pressure sensor is not working.
My transponder is on recalibration/repair/exchange so currently I am limited to days/time when the airport is closed and thre is uncontrolled airspace up to 4500 feet. Next slots that also fits my calendar are early on Saturday or next Tuesday evening...
I have one new/remaining show stopper, my manifold pressure sensor is not working.
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